Data Manager

CRUD · Management form · Mantenedor, ABM (in Spanish)

Tags:data

Examples

Creating and editing an event in Google Calendar: the details form (title, date, guests) next to the calendar view where the record is managed.

Description

A data manager is a user interface for managing data entities through the basic operations on persistent information: creating, reading, updating, and deleting records. Its purpose is to let authorized users interact with the data repository in a controlled and structured way.

Mandatory capabilities

Mandatory capabilities

• Provides direct access to the system's data entities for their full administration
• Allows creating new records through input forms
• Allows viewing existing records in a browsable format (lists, tables)
• Allows editing previously created records
• Allows deleting records from the system
• Validates inputs before modifying the repository, preserving the consistency and integrity of the data
• Restricts operations according to the profile and permissions of the authenticated user
• Indicates which attributes of the entity are required, optional, or selectable from a predefined set

Additional capabilities

Additional capabilities

• Search and filtering: locates specific records through free text, per-field filters, or combinations of criteria
• Data export: generates downloadable files (CSV, Excel, PDF) from the visible or filtered records
• Bulk import: loads multiple records at once from a file
• Change history: shows a visible log of the modifications made to the records: who changed what, when, and from which previous value

Boundaries

What it is not

• Does not generate aggregate calculations or statistics — that belongs to Report or Dashboard
• Is not just a creation form: it must include reading, editing, and deletion to constitute a complete data manager
• Does not include complex business logic or bulk data processing
• Does not define who has permission for which operations — that belongs to Authorization

Information flow

Input

Form data plus operation commands: create, edit, delete

→

Output

Operation confirmation, list of records, error or validation messages

Variants

• Simple data manager. Manages a single data entity independently. It is the most common case: a table or list with its associated form.
• Master-detail data manager. Manages a main entity together with dependent entities linked to it. The interface allows navigating from a master record to its associated detail records.

Typical dependencies

• Authentication and Authorization — to control who has access and which operations they can perform
• Database — where the managed entities are stored

Mapping to the Digital Board

Manual UpdateAlways

Automatic UpdateNo

Data ConceptsAlways

On-Demand OutputsAlways

Automatic OutputsNo

Autonomous ProcessesOptional

Section	Relationship	Notes
Manual Update	Always	Forms for creating, editing, and deleting records. Also bulk import, when that capability is present.
Automatic Update	No	—
Data Concepts	Always	The main entity managed by the data manager and any sub-entities in the master-detail case.
On-Demand Outputs	Always	Display of records in lists or tables. Enriched by search, filtering, and export when those capabilities are present.
Automatic Outputs	No	—
Autonomous Processes	Optional	Autonomous recording of the change history of the managed records, when that capability is present (analogous to the Audit Log).

Digital Board example

Manual Update

Actor Creation Form

Actor Editing Form

Data Concepts

Actors

On-Demand Outputs

Actor List

Actor Search

Actor Export

Automatic Update

—

Autonomous Processes

Actor Change History

Automatic Outputs

—