When someone creates a new data structure in the Smartabase builder environment (such as an event form, database form, profile form, related entity form or dashboard), they are assigned ownership of that object. This happens whenever a new object is created, including when an existing object gets duplicated - the person who duplicated the form or dashboard becomes the owner of the copy.
The owner of an object is the only person with the ability to delete it from the builder interface. Deleting a form in this environment also deletes all records that have been entered using that form, so this action should always be considered carefully. Deleting a dashboard from the dashboard builder won’t affect any of the data shown in the dashboard, but might represent a loss of the time spent setting up and customizing the dashboard. This is why when someone who is not the owner of an object attempts to delete it, they’ll see a message that they’re not authorized to do so.
As an administrator with a role containing the system permission for managing object ownership, you’re able to use the Manage object ownership tool to change who owns each object. This permission needs to be added to your role by the site owner, so if you want to make use of it, please get in touch with your organization's site owner.
Manage object ownership tool
Using the Manage object ownership tool is straightforward. Once you’ve opened it from the administration interface, use the Search button to return a list of objects. You can use the search menu to filter for a specific Object type (event form, database form, profile form, related entity form or dashboard), or if you want to find all objects owned by a particular person, you can search for objects by Owner. If you want to find the owner of a specific object, you can search by object Name as well. You click any column header to sort the list of objects.
You can change who owns an object by selecting the icon for editing the owner. In the pop-up screen, you can select a new owner from the drop-down list or search for the desired owner. Remember that, to be able to act as the owner of an object, the person you select as the new owner needs to have access to the builder interface.
New owners will be given the same benefits that the old owner had. The desired owner field can also be left blank, which will clear the previous owner of the object. Once the ownership is cleared or transferred, previous owners will no longer be able to complete owner actions, like deleting the object.
You can edit the owner of many objects at once by selecting Change owners from the top of your screen. In the pop-up, select the new owner at the bottom of the table. This action will affect all objects that you see in the object list, so unless you want one person to own all objects, you should use the filters in the sidebar to narrow the list first.
Extended owner access
If your Smartabase site is set up to allow extended owner access, being the owner of an object also automatically confers data permission for the object. This means it is not necessary for the owner of a form or dashboard to have the associated data permissions added to their role.
This allows the owner of a form or dashboard to essentially bypass the process of adding data permissions for new objects to their role, which is helpful when they don’t have access to the administration interface and want to test entering or viewing data in a new object.
These extended owner abilities are only possible if two conditions are met.
- The Allow owner access feature must be enabled for the server used by your Smartabase site.
- The Allow owner access feature must be enabled in your site’s application details.
If this feature would be helpful for your organization, please reach out to your organization's site owner to discuss.