How to build a simple journal database with no-code

Day 2 of 100DaysofNoCode

Max Haining
59 steps
5 minutes

Baserow

Navigate to[Baserow](https://baserow.io/?utm_source=100school&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=q3)

Click "**Start now, for free**"

Once you've signed up, you'll be taken to your dashboard. \ \ In the top right corner of your dashboard, click "**+ Add new...**" followed by the "**Database**" option.

Give your database the name "**100DaysofNoCode**".\ \ Click "**Add database**".

As is standard with most database platforms, there will be a default table configured with columns and rows. \ \ You're going to edit these columns and add new columns to configure your journal. \ \ Start by clicking the down arrow in the "**Name**" field to open the field menu.

Click "**Edit field**".

Change the name of the field to "**Day**".\ \ This field will be used to enter the day of the challenge.

Using the drop-down menu highlighted below, find and select the "**#Number**" format.

Click "**Save**".

Now click the down arrow for the "**Notes**" field menu.

Click "**Edit field**".

Replace the name of this field with "**Task description**".\ \ You'll use this field to enter the task you're completing.

Click the drop-down menu and select the "**Single line text**" format.

Click "**Save**".

Click the down arrow for the "**Active**" field menu.

Click "**Edit field**".

Change the field name from "**Active**'" to "**Complete**?"\ \ You'll use this column for adding a checkbox that you can check upon lesson completion. \ \ This field already uses the "Boolean" format that you need and so there's no need to change it.

Click "**Save**".

You're now going to add **new fields** to your table.\ \ Click the **+ symbol** in the field columns.

Select the format "**Multiple select**" from the field menu.

Change the name of this field from "**Multiple select**" to "**Tools used**". \ \ This will be the field you use to enter information about the tools you've used for each lesson.

Click "**Add an option**" and add **Baserow** as your first example.

Click "**Create**".

Click the **+ button** to add a new field.

Select the "**Rating**" format from the field menu.

Change the field name from "**Rating**" to "**Difficulty**".\ \ You'll use this field to rate how easy or difficult you found a lesson.

**Change the colour of the star rating format** by clicking the drop-down colour menu and selecting a new colour.

Click "**Create**".

**Now you'll add new field named "Interest".**\ \ Repeat steps 24 to 27 above, naming this new field 'Interest'.\ \ You'll use this field to record how interested you are the in the particular task, concept or tool you've been learning.

**Add a new field and select the "Long text" format** from the field menu.

Click the checkbox that enables rich text formatting.\ \ This'll allow you to add text formatting to your notes either now or at a later stage.

Give this field the name "**Notes**".

Click "**Create**".

**The table structure for your journal is configured!**\ \ Start adding your first entry by entering '2' in the first row of the "**Day**" field.

Now move to the "**Task description**" field and add the name for this lesson.\ \ *How to build a simple journal database with no-code.*

Leave the checkbox in the "**Complete?**" field unchecked for now. \ \ You'll have the satisfaction of checking this when you've completed the lesson :)

In the "Tools used" field, **click the + button and then click "Baserow"**.

In the "**Difficulty**" field, add a difficulty rating for this lesson (1 being very easy and 5 being very difficult). \ \ You can always change this if you'd like at the end of the lesson.

Now add an **Interest** rating (1 being not very interested, 5 being highly interested).\ \ Think of your Interest rating as how much you'd either like to explore the lesson concepts, tool or task in further detail.

Use the "**Notes**" field to add any thoughts, realisations or questions you've had during the lesson. \ \ For example, if you can use Baserow to create a 100DaysofNoCode journal, maybe you could also use it to log details of your workouts?

As your first journal entry is for Day 2, you're now going to enter information for your first day of the 100DaysofNoCode challenge.\ \ First, click and drag the edge of the first row and reposition it as the second row in the table.

Now complete information in all fields for Day 1 of the challenge. \ \ Your table should look something like this:

**Now you're going to use Baserow's Form function** to create an alternative way to add daily entries to your journal. \ \ Click "**Grid**".

Click "**Form**".

Add the form name "**Daily Entries**" and click "**Add form**".

Now you'll select all the fields to add to your form. \ \ As you're going to use this as an alternative way to fill out your daily journal entries, you should **click the arrow at the end of each field, adding every field to your form.**

**Add the form title** "Daily 100DaysofNoCode Entries".

**Add the form description** "Daily entries for 100DaysofNoCode Journal".

Click the "**Tools used**" section and toggle the 'required' button to **OFF**. \ \ The reason for doing this is that new tools can't be added to your table directly from forms in Baserow. When you want to add new tools to the options available in this field, you should do so in your table view. Once a tool has been added in the table view, it becomes available in a form.

**Add a message** to yourself that's displayed at the end of each form submission. Make sure the "Receive notifcation on submit" option is checked and then add your message in the text field.\ \ Make it motivational!

Click "**Share form**" in the menu at the top of the page.

Click "**Create a private link**"

Click the button highlighted below to copy the URL of your form to your clipboard. \ \ Now, save this URL to your browser bookmarks, your notes app, your desktop - wherever you feel it's going to be most easily accessible to you. \ \ **Open a new browser tab and paste in this URL.**

You'll now see all the fields you've added to your journal table in a neat form view.\ \ Go through the process of filling out the information in this form. It's fine to add a made-up entry for Day 3 for now, just so that you can see how it works.

Click "**Submit**".

Head back to Baserow and click the button highlighted below.

Click "**Grid**".

You should now see a new row of information that's been added from your form submission.

One final step. Remember earlier when you left Day 2 unchecked? \ \ You now get the satisfaction of checking this box. \ \ Today's lesson is **COMPLETE**. 🥳