Pages - Nested Database Records?

[Phillyman]

I love pages, always have to start with that. But it feels like we can do more. I am trying to build the largest database of searchable records for video game information. I feel like I need the ability to create records within records to accomplish my task. Lets take a look.

 

Video Game Magazine Database

• Name  - Nintendo Power Issue 1
• Issue # - 1
• Month - July/August
• Year - 1988
• Total Pages - 108p
• Country - USA

 

Video Games Database

• Name - Super Mario Bros. 2
• Publisher - Nintendo
• System - Nintendo Entertainment System
• Country - USA
• Genre - Platformer

 

Now how do I bridge those two databases, sure I could do a relational field, but that is going to get messy where some of these magazines are 100-500 video games mentioned, plus how do I give details about what was mentioned? So now I have to create a bridging database

 

Bridge Database

• Video Game Name - Super Mario Bros. 2
• Magazine Issue - Nintendo Power Issue 1
• Type of Mention - Review/Walkthru
• Pages - 6-25

 

Where I think it would function much easier, if I were able to allow these 4 fields to be added as many times as needed to the record in the Video Game Magazine Database, which would then save users from having to go into a separate database to enter information that should be a subset of information for these records.

You may think this is a unique situation, but I can see this happening with Movie databases, where you would want to append actors into the records, or if you have a Music database and you have albums and want to append tracks to the record.

My end goal is to be able to allow my members to have search boxes where they can say .....

Show me "magazines" that mention "Pac-man" for the "gameboy" and are of type "review"

or

Show me "magazines" that mention "Shigeru Miyamoto" from "1990" and are of type "interview"

Am I asking too much of IPB Pages, or am I missing a way to accomplish this currently?

 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Phillyman

[opentype]

In theory, database relationships would be the right way to do it. It’s an industry standard. Different types of content – different databases, which are linked as necessary. 

It’s just that Pages is too limiting in functionality and usability to achieve what you ask. Yes, jumping between databases could be avoided if missing external entries could be added with an inline popup. Your search across databases isn’t possible and database relationship fields cannot be filters. And so on …

It looks like you already understand well what is and isn’t possible. You would need a custom app to have it exactly like you need it.