# Views

## Overview

A table view, commonly known as a "view," is a virtual table created by querying existing database tables. It doesn't store data but shows a real-time snapshot of chosen data from other tables.

## Get Started

Once the database server connection has been set up, developers now have the possibility to access and manage database tables and [views](/reference/servoycore/object-model/database-server/view.md).

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Read-Only**\
Views cannot be defined in Servoy Developer, this can be done by using the database admin tool of the developer's choice.
{% endhint %}

## Connecting to a View

If a view is made with database tools, you can find it in Servoy Developer within the `Views` folder of the relevant database server.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Advanced Feature**\
Only work with Views if you already use them.
{% endhint %}

### Open a View

Servoy applications can access the database views that are already created.

To open an existing view, expand the [Database Servers](/reference/servoy-developer/solution-explorer/resources/database-servers.md) node in the [Solution Explorer](/reference/servoy-developer/solution-explorer.md), then open the needed database and select the "Views" folder. The list of views will be displayed and there are 3 ways of opening a [view](/reference/servoycore/object-model/database-server/view.md):

* select the [View](/reference/servoycore/object-model/database-server/view.md), then click on the `edit table/view` button in toolbar of the list view
* right-click the [View](/reference/servoycore/object-model/database-server/view.md) and select [Edit table/view](/reference/servoy-developer/solution-explorer/resources/database-servers/database-server/views.md)
* double click the [View](/reference/servoycore/object-model/database-server/view.md) name

<div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/GGNhUiAkEn7SivEKjwQZ" alt="" width="650"><figcaption><p>Open a view</p></figcaption></figure></div>

### Edit a View

For the most part, Views behave like a [Table](/guides/develop/application-design/data-modeling/databases/tables.md) in Servoy.\
In order to edit a View in Servoy Developer, you should first have [connected to your database](/guides/develop/application-design/data-modeling/databases.md#connect-to-a-database) and [opened the View](#open-a-view) in the [Table Editor](/reference/servoy-developer/object-editors/table-editor.md).

Here you can manage:

* [calculations](/guides/develop/application-design/data-modeling/databases/tables/calculations.md#calculations)
* [aggregations](/guides/develop/application-design/data-modeling/databases/tables/aggregations.md#aggregations)
* [methods](/guides/develop/application-design/data-modeling/databases/tables/methods.md#methods)
* [events/triggers](/guides/develop/application-design/data-modeling/databases/tables/events-triggers.md#events--triggers)
* [columns](/guides/develop/application-design/data-modeling/databases/tables/columns.md#columns)

{% hint style="danger" %}
View columns **cannot** be added nor deleted in Servoy Developer.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Servoy requires a primary key and if there is not one, a *row\_ident*, which guarantees uniqueness.\
In order to use Views in Servoy Developer, **at least one column must be marked as** [**'row\_ident'**](/reference/servoycore/object-model/database-server/table/column.md#row-ident).
{% endhint %}

### Updateable Views

### Cached data


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