# Match and Map - Overview

Matching and mapping is the process of specifying how the incoming data is going to be used to update the target database.

On the left hand side of the screen, you can select which tables are to be mapped to in the target. Select a table from the drop down list, then click 'Add' to add it to the tree view of tables to be updated.

The order that tables appear in the tree view is important. If a table is underneath another table, it is a child of the parent. This means that there must be a join, or primary key - foreign key relationship between the two tables.

For example:

- In SalesLogix, Account is the parent of Contact - you must have an Account created before you can create a Contact, and the Contact belongs to the Account.
- In CRM, Company is the parent of Contact.

When you select a table in the tree view, you will be shown the set of operations that Inaport can do on this table. You must select each table in turn and specify what needs to be done. For each table, you will need to specify:

1. what operation is to be performed
2. how to identify which record or records in the table should be created or updated
3. how to map the source fields to the fields in the table