Customizing list views

The default list view shows fixed columns for each list type and provides basic filtering on each column. A Query Builder on list views enables you to create complex queries through the UI (rather than the Using the Search and Reporting service) and immediately see the results in the list.

Customizing columns

The default list view for each node type shows predefined columns. You can customize these views by using the Customize Columns tab of the Query Builder. For example, the default list view for hosts shows the Virtual column, which might not be useful to you.

How the three pane selection tool works

The three-pane selection tool enables you to select an attribute to add as a column or follow relationships to other nodes, from which you can select attributes to add as a column. Relationships are displayed with a following right arrow (►). Scroll down the left pane and select the attribute that you require.

Click here for a more comprehensive guide to using the three pane selector

Search in the left hand pane of the three pane selection tool for the attribute that you want to add. You can use the lookup tool or scroll through the list. Additionally, beneath each pane is a lookup tool into which you can enter text to locate attributes by name. When you enter text, a list of matches is displayed; from this list, you can select the attribute or relationship to use.

Clicking an attribute—for example, Discovered OS Class—adds a Host: Discovered OS Class entry to the column list.
Clicking a relationship—for example, Software Instance: Software Instances running on this host, displayed with a following right arrow (►)—populates the next pane in the selection tool with the attributes and relationships of the destination node.
Clicking a relationship in the second pane populates the third pane in the selection tool with the attributes and relationships of the destination node in the same way as before.
Clicking a further relationship populates a fourth pane and scrolls the previous panes to the left, hiding the first pane. You can scroll back by clicking the arrow to the left of the selector panes.

How the column list works

The column list is simply a list of columns displayed in the order in which they appear in the list view. You can reorder the columns in this view by dragging them to a new location. An edit icon and a delete icon are also provided for each column.

To see the results of your changes, click Refresh results. To cancel all changes, click Cancel.

To remove a column

Click the cross icon relating to the column you want to remove. The column label is deleted immediately. Click Refresh results to see the change.

To edit the label on a column

Click the pencil icon relating to the column whose label you want to edit. The column name is redisplayed in a text edit field. Edit the name and click Refresh results to see the change.

To add a column

Click the column you want to add by using the three-pane selector.

You can drag the column to the required position in the list. The attribute name (the column label) is displayed as editable text, so you can change it if required. Click Refresh results to see the change.

To reorder the columns

Drag columns to new locations as required.

To filter multiple results in a column

Filtering operates per row rather than on the individual results in that row. Therefore, when you filter on a column that contains multiple results, all results are still displayed per row. However, each row contains the item that you filtered on.

For example, when you add a column containing the name of a software instance running on a host, each row contains a list of software instances running on that host. Filtering on a software instance results in all rows containing that software instance being displayed, even though that software instance is part of a list. When this is filtered, the number of hosts is reduced, although there are still multiple software instances per host.