Data Source-Views (List screen)

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Data Source-Views (List screen)

13 Minutes to read
Contributors

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A List screen is a View and is similar to a grid report in that it presents all of the data accessible in a data source. The distinction is that a view provides configurable actions to alter a record's data on the fly, take a printout, and much more directly from the view's record. It is also referred as an actionable report.

NOTE

You can instantly download files with fewer than 5,000 records by clicking the Excel export button. But to download a large (any) number of records from list views in Excel or PDF format. Upon clicking on excel report the export runs in the background so you can keep working. You'll get a notification once the export is ready, and you can download it from the global notification section, along with any previous exports. No need to re-export.

How to create a data source List screen?

NOTE

Admins can download the complete List Screen into a single sheet or into separate sheets in an Excel workbook. To export to multiple sheets, select a data column for grouping, and the platform will automatically group related records with matching values into separate sheets. To export to a single sheet, simply click on the "export to single sheet" option, and all the data will be exported to a single sheet.

NOTE

To create a DS-View, you must have a data source. Learn how to create a data source...

Once you have a data source ready, simply click on the data source to see the Actions & Adoption Types, as shown below.

2(2)

Click on the "+" corresponding to the Views option to start creating a data source-view.
On the Create View page, provide a name to the view.
Select the view type as List screen.
You will land on the configuration page with four sections.
- Static Columns
- Business Rules
- Data Actions
- List Permissions

NOTE

If not required, you may skip the Static Columns, Business Rules, and Data Actions sections while creating a view (list screen). However, list permissions are required because they specify who has access to a view (list screen).

If a view is established without specifying list permissions, even the administrator will be unable to access the view (list screen).

5 GIF(1)

Static Columns

The principal objective of the Static Columns is to add additional data fields with static values to the list screen, in addition to the data fields that are derived from the data source.

EXAMPLE - 1

Assume you have a data source for purchase orders that has fields like Customer Info, Customer Address, Order Date, Delivery Date, etc....

Assume you are making a list screen to keep track of order requisitions and know the status of each order, whether it is In-Transit, or Delivered. But you don't have a column for the Status of each order. So, you can make a static column and set the value to "New Order." With the help of business rules and the information in the other columns, the platform will change the status of each record automatically, giving you a clear idea of the order's status.

The Static Columns displays Name, Type and Value fields.
In the Name field, give a name to the static field.
The platform will provide you with the following field types, select yours:
- Text Box
- Phone Number
- Drop Down
- Number
- Time
- Date
- Date Time
- Calculate
In the Value field, define a value for the new static field. You can even choose not to provide a value if you plan to pass the value using the business rules.

NOTE

The default value of a calculate field is determined by the calculations performed on the other fields available in the view (list screen). So, you will not be able either pass a default value manually or using business rules.

Add the Business Rules as per your use case requirement.

EXAMPLE - 2

Referring to Example 1, you can use business rules to set a condition that changes the value in the status column of an order from New to Delivered if the delivery date is less than the current date.

Data Actions

Data actions make the process automation more inclined towards data eliminating a direct involvement of the apps to get the work done, i.e., the data actions allows the users to open an app to add a record, take a print out of a record in relation with the view's record then there itself.

To configure an action, start by giving a Name to the action (E.g. Add Record, Open Report, etc)
Next, select an Action, below are the available data actions, choose it wisely.
1. Open Add Record: This action allows you to open an app in add record mode and perform transactions.
2. Open Data table Record: This action allows you to open a data table's record adding page to add a single record in it.
3. Open Data table multiple records: This action allows you to open a data table's record adding page to add multiple records in it.
4. Print: This action allows you to take the print of a report (Chart, and Individual) that is related to the record. For example, if you have a list of invoice records and related individual report, you can happily take the printout of the required invoices without losing the track of rest.
5. Open Report: This action allows you to view the report (All Report Types) that is related to a record to make instant informed decisions.
6. Open List Screen: This action allows you to view the desired list screen from the current list screen.
7. Open App as Report: This action allows you to open record's related app-form with previously transacted data.
8. Inline Edit: This action allows you to make changes to your data on the fly, directly within the record itself.

Let's discuss the configuration process for the above actions:

NOTE

For every action type to work, it must be linked to its relevant item (i.e., App, Report, List screen, etc) in the relevant workspace with available configurable options in the Data Actions section.

Open Add Record

Select the Open Add Record option from the Select Action drop-down.
Select an option from the Open In drop-down to define where and how the app should open.
Select an option from the Select Action View drop-down, to display the action either as an Icon, Link, or Button. In case of Icon, you need to select the representative symbol for the icon.

NOTE

The link and button is attached to data value in the list screen so they will be visible in their respective columns, whereas, an Icon is a separate entity that sits in a separate column. You can give a name to the icon column in the Group Name field.

If you want to place all the icons in a single column as a group, provide same Group Name for all the Icons.

Select the Workspace, and then select a required app listed in the Select Reference drop-down.
After selecting the app, Data source Element and Select Reference Element to establish a relation between the records and the app.
- Data source Element: The field selection in this drop-down will be of the list screen.
- Select Reference Element: The field selection in this drop-down will be of the app.

EXAMPLE

Imagine you have a list of all your employees and their available leave balance on your list screen. Now, let's say you have an action to open an app that helps you update the leave balance for each employee. By using a feature called "Data source Element" and "Select Reference Element," you can connect the employee ID from the list to the app. So whenever you open the app, it will automatically show you the employee's leave balance that was listed on the list screen's record without you having to manually enter the information again.

Click on the Save button.

NOTE

While the "Open Add Record" action has been explained in detail, the configurations for the other actions are relatively straightforward and don't require as much explanation. Thus, the instructions provided for the "Open Add Record" action can be applied to the other actions as well, as their configurations are similar and easy to understand.

Inline Edit

From the end-user's point-of-view, the functionality of the Inline Edit remains straight forward. Refer to the GIF below.

The operational model involves the cooperation of various functions to ensure seamless editing (data update). Refer to the below representation.

Inline Editing

There are two procedures involved in configuring the Inline Edit action to a field, Prerequisite and "Inline Edit" Action Configuration:

Prerequisite:

The developer should possess prior knowledge of which data field on the list screen will have the inline editing feature enabled. Assume the data field as 'X', and the list screen should have a unique field, such as Employee ID.
The developer should have an application (say 'Z') that includes the same data field (X) as the one on the list screen for which inline editing feature will be enabled. The app should also have a same unique field, such as Employee ID.
The developer should have a data table, and the data table should be related (connected) to the app (Z) with Update (CRUD) function. This data table should be used in data source on top of which the list screen is created.

NOTE

You know how data from an app is stored in a data table using data functions. The same traditional process will occur in the back-end when performing inline editing on a data field within a list screen. The list screen's data field and the app's field should be connected when configuring the "Inline Edit" Action in the list screen.

"Inline Edit" Action Configuration:

Select the Inline Edit option from the Select Action drop-down.
Select the required data field of the list screen from the Select View Column drop-down.
Select the workspace in which you have the referred app from the Select Workspace drop-down.
Select the related app from Select Reference drop-down.
Select the related app field from the Reference Element drop-down.

CAUTION!

It is essential to remember to map the unique IDs of both the list screen record and the app in the Data Source Element drop-down and Reference Element drop-down, respectively. Failure to do so may result in a functional error, as the platform will be unable to identify the record within the list screen.

List Permissions

List Permissions feature serves the purpose of controlling the access level of specific fields in a data source for each user role. It allows you to either show or hide certain fields depending on the user's permissions and responsibilities. The main objective is to regulate the visibility of sensitive information and maintain data security by ensuring that only authorized users have access to it. This feature provides a customized user experience for different roles by managing access to the data source.

The list permissions page will display as shown below.
Click on Add Access button to provide access of the list screen to specific roles. You can even go to a granular level to provide or deny the access of a data field to a role.
To begin, choose a workspace that grants access to the individuals for whom you wish to enable the ability to view the list screen.
Select a role from the Select Role drop-down.
Data Access: This allows the admins to grant a specific user access to their own data to visualize while restricting access to data contributed by others. Use this functionality as applicable but its not mandatory.
You can impose the restrictions such as Read-Only and Hidden for every data field available in the list screen.

Click on the save button, to save the list permissions.
On List Permissions page, you will be able to see the saved list permission.

Click on Next, to land on the final step of the view (list screen) creation process to find the settings.

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Serial No	Setting	Description
1	Order By	Use this to arrange the records either in ascending or descending order w.r.t. a data field
2	Enable Auto Refresh	Enabling this will cause the list screen to automatically refresh at a set interval
3	Select Search Columns	To optimize the global search to obtain faster search results. Select the desired columns available in the grid report so that the platform will only search through them when looking for requested data
4	Columns	This will allow you to arrange the positions of the data columns such that a top-to-bottom arrangement corresponds to a left-to-right display
5	Fit to Grid	Regardless of the amount of columns available/selected in a grid report, when this option is enabled, it will auto-adjust the column widths of all data columns evenly
6	Enable Grouping	Enabling this will allow column grouping facility to end-users
7	Hide Grid Header	Enabling this will remove the column headers of list
8	Hide Filter Icon	Enabling this will remove the filter icon in the view restricting the end-users to filter the data
9	Alignment	This will allow you to take control over the alignment of the list view headers or data, which can be Left, Right, or Center for each column.

10	Show Serial Number	This will assign consecutive serial numbers to all of the records in the grid report
11	Aggregates	Get the desired calculations on the data by enabling this option. For numerical data, obtain calculations such as Count, Sum, Min, Max, and Average. Obtain the record count for rest

Once finished with the settings, click on Save to finish creating the view.

Implicit Filters and Centralized Controls in List View

Just like our grid reports, you now have implicit filters and a few extra settings options right in the list view. Implicit filters enhance data visualization and analysis, letting users concentrate on pertinent information without having to manually set filters each time. You'll also notice that all the settings, once scattered individually, are now centralized on a single page, making it easier to handle preferences and configurations in the list view.

The newly introduced option are as follows:

S.no	Listscreen Options	Description
1	Hide Filter Icon	Admins can utilize this option to hide the filter icon within a list view which limits the user's ability to filter the data displayed in the view.
2	Load View by Default	The 'Load View By Default' option works in conjunction with the Quick Filters feature and allows you to have more control over how data is displayed in your list view. Enabling this option will automatically show quick filtered data to end-users when they open the view, while disabling it will hide the data and require end-users to adjust the quick filters to their desired values and click on the search button to display the intended data. With this option, you can ensure that end-users only see the most relevant data.
3	Hide Column Name in Grouping	Admins can utilize this option to hide the column name that is used for grouping and structuring the data.
4	Hide Record Count in Grouping	Admins can utilize this option to hide the total records specification available against the group name.

Follow the GIF below to know more about adding Filters:

8%20Listscreen%20Settings%20GIF(1)

NOTE

1. We've added custom refresh options to certain list view data actions. Previously, users only had auto-refresh and manual options, leading to delays or manual refresh needs. Now, after actions like opening or submitting new records in a pop-up, users can choose:

Not Refresh: Keeps the list view until the next auto/manual refresh.
Refresh Specific Record: Updates only the selected record.
Refresh Entire List Screen: Updates the entire list for complete data synchronization.

2. You can now change the names of applied aggregates in the list view, going beyond the pre-defined labels such as Sum, Count, Average, Minimum, and Maximum. The calculations in the list view become more meaningful and customized for you thanks to the clarity these personalized names provide.

U10%20List%20Aggregares%20(After)

Keep Your Users Updated with Release Notes

Citizen Developers can now convey modifications made in the latest versions of applications, views, and reports with a release note after deployment to the live stage. Provide users with a brief explanation of what’s new within 72 hours (about 3 days) of deployment.

How It Works?

All users with access to the updated applications, views, or reports will receive the release notes, ensuring everyone stays informed about the latest changes and improvements.

Drafting and Attaching Release Notes

Citizen Developers can draft and attach the release notes by navigating to Artifact Summary -> Deployment Log -> Release Notes. Once attached and sent, end-users can view the release notes in their notification section.

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