Working with DataGrids

Working with DataGrids, Lists and Editors

Using DataGrid Tables

Most Project Configuration interfaces are in DataGrid tables. There are many features that help managing and editing the contents of the configuration tables.

Most tabs display information in a table format. All tables use the same method to manipulate, copy, paste, and import data.

Editing Tables

Most configurations, such as tags, alarms and users, are stored in tables. In most tables, you can add and edit information the same way. 

To add a new table item (row):

1. Click the first column of the insertion row. The insertion row is the first row of the table and has an asterisk next to it.

2. After you click a column in the row, the asterisk becomes a pencil icon, showing that you are now editing that row.

When editing a table, you can:

• If the column is a text field, enter the information.

• If the column is a selection field, click the same spot again and select items from the drop-down list or pop-up window that displays.

• Press Tab to move through the columns in the row.

To edit an existing row, click the column in the row that you want to change and do one of the following:

• If the column is a text field, enter the new information. The system overwrites the text that was in the field. To change part of the text, click again.

• If the column is a selection field, click again and select items from the drop-down list or pop-up window that displays.

More than one person can edit a project at the same time. The system saves all changes to the project server and propagates the changes to other users. If two users modify the same configuration table or document, the changes from the last person who saves would overwrite any previous changes. 

Creating Objects with Default names

An easy way to create a tag is to click the Name column of the insertion row, then press Space and Enter. Each time you do this, the system will create the same type of tag that was last created. In the insertion row, select the Type, then click on the header or any other part of that grid. This will create a tag with a default name.

Editing Multiple Rows

You can configure more than one row at a time by selecting the rows with the Shift button, then right-click and select "Edit Combined Rows". A new popup will open with the information for the rows. The settings changed in this window will change all the selected rows. If a column has , it shows that this column has more than one configuration.

Sort, Filter and Group Columns

Sort

Click a column name to sort by that column and to change the order to ascending, descending, or none. When none is selected, the internal row ID is used: every DataGrid has an internal column named "ID".

Filter

Click the down arrow icon to select visible rows according to their content.

Grouping

Drag and drop the column titles in the upper area to create a dynamic hierarchical grouping of the information. 

Showing or Hiding Columns

Tables display a default set of columns. Every table has additional columns that you can display, and you can remove any of the default ones. You can also change their order.

To add or remove a column:

1. From any table, right-click the column heading area.

2. A list of all available columns for that table will be displayed. Columns with a check mark next to them are displayed in the table.

3. Select or deselect columns in the list.

4. Click outside the list to close it.

5. To change the order of the columns, drag a column heading to a new location.

6. To reset the columns to the default, click Reset Grid to Default Settings.

Common Column Definitions

Several common columns are available in most tables. These columns are defined below.

Copying and Pasting Rows

You can copy and paste rows into and from tables in FactoryStudio. The smart copy/paste functions let you copy rows from one table to another within FactoryStudio. For example, you can copy tags and paste them into the Historian tab or the Items tab under Alarms. You can also copy and paste to and from a spreadsheet. In addition, you can import a comma-separated values (.csv) file into any table. Column headings must match the table you are importing into. The best way to ensure that the headings match is to copy rows into a spreadsheet first, then edit the spreadsheet. 

Copying and Pasting Within FactoryStudio 

To copy rows to another tab in FactoryStudio:

• From any table, select one or more rows.
• Right-click and select Copy Selected Rows.
• Go to another tab in FactoryStudio.
• Right-click and select Paste Rows.

Copying and Pasting To or From a Spreadsheet 

To copy rows to a spreadsheet:

• From any table, select one or more rows.
• Right-click and select Copy Selected Rows.
• The copy automatically includes all available column headings for the tab you are in.
• Go to a spreadsheet and paste.

To paste rows from a spreadsheet:

• Set up the spreadsheet columns by following the copy steps above.
• Enter the information you want.
• Copy the information, including the headings, from the spreadsheet.
• From the corresponding table, right-click and select Paste Rows.
• The paste automatically places the data into the corresponding columns. Any empty cells are ignored.

Importing Data 

• Create the data in a spreadsheet. If you are creating tags or other objects, you can name the objects as needed. If you are populating other columns, the data in the columns must match what FactoryStudio expects.
• Save the file as a .csv.
• From the corresponding table in FactoryStudio, click  Import from a CSV file.
• Navigate to the .csv file and select it.
• Click Open.

The system imports the data into the table. 

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