Simple Table Support

900
5
06-14-2022 12:54 PM
Status: Implemented
PeterKnoop
MVP Regular Contributor

It would be helpful to have support in the StoryMaps editor for creating simple tables. Perhaps a "Table" block type could be added? 

Example uses cases include:

  • a pro/con list for something (2-columns)
  • a comparison list with a column for the topic and a couple or a few columns for the items being compared (3- or 4-columns)
  • presenting summary statistics (or other geoprocessing output that is produced as a table with a column of labels and column of values)
  • situations where one might use a two-column slide layout in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote

This would be for creating simple tables, with not too many columns, the possibility of a header row, something that could be rendered responsively for different screen orientations/resolutions, a simple interface for initially creating/sizing the table (like when inserting a table in a PowerPoint or Slides), etc.

(Another idea, HTML and CSS code, seems much broader, but is perhaps related, as folks suggest one of the use cases for adding custom HTML/CSS would be to create tables in a story.)

 

5 Comments
OwenGeo
Status changed to: Under Consideration

Thanks for sharing these specific use cases, @PeterKnoop! We are already discussing support for simple tables. We don't yet have a time frame for when it might be available, but the type of information you've provided here is very helpful for us to help focus our planning and prioritization activities. 

ReinaCMurray

This is a great idea.

We currently recommend users to format tables in external software (ie: excel, illustrator) and then export them as images to insert into a StoryMap. However, this doesn't allow for the viewer to interact with the table. Some cool interactive features that could eventually be included as part of a table widget:

  • link to external site/document/etc
  • hover over row/column for additional information via a popup
  • click on a row --> query results of a feature layer in a complementary web map (or just change visibility settings of a feature layer so that another appears)

Would there be a way to incorporate arcade expressions into tables, if they are linked with a feature layer in a web map shown on the StoryMap?

 

 

AimeeStephens

Thank you for suggesting this to Esri, @PeterKnoop ! It is something my team would like to see as well for accessibility purposes. We incorporate a lot of charts and tables into our StoryMaps. For charts, we usually create them in an external program and then copy them as an image into StoryMaps. Even with alt text, this is unusable for people with no vision and other disabilities. Being able to show the chart AND an accessible table would be wonderful.

Our ideal would be for the user to be able to toggle between a chart image and an accessible table.

OwenGeo
Status changed to: In Product Plan

This is under development. It's a significant project so will take a bit of time, but I'd estimate we will be releasing v1 of tables in a few months.

OwenGeo
Status changed to: Implemented

Simple tables were added to ArcGIS StoryMaps in Aug 2023. If there are specific features that anyone would like to see added to tables in the future, please submit separate ideas for those.

For more information, see Enhancing visual storytelling with the table block in ArcGIS StoryMaps (esri.com)