Ascend Documentation

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Views, Filters & Sorting ​

Views let you see your database data in different ways without changing the underlying data. Each view can have its own filters, sorts, grouping, and visible properties.

Understanding Views ​

What is a View? ​

A view is a saved configuration that includes:

  • Which properties are visible/hidden
  • Column widths and order
  • Filters applied
  • Sort order
  • Grouping settings

Key concept: The data is the same across all views - views just change how you see it.

Default View ​

Every database starts with a "Table" view showing all rows and default properties.

Creating Views ​

Creating a New View ​

  1. Click the "+" button next to existing view tabs
  2. Enter a view name (e.g., "My Tasks", "Urgent Items")
  3. The new view is created and selected
  4. Configure filters, sorts, and properties
  5. Changes auto-save to the view

View Use Cases ​

Personal Views:

  • "My Tasks" - Filter by assigned to you
  • "This Week" - Filter by due date
  • "High Priority" - Filter by priority level

Team Views:

  • "In Progress" - Filter by status
  • "Needs Review" - Filter by review status
  • "Overdue" - Filter by past due dates

Report Views:

  • "Completed This Month" - Filter by completion date
  • "By Client" - Group by client
  • "Revenue Breakdown" - Show financial properties

Managing Views ​

Switching Views ​

Click any view tab to switch to that view. The database updates instantly to show that view's configuration.

Renaming a View ​

  1. Right-click the view tab
  2. Select "Rename view"
  3. Enter new name
  4. Press Enter

Duplicating a View ​

  1. Right-click the view tab
  2. Select "Duplicate view"
  3. A copy is created with "(Copy)" appended
  4. Rename and customize as needed

Use case: Create variations of existing views quickly

Deleting a View ​

  1. Right-click the view tab
  2. Select "Delete view"
  3. Confirm deletion

Note: You cannot delete the last view. At least one view must exist.

Filtering Data ​

Filters let you show only rows that match certain criteria.

Adding a Filter ​

  1. Click the "Filter" button in the toolbar
  2. Select a property to filter by
  3. Choose a condition (equals, contains, is empty, etc.)
  4. Enter the filter value
  5. Click "Add Filter"

The view updates to show only matching rows.

Filter Conditions ​

Different property types have different conditions:

Text Properties:

  • Contains
  • Does not contain
  • Is
  • Is not
  • Is empty
  • Is not empty
  • Starts with
  • Ends with

Number Properties:

  • Equals (=)
  • Does not equal (≠)
  • Greater than (>)
  • Less than (<)
  • Greater than or equal (≥)
  • Less than or equal (≤)
  • Is empty
  • Is not empty

Select/Multi-select Properties:

  • Is
  • Is not
  • Contains (multi-select)
  • Does not contain (multi-select)
  • Is empty
  • Is not empty

Date Properties:

  • Is
  • Is before
  • Is after
  • Is on or before
  • Is on or after
  • Is within (last/next X days/weeks/months)
  • Is empty
  • Is not empty
  • Relative dates: Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday, This week, Next week, etc.

Checkbox Properties:

  • Is checked
  • Is not checked

Person Properties:

  • Is
  • Is not
  • Contains
  • Does not contain
  • Is empty
  • Is not empty

Multiple Filters ​

Add multiple filters to narrow results further:

  1. Click "Add Filter" after creating the first filter
  2. Add additional filters
  3. Choose filter logic: AND or OR

AND logic (default):

  • Row must match ALL filters
  • Example: Status is "In Progress" AND Assigned to "Me"
  • Result: Only my in-progress tasks

OR logic:

  • Row must match ANY filter
  • Example: Priority is "High" OR Status is "Urgent"
  • Result: All high priority OR urgent items

Editing Filters ​

  1. Click on an existing filter
  2. Change the property, condition, or value
  3. Click away to save
  4. View updates automatically

Removing Filters ​

Remove one filter:

  • Click the X on the filter chip

Remove all filters:

  • Click "Clear all" in the filter panel

Sorting Data ​

Sorting arranges rows in a specific order based on property values.

Quick Sort ​

  1. Click a column header
  2. Select "Sort Ascending" (A→Z, 0→9, oldest→newest)
  3. Or select "Sort Descending" (Z→A, 9→0, newest→oldest)

A sort indicator (↑ or ↓) appears in the column header.

Multi-Level Sorting ​

Sort by multiple properties in priority order:

  1. Click the "Sort" button in the toolbar
  2. Click "Add Sort"
  3. Select first property and direction
  4. Click "Add Sort" again for second property
  5. Continue as needed

Example:

  1. Sort by Status (ascending)
  2. Then by Due Date (ascending)
  3. Result: Tasks grouped by status, with earliest due dates first within each status

Reordering Sort Rules ​

In the sort panel:

  1. Drag sort rules up or down
  2. Higher rules have priority
  3. View updates automatically

Removing Sorts ​

Remove one sort:

  • Click the X on the sort rule

Remove all sorts:

  • Click "Clear all" in the sort panel

Note: When sorts are applied, manual row reordering is disabled.

Grouping Data ​

Grouping organizes rows into collapsible sections based on a property's values.

Creating a Group ​

Method 1: Column Header

  1. Click a column header
  2. Select "Group by [Property Name]"

Method 2: Toolbar

  1. Click "Group" in the toolbar
  2. Select the property to group by

How Grouping Works ​

  • Rows are organized into groups based on the property value
  • Each group has a header showing the value and count
  • Click a group header to expand/collapse
  • Groups are sorted alphabetically by default

Example: Group by Status

▼ To Do (5 items)
  - Task 1
  - Task 2
  ...

▼ In Progress (3 items)
  - Task 6
  - Task 7
  ...

▼ Done (12 items)
  - Task 8
  ...

Best Properties for Grouping ​

  • Select/Multi-select: Status, Category, Priority
  • Person: Assigned to, Created by
  • Date: Due date (groups by month)
  • Checkbox: Completed (Yes/No groups)

Removing Grouping ​

  1. Click "Group" in the toolbar
  2. Select "No grouping"

Or:

  1. Click the column header
  2. Select "Remove grouping"

Visualizing Data (Charts) ​

Visualizations help you understand your data at a glance. Chart Views allow you to create dynamic charts directly from your database rows.

Creating a Chart View ​

  1. Click the "+" button next to existing view tabs
  2. Select "Chart" from the menu
  3. A new chart view is created

Configuring Charts ​

Use the toolbar above the chart to configure how your data is visualized:

1. Chart Type Select the visualization style:

  • Bar: Best for comparing counts across groups
  • Line: Best for trends or continuous data
  • Pie: Best for showing proportions

2. Group By (X-Axis) Select a property to group your data by. This forms the X-axis (or segments).

  • Supported properties: Select, Status, Text, Person, Date
  • Note: This selection is required to generate the chart.

3. Value (Y-Axis) Choose how to calculate the value for each group:

  • Count: Counts the number of rows in each group
  • Sum: Sums the values of a numeric property

4. Property (for Sum) If "Sum" is selected, choose which Number property to aggregate.

Chart Examples ​

Project Status Overview

  • Type: Pie Chart
  • Group By: Status
  • Value: Count
  • Result: Shows the percentage of projects in each status

Sales by Representative

  • Type: Bar Chart
  • Group By: Sales Rep (Person)
  • Value: Sum
  • Property: Contract Value
  • Result: Compares total sales value per representative

Property Visibility ​

Control which properties (columns) are visible in each view.

Hiding Properties ​

Method 1: Column Header

  1. Click the column header
  2. Select "Hide property"

Method 2: Properties Panel

  1. Click "Properties" in the toolbar
  2. Toggle off the property you want to hide

Showing Hidden Properties ​

  1. Click "Properties" in the toolbar
  2. Toggle on the property you want to show
  3. The column appears at the end
  4. Drag to reorder if needed

Why Hide Properties? ​

  • Reduce visual clutter
  • Focus on relevant data
  • Create specialized views
  • Improve performance on wide tables

Column Width and Order ​

Resizing Columns ​

  1. Hover over the right edge of a column header
  2. Cursor changes to resize cursor (↔)
  3. Click and drag left or right
  4. Release to set the width

Minimum width: 80 pixels

Reordering Columns ​

  1. Click and hold a column header
  2. Drag left or right
  3. Blue indicator shows drop position
  4. Release to complete the move

Note: Column order is saved per view.

Advanced View Techniques ​

Creating Focused Views ​

Example: "My Urgent Tasks"

  1. Create new view
  2. Filter: Assigned to = Me
  3. Filter: Priority = High OR Status = Urgent
  4. Sort: Due Date (ascending)
  5. Hide: Low-priority properties
  6. Result: Focused view of what needs attention

Creating Report Views ​

Example: "Monthly Revenue"

  1. Create new view
  2. Filter: Date is within "This month"
  3. Group: By Client
  4. Sort: Revenue (descending)
  5. Show: Only financial properties
  6. Result: Monthly revenue breakdown

Creating Archive Views ​

Example: "Completed Items"

  1. Create new view
  2. Filter: Status = Done
  3. Sort: Completed Date (descending)
  4. Hide: Action-oriented properties
  5. Result: Historical record

Search Within Database ​

Use the search bar to find specific rows:

  1. Type in the search box at the top
  2. Results filter in real-time
  3. Searches across all visible properties
  4. Combines with active filters

Tip: Search works within the current view's filters.

Best Practices ​

View Organization ​

✅ Do:

  • Create views for common workflows
  • Name views clearly ("My Tasks" not "View 2")
  • Use filters to reduce cognitive load
  • Keep default view simple and comprehensive

❌ Don't:

  • Create too many views (5-10 is usually enough)
  • Duplicate views unnecessarily
  • Use complex filter combinations that are hard to understand

Filter Strategies ​

Start broad, then narrow:

  1. Filter by main category (Status, Type)
  2. Add secondary filters (Assigned to, Priority)
  3. Add date filters if needed

Use relative dates:

  • "This week" instead of specific dates
  • "Next 7 days" for upcoming items
  • Filters stay relevant over time

Performance Tips ​

  • Large databases: Always use filters to limit visible rows
  • Many properties: Hide unused columns
  • Complex views: Limit to necessary filters and sorts

Common View Patterns ​

Personal Productivity ​

"My Tasks"

  • Filter: Assigned to Me
  • Filter: Status ≠ Done
  • Sort: Due Date (ascending)

"This Week"

  • Filter: Due Date is "This week"
  • Sort: Priority (descending)
  • Group: By Status

Team Management ​

"Team Workload"

  • Group: By Person
  • Sort: Due Date (ascending)
  • Show: Task, Status, Due Date

"Blocked Items"

  • Filter: Status = Blocked
  • Sort: Created Date (ascending)
  • Show: Task, Blocker, Owner

Project Tracking ​

"Active Projects"

  • Filter: Status = In Progress
  • Group: By Client
  • Sort: Due Date (ascending)

"Overdue"

  • Filter: Due Date < Today
  • Filter: Status ≠ Done
  • Sort: Due Date (ascending)
  • Highlight: Red

Troubleshooting ​

No rows showing? ​

Check:

  • Filters might be too restrictive
  • Clear all filters to see all data
  • Check if you're in the right view

Can't find a property? ​

Solution:

  • Click "Properties" to see hidden properties
  • Toggle visibility on

Sort not working? ​

Check:

  • Property type supports sorting
  • No conflicting sorts applied
  • Try clearing and re-applying sort

Group collapsed automatically? ​

Behavior:

  • Groups collapse when you switch views
  • Click group header to expand

View changes not saving? ​

Check:

  • Internet connection
  • Look for save indicator
  • Refresh if needed