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Showing / Hiding Columns

Managing column visibility helps you focus on relevant data and create cleaner, more efficient models. Visitran's No-Code UI makes it easy to control which columns appear in your output.

Overview​

Column visibility controls which columns are included in your model's output. Hidden columns are still available for calculations and transformations but don't appear in the final result, reducing clutter and improving performance.

Why Manage Column Visibility?​

Focus on Relevant Data​

Remove unnecessary columns to make your data easier to understand and analyze.

Improve Performance​

Fewer columns in the output means:

  • Faster query execution
  • Reduced memory usage
  • Smaller result sets

Clean Presentations​

Create specific views for different audiences by showing only relevant information.

Maintain Flexibility​

Keep columns available for calculations while hiding them from the final output.

How to Show/Hide Columns in Visitran​

Step-by-Step Instructions​

  1. Select Your Model - Navigate to the model you want to modify
  2. Access Column Settings - Click on column visibility controls
  3. Toggle Column Visibility - Check or uncheck columns to show or hide them
  4. Preview Changes - View the result in the data grid
  5. Save - Apply the changes to your model

Quick Methods​

Column Header Click - Right-click on a column header for quick visibility options

Column List View - Access a full list of columns with checkboxes

Bulk Operations - Show/hide multiple columns at once

Common Use Cases​

Data Preparation​

Hide:
  - Internal IDs used only for joins
  - Intermediate calculation columns
  - Technical metadata fields

Reporting Views​

Show:
  - User-friendly column names
  - Relevant business metrics
  - Summary calculations

Hide:
  - Raw data columns
  - Calculation intermediates

Privacy Compliance​

Hide:
  - Personally identifiable information (PII)
  - Sensitive data fields
  - Confidential business data

Performance Optimization​

Hide:
  - Large text fields not needed for analysis
  - JSON/XML columns
  - Binary data columns

Column States​

Visible Columns​

  • Appear in the output
  • Available for all operations
  • Included in data exports

Hidden Columns​

  • Not in the output
  • Still available for calculations
  • Can be referenced by formulas
  • Not exported by default

Excluded Columns​

  • Completely removed from the model
  • Cannot be used in calculations
  • Better for performance than hiding

Best Practices​

  1. Hide vs. Exclude - Hide columns you might need later; exclude columns you don't need at all
  2. Name Calculated Columns - Use clear names before hiding source columns
  3. Document Decisions - Note why specific columns are hidden
  4. Consider Downstream - Think about what consumers of your data need
  5. Group Related Columns - Show/hide related columns together for consistency

Performance Considerations​

  • Hide Large Columns - Text and binary columns that aren't needed
  • Reduce JOIN Columns - Hide columns from joined tables that aren't necessary
  • Exclude Early - Remove unneeded columns as early as possible in your pipeline
  • SELECT Optimization - Fewer visible columns means more efficient SELECT statements

Column Visibility Patterns​

Calculation Columns​

Visible:
  - final_price (calculated)

Hidden:
  - base_price (source)
  - tax_rate (source)
  - tax_amount (intermediate)

ID Columns​

Visible:
  - customer_name
  - order_date
  - total_amount

Hidden:
  - customer_id (for joins only)
  - order_id (technical)

Audit Fields​

Visible:
  - Business data columns

Hidden:
  - created_at (audit)
  - updated_at (audit)
  - created_by (audit)

Working with Hidden Columns​

Referencing Hidden Columns​

Hidden columns can still be used in:

  • WHERE clauses
  • JOIN conditions
  • GROUP BY statements
  • ORDER BY clauses
  • Formula calculations

Temporarily Showing Hidden Columns​

Use development mode to temporarily show all columns for debugging or validation.

Column Metadata​

Hidden columns retain their:

  • Data types
  • Constraints
  • Relationships
  • Documentation

Troubleshooting​

Column Not Available​

  • Check if column is excluded vs. hidden
  • Verify column exists in source table
  • Review upstream transformations

Performance Not Improved​

  • Ensure columns are excluded, not just hidden
  • Check if columns are still used in calculations
  • Verify indexes aren't affected

Unexpected Results​

  • Confirm all necessary columns are visible
  • Check for dependencies on hidden columns
  • Review formula references

For creating columns before hiding others:

Detailed screenshots showing column visibility controls will be added soon.