Build a data table

A data report holds one or more data tables. Each data table reads one data source, such as applications or assessments, and shows the columns you tick as a grid of rows.

Source and column names use your organisation's own terms if you've renamed them.

Before you start

You need Can create and update reports to create a report. To see a data table's rows you also need Can generate reports.

Create a data table

Go to Data reports and select Create a Data Table.
Enter the Report name.
Enter the Data Table name.
Choose the Data source. A source your organisation does not have is shown as (not available) and cannot be chosen.
For Assessments, choose the Assessment Round too. Tick Assessment Form Data to include the assessment form's answers, and then All Data if you want every answer.
Under Columns, tick at least one column. Use Search columns to find one quickly: every word you type is looked for in the column's name, its form and section, and its tag's definition. Form field columns show the form and section they come from. A tagged column with a definition has an info button beside it; point at it, or tab to it, to read what the tag means.
Select Create. The new report opens. It is filed under No Folder and you are its owner.

Select Cancel to go back to Data Reports without saving anything.

If a name is left blank, you see "Name can't be blank" and nothing is saved. If no column is ticked, you see "Select at least one column." The data source and round of a data table can't be changed later: add a new data table instead.

On the Assessors and Admins data sources, Sign In Count under General shows how many times each person has signed in to Backed. Counting started on the day the column was released, so earlier sign-ins are not included. The count belongs to the person, not the organisation: someone who belongs to more than one organisation shows the same count in each.

Read a report

The report's name is at the top left, with the selected data table's name just below it. When a report has more than one data table or combined data source, select its name to show its rows.

The grid shows 50 rows a page. The footer says which page you are on and how many rows there are in all; use Previous and Next to move between pages.

Data as at shows the time the rows were read. Select Refresh to read the same page again with the latest data.

If you have Can create and update reports but not Can generate reports, you see the column headings and the message "You need Can generate reports to see rows." instead of the rows.

Draft a summary

If your organisation has Administrator drafting switched on and you can edit the report, a data table offers Draft summary, a paragraph written from the table's totals. Accept puts it in a Summary box where you can change it. The summary is not saved with the report, so copy it to where you need it.

Add another data table

A report can hold several data tables, each reading its own data source. You need Can create and update reports; without it, the plus button (Add a data table) and Append Data Sources are not shown.

Open the report and select the plus button, Add a data table.
Enter the Data Table name, such as DS2.
Choose the Data source. For Assessments, choose the Assessment Round too, and tick Assessment Form Data and All Data if you want the assessment form's answers.
Tick Include test data to include records marked as test data.
Under Columns, tick at least one column.
Select Create. The new data table is listed after the others and shown.

Append data sources

Append Data Sources combines two or more of a report's data tables into one combined data source, with the rows of each one after the other. Columns with the same name line up in one column; a data table without a column shows a blank there.

Append Data Sources is available once the report has at least two data tables. Until then it is shown unavailable with the reason "Add another data table to append data sources."

Select Append Data Sources. The Append Rows dialog opens.
Enter a Name, such as Combined DS.
Select Add Data Source once for each data table you want to combine, and choose a data table in each one. Select Remove to take one out.
Select Create. The combined data source is listed after the data tables, marked Combined, and shown.

If the name is blank you see "Name can't be blank". If fewer than two different data tables are chosen you see "Add at least two data sources". You can also use Field Tags to combine fields from different templates into one column.

A combined data source is worked out again each time you show it, from its data tables with their own saved filters. You can sort it, group it, refresh it and export it, but not filter it or change its columns: do that on its data tables. Sorting and grouping a combined data source is never saved. When two of its columns come from the same field under different names, only the first can be sorted or grouped: the second shows a plain heading.

Filter the rows

A data table has two sets of filters, and a row shows only when it matches both:

Saved filters are kept with the data table, so everyone who opens the report sees the same rows.
Temporary filters are yours alone and are not saved. They narrow the rows further, on top of the saved filters.

Filters shows how many are in force across both sets, such as Filters (2).

To add temporary filters:

Select Filters.
Under Temporary filters, select Add filter, then choose the Field, the Operator and the value. You can filter on any column the data source offers, not only the columns in the grid. For a list of choices, such as is any of, tick each value you want.
Select Apply. The grid runs again with only the matching rows, on the same page.

Clear filters removes your temporary filters. The saved filters stay in force.

If you have Can create and update reports, you can change the saved filters under Saved filters: add, change or remove rows, then select Save filters. Without it, you see the saved filters as text and cannot change them. If you do not have Can generate reports, there are no temporary filters, only the saved ones.

A saved filter on a field that is no longer available, such as a deleted field tag, is shown as unavailable. Select Remove unavailable filter on each one before you select Save filters.

Manage the columns

You need Can create and update reports to change a data table's columns. Without it, Manage columns is not shown.

Select Manage columns.
Tick a column to add it and untick one to take it out. Under Selected columns, move a column up or down to change the order, or remove it from the list.
Select Save. The grid runs again with the new columns.

A data table needs at least one column: with none ticked you see "Select at least one column." A column you are not allowed to see stays in its place when you save.

Sort and group the rows

Select a column heading to sort by it in ascending order. Select it again to sort in descending order, and a third time to go back to the data table's own order.

Choose a column from Group by to group the rows under a heading for each value, with the number of rows and the totals of its money and number columns in each group. Choose No grouping to show the rows ungrouped. The grid's footer shows the totals for all the rows. A column that names a year, a version or a round number isn't totalled.

If you have Can create and update reports, the sort and grouping you choose are saved with the data table. Otherwise they are yours alone until you leave the report.

If someone else changed the report after you opened it, you see a message and nothing is saved. Reload the page and try again.

Export the rows

You need Can generate reports to export. Without it, Export is not shown.

Select Export.
Select CSV for a comma-separated file, or XLS for an Excel workbook.

The file holds every row that passes the filters in force, across all pages, in the order the grid shows them, with the grid's columns. Your temporary filters, sort and grouping are included.

A file of up to 50,000 rows downloads straight away. A larger export is built in the background: you see "We'll email you when your export is ready." and you get an email with a link to download it once it's ready. The link works for 24 hours.

An XLS workbook holds at most 1,048,575 rows. For more than that, export as CSV or add filters.

To send a report on a schedule rather than export it yourself, see Schedule a report.