DataView Plugin Documentation

Complete guide for installing, configuring, and using the DataView plugin for October CMS.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. System Requirements
3. Installation
4. Getting Started
5. Features
6. User Interface Guide
7. Permissions
8. Import & Export
9. Settings Configuration
10. Troubleshooting
11. FAQ
12. Support

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Introduction

DataView is a professional database management plugin for October CMS that provides a comprehensive interface for viewing, editing, importing, and exporting data from all plugin database tables. It eliminates the need for phpMyAdmin or manual SQL queries, making database management accessible to both developers and non-technical users.

Key Benefits

• Time-Saving: Manage database operations directly from the October CMS backend
• User-Friendly: Intuitive interface suitable for all skill levels
• Secure: Role-based permissions and secure file handling
• Efficient: Bulk operations for import/export of multiple tables
• Flexible: Works with any October CMS plugin's database tables

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System Requirements

• October CMS: Version 3.x or higher
• PHP: Version 8.0 or higher
• Database: MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL
• Disk Space: Minimal (approximately 2MB)
• Memory: Standard October CMS requirements

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Installation

Via October CMS Backend

1. Navigate to Settings > Updates & Plugins
2. Click Install Plugins
3. Search for "DataView"
4. Click Install
5. Navigate to Settings > DataView Settings to configure
6. Assign permissions to user roles as needed

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Getting Started

First-Time Setup

1. Access DataView:

   • Option A: Click DataView in the main backend menu
   • Option B: Go to Settings > DataView Settings and use quick access buttons

2. Select a Plugin:

   • Choose a plugin from the dropdown menu
   • View all its database tables

3. Explore Tables:

   • Click View Data to browse records
   • Use Add Record to create new entries
   • Click Export to download table data

Quick Navigation

• Main Dashboard: Lists all plugins with database tables
• Table View: Shows records with pagination
• Edit Record: Form interface for creating/updating records
• Import: Upload CSV files to populate tables
• Export: Download table data as CSV
• Settings: Configure plugin behavior

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Features

1. Database Table Browser

Browse all database tables from installed plugins:

• Table Listing: View all tables with display names
• Record Count: See the number of records in each table
• Search: Quickly find tables using the search box
• Table Information: View column names, types, and constraints

2. CRUD Operations

Create Records:

• Click Add Record from table view
• Fill in the form with required fields
• Submit to create a new record

Read Records:

• Browse all records in a table
• View column details and data types
• See primary keys highlighted

Update Records:

• Click Edit icon next to any record
• Modify field values
• Save changes

Delete Records:

• Click Delete icon next to any record
• Confirm deletion in dialog
• Record is permanently removed

3. Import Data

Single Table Import

1. Navigate to table view
2. Click Import CSV
3. Select CSV file
4. Configure import options:
   • Delete existing data: Removes all current records first
   • Reset auto-increment: Resets ID counter to 1
5. Click Import Data

Bulk Import (Multiple Tables)

1. Select a plugin
2. Click Import All Tables
3. Upload ZIP file containing CSV files
4. Each CSV file should be named after its table (e.g., users.csv)
5. Click Import All Tables

Import Options Explained

Delete Existing Data:

• Removes all records from the table before importing
• Useful for fresh data loads
• Cannot be undone

Reset Auto-Increment:

• Resets the auto-increment counter to 1
• Only works when "Delete existing data" is checked
• Ensures IDs start from 1 after import

4. Export Data

Single Table Export

1. Navigate to table view
2. Click Export CSV
3. File downloads immediately with all records

Bulk Export (Multiple Tables)

1. Select a plugin
2. Click Export All Tables
3. Downloads ZIP file with all table CSVs
4. Each table is saved as tablename.csv

5. Search and Filter

Table Search:

• Use search box on main page
• Real-time filtering as you type
• Searches both display names and table names

6. Permissions System

Fine-grained control over user access:

• Access Tables: View database tables and records
• Access Plugins: View plugin manager
• Manage Data: Create, update, and import records
• Delete Records: Delete individual records

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User Interface Guide

Main Dashboard

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Select Plugin: [Dropdown]                   │
│                                              │
│ [Export All Tables] [Import All Tables]     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Search: [_______________]                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Database Tables                             │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Table Name    │ Records │ Actions       │ │
│ │ users         │ 150     │ [View][Add]   │ │
│ │ posts         │ 542     │ [View][Add]   │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Table View

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Back] [Add Record] [Import] [Export]       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Table: users (150 records)                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ID │ Name       │ Email         │ Actions  │
│ 1  │ John Doe   │ john@...      │ [✎] [×] │
│ 2  │ Jane Smith │ jane@...      │ [✎] [×] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Edit/Create Record Form

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Edit Record                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Field Name     [input field]                │
│ Email          [input field]                │
│ Status         [dropdown]                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Save] [Cancel]                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Permissions

Assigning Permissions

1. Go to Settings > Administrators > Manage Roles
2. Select or create a role
3. Find DataView permissions section
4. Check desired permissions
5. Save role

Permission Details

Permission	Description	Allows
Access Tables	Basic viewing rights	View tables, browse records
Access Plugins	Plugin manager access	View plugin information
Manage Data	Edit capabilities	Create records, update records, import data
Delete Records	Deletion rights	Delete individual records

Recommended Permission Sets

Developer Role:

• ✓ Access Tables
• ✓ Access Plugins
• ✓ Manage Data
• ✓ Delete Records

Content Manager Role:

• ✓ Access Tables
• ✓ Manage Data
• ✗ Delete Records (optional)

Viewer Role:

• ✓ Access Tables
• ✗ All other permissions

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Import & Export

CSV Format Requirements

Structure:

• First row MUST contain column headers
• Column names MUST match table column names exactly
• Use commas as field separators
• Enclose values containing commas in quotes

Example CSV:

id,name,email,status,created_at
1,John Doe,john@example.com,active,2026-01-01 10:00:00
2,Jane Smith,jane@example.com,active,2026-01-02 11:30:00

Best Practices

Exporting:

• Export before making major changes (backup)
• Use bulk export for migrating entire plugins
• Keep exports organized by date

Importing:

• Test with small datasets first
• Review error messages carefully
• Use "Delete existing data" for clean imports
• Backup before importing large datasets

Common CSV Issues

Issue: Import fails with "column not found" Solution: Ensure CSV headers match exact column names (case-sensitive)

Issue: Special characters display incorrectly Solution: Save CSV with UTF-8 encoding

Issue: Date/time values not importing Solution: Use format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

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Settings Configuration

Accessing Settings

Navigate to Settings > DataView Settings

Available Settings

Show in Backend Menu:

• Toggle DataView menu item visibility
• When disabled, access via Settings page only
• Default: Enabled

Quick Access Buttons

Settings page includes quick access to:

• View Database Tables: Direct access to main interface
• Plugin Manager: View installed plugins

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Plugin Not Appearing in Menu

Possible Causes:

1. Backend menu visibility is disabled in settings
2. User lacks required permissions
3. Cache not cleared after installation

Solutions:

1. Check Settings > DataView Settings and enable menu
2. Assign "Access Tables" permission to user role
3. Run php artisan cache:clear

Cannot Import CSV

Error: "Please select a valid CSV file" Solution:

• Ensure file extension is .csv
• Check file is not corrupted
• Try re-saving CSV with UTF-8 encoding

Error: "Column not found" Solution:

• Verify CSV headers match table column names
• Check for extra spaces in column names
• Ensure case matches exactly

Table Shows 0 Records But Data Exists

Solution:

• Clear October CMS cache
• Check database connection
• Verify table permissions in database

Import Partially Succeeds

Cause: Invalid data in some rows Solution:

• Check error messages for specific row numbers
• Validate data types match column requirements
• Ensure required fields have values

Performance Issues

Slow Table Loading:

• Large tables may take time to load
• Pagination is automatic for 50+ records
• Consider exporting/importing in batches

Import Timeout:

• For large CSV files, increase PHP timeout
• Import in smaller batches
• Consider using database tools for very large datasets

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FAQ

General Questions

Q: Is DataView compatible with all plugins? A: Yes, DataView works with any October CMS plugin that uses database tables.

Q: Can I use this on production sites? A: Yes, DataView is production-ready with proper permission controls.

Q: Does it work with custom database tables? A: Yes, if the tables are registered through October CMS plugins.

Feature Questions

Q: Can I export only specific records? A: Currently, exports include all records in a table. Filter data in spreadsheet software after export.

Q: What file formats are supported for import? A: CSV for individual tables, ZIP containing CSV files for bulk import.

Q: Can I schedule automatic exports? A: Not built-in, but you can use October CMS scheduled tasks with DataView's methods.

Q: Is there a record limit? A: No hard limit, but large tables (100K+ records) may require pagination.

Security Questions

Q: Is my data secure? A: Yes, DataView respects October CMS permissions and uses secure file handling.

Q: Can I restrict access to specific tables? A: Use role-based permissions to control overall access. Table-specific restrictions require custom development.

Q: Are file uploads validated? A: Yes, only CSV and ZIP files are accepted, with validation for file structure.

Technical Questions

Q: Does it work with PostgreSQL? A: Yes, DataView supports both MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL.

Q: Can I extend DataView functionality? A: Yes, the plugin follows October CMS standards and can be extended.

Q: What happens to exports after download? A: Temporary files are automatically cleaned up. Exports are not stored permanently.

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Support

Documentation & Resources

• Official Documentation: This file
• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/dilexus/dilexus-dataview-plugin
• License: See LICENSE.md

Getting Help

Before Contacting Support:

1. Check this documentation
2. Review Troubleshooting section
3. Check FAQ section
4. Clear cache and try again

Reporting Issues:

When reporting issues, include:

• October CMS version
• PHP version
• Database type and version
• Description of the issue
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Any error messages

Enterprise Support:

For enterprise support, custom development, or priority assistance, contact:

• Company: Dilexus Infotech
• Developer: Chatura Dilan Perera
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaturadilan/

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Appendix

Keyboard Shortcuts

Currently, DataView uses standard October CMS keyboard shortcuts:

• Ctrl/Cmd + S: Save form
• Esc: Close dialogs

Database Table Structure

DataView reads standard October CMS table structures:

• Primary keys are automatically detected
• Auto-increment fields are identified
• Column types are displayed
• Required fields are indicated

File Size Limits

Import file size limits depend on PHP configuration:

• Check upload_max_filesize in php.ini
• Check post_max_size in php.ini
• Recommended: 64MB or higher for large imports

Changelog

See main README.md for version history.

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License

Copyright © 2026 Dilexus Infotech. All rights reserved.

This is proprietary software. Unauthorized copying, distribution, or use is strictly prohibited.

Developer: Chatura Dilan Perera LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaturadilan/

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Last Updated: January 24, 2026