Search, Filtering and Grid Navigation

Overview

Varibill displays data across the platform using a consistent grid layout. Every grid shares the same set of tools for searching, filtering, sorting, grouping, and customizing column layout.

This article covers how to use these grid features to find and organize your data efficiently.

Searching

The search box is located in the toolbar above every grid.

How to Search

1. Enter your search terms in the search box
2. Press Enter or select the search icon to execute the search

Multi-Term Search

When you enter multiple words separated by spaces or commas, the search engine looks for records matching any or all of the terms. Results that match more terms are ranked higher.

Exact Phrase Search

To search for an exact phrase, wrap it in double or single quotes.

For example, searching for “Acme Corp” returns only records containing the exact phrase “Acme Corp”, rather than records that contain “Acme” and “Corp” separately.

Search Ranking

When a search is active, a SearchRank column appears in the grid. This column indicates how closely each record matches your search terms. Results are sorted by rank (highest first) by default.

The ranking system uses a tiered approach:

A prefix match means the search term matches the beginning of a word. For example, searching for “inv” matches “invoice”, “inventory”, and “investigation”.

Search Highlighting

When a search is active, matching terms are highlighted in the grid cells, making it easy to see where your search terms appear in the results.

Clearing a Search

Select the clear button (X) in the search box to remove the search text, then press Enter or select the search icon to reload the full data set.

Column Filters

Each column in the grid has its own filter, allowing you to narrow results by specific field values.

Filter Row

The filter row appears directly below the column headers. To filter by a column:

1. Enter a value in the filter row cell below the column header
2. The grid filters automatically as you type or select a value

Filter Menu

Select the filter icon in any column header to access the filter menu, which provides additional filter options:

• Contains
• Starts with
• Ends with
• Equals / Does not equal
• Greater than / Less than
• Between
• Is blank

Active Filters Bar

When one or more column filters are active, a filter bar appears below the grid showing each active filter as a chip. Each chip displays the column name, operator, and value.

• Select the X on an individual chip to remove that filter
• Select Clear all to remove all active filters at once

Sorting

Single-Column Sort

Select a column header to sort by that column. Select again to toggle between ascending and descending order.

Multi-Column Sort

To sort by multiple columns, right-click a column header and select Sort Ascending or Sort Descending from the context menu. Each additional sort is applied as a secondary, tertiary, or further sort level.

Clearing a Sort

Right-click the sorted column header and select Clear Sorting to remove the sort on that column.

Grouping

Grouping organizes rows by the values in a selected column, creating collapsible sections within the grid.

Group Panel

The group panel is the area above the column headers. To group by a column:

1. Drag a column header into the group panel area above the grid
2. Rows are organized into collapsible groups based on the values in that column

You can also right-click a column header and select Group By This Column.

Expanding and Collapsing Groups

• Select the expand/collapse arrow next to a group header to toggle that group
• Right-click in the group panel and select Expand All or Collapse All to toggle all groups at once

Removing Grouping

• Right-click the grouped column in the group panel and select Ungroup
• To remove all grouping, right-click and select Clear Grouping

Group Selection

Each group header includes a checkbox. Selecting it selects all rows within that group. The checkbox shows an indeterminate state when only some rows in the group are selected.

Group Summary

Each group header displays a count of the records within that group.

Column Management

Resizing Columns

Drag the edge of a column header to resize it. Select Auto Fit from the Grid Layout toolbar button to automatically resize all columns to fit their content.

Reordering Columns

Drag a column header to a new position to reorder columns.

Hiding Columns

Right-click a column header and select Hide Column to remove it from the grid. The column remains available in the Column Chooser.

Column Chooser

To show or hide columns:

1. Select the Grid Layout button in the toolbar, then select Column Chooser
2. The Column Chooser panel opens, listing all available columns
3. Toggle columns on or off as needed

You can also access the Column Chooser by right-clicking any column header and selecting Column Chooser.

Pinning Columns

Right-click a column header to pin it to the left or right edge of the grid:

• Fix Column to the Left keeps the column visible on the left as you scroll horizontally
• Fix Column to the Right keeps it visible on the right
• Unfix Column returns the column to its normal position

Saving and Resetting Layout

Column order, widths, visibility, sort state, and filter settings are automatically saved to your browser. The next time you visit the same grid, your layout is restored.

To reset the grid to its default layout, select Reset Layout from the Grid Layout toolbar button.

Virtual Scrolling and Paging

By default, grids use virtual scrolling, which loads rows dynamically as you scroll. This provides a smooth experience for large data sets.

When virtual scrolling is disabled, the grid displays data in pages. Use the page controls at the bottom of the grid to navigate between pages. You can adjust the page size using the selector, with options of 10, 20, 50, 100, or 200 records per page.

Dropdown Search

Dropdown fields throughout the platform (such as Client, Contract, or Product selectors) support search with the following behavior:

• Begin typing to search within the dropdown list
• Results are filtered automatically after a short delay
• Use the clear button to reset the selection

Grid Footer

The grid footer displays a total record count at the bottom of the grid. To toggle the footer visibility, right-click a column header and select Footer.

Exporting Data

To export grid data:

1. Select the Export button in the toolbar
2. Choose the export format:
   • XLSX (Excel, default)
   • XLS (Legacy Excel)
   • CSV

The export includes the current filter, sort, and search state of the grid.

Column Header Context Menu Reference

Right-clicking a column header provides the following options:

Row Context Menu Reference

Right-clicking a data row provides the following options:

Row Actions

Each row in the grid includes an Action column with the following buttons:

Some grids also include a Preview button (magnifying glass icon) for previewing reports or documents without opening the full editor.

Double-clicking a row opens the record in a new tab.

Selection

Selecting Individual Rows

Select the checkbox in the first column to select a row. You can select multiple rows by selecting multiple checkboxes.

Selecting All Rows on a Page

Select the checkbox in the column header to select or deselect all rows on the current page.