Introduction

Exporting data from applications is a common task, whether for reporting, analysis, or backup. This guide provides a straightforward approach to exporting data, covering both copying and exporting methods. Additionally, it highlights best practices for handling large data volumes to ensure a smooth experience.

Copying Data: Quick and Simple

If you just need to grab a bit of data and move it somewhere else, copying is your best bet. Here’s how to do it:

Right-click anywhere on the data (but not on the headers).
You’ll see a few options:
- Copy: This copies just the selected data.
- Copy with Header: This copies the data along with the header row.
Paste the copied data into the app of your choice – whether it’s Excel, Word, or something else.

Tip: Use "Copy with Header" if you need to keep the column names along with the data.

Exporting Data: When You Need the Whole Thing

If you need to save or download a complete data set or a large portion of it, exporting is the way to go.

Right-click on the data set.
Choose Export from the menu.
Pick the file format you want:
- .csv (good for spreadsheets)
- Excel (.xlsx) (standard Excel format)
- Excel (.xml) (structured data format)
The application will package up your data, including the headers, into the file format you selected.
Save the file on your computer when prompted.

Why Exported Excel Data Might Look Different

When you export data into Excel, you might notice that the data doesn’t always look exactly the same as it appears in the application. This is because Excel automatically reformats certain values when opening files.

Common examples include:

Removing leading zeros (e.g., “00123” becomes “123”)
Changing number formats (e.g., interpreting codes as numeric values)
Replacing periods or commas depending on your Excel regional settings
Reinterpreting text as numbers or dates

This behaviour is normal and expected due to Excel’s built-in formatting rules.

Keep Data Exactly as It Appears on the portal

Follow these steps to preserve your data exactly as displayed on the portal:

Export the data using Excel Export (.xlsx)

Go to Export → Excel Export (.xlsx) (avoid using .csv if you want to preserve formatting).
Save and open the file in Excel.

Align text properly

Select the affected columns (e.g., “Reference” or any field with codes or leading zeros).

Go to the Home tab.
Choose Align Left to keep all text left-aligned. (You can adjust alignment to center or right as preferred.)

Convert column format to Text

With the column selected, press ⌘ + 1 (Mac) or Ctrl + 1 (Windows).
Go to Format Cells → Number tab → Text → OK.

Alternative method:

Go to Data → Text to Columns → Next → Next → Column data format: Text → Finish

Handle Excel’s “Number stored as text” warnings

If you see small green triangles, click the warning and select Ignore Error.
This ensures Excel does not auto-convert your values.

Now your data will match exactly what you see on the portal. You can safely copy and paste this data into other tools (like Briljant) without losing formatting.

Handling Large Data Exports

If your data set is pretty big, the export might take a while. Here are a few tips to make it easier:

If the data takes too long to download, consider breaking it up into smaller parts.
Usually, smaller data sets should only take around 05–10 seconds to export.
If it’s taking significantly longer, it’s probably due to the size of the data. Be patient or split the task.

How to Filter and Break Up Data into Smaller Parts on the Grid:

Access the Column Settings:

Navigate to the grid page where you want to work with the data.
Click on the three-line icon (column settings) located at the top of the column. This will open a list of checkboxes.

Select/Deselect Columns:

From the list, check or uncheck the columns you wish to display or hide.
Once you’ve made your selection, the chosen columns will be visible on the grid.

Filter the Data:

Identify a date column header (Completed Date, Created Date, Due Date, Planned Date, Work Start Date)
Click on the three-line icon on that column to access more options.
Choose the Filter option from the dropdown.

Set the Filter Criteria:

From the filter options, select “In range” from the dropdown list.
Enter the desired start date and end date in the respective fields.
Click Apply to filter the data.

View and Export Filtered Data:

The grid will now display only the data that matches your filter criteria.
You can copy or download the filtered data for further use as discussed above in the page.

Wrapping Up

Copying or exporting data doesn’t have to be complicated. Just follow the steps above, and you’ll have your data in the format you need. If you’re dealing with a large amount of data, just remember that breaking it up can save you time and frustration.