How to Use Data Grids in VDM – BridgeWorks Help Center

Data Grids let you review and analyze the results of a VDM View. This article explains when to use the Details, Summary, and Pivot grids, then walks through sorting, filtering, grouping, formatting, and exporting results.

What are Data Grids?

After you select Run View, VDM displays the available results in its Data Grids. Select Details, Summary, or Pivot under Data Grids in the View navigation.

Grid	What it shows	When to use it
Details	The rows returned by the View’s query.	Check individual records, verify filters and joins, and inspect returned values.
Summary	Grouped and aggregated results generated by the View’s grouping and summary configuration.	Review totals, counts, or other calculations by customer, region, date, or another grouping.
Pivot	A cross-tab layout with row fields, column fields, and summarized values.	Compare results across categories, such as sales by region and month.

The available results depend on how the View is configured. A Summary or Pivot requires the appropriate data and configuration to produce meaningful output.

Details does not always mean raw database records. If your SQL query already groups or aggregates data, the Details grid displays those returned rows. Grouping rows within a grid also does not, by itself, create the View’s Summary dataset.

1. Run a View and review its results

Open or create a View and confirm that its database connection is available.
Select Run View.
Open Details and check the column names, returned records, and values.
Open Summary or Pivot when you need the additional analysis configured for the View.

If you use Advanced Query, select Use Adv Query in the SQL editor and confirm that Adv Query appears at the top of VDM before running the View. See Getting Started with Advanced Query in VDM.

2. Sort and filter the displayed data

Sort: Right-click a column header and select Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.

Filter: Right-click a column header and use Filter Editor or Show Auto Filter Row to narrow the displayed results. Show Find Panel provides a text search within the grid.

These grid controls help you inspect data that has already been returned. To change which records the database returns, update the View’s filters or Advanced Query SQL and run the View again.

Note: Commands such as Add Equal / Not Equal Speed Filter create View filters. They differ from the grid’s temporary Filter Editor controls.

3. Group records and add totals

Drag a column header into the Group By Box above the grid, or right-click the column header and select Group By This Column.
To show a total beneath each group, right-click inside the grid body and select Enable Group Footer.
Right-click the group footer beneath the column you want to summarize and choose Sum, Count, Average, Min, or Max, as appropriate.
For a grid-wide calculation, right-click the grid footer beneath the desired column and select the calculation.

For example, group orders by CustomerName and apply Sum to OrderTotal to review a total for each customer. Use a numeric column for a sum or average.

See Using Group and Report Summaries in the Data Grid for more detail. To configure the View itself, see Creating and Configuring a View in VDM.

4. Adjust the grid’s layout and formatting

Resize columns: Right-click a column header and select Best Fit or Best Fit (All Columns).
Find hidden columns: Open Column Chooser from a column header’s right-click menu.
Format values: Right-click a value in the grid body and select Format Column to choose an appropriate display format, such as currency or percent.
Highlight values: Right-click a column header and select Conditional Formatting to apply a rule.

Formatting changes how values appear; it does not change the stored database values. For calculated columns, see How to Create and Use Data Grid Expressions in VDM.

5. Analyze data in the Pivot grid

Open Pivot and arrange the available fields into row, column, and data areas. Choose a summary calculation, such as Sum or Count, that matches the question you want to answer.

By default, the Pivot grid uses Details data. If your View already has grouped Summary results, you can right-click the Pivot body and select Use Summary Datatable. Review the source and calculation carefully so totals mean what you intend. See Using the Summary Data Table in a Pivot Grid.

If query changes leave the Pivot field list out of date, see Refreshing Pivot Grid Fields While Preserving Layout.

Where to find Data Grid options

Right-click the area related to your task. The available commands vary by grid and location.

Location	Common tasks
Grouping area above the grid	Expand, collapse, or clear groupings.
Column header	Sort, group, filter, resize, or apply conditional formatting.
Grid body	Format values, create expressions, or access cell-based commands.
Group or grid footer	Add or remove totals and other summary calculations.
Pivot body	Choose summary calculations, change the data source, or refresh fields.

For the individual menu commands, see Data Grid Options Overview.

6. Save or export your results

Save the View after making changes you want to retain. To include a snapshot of the returned records, run the View first, then use Home > Save With Data. See How to Use "Save With Data" in a View.

To export, open Export/Print and select Details, Summary, or Pivot under No Preview or Preview. Choose the data area that contains the results you want and review the output before sharing it. See Exporting Data from VDM.

Troubleshooting

No Details rows: Confirm that the View completed successfully, then check its connection, parameters, and filters. Review Logs if the run failed.
Empty or unexpected Summary results: Check the View’s grouping and summary configuration. Grid-level grouping alone does not configure the Summary dataset.
Rows appear to be missing: Check for active grid filters and collapsed groups before changing the query.
Unexpected Pivot totals: Check the selected data source and summary calculation.