Columns Tab Jump to Selected

nathan-clark

What inspired this wish list request? Using a large data table with a lot of columns, many having similar nomenclature, I have started using the filter bar to find columns. Doing so is great to find and select a column, but when the filter is turned off, the selected column disappears from view, and scrolling to find it can be painful in large tables (my current one has several hundred columns).

What is the improvement you would like to see? Much like you can go to 'next selected' column in the data grid, I would like that option for the Columns Tab in the side panel.

Why is this idea important? Typically my tables have been fairly well organized with unique enough nomenclature I just click a column and type to jump to a column I want to go to. This brings me to the column in the column list and has worked great for years. As such I never used the filter option much. In going to larger tables with very similar nomenclature on column names, this is not a good solution as I need to type almost the whole column name to get the one I want.

So the column filtering is amazing and a agreat add to the program. However, I usually look at a column as well as other columns around it (often they are potentially grouped similar or represent several name versions of the same thing to be combined, etc). I start this in the Columns Tab as I can see more columns near one another than on the data grid.

But when using the filter, I can find the column super easily and select it super easily, but when I turn the filter off the view returns to where I was in the column list before I started the filter ... and there's no way for that Columns Tab to jump to the selected column ... so I need to scroll to find it. For 100 columns that's not horrible, for 400+ it's super annoying.

hogi

I think Column Tabs can help you:

you can tag the interesting columns and activate the Tag in the columns list on the left.
This will reduce the column list to the tagged columns.

Please check if the filter for the data grid is deactivated. Here we want to see all columns - maybe.

Now, select one of the columns in the columns list - and the data grid will jump to the selected column.
(double click in versions < v19)

nathan-clark

@hogi I agree tags could help, but since I usually look at a column in relation to other columns around it, it would be a lot of tagging to just get started.

And getting the selection in the data grid is working fine -- but yeah, i did have to turn off the 'column filter' for the data grid to see all the columns there. My main issue is in the main list itself. To jump to highlighted columns I shouldn't need to have them tagged - especially early on when I'm learning about the data as a whole.

hogi

@nathan-clark wrote:

I just click a column and type to jump to a column I want to go to. This brings me to the column in the column list and has worked great for years.

by the way, does anybody know why this feature was removed in JMP19?

nathan-clark

@hogi agreed, that works great and is what i've usually done. And that doesn't seem to be broken in JMP19

BUT ... I have a table with oodles of columns with very similar nomenclature. So for this to work I need to just about type out the entire column name for it to work as I need it. If i was a great typist that would be fine, but i am not so I usually make a mistake 7 letters in and have to start over ... In this case the filter option works way better than my fingers but has the selection / jump to selection issue noted here.

hogi

You're right; I've had the same experience several times. I'd get so close to the column, and then it would disappear.
It's really surprising that there's a special action (jump to the top of the list, right?) that makes the user "lose" the column they've just identified.

My thought: when I click on the column in the column list, the data grid jumps to the column.
Now, we can remove the filter. Ouch - I lost it!
A pity that the column list doesn't jump to the column when the user clicks on the column in the data grid. It is there - selected. But the column in the column list is "gone".

(view in My Videos)

hogi

a hue improvement in JMP19:
Have data filter selections not clear when you need to enter a new filtering item

this makes it possible to select as many columns as the user wants.

before: