Overview
This article explains the application setting that controls whether the main record lists across the system open in a table layout or a card layout by default. It is intended for administrators and staff who want to understand how this setting shapes the way information is displayed throughout the application.
What This Setting Does
The setting “Use the Grid View as the default view in all important lists” determines the default visual layout used the first time a list of records is opened.
- When this setting is enabled, lists open in Grid View: records are displayed as rows in a table, with each column showing a specific piece of information (for example, name, code, or status). This is a compact, spreadsheet-style layout that makes it easy to scan and compare many records at once.
- When this setting is disabled, lists open in Card View (also known as Tiles View): each record is displayed as an individual card, usually showing a short visual summary of the record rather than a row of columns.
This setting only affects the default, starting view of a list. Users are always able to manually switch to a different view from within the list itself, regardless of how this setting is configured.
Main Settings / General Settings / Basic Customization / Views & Forms / Use the Grid View as the default view in all important lists
Here you set the default display mode in all lists.
The end user can change it according to his preference as shown below. (Figure 1)
Figure 1
Example in teacher’s portal at students list
Setting-> Active
Grid view (Figure 2)
Figure 2
Setting-> Inactive
Card view (Figure 3)
Figure 3
Where It Is Used
This setting applies broadly across the system’s most frequently used administrative lists, including:
- The _Student_ list
- The _Subject_ (Course) list
- The _Group_ (Class) list
- The _Grade_ (Year/Program) list
- The _Stream_ list
- The Teacher list
- The Timetable Hours list
- The School Registry Categories list
- The Theses/Internships list (visible to Administrators, Owners, and Secretaries)
Because these lists are among the most commonly accessed screens in the application, this single setting has a wide, system-wide impact on the everyday browsing experience for most users.
Business Logic / Behavior
The following rules govern how this setting behaves:
- The setting acts only as a fallback default. It is applied only when a user has not already selected a specific view for that list.
- For the _Student_ list specifically, each user can set their own preferred view in their personal profile settings. If a personal preference has been set there, it always takes priority over this general setting.
- For the other lists covered by this setting, once a user manually changes the view during their current session, that choice is remembered only for the rest of that session. The next time the user logs in, the affected list will again follow this setting’s default.
- The setting behaves in exactly the same way in both K-12 mode and Higher Education (College) mode. Whether or not the college/university configuration mode is enabled makes no difference to how this setting works.
Because it is a single, system-wide toggle, enabling or disabling it changes the default appearance of all the affected lists together, rather than needing to be configured separately for each one.
Example(s)
“Alpha Institute” manages a large student population across several _Grades_ and _Groups_. The front-desk coordinator, Maria P., needs to quickly scan through hundreds of records to check enrollment status and contact details. With this setting enabled, every time Maria opens the _Student_ list, the _Group_ list, or the Teacher list, the records appear in Grid View – a compact table with clear columns – making it fast to scan, sort, and compare large numbers of records.
“Beta College” prefers a more visual browsing style for staff who are less familiar with spreadsheet-style tables. The registrar, George S., disables this setting. Now, when George opens the Teacher list or the _Subject_ list, each record appears instead as an individual card with a short visual summary, which he finds easier to browse, especially on smaller screens.
When to use
When to Enable
- The institution manages a large number of records (many _Students_, _Groups_, _Subjects_, and so on) and staff need to scan, sort, or compare many rows at once.
- Staff are accustomed to a compact, spreadsheet-style layout with clear columns.
- Consistency across all major lists is preferred, with the table layout as the standard starting point for everyone.
When to Disable
- The institution prefers a more visual, card-based browsing experience, for example when a short visual summary per record is more useful than columns of data.
- Staff members are less comfortable navigating tables and prefer browsing records one at a time.
- Lists are typically short, so a card layout does not create scrolling or overview difficulties.
Notes
The following related settings are found in the same section and may be of interest:
- List full names as “Surname Name”/Xrisi_Prota_Tou_Epithetou_Sto_Plires_Onoma (Settings > Basic Customization > Views & Forms)
- Show informational labels in _Student_ form/Show_informational_Labels_in_student_form (Settings > Basic Customization > Views & Forms)
- Present Academic periods list with descending order/Present_Academic_Periods_List_In_Descending_Order (Settings > Basic Customization > Views & Forms)
This setting works independently and does not require any other setting or field to be configured beforehand. It can be turned on or off at any time from Settings > Basic Customization > Views & Forms, and the change applies the next time an affected list is opened without an existing personal or session preference.
