Yep - good clarification... there is not a field type called "helper". That said, I'd modify one thing... you can use any field type to be a helper field - not just Look Up fields. The idea is that you are adding fields to your base - that are [usually] automatically populated and have a specific singular use. For example, you could use a formula field to generate text that will end up in a document. This field data only gets added to a document - and has no other utility to the base. Or a checkbox that gets updated by an automation - only once an attachment file is completely uploaded. Once the box is checked, then the record can end up in a view. Those are two helper fields I create somewhat regularly - that aren't Look Up fields. To your point though, Look Up fields are common Helper fields - but that's only seeing the tip of the iceberg. The broader point is that, as a database, Airtable is powerful enough to hold all of these fields - even if they have a very limited purpose. When moving from Excel, a lot of people try to be restrained with their fields in Airtable because they're used to spreadsheets getting unwieldy with a ton of columns. So while Excel can technically can store all of this data, it's not really best practice.
in case anyone is as confused as i was, no there is no new feature or field-type called "helper" ... he's just showing lookUp-fields 🙄
Yep - good clarification... there is not a field type called "helper". That said, I'd modify one thing... you can use any field type to be a helper field - not just Look Up fields.
The idea is that you are adding fields to your base - that are [usually] automatically populated and have a specific singular use. For example, you could use a formula field to generate text that will end up in a document. This field data only gets added to a document - and has no other utility to the base. Or a checkbox that gets updated by an automation - only once an attachment file is completely uploaded. Once the box is checked, then the record can end up in a view.
Those are two helper fields I create somewhat regularly - that aren't Look Up fields.
To your point though, Look Up fields are common Helper fields - but that's only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
The broader point is that, as a database, Airtable is powerful enough to hold all of these fields - even if they have a very limited purpose. When moving from Excel, a lot of people try to be restrained with their fields in Airtable because they're used to spreadsheets getting unwieldy with a ton of columns. So while Excel can technically can store all of this data, it's not really best practice.