Background

Microsoft Excel has a very nice interface that allows the user to show just the data that needs to be projected for different scenarios.

In Microsoft Excel 2010 the functionality is exposed through the “Filter” toolbar.

Google Docs

Let us examine whether Google Docs exposes a similar functionality and if so how and how well it does.

Spreadsheet

Looked on the Internet for sample Excel Spreadsheets.

Found one from Tableau.

It is called Sample – Superstore Sales (Excel).xls and it is available at community.tableau.com.

The specific URL is Link.

Import

We downloaded the sample data, accessed Google Docs, and imported the data.

Imported Data

Here is what the imported data looks like.

Filtering Data

There are two types of Filters required.

One is a Filter and the other is a Filter View.

We will touch on how to create each type of Filter and later on the differences between them.

Filter

Outline

To filter the data, please take the following steps:

Select a range of cells.
Click Data and then Filter ( )
To see filter options, go to the top of the range and click
- Filter by condition: Choose from a list of conditions or write your own.
- Filter by values: Uncheck any data points that you want to hide and click OK.
To clear Filter
- Please click the menu items Filter / “Turn off Filter“

Image

Access Filter Menu

Filtering By Customer Name – Begin

Filtering By Customer Name – Filtering

Filter Views

Outline

To filter the data, please take the following steps:

Create New Filter View
- Repeat the steps of creating a new Filter
  - Select a range of cells.
  - Click Data and then Filter ( )
  - To see filter options, go to the top of the range and click
    - Filter by condition: Choose from a list of conditions or write your own.
    - Filter by values: Uncheck any data points that you want to hide and click OK.
- Create New Filter View
  - Please choose the menu item Data/Filter Views
  - In the Name Bar, please give a Meaningful and Relevant Name
- Customize the Filtered View
  - Customize the Filtered View as you see fit
  - In our case, we chose a specific Customer
Capture and Share URL
- Please capture and share the URL for the customized Filtered View
- With a customized URL, each user has a specific and tailored view of the data
Close Filter View
- To close your filter view, go to the top right and click Close.
Delete Filter View
- To delete or duplicate a filter view go to the top right and click Settings Settings and then Delete or Duplicate.

Image

Filter By Column – Customer Name

Filter By Column – Customer Name – Initiate – Andrew Gjertsen

Filter By Column – Customer Name – Completed – Andrew Gjertsen

Filter Views Maintenance

Filter versus Filter View

Item	Filter	Filter View
Sharing Mechanism	Send URL or List	Send URL for List View
Sample URL	Link	Link
Multiple Instances Supported	No	Yes
Maintenance Supported	Turn off filtering	Naming, Rename, Duplicate, and Delete

Screen Shot

Filter

Filtered View

Summary

I wish I could have explained this far better.

But, nevertheless, if you have need to share Excel Type Sheets within a group and you will like tailored view of data, please consider using Google Docs.

It’s Filtered View functionality offers an accessible, polished, uncluttered, and fluid interface.

References

support.google.com
- Sort and Filter your data
  Link
Sites.Google.com
- Working with Data
  Link

Background

We all take for granted how seamlessly Microsoft Products work together.

Take for instance, I use Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio to run a query and I will like to prepare a document from the query’s result.

I simply copy the Output Grid’s content, launch Microsoft Word or Excel, and pasted it.

Through the magic of OLE or whatever they call it these days, the data is well received and formatted in the receiving Office App.

Google Drive

These days my main sharing tool is WordPress for public consumption and Google Docs for private data.

Here is the genesis of our Problem

SQL Server Management Studio ( SSMS )

Grid

Here is output of a query I ran in SSSM

Explanation

Nice and visually appealing for an Engineer

Google Drive – Google Docs

Here is what things look like when pasted into Google Docs..

What to do

Looked for Convert to Table
Insert Text as table
Import Text

Nothing helpful.

Solution – 01

Google Drive – Google Sheets

Created a new file, rather than Document went with Sheets

Explanation

Making progress
- Kept the grid or columns paradigm
- That is things are not jumbled well, with text intertwined together

Google Drive – Copy From Google Sheets Into Google Docs

Here we copied the cells from Google Sheets Into our original Google Docs

Explanation

Thankfully things are kept neatly arranged in a Columns
Need to get rid of some extra columns and that is doable

Google Drive – Google Docs – Table – Delete Extra Columns

Got rid of the extra columns using the menu item Table / Delete Columns.

Steps

Inside the Google Doc
Select the extra columns
And, use menu item Table / Delete Columns

Format the Table

One of the great things about these Google Products such as Chrome and Google Drive is that they are extensible and have such a nice and rich 3rd party ecosystem.

Adds On

Table Formatter

I already have Table Formatted installed and so let us initiate it by accessing Google Docs menu items “Add-ons” \ “Table Formatter”.

Google Docs – Menu – Add-Ons

Add-On – Table Formatter – Default Templates

Here are some of the Default Templates available

Customize Table with Add-On – Table Formatter

Select the Google Docs’s tale and choose the one of the Formatting Choices.

Here is our colored layout.

Summary

Copy SSMS Grid Data into Clipboard
Create a new Google Sheet ou use existing one
- Paste copied into Sheet
Create a new Google Doc
- Select data from Google Sheet
- Copy into Clipboard
- And, paste into Google Doc
In Google Docs
- Using 3rd Party Add Ons such as Table Formatter format Table

Solution – 02

Outline

Copy SSMS Grid output into Clipboard
Use Microsoft Excel
- Launch Microsoft Excel
- Copy Grid’s data into Excel
- If you like the way Excel Formats Table, use Excel’s Table Formatting functionality
  - Using F8, make Sheet’s column into actual table
    - Be sure you have Column Headers and all
Create or use New Google Docs
- Copy Table’s content from MS Excel
- Paste into Google Doc

In MS SSMS, Copying with Headers

Explanation

In MS Excel, Pasted SSMS Grid

In MS Excel, Create Table

Here is the panel displayed upon clicking on F8 and thus initiating the “Create Table” options

Explanation

Please pay attention to the “My table has headers” option

Background

Google Docs

Spreadsheet

Import

Imported Data

Filtering Data

Filter

Outline

Image

Access Filter Menu

Filtering By Customer Name – Begin

Filtering By Customer Name – Filtering

Filter Views

Outline

Image

Filter By Column – Customer Name

Filter By Column – Customer Name – Initiate – Andrew Gjertsen

Filter By Column – Customer Name – Completed – Andrew Gjertsen

Filter Views Maintenance

Filter versus Filter View

Screen Shot

Filter

Filtered View

Summary

References

Background

Google Drive

Here is the genesis of our Problem

SQL Server Management Studio ( SSMS )

Grid

Explanation

Google Drive – Google Docs

What to do

Solution – 01

Google Drive – Google Sheets

Explanation

Google Drive – Copy From Google Sheets Into Google Docs

Explanation

Google Drive – Google Docs – Table – Delete Extra Columns

Steps

Format the Table

Adds On

Table Formatter

Google Docs – Menu – Add-Ons

Add-On – Table Formatter – Default Templates

Customize Table with Add-On – Table Formatter

Summary

Solution – 02

Outline

In MS SSMS, Copying with Headers

Explanation

In MS Excel, Pasted SSMS Grid

In MS Excel, Create Table

Explanation

In MS Excel, Formatted Table