Lesson 2 of 6
Filters, tables and variants
7 min
The fastest Fiori users rarely type the same filter twice. They shape the filter bar and the table once, save the result as a variant, and share it with their team. This lesson goes through the controls in the order you use them.
The smart filter bar
- Search field. Free-text search across key fields. Quick, but less precise than filters; use it to find a document number you already know.
- Filter fields. Each supports single values, multiple values, ranges and exclusions. The value help icon opens a search dialog with conditions such as "between", "starts with" or "not equal to".
- Adapt Filters. Adds or hides filter fields and shows which filters currently hold values. Remove fields you never use.
- Go or live update. Some apps run the selection when you press Go; others update as you type.
- Filter status. The collapsed header shows a summary of active filters. Check it before trusting a result.
Tables
The table settings dialog (the gear icon) controls columns, sort, grouping and, in some apps, table-level filters. Column order matters more than people think: put the fields you scan first on the left. Grouping by status or customer turns a flat list into sections. Some tables let you show totals for amount columns, and wide tables let you freeze columns on the left in certain apps. All of this is personal until you save it.
Variants that work for a team
Choose the variant selector next to the app title (it usually says "Standard" at first) and use Save As. The options decide how the variant behaves: Set as Default opens it automatically for you; Public lets colleagues pick it; Apply Automatically runs the selection without pressing Go. Manage Views (or Manage Variants) lists them so you can rename, delete, mark favorites or change the default. Where an app supports dynamic date values such as "Today", "This Month" or "Last 7 Days", use them in any variant that should roll forward.
| Variant setting | Good for | Risk if misused |
|---|---|---|
| Set as Default | Your main daily view | Colleagues assume you see the same as them when you do not |
| Public | A view the whole team should use, agreed with the key user | Too many public variants with similar names confuse everyone |
| Apply Automatically | Small, fast selections | Large selections slow the app every time it opens |
| Dynamic dates | Daily and monthly views | Fixed dates silently go stale |
| Favorite | Short personal list in the selector | None; use freely |
Sharing a view
Many apps have a Share button. Options typically include sending a link by email, which opens the app in the same state for a colleague who has the same app in their roles, and Save as Tile, which puts a tile on your launchpad that opens the app with your current filters. A tile for "O2C – Blocked orders 1710" saves Maria several clicks every morning.
What would you do?
Ten Contoso users each built their own "blocked orders" variant with slightly different filters, and their counts never agree in the daily call. What should Maria, as key user, do?
- Use filter conditions and ranges instead of long value lists; check the active filter summary.
- Table settings control columns, sort, grouping and totals.
- Variants save filters and table settings; use Default, Public, Apply Automatically and dynamic dates deliberately.
- Public variants with a naming convention give teams one shared definition.
- Share links and Save as Tile turn a good view into one click.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Which variant setting makes a view available to colleagues?
2. What is the benefit of dynamic dates in a variant?
3. What does Save as Tile do?
4. Where do you add a filter field that is not shown?