Column Management Page

The Columns management page provides a centralized location to view, create, edit, and organize all columns in your sheet. This page is ideal when you need to manage multiple columns at once or want to see an overview of your sheet’s structure.

Accessing the Column Management Page

There are several ways to access the Columns management page:

From the Sheet Menu

1. Navigate to your sheet
2. Click the three dots menu (⋯) next to the sheet name in the breadcrumb
3. Select “Columns” from the dropdown menu

From the Toolbar

When viewing a sheet, click the “Columns” button in the toolbar at the top of the data grid.

From the Sheet Settings

In the sheet settings page, you’ll find a link to manage columns.

Overview of the Columns Management Page

Once you access the Columns page, you’ll see:

The page includes:

• Search bar - Quickly find specific columns by name
• + COLUMN button - Add new regular columns
• + COMPUTE COLUMN button - Create calculated columns
• Column list - All existing columns with their properties
• Action buttons - Edit or delete individual columns

Creating Columns

Creating a Regular Column

1. Click the ”+ COLUMN” button at the top (or “CREATE FIRST COLUMN” if you don’t have any columns yet)

2. The “Add New Column” dialog appears with four tabs:

   • Definition - Basic column information
   • Validation - Rules for data validation
   • Restriction - Access and permission settings
   • Value Suggestion - Auto-complete options

3. Fill in the Definition tab:

   • Name - The display name of the column
   • Description - Optional description to explain the column’s purpose
   • Data Type - Select from available data types (see below)

4. Optionally configure other tabs:

   • Validation - Add rules like required fields, min/max values, regex patterns
   • Restriction - Control who can view or edit this column
   • Value Suggestion - Set up auto-complete suggestions

5. Click “SAVE” to create the column

Automatic Field Name

When you enter a column name, Sheety automatically generates a field name (like “FullName”) that will be used in the API and formulas. You can see this displayed below the Name field.

Creating a Compute Column

Compute columns automatically calculate values based on formulas. Click the ”+ COMPUTE COLUMN” button and define your formula. Learn more in the Computed Columns tutorial.

Available Data Types

Sheety App offers various data types to match your data needs:

Data Type	Description	Example Use Case
Text	Plain text or rich text (markdown)	Names, descriptions, notes
Number	Numeric values (integers or decimals)	Age, salary, quantity
Check box	True/false or yes/no values	Active status, completed tasks
Date	Date and optionally time	Birth date, hire date, deadline
Option	Single or multiple choice from predefined list	Department, status, category
Row Reference	Link to another row in a different sheet	Manager reference, related items
Member	Reference to workspace members	Assigned to, created by
Sealed Option	Once a user selects an option, only they can change it	Personal assignments, claimed items
Vote	Allow users to vote on options	Survey responses, polls

Example: Creating an Option Type Column

The Option data type creates a dropdown list of predefined choices:

1. Click ”+ COLUMN” button
2. Enter:
   • Name: Department
   • Description: Employee's department
   • Data Type: Select Option

3. When you select “Option”, additional fields appear:

   • Allow Multi Selection - checkbox to allow selecting multiple options
   • Options grid - where you define the available options

4. Click ”+ ADD OPTION” to add options:

   • Type Engineering in the first option
   • Click ”+ ADD OPTION” again to add more (like “Sales”, “Marketing”, “HR”)

5. Click “SAVE”

Editing Columns

To modify an existing column:

1. Find the column in the list (use the search bar if needed)
2. Click the edit icon (pencil) next to the column
3. Make your changes in the dialog
4. Click “SAVE” to apply changes

Changing Data Types

Be careful when changing a column’s data type. Existing data may not be compatible with the new type and could be lost or converted incorrectly.

Deleting Columns

To remove a column:

1. Find the column in the list
2. Click the delete icon (trash) next to the column
3. Confirm the deletion

Permanent Deletion

Deleting a column will permanently remove all data stored in that column. This action cannot be undone!

Reordering Columns

To change the order of columns as they appear in your sheet:

1. In the sheet view (not the columns management page), use the column headers
2. Drag and drop column headers to reorder them
3. The new order will be saved automatically

Alternatively, you can reorder columns from the columns list by using drag handles if available.

Column Visibility

Control which columns are displayed in your sheet:

1. In the sheet view, click the “Columns” button in the toolbar
2. Check or uncheck columns to show or hide them
3. Hidden columns are not deleted - they’re just not displayed

Bulk Operations

The Columns management page is ideal for:

• Reviewing all columns - See all columns in one place
• Creating multiple columns - Add several columns in succession
• Organizing structure - Plan and organize your data structure
• Searching columns - Quickly find specific columns by name

Best Practices

When using the Columns management page:

1. Plan before creating - Think about your data structure before adding many columns
2. Use consistent naming - Establish naming conventions for column names
3. Add descriptions - Help team members understand each column’s purpose
4. Group related columns - Order columns logically (e.g., personal info, work info, dates)
5. Regular cleanup - Remove unused columns to keep your sheet organized

Quick Access Alternative

While the Columns management page is great for comprehensive column management, you can also add columns quickly by right-clicking on the data grid. This opens a context menu with “Add Column” option. Learn more in Adding Columns to Your Sheet.

What’s Next?

After managing your columns:

• Add Data to Your Sheet - Start entering information
• Set Up Column Validation - Add rules to ensure data quality
• Create Computed Columns - Build columns with automatic calculations
• Column Data Types Reference - Detailed information about each data type

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues:

• Check out our FAQ
• Learn about Column Data Types
• Visit our Community Forum
• Contact support at support@sheetyapp.com