❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions about MinerSheets

🌟 General Questions

What is MinerSheets?

MinerSheets is a revolutionary data management platform that combines:

Google AppSheet's visual approach to model creation
Laravel's elegant relationship handling
Django's robust framework and admin interface

It allows you to create custom database models without writing code or running migrations - perfect for rapid application development and data management.

Is MinerSheets really free and open source?

Yes, absolutely! MinerSheets is licensed under the MIT License, which means:

✅ Free to use for personal and commercial projects
✅ Full access to source code
✅ Freedom to modify and distribute
✅ No vendor lock-in
✅ Community-driven development

Who should use MinerSheets?

MinerSheets is perfect for:

Developers: Rapid prototyping and internal tools
Small Businesses: Custom CRM, inventory, or project management
Startups: MVP development and data management
Enterprises: Internal applications and workflow automation
Data Analysts: Dynamic data collection and reporting

How is MinerSheets different from Google AppSheet or Airtable?

Feature	MinerSheets	AppSheet/Airtable
Cost	✅ Free & Open Source	❌ Subscription-based
Self-hosted	✅ Full control	❌ Cloud only
Customization	✅ Unlimited	⚠️ Limited
Data ownership	✅ 100% yours	⚠️ Vendor-hosted
API access	✅ Full RESTful API	⚠️ Limited/Extra cost

🛠️ Technical Questions

Do I need to write code to use MinerSheets?

No! MinerSheets is designed for both technical and non-technical users:

Non-technical users: Use the web interface to create models, add fields, and manage data
Developers: Optionally customize with Python/Django code or use the REST API

What database does MinerSheets use?

MinerSheets uses PostgreSQL 15 as the default database, but it also supports:

PostgreSQL (recommended for production)
SQLite (for development/testing)
MySQL/MariaDB (with configuration)

Can I create relationships between models?

Yes! MinerSheets supports sophisticated relationships:

ForeignKey: One-to-many relationships (e.g., Company → Employees)
Display Fields: Google AppSheet-style visual selection
Custom Relations: Laravel-style field mapping (company->name)
Cascade Delete: Automatic cleanup of related records

Does MinerSheets require migrations?

No migrations needed! This is one of MinerSheets' revolutionary features:

✅ Schema changes happen instantly
✅ No migration files to manage
✅ Database syncs automatically
✅ Rollback by simply editing the model

Is there a REST API?

Yes! MinerSheets includes a comprehensive REST API with 13 endpoints:

Token-based authentication
Full CRUD operations
Search and filtering
Data export (JSON/CSV)
Schema validation

→ View API Documentation

🚀 Deployment & Hosting

Can I deploy MinerSheets to production?

Absolutely! MinerSheets is production-ready with:

✅ Docker support for easy deployment
✅ Nginx configuration included
✅ SSL/HTTPS support
✅ Security hardening options
✅ Monitoring and logging

→ Read Deployment Guide

What are the server requirements?

Minimum requirements:

2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
20 GB disk space
Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11+
Docker 20.10+ (for containerized deployment)

Can I use cloud hosting services?

Yes! MinerSheets works on any platform that supports Docker:

AWS (EC2, ECS, Lightsail)
Google Cloud (Compute Engine, Cloud Run)
DigitalOcean (Droplets, App Platform)
Azure (VMs, Container Instances)
Heroku, Render, Fly.io

🔧 Troubleshooting

Models not appearing in admin after creation

Solution:

Refresh the admin page (Ctrl+F5)
Check if model was saved successfully
Verify database table was created
Restart Django development server

Port 9319 or 9320 already in use

For port 9319 (native):

pkill -f "runserver.*9319"

For port 9320 (docker):

docker-compose down

Database connection errors

Check PostgreSQL is running:

docker ps | grep postgres

# or

sudo systemctl status postgresql

Verify connection settings in .env file

💬 Still Have Questions?

Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help!