Fresh Projects

00:00: This article explains how to configure variants within Live Sheets in Fresh

00:04: Projects.

00:05: A variant is a copy of a report that keeps the same design but answers a different

00:10: question.

00:11: You can build your Live Sheet once

00:13: — the layout, the columns,

00:15: the calculations

00:17: — and design it exactly how you want it.

00:20: From there,

00:21: instead of rebuilding that report every time you need to see the same numbers

00:25: through a different lens,

00:26: you create variants of it.

00:29: Each variant inherits the design of the original report but carries its own filter

00:33: context,

00:34: so the same sheet can show you last year alongside this year,

00:38: or one project manager alongside another,

00:40: without duplicating any of the setup work.

00:43: That filter context can sit in one of two places,

00:47: and choosing between them is the core skill in this article.

00:51: At parent level

00:53: — the filter applies to every variant.

00:56: Use this for the boundaries that should never move,

00:58: such as restricting the whole report to active projects.

01:03: At variant level — each variant chooses its own value for that filter.

01:08: Use this for the dimension you actually want to compare across variants,

01:12: such as the date range or the project manager.

01:16: In this walkthrough we'll use a financial performance report and build variants for

01:21: last year and this year,

01:22: but the same approach works on any Live Sheet and any filter you can add.

01:28: Navigate to your report and click on the settings cog.

01:31: This is where variants are switched on and managed for the document you're currently

01:35: working in.

01:38: Toggle the variant option on.

01:41: Until you do this,

01:42: the report behaves as a single standalone sheet.

01:46: Enabling variants tells Live Sheets that this document will hold multiple filtered

01:51: versions of the same design.

01:54: Click "Add variant" to create your next version of the report.

01:58: Add one variant for each view you want to compare.

02:03: In this example we're building up to three.

02:07: Give the variant a name that describes the context it represents,

02:10: not the report itself.

02:13: We've called this one "Last Year",

02:15: so anyone opening the document immediately understands what they're looking at.

02:21: Then, choose "Set at variant" so that date range becomes a variant-level control.

02:27: Each variant can now hold a different date range,

02:30: while still sharing the report's design.

02:34: Click Add filter to bring another dimension into the report.

02:38: Filters stack, so each one you add narrows the data further.

02:43: In this example we will select "Project manager" from the list of available filters.

02:50: Click Set at variant level.

02:53: This is the important distinction:

02:55: rather than locking one project manager across the whole document, we're handing that

02:59: choice to each individual variant.

03:04: Now,

03:05: click "Add filter" again

03:06: — this time we'll add a filter that should apply everywhere.

03:10: In this example we will set a Project Status filter at a Parent Level.

03:16: After selecting your desired statuses,

03:18: Click "Done" to save changes.

03:21: Because status is set at parent level,

03:24: every variant you create will respect exactly the same set.

03:30: Click Save document.

03:32: Your filter structure is now in place:

03:34: status is fixed across the document, and project manager and dates are available to

03:38: be set per variant.

03:42: The variant count shows how many versions of this report exist.

03:46: Click it to see them all and to move between them

03:50: Open the variant you want to configure.

03:53: Everything you change from here affects this variant only.

03:58: Now,

03:59: you can proceed with selecting your relevant date range.

04:02: In this example we will choose "Relative Dates"

04:07: Click "This Year" to filter data for the current year.

04:11: Finally,

04:12: click "Save document" to save the date filter settings applied to your variant.

04:18: If you need to change the report itself such as columns,

04:21: layout,

04:22: calculations

04:23: - you can click "Edit design".

04:26: Design changes are shared,

04:28: so anything you change here flows through to every variant.

04:32: That's the trade-off worth remembering:

04:34: design is common,

04:35: filter context is not.

04:39: You now have one report design serving several purposes:

04:42: a shared set of parent-level filters keeping every variant consistent, and variant-level filters

04:47: letting each version answer its own question.

04:52: A useful rule of thumb when you set up your next Live Sheet:

04:55: whatever you want to compare belongs at variant level,

04:58: and whatever you want to guarantee belongs at parent level.

05:02: Get the report right first,

05:04: then add variants

05:05: — it's far quicker than fixing the same design in five places.

05:10: For more,

05:11: see the related articles on LiveSheets customisation and project reporting best practice.

05:16: practice.