InfoQube IM - Community

Submitted by pejay on 2011/02/07 00:56

Is there a way to get rid of "undeletable" (grayed out) fields? (BTW, why are they undeletable?)

I tried hiding them both in Info Pane and Available Fields, to no avail. All of them are still there.

Problem is I barely use 1% of those fields and want to customize to use only mine, if possible.

TIA

Comments

No, you can't delete the gray fields in the manage field management dialog. They're "system fields". See System Fields. However, most can be renamed. There are other sections in the manual that you might find interesting (if you haven't read then already) like: Items, Values and Views HTH === P.S. Have you been using IQ for a while ? If yes and feel comfortable with most of its features (including row/column equations, conditional formatting, etc.), you can certainly go ahead an start from a blank DB (File -> New -> New Blank IQBase). If not, I'd suggest you keep things as they are for a while and build around them. You can always get rid of the unused stuff in a few months. It's the best way to learn.

These are system folders. Some of them you would never want to delete as they are essential to the database. Others seem convenient because they are used for calculations involving time and date. It is confusing to me that some ARE hidden in the property pane where you would expect to see all of them. For example, ItemCreated is not listed under All Fields, but can be seen under properties. I suppose hiding them might reduce the clutter, but may introduce more confusion and duplication. I need the ItemCreated field. When I first started using IQ, I did not know it existed and created my own. This was needless duplication. But everyone uses IQ differently, so I see your point.

Jon

[quote=Jon]It is confusing to me that some ARE hidden in the property pane where you would expect to see all of them. For example, ItemCreated is not listed under All Fields, but can be seen under properties.[/quote] Hi Jon, You can always make those visible through the field management. There are 2 options there : - Hide in info pane - Hide in available fields

Hey, thank you. This is really useful for me. I had assumed that the system fields were unmodifiable.

Jon

Thank you, Armando and Jon.

OK, let's say I cannot delete them, but why can't I hide them even if I mark both "Hide in Info Pane" and "Hide in Available Fields"? I would be satisfied if I could get rid of them at least in the "Displayed Columns" dialog.

To me, it's a matter of simplicity and cleanliness. This is too much clutter for something I intend to use frequently. To tell the truth, IQ is a 90% overkill for me, as I'll use it mostly for its filtering capabilities, which I find excellent. Sort of a ListPro on steroids, which is what I am looking for.

So, if there is any way to accomplish this (hiding unused fields from the "Displayed Columns" dialog, I'd be most grateful to hear about it.

Thanks again.

[quote=pejay]I would be satisfied if I could get rid of them at least in the "Displayed Columns" dialog.

[/quote]

I rarely use the "Displayed Columns" dialog and prefer to use the manage fields dialog or drag/drop fields from the properties pane to the grid.

That said, this seems like good suggestion to me. I guess it means that there would be a third option : "Hide in 'displayed columns' ", or something like that.

[quote=Armando]

That said, this seems like good suggestion to me. I guess it means that there would be a third option : "Hide in 'displayed columns' ", or something like that.

[/quote]

Do the developers read these messages and take note or should I enter a request under Suggestions?

BTW, I see you helping everybody here, maybe you are one of them?

[Edit : corrected malformed HTML]

The developper (Pierre) does read everything. I usually enter all suggestions with enough shared interest in Mantis -- once every 1 or 2 weeks. Same for bugs. However, if you want to enter a suggestion in Mantis yourself, you're welcome to do so. There's a small protocol to follow to help everybody keep track of everything : Bug reporting procedure Thanks for your suggestions!

I prefer to rely on you, Armando, if you don't mind. Thank you!

Hi pejay,

An global option to hide a field is an excellent idea. It would hide it everywhere except in the Field Management dialog.

Mantis issue 1100 was created.