Relational basics
The handful of ideas — relations, lookups, rollups, junction tables — that separate a spreadsheet from a system.
Linked records: the one idea that replaces half your formulas
A linked record is a pointer to a real record, not a typed name. Understanding that single distinction removes most of the maintenance work from a spreadsheet.
Lookup vs rollup: which one do you actually need?
Both read data across a link. A lookup borrows one record's value; a rollup summarises many. Here is how to tell them apart and pick correctly every time.
Database normalization for people who aren't engineers
Normalization has an intimidating name and a simple rule: every fact should live in exactly one place. Here is what that means in practice, without the formal theory.
One-to-many vs many-to-many, explained without the jargon
Getting the shape of a relationship right takes thirty seconds and saves weeks. Here is how to tell which one you have, using two plain-English questions.
Rollups, formulas and when to reach for each
Calculated fields come in three kinds, and picking the wrong one is why your numbers drift. Here is the decision rule, plus the patterns worth stealing.
What is a junction table (and when do you need one)?
When two things relate many-to-many, the relationship itself has data. A junction table is where that data lives — and it is the most useful structure in operational modelling.
Why every table needs a stable ID (and why it shouldn't be a name)
Names change, duplicate and get mistyped. If your records are identified by name, every link you build is standing on sand. Here is the fix, and it takes five minutes.
Stop fighting your spreadsheet
RowFold gives your data the structure it already has in your head — tables that know about each other, views that fit the work, and AI that can actually answer questions about it.