docs/8.0/ayanova/docs/ay-start-form-data-tables.md

@@ -1,18 +1,63 @@
-# DATA TABLES
+# Data tables
 
-[Under construction]
+Data tables are used to view, report, bulk edit or open AyaNova business objects for editing.
 
-overview
+## Data table common menu options
+
+Most data tables in AyaNova share the same common menu options. These options might not be available for _all_ forms depending upon the Roles assigned to the current User or the type of AyaNova business object being listed.
+
+Some of the main forms are not related to a specific business object
+
+#### Report
+
+This menu option opens a list of [reports](ay-report.md) available to be rendered from this data list.
+
+[Filtering](#filtering-data) affects which records will be rendered in reports; what is available in the data table is what is sent to the report rendering engine. So, for example, if you filter for only work orders from the current week that is what will be reflected in the report.
+
+Individual records can be selected for reporting by checking the checkboxes in the leftmost column when available in which case only the records selected will be sent to the report rendering engine.
+
+In most cases reports will display the data in the same sorting order as being viewed in the data table however some reports have their own built in logic to re-sort or group the data for specific scenarios which will override the sort order presented in the data table.
+
+#### Last report
+
+This menu item shows the name of the last report rendered in this form to save time in selection when the same report is regularly used.
+
+#### Extensions
+
+[Extensions](ay-extensions.md) provide a way to perform an operation of some kind over multiple records at once, for example mass deleting selected records or tagging them.
+
+The Extensions menu item works with data selected similarly to how reporting works:
+
+[Filtering](#filtering-data) affects which records will be sent to the extension for processing; what is available in the data table is what is sent to the extension.
+
+So, for example, if you filter to a specific sub-set of records only those records will be processed by the extension.
+
+Individual records can be selected for processing by checking the checkboxes in the leftmost column when available in which case only the records selected will be processed.
+
+#### Search
+
+The search menu item links to the [search form](home-search.md) and automatically causes the search form to only show results for the type of object that was being viewed in the data table before clicking search. For example if you are viewing a Customers data table then clicking on search will automatically select `Customer` as the only type to search for.
+
+#### Help
+
+The help menyu item will open a specific help document from the manual related to the form being viewed.
+
+#### About AyaNova
+
+About menu option will open the [About form](ay-about.md) which displays the version information and other information and links helpful for technical support and diagnostic / troubleshooting purposes.
 
 elements of the data table
 
 filtering
 
+### Filtering data
+
 ### Filtering dates
-When viewing data in AyaNova that is filtered with one of the relative date filters (for example a filter of "TODAY"), this time zone setting is taken into account in order to ensure that the user sees data appropriate to *their time zone*.  This means that two people with browsers in different time zones using a filter of TODAY for a date field may see different list of results from each other.
+
+When viewing data in AyaNova that is filtered with one of the relative date filters (for example a filter of "TODAY"), this time zone setting is taken into account in order to ensure that the user sees data appropriate to _their time zone_. This means that two people with browsers in different time zones using a filter of TODAY for a date field may see different list of results from each other.
 
 todo: document that emojis can be used in any text field and key combo on windows is winkey-period
-	-other os's too?
+-other os's too?
 
 todo: WIKI controls
 
@@ -21,17 +66,17 @@ todo: DATA TABLES link to it's own page
 Need help page specific to DataTable usage, link to it from the top of all manual pages that are for DataList UI pages (e.g. Customers page)
 Note: arbitrary 1024 max char text field length, truncates after that.
 Note: Special note to indicate that filtering by a column then hiding that column is supported as a feature
-	User won't see the filtered column if they hid it but the filter still applies
-	User can tell it's still filtered by the prescence of the filter reset button (circle with X inside) to the right of the filter selection list
-note: filtering system, column view system, saving filter, case sensitivity, tokens etc	
+User won't see the filtered column if they hid it but the filter still applies
+User can tell it's still filtered by the prescence of the filter reset button (circle with X inside) to the right of the filter selection list
+note: filtering system, column view system, saving filter, case sensitivity, tokens etc
 hidden query-affecting columns: Data Table column selector button will change to larger and accented when this is the case and the column selector form will highlight these hidden columns that affect the view with raised elevation, accent color and filter+sort icon (both show, there is no distinction which type of way it's affecting)
 
-Data table filtering on Duration / interval type columns:		
+Data table filtering on Duration / interval type columns:
 Filters are limited to greater than or less than due to nature of this type of data which is very hard to match precisely due to millisecond differences
-making equals or not equals useless for exact comparison.  In addition these types of fields always have a value even if it's zero so they don't work with Has value / no Value either
+making equals or not equals useless for exact comparison. In addition these types of fields always have a value even if it's zero so they don't work with Has value / no Value either
 Greater than and less than can be used to match any value desired by using two filters one greater one less and use of the OR or AND option as appropriate
 Case sensitivity and filtering - controlling
-	
+
 ## Data Table TAG filters
 
 All tags are lower case always, case is not relevant in Tag filters.
@@ -41,27 +86,32 @@ Order is not relevant in Tag filters, so {green, red} is no different than {red,
 ### Filter types supported
 
 #### Equality
+
 Exactly equal compare entire search term array to tag array in db - all terms in search exactly present and no others in db record
-e.g. {red,green,blue} will return records with tags {green,red,blue}  but *not* match {red,green,blue,orange}
+e.g. {red,green,blue} will return records with tags {green,red,blue} but _not_ match {red,green,blue,orange}
 
 #### Not equal
+
 The opposite of Equality; specifically exclude rows that exactly match all the search terms
-e.g. {red,green,blue} will return records with tags {red,green,blue,orange} but *not* match {green,red,blue}  
+e.g. {red,green,blue} will return records with tags {red,green,blue,orange} but _not_ match {green,red,blue}
 
 #### NO value
+
 Will return records with no tags set at all
 
 #### Has value
+
 Will return records with any tag set
 
 #### Contains
-Returns records that contain the specified search tags. Records may have other additional tags but that's ok as long as it has the search term ones 
+
+Returns records that contain the specified search tags. Records may have other additional tags but that's ok as long as it has the search term ones
 e.g. {red,green,blue} will return records with tags {green,red,blue} and also {red,green,blue,orange}
 
 #### Not contains
-All terms in search query *NOT* present in db record, don't care what else is in db record as long as it's not the search terms (order insensitive)
-e.g. {red,green,blue} will not return records with tags {green,red,blue} and also not return {red,green,blue,orange} but would return {red,green,black}
 
+All terms in search query _NOT_ present in db record, don't care what else is in db record as long as it's not the search terms (order insensitive)
+e.g. {red,green,blue} will not return records with tags {green,red,blue} and also not return {red,green,blue,orange} but would return {red,green,black}
 
 sorting