# Best Practice: data maintenance dialog in dashboard

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/best-practice-data-maintenance-dialog-in-dashboard/12047>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Created:** [10 June 2019 19:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/best-practice-data-maintenance-dialog-in-dashboard/12047 "2019-06-10T19:57:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nygma2004](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/nygma2004/32/1308_2.png) [@nygma2004](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nygma2004)\
**Post date:** [10 June 2019 19:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/best-practice-data-maintenance-dialog-in-dashboard/12047/1 "2019-06-10T19:57:27Z")

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Hi All,

I suspect I am missing some basic trick here, so I thought I ask. Sometimes I need to create forms in dashboard to maintain some sort of data. Create a record, edit a record, delete a record (e.g. users).  
The way I did this so far, is I populate all my entries to a dropdown, the user picks an entry from the dropdown and the entity properties are loaded to fields below: text input, numeric, switch, slider, etc. Whenever any of these change, I save the updated value in context. And when the users clicks the update button I pick up the most recent values from the context and update the entity. There is also a create and delete button which work similarly.

It is not the best user friendly UI, but sort of works. I also run into issues with text input. If I set the delay to a value, it creates unwanted feedback, if I type too fast some of my letters disappears. If I put it to zero, I need to remember to press enter or tab otherwise the update logic will be unaware of a change on the screen.

I know UI form also exists, but as far as I know it is not possible to pre-populate the values, so for me it is useless editing existing records.

Did I miss something? Is there and easier way?

Thanks,  
Csongor