version 1.

6
Beta Release Features Overview

Features overview
MAJOR FEATURES

UX IMPROVEMENTS

BUGFIXES

Table constructor / table

validation and navigation

creation wizard

Back-end data editor

wpDataCharts wizard and

separate Chart entity/
shortcode

o
o

through entries

Editable tables where

users can edit only their
own data

Enhanced Placeholders logic

o
o

everywhere

allow complicated queries

Buttons for inserting tables

and charts in posts editor

Checkboxes and selectboxes

filter strictly

file_get_contents()
replaced with curl()

SQL editor syntax highlight

Server-side processing tables

Tables with 50+ columns

work fine

for queries

Google Spreadsheets
support

Much better front-end editor

Numerous bugfixes for

front-end editing

Spaces allowed in column

and table names

Fixed parsing of MySQL

Front-end uploader replaced

for server-side based

with WP Media Library

tables

Table constructor
A WIZARD THAT HELPS
UNEXPERIENCED USERS TO CREATE
WPDATATABLES
Four possible constructor/
wizard options are available in
wpDataTables 1.6:
Manual table input
Import table from CSV or XLS
file
Generate a query to
WordPress posts database
Generate a query to any
MySQL database

Creating tables manually with table constructor

01. Set table name
Define the table name

02. Set columns data

Set number of columns, name the
columns, choose the types, drag
and drop to reorder them

03. save
wpDataTables will create a MySQL
table, init all wpDataTable metadata
and open the back-end editor.

IMPORTING CSV/XLS tables to WPDATATABLES WITH table constructor

01. PICK the file
Upload or pick the Excel or CSV file
using native WordPress Media
Library

02. Set columns data

Choose the columns you want to
import, check if datatype is detected
correctly, update names and add more
columns if you need them.

03. save
wpDataTables will create a MySQL
table, import all content from the
file, init all wpDataTable metadata
and open the back-end editor.

GENERATING WORDPRESS POSTS DB BASED TABLES WITH table constructor

01. PICK post types

All post types registered in your
WordPress installation will be listed
in the multi-selectbox.

02. Pick columns

Pick fields for the post types that
you want to have as columns in the
table

04. Define conditions

You can define additional WHERE
conditions and GROUP BY
clauses to the table generation logic

05. PREVIEW
wpDataTables will generate the query
for you, show the query and the
preview of data. You can change the
query in SQL editor field

03. DEFINE JOINING RULES

06. Save and generate shortcode

If you have chosen several post

types, define joining rules e.g. join
child table to parent by ID.

When youre satisfied with result

you can save it and a wpDataTable
based on this query will be
generated.

GENERATING MYSQL DB BASED TABLES WITH table constructor

01. PICK TABLES
All post types registered in your
WordPress installation will be listed
in the multi-selectbox.

04. Define conditions

You can define additional WHERE
conditions and GROUP BY
clauses to the table generation logic

02. Pick columns

05. PREVIEW

Pick one ore more MySQL tables

(list is fetched either from WPDB, or
from the DB that was configured in
the wpDataTables settings)

wpDataTables will generate the query

for you, show the query and the
preview of data. You can change the
query in SQL editor field

03. DEFINE JOINING RULES

06. Save and generate shortcode

If you have chosen several tables,

define joining rules e.g. join child
table to parent by ID.

When youre satisfied with result

you can save it and a wpDataTable
based on this query will be
generated.

BACKEND TABLE DATA EDITOR

INTERFACE TO FILL IN THE TABLE DATA
FROM BACKEND
Looks and behaves like frontend editor, but has options to
add/remove columns
Can be open for tables created
with table constructor from the
wpDataTables browse page
Users can switch between
data editing and defining the
table settings as for classic
wpDataTables

wpdatacharts wizard
A wizard that helps to create
charts from wpdatatables
Charts are no longer tightly
binded to tables 1:1, can be
created, edited and inserted
to page independently, table
is only used as a source of
data
Creating charts is split into
simple steps
2 render engines: Google and
Highcharts
You get the preview as you
create the chart, and you can
change it if you need
Editing is same as creating
Chart can follow table filtering

creating charts with wpdatachart wizard

01. define basics
Provide a name for the chart, pick a
render enginge and a chart type
(bar, line. column, etc)

04. Define formatting

Define settings for chart size, axes
and series labels, colors, whether to
show grid and legend.

02. Pick wpdatatable

05. PREVIEW

wpDataTables are sources of data

for charts, so you should pick one.

See a live preview of your chart. If you

dont like how it looks go back and
change some settings.

03. pick data range

06. Save and generate shortcode

Pick columns, and optionally rows that

would be used in the chart. Additionally
you can set follow table filtering rule
so chart would be rebuilt as table filters.

When youre satisfied with result

you can save it and a wpDataChart
shortcode will be generated. You
can then use it on any page.

google spreadsheets
Google spreadsheets can now be
used as data source for
wpdatatables

publish a google
spreadsheet and get
a link
paste the link to
wpDataTables
Get the usual
wpDataTable which
you can modify as
MySQL-based, CSVbased, Excel-based,
etc.

CREATING TABLES WHERE USERS EDIT ONLY THEIR OWN DATA

01. CREATE A MYSQL TABLE
You can also do it from
wpDataTables table constructor

04. Define WHICH FIELD TO USE AS USER ID

Set the checkbox Limit editing to
users own data only and pick
previously created user_id column
in the dropdown.

02. ADD A USER ID FIELD

05. CONFIGURE COLUMNS & PREVIEW

Its required to define an Integer notnull field which will identify users.
E.g. user_id.

Define the settings for columns as you

need, pick the editor input types, hide
unnecessary columns.

03. make table editable

06. paste shortcode to editing page

Configure the table as editable,

define the MySQL table name, and
ID column.

When you paste the shortcode,

users will be able to see and edit
only their own records.

IMPROVED front-end editor

Prev/next buttons are

disabled when
reaching first/last
record
Prev/next are
switching table pages
normally
Validation for nonempty fields
Validation messages
Success message on
Apply
Overlay on AJAX
processing
MySQL errors shown
in validation box

SQL editor WITH SYNTAX HIGHLIGHT

IMPROVED placeholders logic

01. defaults for %var%
Users can set default values for
%VAR1%, %VAR2%, %VAR3%
placeholders now.

02. DEFAULT FOR %CURRENT_USER_ID%

If e.g. admin has no corresponding
rows in a table, but wants to return
only rows for current user in frontend, he can define a default value
for this placeholder.

03. %WPDB% placeholder

This placeholder will be replaced
with WPDBs prefix on query
execution.

COMPLICATED QUERIES WITH server-side processing

NO need to create mysql views if query isnt too complicated
Users would just need to avoid using column aliases for proper filtering

wpdatatables and wpdatacharts button in wp editor

NO need to copy&paste shortcodes every time
Just use these wpDataTables and wpDataCharts buttons

wordpress native media library instead of frontend uploader

users can use the wp default interface and the logic for uploading files
But - users MUST have the upload_files capability to do that.

MORE bugfixes and improvements to mention

Columns data is now sent serialized via

AJAX, so theres no more 50 columns
limit (which previous versions had
because of 1000 POST VARS)
URL link columns sorting works correct
Text before and text after blocks in
columns allow to insert percents or
currency symbols
Pop-up datepicker position fixed
Test connection in MySQL settings
file_get_contents() replaced with curl()
everywhere
XML based tables bugfixed
Columns are re-read correctly when the
dataset is updated (bugs happened
sometimes before)
Table title can be hidden with a checkbox
Color pickers per column
UTF8 charset now hardcoded
If MySQL query returns an error table isnt
created and the error is displayed

wpdatatables_filter_mysql_query()
passes the table ID correctly now
Charts (old version) bugfixed but remain
there only for backward compatibility
0 value wasnt recognized in number
range filtering, fixed now
JS strings added to gettext and
wp_localize_script()
etc

todos before official release

Beta testing, working on user test reports

Preparing new documentation
Preparing new site
Preparing the FAQ on new site
Preparing a new large set of demos & examples
Preparing a video tutorials course on the new version
Potentially: finding a UX designer to make GUI look nicer

Pending tasks for next version

Update to wpDataTables 1.10
Re-write code for TableTools to be server-side based (all instead
of copy to clipboard and maybe print.
Preset based constructor for typical user requests an popular
plugins data (Gravity Forms, Layers, Pods, etc.)
Add support for more DB servers (MS SQL?)
Totals for columns
Counted columns (formulas)
MCE editor for front-end editor
Option to use foreign keys in dropdown filters
Datetime columns type / or Time column type
See if editing with JOIN is somehow possible
Check an option for inline editing instead of popup editor
Check handsontable.com and jquerygrid.net as alternative
solutions for front-end table render.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME