The Dataset Table

The Dataset Table

We’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out some really impactful improvements to the data table. Based on extensive feedback from users, we built the new version to include:

• Faster page loads, especially for large datasets
• A modern interface that looks and behaves like the other new surfaces on the platform
• More intuitive editing interactions

Updated Look

• We have updated the styling on the menu panels (Edit, Manage, More Views, etc.) so that they match our other recently-built surfaces
• In the legacy dataset table, two column types — Photo and Document — are displayed as thumbnails.  In the new table, these are displayed as text (the name of the file) with embedded hyperlinks that open the photo in a new tab or download the file, respectively.
• The social data player (SDP), Report Builder pages and legacy Performance goal pages will start rendering the new table in place of the existing legacy table.  

Updated Behavior

• The table will paginate rather than scroll, just like on Primer and the Visualization Canvas. The row count will default to 50.
• You can now copy and paste values from cells from the published version of a dataset.
• Rendering number columns as Percent will continue to work, but the green bar representing the percent will go away.

The following features related to editing Derived Views only. Datasets will be edited through the Data & Insights Dataset Management Experience.

• When multiple sorts are applied to the table, only the top-level sort column will have a sort indicator (arrow) in the header. Previously, all columns with a sort applied contained a sort indicator in the header.
• The default sort on the dataset can now only be updated and saved while in a draft of the dataset or derived view.
• Editing column properties will happen via a new Column Editor modal overlaying the dataset table accessible in the Edit panel.  Users will be able to edit all columns at once instead of one at a time.
• Rearranging and hiding columns will now happen in the same column editing modal.

Deprecated Functionality

• The ability to drill into a group in a rolled-up view of a dataset will not be available in the new data table.
• Full-screen mode is not available in the new data table.
• Column Totals.
• Filtering directly from the column header will no longer be available in the data table. All filtering on the dataset will be controlled using the blue Filter pane.
• A few column formatting options will no longer be available to be created in existing datasets, or during ingress of new datasets:

• Formatted text (HTML)
• Phone icon plus number
• Star
• Flag
• Multiple Choice

We will preserve the contents of these five column types as plain text or numeric data.  Here are the specific changes for each type:

• Formatted text (HTML): we’ll turn off this option in the ingress workflow and in the data table and convert existing cells to Plain Text in the new table.
• Star: we’ll turn off this option in the ingress workflow and in the data table and convert existing cells to the corresponding numeric value in the new table. For example, a five-star column will be represented as the number 5 in the new table.
• Phone icon plus number: we’ll turn off this option on the table and convert existing cells to Plain Text.
• Flag: we’ll turn off this option in the data table, and convert cells to plain text where we simply spell out the flag color (green, blue, etc.).
• Multiple Choice: we’ll turn off this option in the data table and render existing cells as Plain Text. We will also remove the ability to toggle to another choice. Existing Data & Insights forms powered by a multiple-choice drop-down will continue to work, but no new forms can be created with multiple-choice drop-downs.

You can read more about these deprecated column types here.