Patterns

Each pattern shows the definition (Studio or code) and the client code.

Per-user data (notes, settings, carts)

Definition: an owner_id column, owner_field: "owner_id", and the owner quick set on the Access tab. App: from("notes").create({ text }) and from("notes"). Nothing else to write.

Team data

Definition: an org column on every table, and a rule comparing it with the caller’s organization.

const team = { all: [{ truthy: "$auth.org" }, { eq: ["$record.org", "$auth.org"] }] };
operations: { list: { enabled: true, policy: team }, get: { enabled: true, policy: team },
              create: { enabled: true, policy: team }, update: { enabled: true, policy: team } }

App: set org: session.org on create; use switchOrg to change teams. See Organizations.

Soft delete

Keep deleted records recoverable. Definition: a nullable deleted_at datetime column. Make the list and get rules hide deleted rows: All of (Record owner; $record.deleted_at is empty). Add a partial index where deleted_at is null. App:

await pawabase.from("tasks").update(id, { deleted_at: new Date().toISOString() });   // "delete"
await pawabase.from("tasks").update(id, { deleted_at: null });                        // "undo"

Remove the delete operation so nobody hard-deletes by accident.

Audit trail

Record who changed what, without trusting the client. Definition: an audit_log table whose rules are service for everything. Add a subscription from orders.updated to a flow that writes a row to audit_log using the event’s actor and payload. App: nothing. Reading history happens in a route or the table editor.

Counters and totals

Don’t increment a counter from the client: two people race. Options:

Compute totals on read: count() for what the person may see.
Keep a cached total updated by a flow on x.created / x.deleted.
For exactness (stock), update inside a route that does it in one database statement.

Tags (many-to-many)

A post_tags join table with two belongs_to relations and a unique composite index. See Relations.

Search

Need	Use
Starts-with / contains on one column	`ilike("title", "%term%")` with an index
Several columns, ranking	A route backed by a database full-text query
Typeahead	`ilike("name", "term%")` (a prefix match can use an index) plus `limit(8)`

Orderable lists (drag to reorder)

Keep a numeric position column. On drop, compute the new position between neighbours (the average of the two), so one update changes one row:

const position = (above.position + below.position) / 2;
await pawabase.from("items").update(item.id, { position });

Re-number occasionally if gaps get tiny.

Public and private fields on one table

Some columns are for everyone (name), some for the owner (email). Options:

Mark private columns write only if they should never be read back.
Split into two tables: profiles (public) and profile_private (owner-only).
Use a route that returns only the fields the public should see, and let the owner read the table directly.

Rule of thumb: access rules decide rows; for columns, split the table.

Settings and feature flags

A single-row-per-user settings table with a JSON column and the owner rules. Update with the data-style merge in the client:

const current = await pawabase.from("settings").eq("owner_id", user.id).single();
await pawabase.from("settings").update(current.id, { prefs: { ...current.prefs, theme: "dark" } });

Seed and fixtures

Use import with upsert and a stable key so seeding is repeatable.

Access rules recipes

More rules.

Troubleshooting

When it misbehaves.

Getting started

Define your data

Change safely

Read and write

Protect and shape

Studio tools

Build well

Per-user data (notes, settings, carts)

Team data

Soft delete

Audit trail

Counters and totals

Tags (many-to-many)

Search

Orderable lists (drag to reorder)

Public and private fields on one table

Settings and feature flags

Seed and fixtures

Access rules recipes

Troubleshooting

​Per-user data (notes, settings, carts)

​Team data

​Soft delete

​Audit trail

​Counters and totals

​Tags (many-to-many)

​Search

​Orderable lists (drag to reorder)

​Public and private fields on one table

​Settings and feature flags

​Seed and fixtures

Access rules recipes

Troubleshooting

Per-user data (notes, settings, carts)

Team data

Soft delete

Audit trail

Counters and totals

Tags (many-to-many)

Search

Orderable lists (drag to reorder)

Public and private fields on one table

Settings and feature flags

Seed and fixtures