Datasheet and formulas
Data view is the spreadsheet-style workspace for each dataset: edit cells, add columns, set field roles, and filter rows that feed your charts.
Sheet tabs
Bottom tabs switch Sheets (and pivots). Double-click a Sheet tab to rename it; right-click for Rename / Delete. You can’t delete the last remaining Sheet.
Grid basics
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Move one cell | ← → ↑ ↓ (selection stays ready — type to edit) |
| Extend selection | Shift + arrow |
| Jump to block edge | ⌘↑↓←→ / Ctrl+arrow (Excel-style data region) |
| Extend to edge | Shift + ⌘/Ctrl + arrow |
| First column / A1 | Home / ⌘Home or Ctrl+Home |
| Last column / sheet corner | End / ⌘End or Ctrl+End |
| Move and edit | Tab (right) · Shift+Tab (left) — move, then type to edit (same as arrows) |
| Move after edit | Enter (down) · Shift+Enter (up) — selection ready to type |
| Edit a cell | Double-click or F2 (Edit mode — arrows move the caret) |
| Type into a cell | Start typing (Enter mode — arrows commit and move) |
| Select range | Click-drag marquee |
| Select used region | ⌘A / Ctrl+A |
| Cut / Copy / Paste / Clear | ⌘X / ⌘C / ⌘V / Delete — also on Home (Clipboard). Cut/Copy/Paste also replicate manual cell look (cellStyles); Clear/Delete remove values and formulas but keep formatting |
| Paste values | ⇧⌘V — paste computed values only (no formulas, no cell styles) |
| Fill down / right | ⌘D / ⌘R — copies formulas with relative refs adjusted |
| Insert or delete rows / columns | Edit menu, context menu, or Home (Cells) |
| Fill handle | Drag the jade corner to fill formulas and values; double-click fills down to the contiguous data edge |
| Resize column | Drag the right edge of a column header |
| Resize row | Drag the bottom edge of a row-number cell; double-click resets that row to the default height |
Rename a column by editing the header (grid shortcuts pause while the rename field is focused).
If the first data row should be column names (common after paste/import without headers), use Data → Headers — Desk renames columns from that row and removes it.
Sheet styling (Home ribbon)
On the Home ribbon, Font, Styles, Alignment, and Number format the Sheet selection (Data view only — controls are disabled elsewhere).
| Group | What it does |
|---|---|
| Font | Font family / size (+/−), bold / italic / underline, fill color, font color, Borders presets, clear cell formatting |
| Styles | Table look gallery (light presets) — bold header + banded rows on the current selection |
| Alignment | Left / center / right, top / middle / bottom, wrap text |
| Number | General, Number, Currency, Percent, Date, ± decimals — applies to whole columns in the selection |
Borders
Home → Font → Borders applies thin Desk-neutral borders to the selection:
- No Border — clears custom cell borders (default Sheet grid lines stay)
- All Borders — all four sides on every selected cell
- Outside Borders — only the outer edges of the selection rectangle
- Bottom / Top / Left / Right Border — that side on every selected cell
Borders are presentation metadata (cellStyles), same as fill/font. Clear cell formatting removes borders too. Line colour / style pickers and Draw Borders are not offered yet.
Table look
Home → Styles → Table look applies a light preset over the current selection (first row = header). This is a visual style only — not a structured Excel table (no Autofilter coupling, totals, or structured references). Choose among Sage, Forest, Mist, Linen, Jade, and Slate.
Cell look (font, fill, align, borders) is stored with the workbook as presentation metadata (cellStyles) and does not change engine values or formulas. Highlight (conditional format) fill and font color override manual styles while the rule applies; clear the rule and the manual style returns. Styles are not written into raw CSV export. Copy / Cut / Paste within Desk replicate manual cell styles via the in-app Sheet clipboard (system clipboard stays plain TSV for external apps). Cut clears styles from the source range; Delete does not. Conditional format rules are not copied.
Cell formulas
Type = in a cell to start a formula. A function dropdown and signature tip appear (catalog from the analytics engine). Core packs are always available; plugin packs (Finance Toolkit, stats, …) appear only when installed — see Formula packs. Planned / unimplemented names never show in autocomplete.
If a formula can’t be applied, Desk opens a short formula problem dialog (plain language + OK) instead of a red status strip — then returns you to editing so you can fix it.
Copy / fill / paste adjust relative A1 references (absolute $A$1 locks stay fixed). Undo restores values, formula text in the Expression bar, manual cell styles, and column data types (including after paste that copied a typed column, or Change data type). Number or date series autofill (1→2→3) is not offered yet — fill copies or shifts formulas only.
Examples:
=A1+B2=SUM(A1:A10)=UPPER(C2)- Nested (Excel-style):
=ROUND(SUM(A1:A10), 2)or=IF(SUM(A1:A10)>100, MAX(B1:B10), 0) - Another formula cell by reference:
=SUM(A1:A10)inC1, then=C1*1.1elsewhere
While editing an incomplete formula (or a formula that still ends with a cell/range token such as =A1):
- Click or drag cells to insert
A1orA1:B3 - Shift+click another cell to extend the range from the first click (Excel-style), e.g.
A1→A1:C5 - Drag column headers to insert whole-column ranges such as
P:PorP:R(Shift+click extends columns too) - The picked range is highlighted with a blue animated border (and soft wash) for the rest of the edit; it clears when you commit or cancel
Press Enter or Tab to commit. Formulas are stored with the workbook and recalculated by the engine (not on the UI thread).
Column formulas (smart fields)
For whole-column calculations (not a single cell):
- Model → New column or New measure
- Enter a formula in the formula bar
- Validate, then Apply
Smart fields persist with the dataset and re-apply when you reopen the workbook.
Field roles
Mark columns as Dimension or Measure so chart suggestions and slot defaults stay sensible. Roles travel with the workbook metadata.
Filters and AutoFilter
Use the Filters panel on the datasheet to limit which rows charts see (dataset-scoped). Chart tiles can also have their own User filters and cross-filters — see Drilldowns.
Home → Filter toggles Excel-style AutoFilter funnels on column headers (on by default). Click a funnel to filter that column or sort A→Z / Z→A. The header menu and the Filters rail share the same filters — clear from either place and both update.
Sort (Ribbon or header menu) is view-only: the grid pages reorder via the engine’s paginate sort; underlying row identity for edits stays stable. Sheet sort does not reorder chart categories. AutoFilter on/off, filters, and sort restore with the workbook (.asbx).
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Toggle AutoFilter funnels | Home → Filter |
| Filter a column | Header funnel → checklist or range |
| Sort A→Z / Z→A | Header menu, or Home → A→Z / Z→A with a data column selected |
| Clear column filter | Header menu Clear filter, or Filters rail chip |
| Clear sort | Header menu Clear sort, or Home → Clear sort |
Status bar
With a numeric selection, the status bar shows Count / Sum / Avg for the selected range.
Sheet zoom presets (75% / 100% / 150%, Fit) live in the status bar — same controls as Canvas zoom in Report view. Column widths and row heights are stored unscaled and multiply by Sheet zoom when drawn.
What-If (Solver / Goal Seek)
With Optima installed (Preferences → Plugins), the Data ribbon What-If group opens Solver and Goal Seek on the active Sheet — see Optima (Solver).
Pivots
Sheet tabs can open a pivot on the same Sheet. Drag fields to Rows, Columns, and Values. On each Values chip, choose an aggregation (Excel-style): Sum, Count, CountA, Average, Min, Max, Product, Median, StdDev / StdDevp, Var / Varp, Distinct Count. Non-numeric fields stay on Count / CountA / Distinct Count.
Switch Table / Chart in the pivot toolbar. Charts support Bar, Line, Area, and Pie (Bar/Area can be grouped, stacked, or 100%). Drag column edges (and the row-label header) to resize the pivot grid; sizes save with the workbook.
Related
- Charts — use fields on visuals
- Import data
- Optima (Solver)