TestCollab extensively uses grids to make data accessibility and management easier.
What are grids?
At the core level, grids make the data records available in rows and columns. But, that is not all! grids are flexible, easy to manage and dynamic.
Common grid operations:
Showing and hiding columns
Sorting
Filtering
Lazy loading and selection
State remembrance
Data specific actions
Managing columns visibility
When the grid is loaded for the first time, you see data for a few key columns; you can use Columns panel to the right of grid to show more columns, similarly you can hide the columns by deselecting them on columns list.
Every column has a title and with title you get options to manage that column:
Sort the grid's data on basis of column(s)
Pin / Unpin a column
Autosize column to adjust its width according to content
Resize manually by pulling column border
Drag the column to change its position
Sorting the data
It is as simple as clicking on a column header. More than one consecutive click on a column header cycles the sort direction between ascending, descending, and no sort.
If sorting is applied to one column and you use the SHIFT key while clicking on another column header, then you can have the list sorted on more than one column; note that the column selected next will have lower precedence in the sort order.
Applying filters
Filters can be applied on almost all the fields available, and based on the field types the filter criteria also varies. Advanced filters are explained in detail here
How many records are there?
By default, you see the count of the total number of records present in the project; however, if any filter is applied, then the count will be updated to show the number of filtered records.
How records are loaded and selected?
Once the records are listed, you can select more than one rows at a time to perform bulk actions on them (if you have the rights to do so).
Selection criteria can be:
All the records loaded (covered below)
All records listed that may or may not be filtered
Manual selection of individual rows you want to perform operation on
When the number of records is large (more than 50), only the first 50 records are loaded initially, and as you scroll down the list, the next batch of 50 records loads.
So selection of rows is also by default based on records loaded so far. If you click on the checkbox in header row, only the records loaded so far are selected.
Bulk actions
With the selection of more than one rows you are shown a bulk actions toolbar just above the grid, this toolbar shows the number of rows currently selected with an option to select all the records (filters applicable), making it easy to select a large number of rows without waiting for them to load. More details on the bulk actions are available here.
State remembrance
TestCollab remembers the state in which you left the grid when you were last using it.
Were there any filters applied?
Was the list sorted on one or more columns?
Which columns were kept hidden?
Was the sequence of columns changed?
All these are part of state of grid that is remembered as long as the browser's cache is not cleared.