Projects/Usability/HIG/TableView
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Purpose
A table view (also known as grid or spreadsheet) is a graphical control to present data in an ordered arrangement of rows and columns. The intersection of a row and a column is a cell. The elements of a table may be grouped, segmented, or arranged in many different ways, and even nested recursively.
Table views provide navigation by clicking on a cell with the mouse, or by using the arrow keys. You can also hit Tab and Backtab to move from cell to cell.
The items shown in a table view, like those in the other item views, are rendered and edited using standard delegates. However, for some tasks it is sometimes useful to be able to insert widgets in a table instead. Widgets are set for particular indexes with the setIndexWidget() function, and later retrieved with indexWidget().
As a communication tool, a table allows a form of generalization of information from an unlimited number of different social or scientific contexts. It provides a familiar way to convey information that might otherwise not be obvious or readily understood.
Example
Guidelines
Is this the right control
Behavior
- Avoid horizontal scrollbars.
- Provide inline editing for tables.
- Do not use selection to indicate state. Instead, use check marks and accessory views for showing state.
- Allow tables to be extended by users in both directions.
- Provide copy/paste feature for single as well as multiple selected cells, if approprioate.
Appearance
- Distinguish tables from lists by a bevel.
- Use fixed column header.