Release notes for Flexa Tables

Free trial and filter refinements

• addedA 90-day free trial starts automatically when no license key or Microsoft service plan is found, so a report can be built straight away.
• addedA hierarchical Total column for “Show Values As” when two or more values are in play.
• improvedTyping in a column filter is smoother — the list no longer resets while you are still entering a value, and operators combine as expected.
• improvedExport and action buttons in the footer are hidden while the table is empty, so the toolbar only offers what is usable.
• fixedSparklines now draw correctly on rows that mix units — for example a “% of Column Total” value next to a plain amount.
• fixedΔ Var % and Ratio columns export to Excel as numbers, without a stray currency symbol.
• fixedRemoving a value field whose values are text no longer disturbs the table.
• fixedColumns keep the order you dragged them into when you leave the report page and come back, including when a category is in play.

Plus refinements to formula tabs, the Tables mode panels, the footer row count and table redraw.

Percentages, layouts and row control

The largest feature release to date: measures can be shown as percentages, table arrangements can be saved as layouts, and rows can be reordered, frozen and filtered by text.

• addedShow Values As — Display any measure as % of Grand Total, % of Row Total, % of Column Total or % of Parent Total.
• addedLayouts — Save the current table arrangement and switch between saved layouts. Each layout keeps its own sort order, expand state and column setup, and one can be the default.
• addedCalculated Row — Build a new row from a formula that references other rows.
• addedManual row reorder — Drag rows into the order you want and keep it.
• addedSix text operators — contains, does not contain, begins with, ends with, is, is not — in the column header filter.
• addedA “Hide zero rows” toggle.
• addedFreeze the first column while scrolling sideways. The header row is now always frozen, so its toggle is gone.
• improvedThe sparkline popup was redesigned, with a clearer tooltip, a Y axis that follows the table’s number format, and faster hovering.
• improvedExcel exports now carry the “Show Values As” percentages and the current row order.
• improvedAll fields are kept when a Matrix is converted to a Table.
• improvedFormula names that duplicate an existing field label are rejected with a message, instead of quietly conflicting.
• fixedExcel exports follow the visible column order exactly, and keep the Total column when “% of Grand Total” is on.
• fixedDate variance data is kept when moving between report pages.
• fixedHiding every column in Manage, or creating an “Across Rows” formula on a blank label, no longer blanks the report.
• fixedSorting a level no longer discards the manual order of the levels below it.
• fixedConditional formatting now colours cells produced by an “Across Columns” formula, and “Across Values” formulas calculate while date variance is active.
• fixed% Grand Total calculation error.
• removed“Show Values As” and “Across Columns” tabs are hidden in Tables mode, where they do not apply.

Plus refinements to layout switching, category field handling and the Pre / Cur comparison.

Multi-value header filtering

• addedThe column header filter can select several values at once instead of one at a time.
• fixedFormulas now work on data containing dots, and on field names that contain a dot.
• fixedComparing categories with values produced the wrong figures; date format and hierarchy now stay in step.

Filters that survive a pivot change

• improvedInternal calculation code was streamlined, so large tables build faster.
• fixedA column filter is kept when the pivot is changed, instead of being dropped.
• fixedRemoving a category from “Compare by” no longer moves the pivot column field back to where it started.

Anomaly detection and a reworked filter panel

Outliers can now be flagged automatically, the filter panel was rebuilt, and Excel export handles hidden columns and large tables.

• addedAnomaly detection — Highlight outlying values using a standard-deviation rule or your own high and low thresholds.
• improvedThe filter panel was reworked, and a filter now updates properly when you pick a different field.
• improvedMulti-period comparison was extended, with a simpler default measure option.
• improvedExcel export was rebuilt: it can include hidden columns, and caps the file at 3 MB to avoid failed downloads.
• improvedFormula evaluation is substantially faster on large tables.
• improvedDragging items in the field and Manage panels feels smoother.
• fixedValues showed as 0 when formulas were present.
• fixedConverting between Matrix and Table now keeps the pivot structure and the date-variance setup in both directions.
• fixedFilters applied by a viewer, and the Matrix state, are kept when switching report pages.
• fixedExport data errors on tables with hidden or calculated columns.
• fixedConditional formatting colours are saved, and gradients read the right minimum and maximum for Var, Var % and Ratio columns.
• improvedThird-party libraries were updated to clear security advisories.

Plus refinements to Manage, threshold validation, the conditional formatting popup and chart sizing.

Tables view, icon sets and a performance pass

Flexa Tables can now be used as a flat table as well as a matrix, cells can carry icons, and a broad optimisation pass cut rendering work across the visual.

• addedTables view — Switch the visual between the Matrix and a flat Tables layout, each with its own field setup.
• addedIcon sets — In conditional formatting, show an icon in a cell based on rules, with minimum and maximum read from the data.
• addedMore chart types for the in-cell chart.
• improvedA wide performance pass on cell rendering, formula evaluation, conditional formatting and date variance — noticeably faster on large tables.
• improvedFilter operators are grouped into text and numeric sets, so only the relevant ones are offered.
• fixedMoving a field in the pivot could leave the visual loading indefinitely.
• fixedFields can be dragged normally in Tables view, and no longer land in Filters or Values where they do not belong.
• fixedChart columns appear in the same order as the table columns.
• fixedVariance is available while building a Tables view.
• improvedThird-party libraries were updated to clear security advisories.

Plus refinements to icon set thresholds, chart display, copy output and field dragging.

Field search, table background and column locking

• addedA search box beside the field list in both Pivot and Analytics, for models with many fields.
• addedA background colour setting for the table.
• addedA lock icon in Manage, so a column can be pinned against accidental changes.
• improvedData is grouped and sorted by the first label column, and the group takes the name of the first field in Rows.
• improvedTotals now calculate when fields are dropped into pivot values.
• improvedFields with special characters resolve faster in the formula field list.
• fixedDragging fields into Rows and Columns could blank the visual.
• fixedTotal calculation error.
• fixedFiltering now works on values containing a dot.
• fixedColumns stay in place when a field is dragged to the start or middle of the column configurator.
• improvedThird-party libraries were updated to clear security advisories.

Plus refinements to Manage, the filter panel, header alignment and copy behaviour on empty tables.

Excel copy, selective variance and faster grouping

Copy to Excel keeps its formatting, Var / Var % / Ratio became individually selectable, and grouping was rewritten for speed.

• addedCopy and paste into Excel carries number formatting through.
• addedCheckboxes to choose which of Var, Var % and Ratio to calculate, instead of always getting all three.
• addedHierarchy fields can be dragged into the pivot.
• addedThe formula panel shows at a glance whether a formula was created by row or by column.
• improvedGrouping and date-variance calculation were rewritten; large tables build faster and no longer block the report while loading.
• improvedBillions and trillions are displayed more sensibly.
• improvedData is blurred rather than hidden when no license key is present, so a report is still recognisable.
• fixedThe pivot now handles fields whose names share the same characters, and measures with repeated characters.
• fixedData is no longer lost when a value contains a dot.
• fixedSeveral cases where the visual could go blank, including with a filter applied.
• fixedLicense key handling, including expiry checks and reports using more than one key.
• fixedTotal was wrong in “Format your visual”, and drill up produced a blank label.
• improvedThird-party libraries were updated to clear security advisories.

Plus refinements to Manage, conditional formatting on row formulas, copy output and settings carried over from the previous version of the visual.

Security hardening

• improvedText coming from the data model is escaped before it is rendered, closing a cross-site scripting risk.
• fixedRow grouping produced the wrong groups on some data sets.
• fixedLicense key validation in edge cases.

Rendering speed

A sustained optimisation effort across data rendering, grouping and variance maths.

• improvedData rendering, row grouping, Var % calculation and the delta-var chart maths were all rewritten for speed.
• improvedFormulas are evaluated by a lighter, safer expression engine.
• fixedDelta Var and Ratio were miscalculated when the total was set to Min or Max.
• fixedData would not load after switching report pages.
• fixed“Expand all down” could produce a blank table.
• fixedThe eye icon now hides and shows columns reliably.
• improvedThird-party libraries were updated to clear security advisories.

Plus refinements to the pivot, chart sizing, Manage columns, category comparison and conditional formatting.

Choose how totals are calculated

• addedManage Total — Calculate a total as Sum, Minimum, Maximum or Average instead of always summing.
• improvedCell rendering, sorting and column grouping are faster.
• improvedRow selection and the expand icon behave more predictably.
• fixedCalculations are redone when the day filter setting changes.
• fixedDragging variance into the table could blank the visual.
• fixedCustom values were evaluated with the wrong rule.

Plus refinements to special characters in field names, Manage Total clearing and layout sizing.

Formula and saved-state reliability

• fixedRemoving one field no longer clears the whole saved configuration.
• fixedSeveral formula calculation errors, including formulas that displayed with no value.
• fixedRenaming a field that contains a dot no longer makes its values show as 0.
• fixedFormulas are no longer marked invalid after the pivot changes.
• fixedTooltips show current content and clear when a pivot item is removed.

Plus refinements to the right-click menu, license display and chart rendering with special characters.

Variance by category, opened up

• addedVariance by Category accepts any field type in the variance category, not just a fixed set.
• addedThe installed version is shown on the visual, which makes support requests easier to answer.
• improved“Variance” was renamed to “Measured” throughout, with the related formula updated to match.
• fixed“Processing data, please wait a moment” could stay on screen indefinitely.
• fixedThe sum of Ratio and Var % was wrong when a category was dragged into “Compare by”.
• fixedVar, Delta Var and Ratio columns were missing for categories.

Plus refinements to column ordering, renaming in “Format your visual” and the eye icon.

Simulation columns

What-if columns arrive: add a simulated column, edit its inputs, and see the calculations follow.

• addedSimulation — Add a what-if column, validate its input and calculate on it alongside real data.
• improvedVariance by Category was extended and its data handling reworked.
• improvedThe Filters panel was redesigned, and dragging a field into it no longer lags.
• improvedLicense key checks and Microsoft service-plan detection are more reliable.
• fixedAdding a simulation column reset the positions of the other columns.
• fixedVariance by Category produced the wrong figures, as did total Ratio and Var %.
• fixedCreating a conditional gradient could blank the table.
• improvedThird-party libraries were updated to clear security advisories.

Plus refinements to Manage ordering, expand state, gradient thresholds and “Clear all formulas”.

Totals and formulas with date variance

• improved“Show more” on the Pivot panel is easier to use.
• fixedFormulas could not calculate when variance by date was in use.
• fixedTotal ratio was calculated incorrectly, and some values rounded wrongly.
• fixedA deleted pivot field could come back.

Plus refinements to conditional formatting, Manage drag and drop and filter display.

Version 2.0 — Variance by Category

The 2.0 line opens with comparison across category values, not just across dates.

• addedVariance by Category — Compare measures between category values, with Var, Var % and Ratio calculated per comparison.
• addedConditional formatting accepts date, text and number values, not numbers alone.
• improvedVariance by Date picks periods from a dropdown list instead of a calendar popup.
• improvedSort order is remembered between sessions, and the license screen was redesigned.
• fixedDrill-down state is kept when navigating away from the page and back.
• fixedConditional formatting did not apply at all, and spread across too many columns when the table had variance.
• fixedRatio came out as 0 when the previous value was 0.
• fixedA Power BI page filter broke the table when variance by category was active.
• fixedThe visual could re-render endlessly on some models.

Plus refinements to Manage, rounding, total calculation and chart thresholds.

Cross-visual selection

• fixedSelecting rows in Flexa Tables no longer interferes with selections in other visuals on the page.
• removedA redundant data refresh that made the visual reload more often than it needed to.

Conditional formatting rules

• addedConditional formatting rules — A rules editor whose rules are saved with the report, can be reordered, and can read minimum and maximum from formula columns.
• improvedThe license entry screen was rebuilt.
• removedThe text-wrap option, which conflicted with the new row sizing.

Plus refinements to pivot parsing and filter handling.

Drill down, rebuilt

• addedDrill down — Rebuilt from scratch — expand and collapse, drill up and down, and the position you were at is remembered when you return to the page.
• improvedSorting handles numbers, text and dates correctly, each by its own rule.
• improvedA loading indicator appears while fetching more than 30,000 rows, and repeated recalculation while dragging was stopped.
• fixedDrilling down could blank the visual.
• fixed“Expand all down” expanded the wrong levels.
• fixedSelecting two rows and then clearing the selection filtered other visuals incorrectly.

Plus refinements to field dragging, “Select all” in filters, the scrollbar and date handling.

Formula warnings

• addedA warning that explains why a formula cannot be calculated, instead of failing silently.
• improvedCell rendering and license activation.
• fixedValues became 0 after a field was deleted.
• fixedDelta Var % was calculated incorrectly.

Plus refinements to “Select all” and filter handling.

Charts, colours and a faster table

• addedA line chart option for the in-cell chart.
• addedAlternating row colours, and a considered set of default visual colours.
• improvedThe table redraws far less while scrolling and hovering, and data grouping and transformation were rewritten for speed.
• improvedHidden state for the global filter and chart visibility is saved with the report.
• fixedBlank values were displayed as 0.
• fixedYear, month and quarter grouping errors.

Plus refinements to Manage columns, value alignment, colour settings and the sort control.

Empty data handling

• fixedThe visual now handles a data set with no rows gracefully.

First public release

The first certified build, carrying the foundations: pivot, formulas, conditional formatting, in-cell charts, filters and licensing.

• addedA width setting for the in-cell chart.