Designing Your Own Page Views

Apps show standard columns for pages based on the common usage for that item. You can configure any page that has the View tool to show only the columns you want to see (including some not shown in the standard page), and in the order you want to see them. You can create as many views for a page as you need.

The views you create are personal: you cannot share them with other users. Only you can access your customized page views.

If the original page's settings change, such as column labels and formats, then those changes also show up in any personal view you create based on that page.

Before you begin: View the page that you want to configure.
  1. To create a new view, click Customize.

    To edit an existing view:

    1. Click , then the name of the view you want to edit. This choice makes that view current.
    2. Click > Edit Current Table View.

    At any point, you can click Reset to Defaults to reset the custom page to the as-installed state.

    The Visible Columns box lists the columns that show in the page, in order. If you see columns on the page that do not show in this list, you cannot remove or reorder those columns.

    The Available Columns box lists all columns that you can add to a page view, including any dynamic or hidden columns. Dynamic columns add one or more columns to the page depending on certain criteria. For example, the page might add columns depending on your role, or if an object is in a certain state, or for other business logic. If you add a dynamic column to a page view, it might contain no content if the criteria defined for that column are not met.

    Hidden columns are defined as hidden in the system table (the database table that the viewable table is based on) and don't normally show in the user interface. If you move a hidden column to the Visible Columns list, it will show in the custom table just like any other column. In effect, hidden columns work the same as any other type of column when designing your own page view.

    The Available Columns list includes columns for any expanded types in the page. For example, a table can include Projects, and you can expand the Project nodes to view Risks. If none of the nodes are expanded when you start to create your custom view, only the columns for Projects are available. If any of the nodes are expanded, columns for both Projects and Risks are available. Once added to the Available Columns list, the columns for sub-nodes remain available for selection even if none of the nodes are currently expanded.

    Your installation might not use some columns listed in the Available Columns list. These columns do not contain content, and do not cause problems if added to a personal view.

    The following column names have special meaning:

    Name Meaning
    Name (Col Group Header) A header for a group of columns (not all pages include this column name). You do not have to use the group header but if you do, the columns grouped in the default page do not have to be grouped in your personal view. The header will show above each column if not next to one another.
    [Separator] A separator column that inserts empty space between columns.
    [Freeze Pane Separator] For a structure browser page, places the freeze pane divider. All columns above this separator show in the freeze pane; all columns below this separator show in the scrollable pane. At least one column must be defined above the separator.
    Checkbox Adds the check box to select items on the page.
    Picture The columns shows the primary image associated with the object described on that row.
    <img That column shows an image.
    Icon Shows that opens the default page (usually the Properties page) for the object described on that row in a new window.

  2. Enter a name for the personal view.
  3. To add a column to the personal view, click the column name in the Available Columns list and click . You can add as many separator columns as needed.

    Any column added to a custom view becomes editable in the structured content page, even if that attribute is not editable in other dialog boxes or tables and should not be edited.

  4. To remove a column from the view, click the column name in the Visible Columns list and click . To remove all columns from the table view, click .
  5. To arrange the columns in the table, click a column name in the Visible Columns list and click or until it shows in the needed location. (The first listed column shows in the leftmost position of the table, and so on.)
  6. To define the width for a column:
    1. Click a table column in the Visible Columns list.
    2. Enter a value in the "Width of selected columns" box. If you do not enter a value, the column's default width is used.

      You cannot set the width for Separator or New Window columns; and some columns may be configured so that you cannot reset the width.

  7. To define the columns used to sort the page when you open it, select the needed column from the first list in the Sort by section, then select ascending sort () or descending sort (). To define a second or third level sort column, select a column and sort order for the second and third drop-down lists. For example, you could sort a table by country, then by state, then by city.

    If the Sort by section is dimmed, you cannot define sort orders for the page.

  8. Click Done.

    After creating a personal table view, the button (if it had been on the page toolbar) disappears because the code needs to update the page for the new view. When you re-view the page, the button becomes available.

To select a personal view, click View, then the name of the needed view. The list adds a check mark to the view indicating that it is selected.

When you change the view:

  • Any expanded nodes remain expanded. The table only changes to show different columns based on the view applied.
  • All selected rows using check boxes remain selected.
  • If the structure browser is scrolled, the new view shows the same scroll position so that the object seen in the previous view is also visible in the new view.

When the view is changed, any changed sorting is not applied so that the page can return to the same place prior to changing the view. The new sorting will be used the next time you visit the same page.