InfoQube IM - Community

Submitted by Jon on 2013/01/21 16:59

Not sure about this, maybe it is me.

I'm trying to create a duplicate grid named 2013 based on 2012. The dialogue is ticked to open the new grid. It opens with the 2012 information. I now want to change my source to 2013, but cannot. 2013 is not listed in the dropdown (either in the sourcebar or manage grids). If I manually enter 2013 as the source, IQ reports an error reading the grid. Re-starting IQ does not resolve this. HOWEVER...

If I follow the above steps but clear the option to open the grid, 2013 appears on the dropdown and I can successfully change the source. Why is this?

Jon

Comments

Hi Jon,

I'm not sure I understand what you explained perfectly well, but I'll give a shot anyway :

- When you create a copy of an existing grid, no new source will be created, since it's a copy. You can of course change the source afterwards.

- When you create a new grid "from scratch" and give a name (it's the default option in the "New grid" dialog), a new source based on the grid's name will be automatically created... unless you chose the option "Set Custom Grid source". This has been the normal behaviour, since IQ's first steps.

Now, I was not able to reproduce the "bug" you described : I created a copy of a existing grid while keeping the option to not open the grid unchecked. 1-The Grid was effectively created, 2- not opened, 3- and no source field was created -- exactly as it should (since it's a copy).

If you want your "2013" grid to have a source/field named "2013", you should just create a new field (Boolean-Y/N, I suppose) and select it as the grid source once your grid is opened (or in the Manage Grids dialog).

Does that help ?

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Windows XP Home Edition, Service pack 3

Dell Vostro 1500, Ram:3gb, CPU: Intel Core2Duo T7500 2.2ghz

Thanks Armando. Your explanation helps, sort of. You point out the inconsistency of creating a duplicate grid. I would expect that the name of the grid appears in the Manage Grid dialogue, but it does not. So one has to add a field if and only if you choose to display the duplicate grid following its creation. If you choose not to display the grid, then you can add the grid as the source since it now appears under Manage Grids. This seems inconsistent to me. The only difference is that the user chooses to display the grid immediately upon creation.

It is still early. I hope I have been clearer.

Jon

EDIT: Never mind. I see that I was mistaken and the behavior is consistent whether I choose to display the grid or not. However, I still don't understand why one would have to create a field separately in order to have it listed as a possible source. If I create a new grid I can choose it as a source. Why should I have to go through the additional step of creating a field in this case when it is unnecessary with a new grid?

Hi Jon,

Grid names aren't sources per se. IQ uses grid names to create fields on the fly when one creates a Grid. But a grid name can be changed and the grid can have another field as source. Almost all my grids are like that.

Sources are built with fields (field names) not grid names.

When you copy a grid, you copy everything, including its source and filter, which seems really logical to me. No ? Then it's up to the user to change it after (together with the filter or not), if desired.

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Windows XP Home Edition, Service pack 3

Dell Vostro 1500, Ram:3gb, CPU: Intel Core2Duo T7500 2.2ghz

[quote=Armando]

Hi Jon,

Sources are built with fields (field names) not grid names.

[/quote]

Right, but one one hand I can create a grid and see that it is listed as a field, but under circumstances when I am creating a grid that just happens to be a duplicate of another, I cannot. It is this difference between the two ways of creating a grid and then setting it as a source which seem inconsistent to me. I understand that I need to create a field of the same name and if this is deemed proper, then I will adjust.

Jon

>Right, but one one hand I can create a grid and see that it is listed as a field

This was (probably) made like that to make things simpler (so that the user doesn't have to pick a source/field by him/herself after creating a grid).

At the same time, this "shortcut" can be confusing when the user gets more experienced and starts to play with options... as a grid is absolutely not dependent on a specific field to exist.

Maybe Pierre could add a little description somewhere in one of those dialogs about the "on the fly creation of fields" and "automatic assignment of fields to the source filter of a grid".

The source is just the "primary filter", using fields and other SQL syntax element ; and the other filter is just a "secondary filter". Both filters function together and are bound with an invisible (implied) "AND" operator... the source being somewhat immutable and always being the first term in the equation.

I.e.: Source AND filter ; e.g. (Todo) AND (Done OR FollowUp)

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Windows XP Home Edition, Service pack 3

Dell Vostro 1500, Ram:3gb, CPU: Intel Core2Duo T7500 2.2ghz