Dynamic Cell Attributes - Range

Overview

This article explains the Range capability of template cells and how to configure it. A practical example is used to demonstrate how to apply it effectively.

The example dataset used in this tutorial is: Shipment Note.xlsx

Use Case

The cell R attribute (Range) is suitable for the following scenarios:

• You need to set parent cells for a region in bulk.
• The parent cell is on the right or below the child cell, so the C attribute cannot be used.

Feature Overview

The R attribute allows cells within a matrix range to be specified as child cells of the current cell, making bulk parent cell configuration possible. At present, it supports only manual input.

Compared with the C attribute and default parent cells, the R attribute has different characteristics and priority rules, making it suitable for more complex layout requirements.

The following table compares the three parent-cell mechanisms:

Parent Cell Type	Priority	Characteristics	Advantages	Disadvantages
C attribute	High	Supports up to two parent cells, one on the left and one above. In multi-dimensional layouts, parent context can be inherited.	The parent-child relationship is clear and easy to understand.	Must be configured cell by cell, which is inconvenient when there are many cells.
Default parent cell	Medium	Adjacent template cells on the left and above automatically become parent cells.	Automatically takes effect and is convenient and efficient.	Covers only a small range and can be easy to overlook.
R attribute	Low	1. Range supports nesting when one range is fully contained in another. 2. Ranges with the same expansion direction cannot intersect. 3. If a cell belongs to multiple ranges, the smallest range in each directional group takes effect.	Parent cells can be set in bulk by configuring only part of the header cells, which is efficient.	Range overlap can become complex and conflicting. Because of its low priority, it is not recommended to mix it with the C attribute.

Example Result

Using Order Number as the primary key, multiple shipment notes are generated based on each order number.

Each order contains multiple item numbers, and each item occupies one row.

Implementation Idea

1. If the C attribute is used to set the parent cell, the configuration fails because the parent cell can only be on the left or above the child cell, while Order Number is located near the middle-right side of the report. To make it work, you would have to insert a hidden column at the front, drag Order Number into that column as the parent cell, and then convert the entire form range behind it, including blank cells, into template cells and configure parent cells one by one. This approach is cumbersome and easy to miss.

   
   

2. If the R attribute is used, the implementation becomes much simpler: prepare the static header, drag in the View fields, and configure the R attribute on only two cells.

   

Steps

1. Prepare the static header first. Build the general table structure, enter text as static headers in the appropriate positions, and merge cells horizontally or vertically when needed.
2. Drag the primary key field from the View (the dimension field used as the parent cell) and manually enter the R attribute. Separate it from other attributes with half-width commas.