6.4 Sorting, Rotating and New Windows¶
Look at the same numbers from another angle: sort them, swap rows and columns, or give a visual a window of its own.
Sorting¶
Select a column in a table, right-click → Sort:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Sort ascending | Smallest first (A–Z for text) |
| Sort descending | Largest first – e.g. your biggest customers at the top |
| Restore original sort | Back to the order the designer chose |
Sorting only affects what you see now; the workbook keeps its own sort order.
Rotating a Table¶
Right-click a table → Explore data → Rotate layout swaps the dimensions in the rows with the dimensions in the columns – e.g. months across the top instead of down the side. Choose it again to rotate back.
Opening a Visual in a New Window¶
Right-click a table, chart or gauge → Open in new window (or select it and press Ctrl+W). The visual opens in a window of its own, where you can make it larger, filter, drill and sort without affecting the workbook.
View Details¶
Right-click a dimension value in a table → Explore data → View details shows where the dimension's values come from in the database – useful when you talk to the people who maintain the data model.
Totals, Top 10 and Rankings¶
These are part of how a table is designed rather than exploring:
- Totals and subtotals are set on the GRID tab in design mode – see 8.2 Tables Cross-tabs and Pivot Tables.
- Top 10, ABC and other rankings are made with segmentations – see 14.4 Top N and Bottom N Rankings.
- Rank and % of total columns are quick transforms – see Chapter 10 Metrics and Transformations.