You can set up a data reference by creating a data object. The data object can store records either in the application, or draw them from a third-party system through a connector. For example, you can build a Customer data object to manage information about all of your customers. The object might contain fields such as Name, Phone Number, or Email Address, which you can populate with records from an external data source. Next, you reference the data object in your interface and choose which of the properties to include in an associated view. At run time, the data object reference becomes a picker in the UI that displays records representing all individual customers. The user can select a specific customer from the pick list, and the application fills the associated data view with information sourced from the database. Using data objects ensures that information stays in the correct system of record, and reduces the number of duplicates and processing errors.

In the same way as creating a data object, if you set up a user reference you can create a field that displays information about all users of the application as a drop-down list. This prevents users from entering invalid data and protects your application against processing errors.