16.1 What are FlexTables¶
A FlexTable is a table of your own data, kept in Acinta: a budget per month and department, sales targets per customer, a mapping of items to your own categories, exchange rates. You type the data in, paste it from Excel or import a file – and use it in visuals next to the data from your systems.
No database or data model work is needed: FlexTables are created and maintained entirely in Datashop.
Typical Uses¶
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Budgets and targets | Budget per month and account, compared with actuals in the same table |
| Own groupings | Items mapped to your own categories, customers to key account managers |
| Extra figures | Headcount per department, market size per country |
| Small data sets | A price list or survey results from Excel |
The key is binding a column to a dimension, e.g. Customer or Month: the FlexTable then joins the data model, so its numbers can be shown per customer or month together with your other metrics.
Where FlexTables Live¶
| Scope | Where you find it | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| Everywhere | Main window → FlexTables; in workbooks under Global Objects → Flex Tables | Everyone in the project |
| Entire workbook | Object Tree → Report Objects → Flex Tables | All visuals of the workbook |
| Only here | In one visual – shown as Input table: … in its Element Structure | This visual |
Global FlexTables are saved in the project as soon as you save the table. Workbook and visual tables are saved with the workbook.
Good to Know¶
- FlexTables hold data, not formulas: each column is text, a number, a date or yes/no.
- Large tables (more than 500 rows) are copied to the cache database automatically when used – you don't need to do anything.
- There's no locking: if two people edit the same table at the same time, the last one to save wins.