03 Tables

Tables and table formatting in Grafana.

What You'll Learn

• Create table panels from time series data

• Use the Reduce transformation to calculate statistics

• Display sparklines (mini charts) in table cells

• Configure cell display types (text, gauge, colored backgrounds)

• Organize and rename columns

• Add sorting and filtering capabilities

Prerequisites

• Completed Tutorial 1.2: Your First Dashboard

• Basic understanding of panel creation

---

Overview

Tables display data in a structured row-and-column format. In manufacturing dashboards, tables are perfect for:

• Variable summaries – Show min, max, mean, and current values for multiple variables

• Parameter comparisons – Compare settings across multiple machines or extruders

• Trend indicators – Display sparklines showing how values changed over time

• Status overviews – Color-coded cells showing which parameters are in range

While time series charts show data over time, tables excel at showing summarized data for multiple variables at once.

---

Creating a Basic Table

Step 1: Add a Panel and Select Variables

1. Edit your dashboard and click Add → Visualization

2. Select your ENLYZE data source

3. Choose a site and machine

4. Select multiple variables (e.g., several extruder throughputs or temperatures)

   [SCREENSHOT: Query editor with multiple variables selected]

Step 2: Switch to Table Visualization

1. In the visualization dropdown (top right of panel editor), select Table

   [SCREENSHOT: Visualization selector with Table highlighted]

2. You'll see raw time series data in table format – one row per timestamp

   [SCREENSHOT: Basic table showing raw time series data with timestamps]

Note: This raw view isn't very useful for dashboards. We need to transform the data to show meaningful summaries.

---

The Reduce Transformation

The Reduce transformation converts time series data into summary statistics – turning many data points into single values like Min, Max, Mean, and Last.

Adding a Reduce Transformation

1. In the panel editor, find the Transform tab (between Query and Alert)

   [SCREENSHOT: Transform tab location]

2. Click + Add transformation

3. Select Reduce

   [SCREENSHOT: Reduce transformation in the list]

4. In the Calculations field, select the statistics you want:

   Calculation	Description	Use Case
   Last *	Most recent non-null value	Current status
   Min	Minimum value	Lowest point in range
   Max	Maximum value	Peak detection
   Mean	Average value	Typical operating point
   Sum	Total of all values	Production counts
   Count	Number of data points	Data availability
   Difference	Last - First	Change amount
   Difference percent	Percentage change	Trend direction
   All values	Array of all values	For sparklines

   [SCREENSHOT: Reduce transformation with multiple calculations selected]

5. Your table now shows one row per variable with calculated columns

   [SCREENSHOT: Table after reduce transformation showing summary statistics]

---

Sparklines in Table Cells

Sparklines are mini charts embedded in table cells, showing the trend at a glance.

Adding Sparklines

1. In the Reduce transformation, ensure All values is selected as one of the calculations

2. Go to the Overrides section in the right sidebar

3. Click + Add field override → Fields with name → Select "All values"

   [SCREENSHOT: Override selector with All values field]

4. Click + Add override property → Cell type

5. Select Sparkline

   [SCREENSHOT: Cell type dropdown with Sparkline selected]

6. The "All values" column now displays sparklines

   [SCREENSHOT: Table with sparklines showing in cells]

Sparkline Options

When you select Sparkline as the cell type, additional options appear:

Option	Description
Line color	Color of the sparkline (uses field color by default)
Draw style	Line (default) or Bars
Hide value	Show only the chart, no numeric value

Tip: Use a fixed color (like blue) for all sparklines to create a clean, consistent look. Set this in Standard options → Color scheme → Single color.

---

Cell Display Types

Grafana offers several ways to display values in table cells.

Accessing Cell Type Settings

Cell types are configured through field overrides:

1. Go to Overrides in the right sidebar

2. Add an override for the column you want to customize

3. Add the Cell type property

Available Cell Types

Type	Description	Best For
Auto	Grafana chooses automatically	Default
Colored text	Value text changes color based on thresholds	Warning indicators
Colored background	Cell background changes color	High visibility status
Gauge	Mini gauge showing value in range	Percentage values
JSON view	Raw JSON display	Debugging
Sparkline	Mini chart	Trends

Example: Colored Background for Status

1. Add an override for a column (e.g., "Difference percent")

2. Set Cell type to Colored background

3. Configure thresholds to set the colors:

   • Green: -0.5% to +0.5% (stable)

   • Yellow: -1% to -0.5% or +0.5% to +1% (slight change)

   • Red: Beyond ±1% (significant change)

[SCREENSHOT: Table with colored background cells showing status]

Example: Gauge Cells

1. Add an override for a column (e.g., "Last *")

2. Set Cell type to Gauge

3. Configure Min and Max in Standard options

4. Choose Display mode: Basic, Gradient, or LCD

[SCREENSHOT: Table with gauge cells]

---

Column Organization

The Organize fields transformation lets you rename, reorder, and hide columns.

Adding Organize Fields Transformation

1. In the Transform tab, click + Add transformation

2. Select Organize fields by name

   [SCREENSHOT: Organize fields transformation]

Renaming Columns

1. In the transformation, find the column you want to rename

2. Enter a new name in the text field

   Original	Renamed
   All values	Trend
   Difference	Change
   Difference percent	Change (%)
   Field	Variable

   [SCREENSHOT: Column renaming in organize fields]

Reordering Columns

1. Drag columns up or down to change their order

2. A typical order might be:

   • Variable name (Field)

   • Current value (Last *)

   • Min, Max, Mean

   • Trend (sparkline)

   • Change indicators

Hiding Columns

1. Click the eye icon next to a column to hide it

2. Useful for hiding intermediate calculations like "First *"

---

Sorting and Filtering

Column Sorting

Users can click column headers to sort:

1. First click: Sort ascending (A-Z, low-high)

2. Second click: Sort descending (Z-A, high-low)

3. Third click: Remove sorting

To set a default sort:

1. In the right sidebar, find Table options

2. Under Initial sort, select the column and direction

   [SCREENSHOT: Initial sort configuration]

Column Filtering

Enable filtering to let users search within columns:

1. Add a field override for the column

2. Add Filterable property and set to true

   [SCREENSHOT: Filterable option in override]

3. A filter icon appears in the column header

4. Users can type to filter or select from values

---

Table Footer

Add summary calculations to the table footer.

Enabling the Footer

1. In the right sidebar, find Table → Footer

2. Enable Show table footer

   [SCREENSHOT: Footer options]

3. Select a Calculation (Sum, Mean, Min, Max, Count)

4. Choose which Fields to include in the calculation

Use case: Show total throughput across all extruders by adding a Sum footer to the throughput column.

---

Value Mappings in Tables

Use value mappings to display text or icons instead of numbers.

Creating Trend Indicators

1. Add an override for the "Difference" column

2. Add Value mappings property

3. Create range mappings:

   Range	Display	Color
   < 0	"Down" or ↓	Red
   = 0	"—"	Gray
   > 0	"Up" or ↑	Blue

   [SCREENSHOT: Value mapping for trend indicators]

4. Set Cell type to Colored text to apply colors

Example: Detailed Change Indicators

Range	Display	Color
< -1%	↓↓	Red
-1% to -0.5%	↓	Yellow
-0.5% to +0.5%	→	Green
+0.5% to +1%	↑	Light blue
> +1%	↑↑	Blue

---

Practical Example: Extruder Summary Table

Let's build a comprehensive table showing multiple extruder parameters.

Configuration Summary

Setting	Value
Variables	Extruder A/B/C Throughput, Feed Rate
Visualization	Table
Transformations	Reduce, Organize fields

Transformations

1. Reduce with calculations:

   • Last * (current value)

   • Min, Max, Mean

   • All values (for sparklines)

   • Difference percent

2. Organize fields:

   • Rename "Field" → "Variable"

   • Rename "All values" → "Trend"

   • Rename "Difference percent" → "Change (%)"

   • Hide "First *"

   • Reorder columns logically

Overrides

Field	Cell Type	Additional
Trend	Sparkline	Blue color, line style
Change (%)	Colored background	Threshold colors
Last *	Gauge	Min: 0, Max: auto

Result

[SCREENSHOT: Complete extruder summary table with all features]

---

Tips and Best Practices

When to Use Tables vs. Charts

Use a Table When...	Use a Chart When...
Showing exact values	Showing trends over time
Comparing many variables	Focusing on 1-3 variables
Users need to search/filter	Visual pattern recognition
Exporting data	Presenting to stakeholders

Design Guidelines

• Keep it scannable: Use color-coding and icons to highlight important information

• Limit columns: Show 5-8 columns maximum; hide less important data

• Consistent formatting: Use the same units and decimal places across similar values

• Meaningful names: Rename technical column names to user-friendly labels

Performance Tips

• Tables with many rows (>100) can slow down

• Sparklines add rendering overhead – use sparingly with large datasets

• Consider filtering or limiting time ranges for better performance

---

Summary

You've learned how to create effective table visualizations:

• Convert time series data to summary statistics with Reduce transformation

• Add sparklines for in-cell trend visualization

• Customize cell types (colored text, backgrounds, gauges)

• Organize columns with renaming, reordering, and hiding

• Enable sorting and filtering for interactive exploration

• Use value mappings for visual status indicators

---

What's Next?

Continue learning about visualization types:

• Advanced Styling – Units, field overrides, and more

Or explore intermediate features:

• Dashboard Organization – Rows, folders, and linking

---

Quick Reference

Reduce Transformation Calculations

Calculation	Description
Last *	Most recent non-null
First *	First non-null
Min	Minimum value
Max	Maximum value
Mean	Average
Sum	Total
Count	Number of points
Range	Max - Min
Delta	Last - First
Difference	Last - First
Difference percent	% change
All values	Array (for sparklines)

Cell Types

Type	Description
Auto	Automatic based on data
Colored text	Text color from thresholds
Colored background	Background from thresholds
Gauge	Mini gauge visualization
Sparkline	Mini chart
JSON view	Raw JSON

Common Overrides for Tables

Property	Path	Use
Cell type	Table → Cell type	Change display type
Column width	Table → Column width	Fixed width in pixels
Filterable	Table → Filterable	Enable column filter
Alignment	Table → Cell alignment	Left, Center, Right