Table visual

A Table draws a flat grid: one column per field, one row per result row. Use it when you need the values themselves, to scan them, sort and page through a long result, total it, or paint a column by its numbers.

Build a table

1. Select Edit in the report header. It appears only when you can edit the report; for saving, see Build a report.
2. In the Visualizations panel, pick Table under Tables & cards. The new visual appears on the canvas, labelled Draft.
3. Drag columns and measures from BI tables into Columns. Each field becomes one column, in the order you place them; for the wells of every visual type, see Visuals.
4. Once the draft has its fields, it becomes part of the report. Set it up on the Visual and General tabs; the panel is covered on Format a visual.

Switching an existing visual to a Table keeps its fields: everything moves into Columns, and a measure that sat in Tooltips on a chart arrives as a column too.

Page through the result

• In a report the table loads one page at a time and shows it in the grid. The footer under the grid shows the page-size choices, the range and total it is showing, for example Showing 1-20 of 150, and the Previous page and Next page arrows.
• The page sizes are 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 rows. Rows per page under General > Limits starts at 50 and can go up to 1,000; the Visuals page lists the default and maximum for every type.
• Changing the page size starts the result again at page one.
• In a draft or a preview the rows are already loaded, so the pages turn without a new query.

Sort the table

• Select a column header to order the table by that field: ascending first, then descending, then back to unsorted. The sorted column's header shows the direction.
• The click sends the ordering to the query and the table re-runs. Rows are never reordered on screen, so the order you see is the order the query returned.
• A new sort, page size or filter is a different result, and the table returns to page one for it.

Add a grand total

Turn on Grand total in the Table section of the Visual tab. The total arrives as a sticky footer rather than a grid row: the first dimension column reads Total, and each measure column shows that measure's total. The footer covers the whole result, not only the page on screen, so it holds while you page. See Format a visual.

Paint cells and columns

Cell formatting on the Visual tab gives one column a Background colour, Data bars or Icons; its settings window and setup steps are on Cell and column formatting. On a table:

• A cell takes the first rule it matches; later rules never override an earlier one.
• The scale measures the cells on screen, so its ends move with the page. Setting both ends to Number pins the scale: a fully pinned scale needs no rows at all and paints the same on every page.
• When the scale has no width, every cell reads as the top of the scale: bars draw full and a gradient shows its top colour. This happens when all the values it measures are equal, or when the two ends sit on one number.
• A rule set in Percent is measured along the scale's own span: 50% sits halfway between the two ends.
• A gradient with a middle colour splits the ramp in two: one blend from the low colour to the middle, another from the middle to the high colour.
• Column formatting tints keep to the report's chart palette, Chart 1 to Chart 12; stored colour values outside that palette are dropped.

Export the table data

On a report tile, the table's toolbar carries the export control: choose CSV, TSV or Excel, then select the download button; with the right to export, API access sits beside it. The download holds the whole result, not only the page on screen. The control is part of the report, so it appears only on a report tile you may export, and a picture-only export leaves out the toolbar and the pager. For formats, row limits and tokens, see Export reports and data.

How the grid behaves

• Cells can be selected, for example to copy a block of values, but rows cannot be selected and there is no search box inside the grid.
• Long text wraps onto a second line instead of being cut short, and rows are dense, so more of the result fits on screen.
• An empty result reads No rows; a correct empty answer is covered with the other chart states on Chart states and rendering rules.

Questions, answered

How do I add a total row to a table?

Turn on Grand total in the Table section of the Visual tab. The total appears as a sticky footer, not a grid row: the first dimension column reads Total and each measure column shows its total for the whole result, so it stays the same as you page.

I switched a chart to a Table. Where did my Tooltips fields go?

They became columns. When a visual becomes a Table, all of its fields move into Columns, and a measure that sat in Tooltips draws as a column of values instead of a tooltip on hover.

Why did the table go back to the first page?

A new sort, a new page size or a changed filter starts a different result, so the table shows it from page one. The change applies to the whole result, not only the page you were on.

How many rows can a table show at once?

Rows per page under General > Limits decides, starting at 50 and going up to 1,000. The footer switches between 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 rows, and you can page through the whole result, however long it is.

Why does a data bar fill the whole cell?

The scale has no width: all the values it measures are equal, or its two ends sit on one number. A range with no width reads as the top of the scale, so bars draw full and a gradient shows its top colour. Give the ends different numbers to get a ramp again.

Why does long text wrap onto a second line?

That is deliberate. A table is read inside a frame someone else sized, so a value longer than its column wraps onto a second line instead of being cut short.

Can I download all the rows, not only the page on screen?

Yes. On a report tile, the export control in the table's toolbar downloads the whole result as CSV, TSV or Excel. It belongs to the report, so it appears only on a report tile you may export, and a picture-only export leaves out the toolbar and the pager. See Export reports and data.

When should I use a Table instead of a Matrix?

A Table is flat: every field is its own column and every result row is one row, with paging and sorting. A Matrix groups rows and columns, adds subtotals and drills into hierarchies; see Matrix visual.