Build and use a table

Tables are supplemental, flexible data storage that can hold any kind of data, including text, connected or independent of your dimensions. This data storage model seamlessly supports more informed decision-making and provides a richer context for planning models, reports, and analyses.

Common ways to use tables:

• Detailed line-item planning – Track contracts, projects, capital expenditures, and any other detailed assumptions to drive your models.
• Driver-based models – Keep core assumptions and drivers by scenario to quickly build robust planning models.
• Headcount planning – Manage employee data, create scenario comparisons, and securely share filtered views.
• Detailed transaction reporting - Load data from source systems to specific scenarios and easily fetch and analyze directly in your spreadsheets.

Create and manage tables in your spreadsheet, including setting customized columns and data types, associated scenarios, and collaborator permissions. After creating a table, fetch it into a spreadsheet or combine it with a range to use the table data to support your planning and analysis. Update the table as needed with new data to ensure its always relevant. 

Create a table

Tables are managed and used entirely in your workbooks. Find the Tables section of Cube in your spreadsheet.

Click Create Table from Range to define your dataset using the data in your sheet.

Define table details:

• Name – Enter a clear and descriptive table name.
• Select range – Highlight the columns and rows in your sheet that contain the table headers and data.
• Save to Scenario – Select one or more scenarios to associate with the table. Create multiple versions of a table to support different planning scenarios. Scenarios with write protection applied can’t have a table associated with them so they won’t appear in this list.
• Permissions—Choose whether this table should only be used and viewable by Cube Admins (private) or shared with all Cube users.

Dimension-level permissions apply to tables. This means if a table column contains restricted dimensions, those dimensions will be unavailable to users who don’t have permission to view them.

Click Create table to finalize. Cube will analyze data to assign a data type and formatting to each column and add the data to each selected scenario.

Click Review to confirm or update the data types and formatting for the columns. These settings can be updated at any time.

Available column data types and their formatting options:

For dimension-level permissions to apply, you must use the Dropdown: Dimension data type, not the Text or Dropdown: Manual Entry data type.

Fetch or open an existing table

Open tables you’ve created, or those shared with you, to pull data into your workbook for planning and analysis and to make changes. Consider using tables alongside your standard Cube ranges to give you additional context and powerful tools as you work your data. 

Tables will populate the first blank space that fits the whole table. You can always move the table after it’s opened and Reselect the Range if you need it in a specific location.

In your spreadsheet, open a table you or your team has saved by clicking Open Existing Table.

Choose the table to fetch to this sheet. This list will include tables you created and those shared with you. 

Select the scenario you’d like to open. If no data is associated with a table for a scenario, it will be empty. However, it will include the column headers, data types, and any formatting or dropdowns so you can quickly update a new scenario for this table.

Switch between scenarios and click Fetch Table to view a different table data set.

Update a table

As business conditions change, you may need to adjust key planning assumptions, such as revising forecasted revenue, updating headcount details, or modifying financial drivers. Updating a table in Cube ensures your data stays accurate and ready to use across scenarios.

Update tables and tables shared with you with additional rows, modify data in cells, or reconfigure data types and formatting.

Modify data

Click Update Data to save the changed data in a cell of your table to the selected scenario in Cube. Updating table data ensures that anyone working with a shared table can fetch the latest table from Cube.

Add rows to the table

Add new entries to your table by adding a row and inputting the necessary information. Highlight the rows and columns and click Reselect Range to tell Cube where to find the full view of the table. Then, click Update Data to save the new entries to the selected scenario.

Update settings or layout

Click Edit on an open table to delete the table or edit its settings and layout.

Under Settings, you can rename the table or change who can access it. Delete a table using the delete icon.

Under Layout, click Edit Table Layout to open the configuration page and change a table’s column headers, data types, or formatting requirements.

On the configuration page, use the delete icon to remove a column or +Add Column to add one. You can also adjust formatting and data types here. When you are finished, save your changes.

Reconfiguring columns is recommended if you recently added new dimensions that should be included in a dropdown. If dimension names change, those changes will automatically apply to your table dropdowns.

After updating a table’s configuration, you can see those changes by clicking Fetch Table to pull the updated table into your spreadsheet.