Record Lists

Record lists show groups of records in a module.

They are one of the main ways users scan, compare, filter, export, and prepare work in Pianola. A useful list depends on two separate configuration choices: which records are included and which fields are shown.

Two Axes of a List

Record Selection

The record selection is the set of records currently shown.

It may be all records in a module, records found through search, records filtered by a query, or records limited by a module-level prefilter. Queries are covered in the Queries section.

Column Selection

The column selection defines which fields appear in the table.

It controls the visible columns, labels, and field paths used when users scan the list. Column selections are covered in the Column Selections section.

Why the Difference Matters

Queries and column selections answer different questions.

A query answers: which records match this condition? A column selection answers: which information should be visible for those records?

Keeping the two concepts separate makes list configuration easier to discuss. A project team may need one shared query with several different column selections, or one column selection used with several different queries.

Default List View

First List

A module can define a default list structure for the list view.

This default should show the fields users most often need when they first open or switch to a list. It should usually stay compact rather than include every available field.

Workflow-Specific Lists

Some modules need more than one useful list setup.

For example, a basic overview might show names, statuses, dates, and responsible people. A finance-oriented column selection might show amounts, invoice states, and payment dates. A communication-oriented selection might show email addresses, language, and consent fields.

Stored Lists

User-Saved Work

Users can store useful query and column combinations for later reuse.

This is useful when a group of records needs to be revisited, exported, processed, or checked regularly.

Prepared Project Defaults

Administrators can also prepare useful defaults for users.

Preconfigured queries and column selections can reduce repeated setup work and make common workflows more consistent across the project.