Description
Tables provide a spreadsheet interface for organizing, calculating, and analyzing data within your model. They support three types of cells—text, equation, and reference—enabling everything from simple documentation to complex calculations that link directly to model objects. Tables use an infinite grid layout with column headers (A, B, C, …) and row headers (1, 2, 3, …), allowing you to reference cells using standard spreadsheet notation like A1, B2, etc.Tables are edited from the document view only
Cell Types
Tables support three distinct cell types, each optimized for different use cases:Text Cells
Text cells contain freeform content including plain text, formatted text, and rich content. They support all standard text formatting options such as bold, italic, color, and alignment. Text cells are the default cell type and are ideal for labels, descriptions, and documentation.Equation Cells
Equation cells perform calculations using formulas, similar to attribute equations. To create an equation cell, begin the cell content with= followed by your formula.
Equation cells support:
- Mathematical operations:
+,-,*,/,^(exponentiation) - Cell references: Reference other cells using A1 notation (e.g.,
=A1+B2) - Cell ranges: Reference ranges of cells (e.g.,
=SUM(A1:A10)) - Functions: Use mathematical functions like
SUM(),AVERAGE(),MIN(),MAX() - Model object references: Reference attributes and other model objects using
@notation (e.g.,[email protected] * 2)
Equation cells automatically compute their result when the formula or any referenced cells change. The computed value is displayed in the cell while the formula remains editable.
See the equation syntax documentation for details on mathematical operations and functions.
Reference Cells
Reference cells create direct links to model objects. To create a reference cell, begin typing@ and select an object from the model. Reference cells display key information about the linked object and open that object when clicked, making them useful for creating navigable tables and traceability matrices.
Reference cells cannot be edited in-place. Typing in a highlighted reference cell will convert it to a text cell.
Cell Selection and Editing
Selecting Cells
- Single click: Select a cell
- Double click: Enter edit mode for the selected cell
- Click and drag: Select multiple cells
- Click column/row headers: Select entire columns or rows
Entering Formulas
When editing a cell, you can click on other cells to insert them into your formula. The system automatically highlights referenced cells with color coding to help visualize dependencies. To create an equation:- Type
=to begin the formula - Either type cell references manually (e.g.,
A1) or click cells to insert them - Add operators and functions as needed
- Press Enter to save the formula
Typing
= in any cell converts it to an equation cell. The formula is stored and computed automatically.Cell Reference Notation
Basic Cell References
Cell references use standard spreadsheet notation with column letters and row numbers:A1- References column A, row 1B5- References column B, row 5AA10- References column AA, row 10
Absolute and Relative References
By default, cell references are relative, meaning they adjust when formulas are copied or moved. You can make references absolute using the$ symbol:
| Notation | Column | Row | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
A1 | Relative | Relative | Adjusts both when copied |
$A1 | Absolute | Relative | Column stays fixed, row adjusts |
A$1 | Relative | Absolute | Column adjusts, row stays fixed |
$A$1 | Absolute | Absolute | Stays fixed when copied |
When copying a cell with
$A$1, the reference will always point to cell A1 regardless of where it’s pasted. A reference like B2 will adjust relative to the paste location.Cell Ranges
Cell ranges are specified using colon notation:A1:A10- All cells from A1 to A10 (column A, rows 1-10)A1:C1- All cells from A1 to C1 (row 1, columns A-C)A1:C10- A rectangular range from A1 to C10
Cell Equation Operations
Supported Functions
Spreadsheet equations support the full range of Math.js operations, including:- Basic arithmetic: Addition (
+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), exponentiation (^) - Mathematical functions:
sqrt(),abs(),round(),floor(),ceil(),pow(),log(),exp() - Trigonometric functions:
sin(),cos(),tan(),asin(),acos(),atan() - Statistical functions:
sum(),mean(),median(),std(),variance(),min(),max() - Logical operations:
and(),or(),not(), comparison operators (==,!=,<,>,<=,>=) - Constants:
pi,e,phi
Examples
=SUM(A1:A10)- Sum a range of cells from A1 through A10=AVERAGE(B1:B5)- Calculate the average of cells B1 through B5=round(A1 * 1.15, 2)- Multiply A1 by 1.15 and round to 2 decimal places=max(A1:A10) - min(A1:A10)- Calculate the range (difference between max and min)=sin(A1 * pi / 180)- Convert degrees to radians and calculate sine=if(A1 > 100, "High", "Low")- Conditional logic based on cell value
For a complete reference of all available operations and functions, see the equation syntax documentation.
Fill Handle
The Fill Handle feature allows you to quickly populate cells by dragging the small square in the bottom-right corner of the selection. The system intelligently detects patterns in your selected cells and extends them, or repeats the data if no pattern is found.Using the Fill Handle
- Select one or more cells containing data
- Hover over the fill handle in the bottom-right corner of the selection
- Click and drag in any direction to fill adjacent cells
- Release to apply the fill
Pattern Detection
The spreadsheet automatically detects several types of patterns:1, 2, 3→ continues as4, 5, 6...Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday→ continues asThursday, Friday, Saturday...
Apple, Orange fills as Apple, Orange, Apple, Orange...
2D Fill Support
The Fill Handle works with multi-cell selections in both directions. You can select a block of cells (e.g., a 2x3 grid) and drag-fill to replicate patterns across both rows and columns simultaneously.Cell References during fill
When filling cells containing formulas, cell references adjust according to their$ notation. For example, dragging =A1 down becomes =A2, =A3, etc., while dragging right becomes =B1, =C1, etc. Absolute references like =$A$1 stay fixed regardless of fill direction.
Pattern detection only applies to text cells. Equation cells always copy their formulas with adjusted references based on the
$ notation.Formula Examples
Importing Excel Files
Davinci tables support importing Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx and .xls formats), which automatically convert to native Davinci spreadsheets. This allows you to bring existing Excel data directly into your model while preserving formulas, formatting, and structure.
Import Process
To import an Excel file:- Drag and drop the Excel file into your workspace, or use the file import dialog
- Each worksheet in the Excel file becomes a separate table object
- Cell data, formulas, and formatting are automatically converted
What Gets Converted
- Cell values: Text, numbers, and dates are preserved
- Formulas: Common Excel functions are converted to Math.js equivalents:
SUM(),MAX(),MIN()remain the sameAVERAGE()converts tomean()MEDIAN()remainsmedian()STDEV(),STDEV.S(),STDEV.P()convert tostd()
- Cell references: A1 notation is converted to Davinci’s internal reference system
- Formatting: Background colors and borders are preserved
- Layout: Column widths are estimated based on content
If a single-sheet Excel file is imported, the table is named after the filename. Multi-sheet files create tables named “filename - sheetname” for each worksheet.
View Types
| View | Description |
|---|---|
| Table Artifact | Configure and view tabular data for reports. |
| Properties | Edit the object’s properties, attributes, and metadata. |
| Relationships | Explore the network of connections to other objects. |
Properties Fields
Name of the object.
Short name of the object.
Description of the object.
A list of all Relationships this object has with other model objects.Read more about Relationships