System fields reference
Every object in Admin has built-in system fields next to its type-specific fields. This reference explains what each one does, which values it takes and what those values affect.
Example: a Student object
Every object in Admin has the same set of system fields, whatever its object type. This is how they look on an exported Student object:
| Field | Example value |
|---|---|
extId | _te_685 |
teInternalId | 685 |
types | student |
personalInformation | True |
created | 20240618T133724Z |
createdBy | N/A |
active | True |
organizations | Standard Org - Central Scheduling Team|Object - Student TE Reserve |
virtual | False |
abstract | False |
template | False |
color | (empty) |
Each section below explains one group of these fields. Read the ones that are relevant to you.
Identity: extId and teInternalId
| Field | What it does | Values and effect |
|---|---|---|
extId | The external ID. A key that you, as the integrator, assign as the permanent link between the object and your source system. Relations and memberships in import files refer to this ID. | Any string, but it must be unique across all object types on the server, not just within one type. Max 72 characters. TimeEdit recommends a prefix per type, for example student_456, to make data easier to read and troubleshoot. Avoid spaces and /, since a slash breaks GET-style API calls. |
teInternalId | The internal ID. A number that the TimeEdit server assigns when the object is created. Relations and memberships are stored against this ID behind the scenes. | Read-only, permanent and unique per object on the server. If you change extId later, existing relations are not broken, because they stay attached to the internal ID. |
Use the ext ID
Always use the ext ID when you refer to objects, for example in import files and API calls.
Classification: types
types sets which object type the object belongs to. The type decides which fields, permissions and behavior apply.
Most objects have exactly one type, but an object can belong to more than one. One example is a person who is both staff and student.
Property: virtual, abstract and template
These three fields together make up the setting that Admin shows as Property. This is how the Property values map to the fields:
| Property in Admin | abstract | virtual | template |
|---|---|---|---|
| Follow type | No | No | No |
| Abstract | Yes | No | No |
| Virtual follow type | No | Yes | No |
| Virtual abstract | Yes | Yes | No |
| Template | No | No | Yes |
Template can't be combined
template=true can't be combined with abstract or virtual. The import fails in these cases:
- Validation fails if
templateis true together withabstractorvirtualin the import file. - Validation fails if the object type doesn't allow abstract or virtual. This is set per object type, and not every type allows every combination.
- The import fails for existing objects if the new values would give a combination that isn't allowed.
Privacy and status: personalInformation and active
| Field | What it does | Values and effect |
|---|---|---|
personalInformation | Marks whether the object contains personal data. This is the same setting as Personal data in bulk edit. | Yes, No or Not specified |
active | Whether the object is active in the system. This is the Is active toggle on the object details panel. | True or False. Inactive objects are hidden by default in most list views, since the Active filter in the Objects list defaults to Yes. They are generally also left out of scheduling availability. |
Access: organizations
Every object has organizations, which control access. They decide which teams and roles can see or edit the object.
An object can belong to one or more organizations. In exports, they are separated by a pipe, for example:
Audit: created and createdBy
These fields are read-only audit data.
createdis the time the object was created.createdByis the user or API key that created it.
createdBy can show N/A when no identity was recorded at creation. This usually applies to objects created through older import routes, or before this tracking existed.
Display: color
A color tag on the object. You can set it on one object at a time, or in bulk per object type or category.
Viewer and calendars use the color to mark reservations, based on what the view is set to color by, for example object type or activity type. You can use any color the picker offers. An empty value means no color has been set.
