Using the Summary Data Table in a Pivot Grid

Trouble Viewing Images? Right-click on any image and select "Open in new tab" to view a larger version. You can also zoom in using Ctrl + Mouse Wheel for easier readability.

Article Goal

Guide users through the process of configuring a Pivot Grid to use the Summary Data Table in VDM, allowing for more controlled and aggregate-based visualizations.

What Is the Summary Data Table?

By default, Pivot Grids in VDM use data from the Detail Grid, which contains the raw, row-level output from your query. However, Pivot Grids can be switched to use the Summary Data Table, which contains pre-aggregated totals and grouped metrics generated from your View’s configuration.

Tip: Using the Summary Data Table improves performance and enables grouping logic aligned with the View’s summaries.

Why Use the Summary Data Table?

• Focus the Pivot Grid on group-level aggregates

• Improve performance by reducing the data volume used

• Match existing summaries used in Finished Reports or dashboards

• Avoid double aggregation or unnecessary detail-level data

Use Case: You’ve already grouped sales totals by region and want your Pivot Grid to reflect just those summarized totals, not individual sales transactions.

Steps to Enable the Summary Data Table in a Pivot Grid

Step 1: Open or Create a View

• Launch VDM

• Open an existing View or create a new one that includes grouped or summarized data

• Click Run View to load your data

Step 2: Open the Pivot Grid

• Go to the Pivot Grid tab

• Add any rows, columns, and values you'd like to analyze

Step 3: Use the Summary Data Table

• Right-click anywhere inside the body of the Pivot Grid

• From the right-click menu, choose Use Summary Datatable

• The Pivot Grid will now be powered by the summary-level data, rather than detail rows

Note: You must have summaries configured in your View for this option to be meaningful. If no summaries exist, the result may appear empty or unchanged.

Step 4: Configure the Pivot Grid

• Build your Pivot Grid layout using the Summary Data

• Drag and drop relevant fields into Rows, Columns, and Values

• Adjust formatting or sorting as needed

Article Summary

The Use Summary Datatable feature in VDM’s Pivot Grid allows you to shift focus from row-level detail to grouped summary data. This is ideal for high-level analysis, reporting, or performance-focused dashboards. With a simple right-click, you can make your Pivot Grid reflect only the summary logic defined in your View.

Use Case: Compare total freight by region using pre-aggregated values rather than querying and re-aggregating every line item in the dataset.