With the new look of the ABRA Flexi web application comes a new Views system. Views replace the original way of saving column layouts, named filters, and form variants, and they offer a more consistent and flexible way to work with agenda settings.
So that users don't lose their existing settings, an automatic one-time conversion of the original settings into the new Views has been prepared. This article explains how the conversion works, what to expect from it, and what to do if something isn't converted the way you expected.
Introduction
What Views are
A View is a new component in the new look of the web application that brings together in one place:
column settings (order, visibility, sorting, conditional coloring)
filters and conditions for displaying records
form layout (placement of fields, panels, tabs)
aggregation panel (sums, averages, etc.)
Compared to the original system of saved filters and column settings, Views bring an important improvement – you can switch between the individual column setting variants (system, default for me, default for everyone, custom) and return to the original system definition at any time.
What is converted automatically
The following items from the original agenda settings are converted into Views:
column settings – global default, local default, and the settings currently in progress
named (saved) filters – both private and shared
form variants – the active variant, including nested tables (document items, etc.)
The conversion also applies to code lists and agendas in Settings (e.g., Cost centers) – here too, the original filters and column settings are carried over into the new Views.
How the conversion works
Basic principles
Before we look at individual situations, it's good to know a few rules that govern the conversion:
Automatic start – The conversion starts on its own when you enter a particular agenda in the new look for the first time. There is nothing to turn on or start manually.
One-time only – For each agenda, the conversion runs only once. If you switch back to the old look after the conversion and then return to the new one, the conversion is not run again.
You will see progress information during the conversion – Because the conversion can take a moment for extensive settings, the application displays progress information so that you don't think it has stopped responding.
Data protection on error – If part of the conversion fails, the application alerts you with an error message. Successfully converted items are preserved, and the system will try to convert the unsuccessful ones the next time you enter the agenda.
⚠️ Important notice
The conversion always runs separately for each agenda. If you work with a large number of agendas, be aware that the first time you enter each of them, it may take a moment for the settings to be prepared.
What exactly happens to your settings
Column settings
The original column settings are divided into several categories in the new system:
Original setting | New form in Views |
Global default columns (for everyone) | Public (company) default setting |
Local default columns (for me) | Private (user) default setting |
Columns in progress (unsaved) | The so-called Working view – contains your current sorting, hidden columns, and conditional coloring |
Newly available options
In the new system, within any View you can switch between column setting types:
System – supplied by the vendor, unchangeable
Default for me – your personal default
Default for everyone – the company default
Custom – the current layout in progress
If you had columns in progress (unsaved) before the conversion, they will be available after the conversion in the system View Default, which will be marked with an asterisk (*). The asterisk indicates a change from the default state.
⚠️ Notice
Changes made in a system View cannot be saved directly to it. If you want to keep your changes, save them as a new View under your own name.
Named filters
Each of your original saved filters becomes a separate View with the same name in the new system. You can see all available Views in View management.
Special conversion types
Filters with multiple conditions on the same field
If you had separate filters for different values of the same field (e.g., "Paid" and "Partially paid" separately), in the new system they are merged into a single chip with multiple checked values.
Filters on "Responsible person" and "Employee"
These filters are converted so that they automatically refer to the ID of the currently logged-in user – so you don't need to reconfigure anything.
Filters with custom column settings
If the filter had a saved custom column layout → the new View will refer to the Custom column settings (the information is stored directly in the View).
If the filter had no custom column settings → the new View will refer to the System column settings.
Private vs. shared filters
Your private (unshared) filters are converted as private Views
Shared filters (whether yours or from colleagues) are converted as shared Views
⚠️ Important notice
Shared Views converted from other users are set to "Do not show" by default. If you want them to be available, go to the ⋯ icon in the agenda, to the right of the View tabs (Add view), and select View management.
Here you will see all available shared Views (the ones from colleagues are in the Hidden – from others tab), and you can make them visible using the eye icon.
ℹ️ Filters intended for everyone are converted into Views only when the agenda is opened in the new look by a user with the right to share views with others (see the permissions in the section Some of my filters are missing). Until then, other users will not see them in the new look. If filters for everyone are missing, have an administrator or super user open the agenda first.
Form settings
For forms, your active variant is split into two parts:
Form layout – the placement of fields, panels, tabs, and headings. This part becomes a component of the View.
User activity – the expanded state of sections, the active tab, etc. This information is stored separately in your personal settings.
Nested tables
The conversion also includes nested tables on the form (e.g., document items) – so the column settings, aggregation panels, and your user activity in these tables are converted as well.
Troubleshooting
In the vast majority of cases, the conversion runs without problems and you will simply see your original settings in their new form. If you do encounter one of the situations below, follow the instructions.
Some of my filters are missing
Cause: Most often, this is a permissions issue.
To convert private settings, you must have:
the Saving views permission
the Updating own settings permission
To convert shared (global) settings, you must additionally have:
the Saving public views permission
the Updating global settings permission
Shared Views (definitions) can usually be created only by an administrator or super user.
What to do
Ask your administrator to grant you the missing permissions. Once they are granted, the next time you enter the agenda, the part of the conversion that has not yet been completed will run automatically (e.g., shared Views that were previously not converted due to missing permissions).
⚠️ Notice
Only the part of the conversion that has not yet run will be completed. If in the meantime you edited your private filters in the old look (which had already been successfully converted earlier), these changes will not appear in the new look – the conversion is not run again for them.
My changes in a View are not being saved or I don't see any Views
In addition to the permissions for Views themselves (see above), the system also requires access to the Definition repository, where Views are physically stored, in order to work properly.
Symptoms
If you lack permissions for the Definition repository, you may encounter one of two behaviors – and neither is reported by an error message:
Changes are silently lost
You can modify the columns, form, or summary panel in an agenda, but as soon as you leave the agenda, you lose the changes. The application has nowhere to save them.
You don't see any Views other than the system one
If you don't even have the right to read records from the Definition repository, the application won't show you any of the saved Views (neither your own nor shared). Only the system View remains available.
Which permissions are required
For Views to be fully functional, you must have the following rights in the Definition repository:
read records – otherwise you won't see any saved Views
create records – otherwise a new View cannot be created
change records – otherwise an existing View cannot be edited
delete records – otherwise a View cannot be removed
What to do
If you encounter any of the behaviors described above, ask your administrator to grant you the necessary permissions for the Definition repository. Once they are added, Views will start working normally.
A filter has a special symbol or prefix in its name
Cause: One of the original filter conditions was not fully compatible with the new system (e.g., an unsupported operator).
What happened: To avoid data loss, the application created the View anyway – it only marked it as a partially converted View. You can find details of what was not converted in the Description of the View in question.
What to do
Open the View, check the description, and set up the specific incompatible condition manually in the new interface. The rest of the filter is preserved, so this is usually only a minor adjustment.
An error message appeared during the conversion
Cause: An unexpected error occurred during the conversion.
What happened: The application performed an automatic rollback (reverting of changes) – it deleted half-created components so that no clutter is left in the database. Successfully converted items were preserved.
What to do
Close the agenda and open it again. The application will automatically try to run the conversion again. If the error persists, contact our customer support.
I have default column settings, but I don't see a View for them
That's fine – the default column settings (both for me and for everyone) are converted and remain available, but a separate View is not created for them.
What to do
When you create a new View, you can simply choose the "Default for me" or "Default for everyone" column settings in it – it will be exactly what you had saved.
Other news in the new look
In addition to the Views system, the new look of the web application brings several other improvements:
Persistent Appbar when switching agendas
When moving between agendas, the top bar (Appbar) stays permanently displayed. Navigation is thus smoother and clearer.
Notifications based on a saved View
You can now set up a notification for new records matching a given View (filter) for any View. This feature replaces and extends the previous Notifications based on a saved filter.
Clearer display of the API condition (apiCond)
If you enter an agenda via a URL with the apiCond parameter, the new application displays the condition in a more visually understandable way, so you can see at a glance which filter is currently applied.
Summary
The conversion of the original settings into Views runs automatically and only once the first time you enter an agenda in the new look.
Columns, named filters, and form variants are converted – including nested tables and code lists.
If a filter is partially incompatible, the View is created anyway and the details are given in its description.
If some Views are missing, first check your permissions – once they are added, the conversion will complete.
The new Views allow you to switch between different column settings and return to the system definition.