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Table Component

The Table component renders structured rows of data with configurable grouping, totals, column-level formatting, and advanced in-cell visualisations. It is the primary component for any report page where the audience needs exact records, values, or row-level evidence rather than a summarised visual.

Report Forge table component example

Data binding

PropertyDescription
SectionThe data section that provides the row source.
ColumnsFields added from the section's field list. Drag to reorder.
SortingPrimary and secondary sort fields with ascending/descending control.
Row limitOptional cap on displayed rows (useful for Top-N tables).

Grouping and totals

The table supports up to three levels of row grouping:

LevelDescription
Level 1 groupPrimary grouping field. All rows sharing the same value are placed in one group band.
Level 2 groupSecondary grouping within Level 1.
Level 3 groupTertiary grouping within Level 2.

For each grouping level, configure:

  • Subtotals — show a subtotal row at the bottom of each group with configurable aggregation per column.
  • Subtotal label — text shown in the group label column of the subtotal row.
  • Collapsed by default — whether the group is expanded or collapsed when the output renders.

Grand total row: A grand total row at the bottom of the table aggregates all rows. Enable it in Properties → Totals. Configure the aggregation function per column independently of the subtotals.

Aggregation options: Sum, Average, Count, Count Distinct, Min, Max, First, Last, Custom expression.


Conditional formatting

Apply conditional formatting rules to individual cells, full rows, or columns. Access via Properties → Conditional Formatting → New Rule.

Comparison operators

OperatorDescription
Greater thanValue > threshold
Less thanValue < threshold
EqualsExact match
Not equalsExcludes exact match
Greater than or equalValue ≥ threshold
Less than or equalValue ≤ threshold
BetweenValue falls within a min–max range
ContainsText contains substring
Starts withText begins with prefix
Ends withText ends with suffix
Is blankCell has no value
Is not blankCell has a value

Rule scope

ScopeApplies to
CellOnly the cell in the column where the condition is evaluated.
RowThe entire row when the condition in the target column is true.
ColumnAll cells in the column regardless of the condition field.

Actions (when rule fires)

  • Background color — fill the cell or row with a color (hex or palette).
  • Text color — change the font color.
  • Font size — increase or decrease relative to the base.
  • Font weight — bold.
  • Text alignment — left, center, right.
  • Icon — prepend a status icon (e.g., red circle, green check, amber triangle).

Transpose mode

Transpose mode rotates the table so that field names appear as rows down the left side and records appear as columns across the top. Enable via Properties → Layout → Transpose. Useful for presenting a single record's full field set (e.g., a project snapshot with all KPI fields as rows).


Cell merging

When consecutive cells in a group column have the same value, they can be merged into a single cell spanning the group. Enable per column via Column Settings → Merge identical cells. Works best for the grouping dimension columns.


In-cell formatting

In-cell formatting adds a visual element inside the cell alongside or instead of the raw value:

Data bars

Render a horizontal bar filling the cell proportional to the value relative to the column's min/max or a configured range.

  • Positive color and negative color (for values below zero or a threshold).
  • Show value toggle — display the number alongside the bar.

Icon sets

Replace or augment the value with a threshold-based icon set:

Icon setOptions
Traffic lightRed / Amber / Green circles
ArrowsUp / Flat / Down
Stars1–3 stars
FlagsRed / Amber / Green flags
ChecksCheck / Dash / X

Configure two threshold values that divide the range into three buckets.

Color scales

Apply a gradient color fill to cells:

ModeDescription
Single colorOne color with opacity proportional to value.
2-color gradientInterpolates between two colors across min–max.
3-color gradientMidpoint color added for a diverging scale (useful for variance).

Sparklines

Embed a mini chart inside a table cell to show a value's trend over sub-periods:

TypeDescription
LineMini trend line per row.
BarMini bar chart per row.
AreaMini area fill per row.

Sparklines require a field grouped by a sub-dimension (e.g., monthly values per activity).

Mini-gauges

Show a radial gauge inside the cell with configurable red/amber/green zone thresholds.


Table layout options

OptionDescription
Sticky headersColumn headers remain visible when scrolling in interactive outputs.
Repeat headers on page breakWhen the table spans multiple PDF pages, headers repeat at the top of each page.
Alternating row colorsApply a subtle alternating background to improve row readability.
Column widthFixed pixels, percentage of table width, or auto (fit to content).
Manual source modeOverride the section binding and type the values directly (for static tables).

Export behavior

Tables export faithfully to Excel — columns, grouping, and values map directly to spreadsheet cells. Conditional formatting colors and data bars are preserved in Excel export. Sparklines and mini-gauges are rendered as static values in Excel.

For PDF export, ensure Repeat headers on page break is enabled for multi-page tables and that column widths are checked against the page width to prevent overflow.