Connect a register or connector
A virtual app doesn't have to own its data. Its pages and widgets can read from any OpenRegister register on the same Nextcloud, or from any OpenConnector source (HTTP API, database, file feed) an admin has wired up. You bind the data in-app, on the page or widget itself.
Goal
By the end you will have pointed a page (or a list/table widget) at a register — or at an external source through OpenConnector — and seen it list rows from there.
Prerequisites
- A virtual app with a page that lists data (see Build your app in-app).
- The register or connector you want to read from exists on the Nextcloud. OpenConnector sources live under Connector → Sources; ask an admin if the source you need isn't there yet.
Where data binding lives
There are two places to bind data, both in-app:
- A page's register + schema — open Edit with OpenBuild → Edit pages…, select the page, and set its Register and Schema. An index/detail page reads from this binding.
- A widget's data source — for an Object list, Table, Chart or KPI widget, click the widget's cog in edit mode and set its register, schema, filter, sort and columns. This lets one page show several differently sourced widgets. See the Widgets reference.
Steps
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Open your app and click Edit with OpenBuild → Edit page.
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Re-point a page. Open Edit with OpenBuild → Edit pages…, pick the page, and choose a different Register and Schema. The page reloads against the new binding; if the columns no longer match, adjust them in the same dialog.
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Or bind a widget. Add (or select) an Object list / Table widget, click its cog, and set the Register, Schema, filter, sort and columns. The widget previews live as you change them.
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Read from an external source. For a connector-backed source, point the register/schema at the register an OpenConnector Source writes into (the connector mediates auth, caching and rate-limiting and syncs rows into OpenRegister). Manage sources under Connector → Sources.
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Save page. The page now reads from the chosen register/source on every load.
Verification
The binding is good when: the page (or widget) lists rows in the right shape — columns populated, no error banner — and the rows still load after a reload.
Common issues
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| List is empty after switching | The register/source has no rows for this binding — add records, or check the OpenConnector source under Connector → Sources. |
| Columns show as undefined | The data's shape doesn't match the columns — fix the columns in the page/widget config, or map the response in Connector → Mappings. |
| "Register/schema not found" | The register or schema was renamed/removed — pick an existing one in the page or widget config. |
Reference
- Build your app in-app — where you add and configure widgets.
- Widgets — the data-bound widgets and their config.
- Run and refine your app — see the data load in the live app.