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Create and connect your first entity

Create a new entity, fill in its metadata, and link it to another entity.

What you'll learn​

An entity is one record in Uwazi, such as a person, a case, or an event. We'll create a new entity, fill in its details, and link it to another entity. By the end of this tutorial, we'll have added our own content to the library and connected it to a related record.

Prerequisites​

  • A link to a live Uwazi instance that already holds some content
  • A username and password for that instance
note

Creating entities needs an admin, editor, or collaborator account. If you don't see the Create entity button, ask your instance manager for access.

Part 1: Create the entity​

The Library is your home base. It lists every entity you can see. We'll start a new one and give it a type.

  1. Go to the Library and select Create entity in the footer.

    The entity form slides in from the right. It shows a Title field at the top and a Type drop-down below it.

  2. Type a name in the Title field, such as Ahmad Al-Rashid.

    The title shows a red asterisk because Uwazi always needs it.

  3. Open the Type drop-down and select an entity type, such as Person.

    The form grows to show the fields that this type carries. Each type brings its own set of fields.

Part 2: Fill in the metadata​

The fields on an entity are its metadata, and the type decides which fields appear. We'll fill a few and save.

  1. Type a value in a text field, such as a Role of Witness.

    The text appears in the field as you type.

  2. Open a list field, such as Country, and select a value.

    The drop-down closes and shows your choice. A red asterisk marks a field you must fill, so give it a value before you save.

  3. Select a Date field and pick a date from the calendar.

    The field fills with the date you picked.

  4. Select the green Save button at the bottom of the form.

    A message with Entity created appears, and your new entity shows up in the library.

Part 3: Open the entity and read it back​

Now let's open the record we made. Uwazi shows every entity in the same viewer, split into two panes.

  1. Select View on your entity's card.

    The entity opens in two panes. A row of tabs sits above the left pane: Metadata, Relationships, and Files. Our entity carries no file yet, so no Document tab appears.

  2. Look at the header above the left pane.

    You'll see a small tag above the title we typed. The tag names the template our entity uses, which is the entity type we picked in Part 1.

  3. Read the Metadata tab.

    The left pane lists each field we filled as a label and a value. Empty fields don't appear, so the list stays short.

  4. Select the Relationships tab.

    A badge on the tab counts the entity's links. Our entity has none, so the panel reads No Relationships.

Part 4: Add a connection​

A relationship links two entities, such as a person to an event. We'll create one and watch it land in the panel.

  1. Select Edit in the footer below the panel.

    The footer swaps its buttons. It now shows Create relationship on the left, with Cancel and Save on the right.

  2. Select Create relationship.

    A window opens on the step Select target entity.

  3. Type in the Search entities... box to find an entity. Try a name such as Cairo Demonstration.

    Matching entities appear below the box, gathered by type.

  4. Select the entity you want in the results.

    The window moves to the step Choose relation type. A line reading Target: shows the entity we picked.

  5. Select a relationship type, such as Witnessed.

    The type you pick stays highlighted.

  6. Select Create relationship.

    A Relationship created message appears with the target entity's title. The window closes, the new row shows in the panel, and the badge on the Relationships tab counts one more.

  7. Rest on the arrow at the start of the new row.

    The arrow shows the way the link runs. It reads Incoming, Outgoing, or Bidirectional.

  8. Select Save in the footer.

    The footer returns to a single Edit button. Uwazi created the link in step 6, so Save here closes edit mode.

What you've done​

  • Created a new entity from the library
  • Gave it a type and filled in its metadata
  • Opened it in the entity viewer and read its metadata back
  • Connected it to another entity from the Relationships tab
  • Watched the new link land in the panel
tip

Open the entity you linked to and select its Relationships tab. The link shows on both entities, so you can travel between them either way.

Next steps​