Setting timeline defaults

If you're an Application Manager who likes Timeline reports set a certain way, you can customize the default settings that appear automatically whenever a user creates a new timeline. It's way to give users a head start and lead them in the right direction.

If you have a default timeline in place, you and your users can instantly show any regular table report as a timeline. When a timeline default exists for a table, use the More > View as a timeline option to view that report as a timeline.

To set timeline defaults:

1. Choose a table from the Table bar, click Settings on the Page bar, then click Reports & charts.

2. Click Reporting defaults > Default timeline settings from the menu on the Page bar.

3. Set the default Starting and Ending fields (beneath the timeline shown in the Timeline section).

   These fields bookend each event you want to display. They are Date or Date/Time fields that represent the beginning and finish of each record (be it a task, project, or whatever). When a user designs a timeline report, Quickbase automatically sets the entire timeline's beginning to the earliest date listed in any record's Starting Field and ends the timeline with the latest date listed in any record's Ending Field.

4. Set Resolution (to the right of the timeline shown in the Timeline section).

   Tell Quickbase how to break down your timeline. Timelines always measure time in two increments (see image below). You can view events by any of the following combinations: week/day, month/week, quarter/month, fiscal quarter/month, year/month, year/quarter, or fiscal year/quarter.

   Note: When you select a resolution, Quickbase always expands the duration your timeline shows to include a full instance of the highest level time increment. For example, if you choose July 23 as a starting date, but selected Month/week as your resolution, the timeline will start on July 1st, the beginning of the first month. Timelines show the entirety of the highest resolution increments.

   The following image shows fiscal quarter/month resolution. Resolution increments display together in a double row above the timeline.

   

   Note: If you select a resolution that includes fiscal quarters or fiscal years, the Report Builder displays a First month of fiscal year field beneath the Resolution field. Select the month that starts your organization's fiscal year. Quickbase then divides the year into quarters beginning with that month.

5. If you track milestones, set the Milestone field.

   If you want some tasks to display as milestones, click the Milestone dropdown and select the checkbox you use to denote a milestone. (Don't have one? Read how to set up milestones.)

6. Select fields that you want to show.

   The left side of your timeline can feature whatever columns (fields) you want.

   1. In the Columns section, select Custom columns, then select the columns you want to show. (Read how.)

   2. If you want to group by a field, there's no need put it in the Report Columns list, since those values automatically appear in the blue bands on timeline reports that serve as a heading for each group. (See step 7 below for sorting and grouping information.)

7. If you want, set fields to sort and group your timeline reports on.

   To organize your timeline into roll-up groups:

   1. In the Sorting & Grouping section, select Sort or group on other columns.

   2. Select a Sort and group option from the first dropdown, then select the field you want to group by.

   3. Click the plus sign that appears when you move the pointer over the sorting option you already set, then make an additional selection to create a subgroup.

      You can read more about how to sort and group a report. For more information about how nested groups work, see the creating a timeline topic.

8. Click Save on the Page bar.

Related topics:

• About timeline reports

• Creating a timeline report

• Adding milestones

• What is a report?

• Setting calendar report defaults