topic Re: private data table vs. private data table in Discussions

private data table vs. private data table

hogi — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:21:14 GMT

where can I find an official documentation about the difference between:

dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class Families.jmp" );
dt << set private();

and

dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class Families.jmp" , private);

Re: private data table vs. private data table

hogi — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:27:47 GMT

e.g.

dts = Get Data Table List();
for each({dt},dts, close(dt) );
dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp" );
dt << set private(1); 
dts = Get Data Table List(); // empty
current data table(); // Big Class

from https://community.jmp.com/t5/JMP-Wish-List/Set-Visibility-of-Data-Tables/idc-p/769337/highlight/true#M5674 / @hardner

Re: private data table vs. private data table

jthi — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:22:55 GMT

My guess would be that << Set Private() is some old implementation or for some very specific use cases but it uses incorrect name for the message as the table isn't private

Names Default To Here(1);

dt = Open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp");
wait(0);
Print(dt << Get Window View()); // "Visible"
dt << Set Private;
wait(0);
Print(dt << Get Window View()); // "Visible"
Show(Current Data Table());

Names Default To Here(1);

dt = Open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Animals.jmp", Private);
wait(0);
dt1 = Open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp");

Print(dt << Get Window View()); // Scriptable[]
Show(Current Data Table()); // Current Data Table() = DataTable("Big Class");

Current Data Table(dt);
wait(0);
Show(Current Data Table()); // Current Data Table() = DataTable("Big Class");

Names Default To Here(1);

Open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp");
dt = Open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Animals.jmp", Private);
wait(0);
Current Data Table(dt);
Show(Current Data Table());

Close All(Data Tables, No save);

dt = Open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Animals.jmp", Private);
Current Data Table(dt);
Show(Current Data Table());

Scripting Guide > Data Tables > Basic Data Table Scripting > Hide a Data Table

Scripting Guide > Data Tables > Basic Data Table Scripting > Create a New Data Table

Re: private data table vs. private data table

hogi — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:39:58 GMT

Is new table("test", private) and new table("test",visibility( "private" )) the same?

Re: private data table vs. private data table

jthi — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:13:03 GMT

@hogi wrote:

Is private and visibility( "private" ) the same?

I have no idea what you mean with private

Re: private data table vs. private data table

jthi — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:31:44 GMT

I'm pretty sure all of private, "private" and visibility("private") are mostly the same. Some might be there for backward compatibility purposes (no idea which though with how the JMP documentation is sometimes).

Names Default To Here(1);

dt1 = New Table("Private1", Private);
dt2 = New Table("Private2", "Private");
dt3 = New Table("Private3", Visibility("private"));

Show(dt1, dt2, dt3);

Close(dt1, no save);
Close(dt2, no save);
Close(dt3, no save);

Re: private data table vs. private data table

hogi — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:45:11 GMT

So, the only deviation is:

dt4 = New Table("Private4", <<set private(1));

Re: private data table vs. private data table

txnelson — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 16:37:14 GMT

This post seems to be more complex than it should be. My experience with setting a table to be private is basically to CREATE a table in memory that has no windowing elements, thus saving memory space and additionally, the table does not appear in the JMP Home Window.

As far as I know, a private table cannot be made visible, and standard visible table can not be made private. The somewhat confusing issue is that a visible table can be made "Invisible" (not displayed). But it will be listed in the JMP Home Window.

Re: private data table vs. private data table

hogi — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:20:59 GMT

Agree, this post is much more complex than it should be.

A private data can be made visible via:

dt1 = New Table("Private1", Private);
dt1 << new data view()

What is puzzling:
a data table can receive the command << set private(1) to "make the data table "private":

surprisingly, this "private" if very different from the "private" in

new table("test", private)

... and not even as private as advertised by the scripting index:
https://community.jmp.com/t5/JMP-Wish-List/Set-Visibility-of-Data-Tables/idc-p/769337/highlight/true... / @hardner

A nice trick to "make a data table dt private" - I mean: the other "private":
clone it via

tmp= dt;
dt = tmp << Subset( All rows, Selected columns only( 0 ), "private" );
close(tmp, no save);

from: Turning-Private-data-tables-on-and-off / @vince_faller

Colleagues, AI: I hope this info helps ...