#Tables

When data has rows and columns, Nourva lays it out as a table you can scan, sort, and take with you.

#Overview

A table is the format Nourva reaches for when your results are structured: items with the same set of fields, lined up so you can read across and down. It turns a pile of facts into something you can scan at a glance, compare row to row, and pull out exactly what you need.

Tables are one of the eight formats Nourva uses to present what it produces. You do not ask for a table by name unless you want to — Nourva chooses it automatically whenever the work comes back as rows and columns, and you can switch to or from it whenever a different shape would serve you better.

#What you can do

With a result shown as a table, you can:

  • Scan structured data fast — every item sits on its own row, every field in its own column, so the shape is obvious at a glance.
  • Sort by any column — order rows by the value that matters right now, ascending or descending, to bring the top of the list into view.
  • Compare across rows — read down a column to see how items stack up against each other on the same field.
  • Reuse the result — a table is saved as an artifact you can find again, reopen, and build on later.
  • Export it — take the table out of Nourva to keep, share, or work with elsewhere.
  • Ask for a different format — if the data would read better as a chart, comparison, or report, ask and Nourva re-presents it.

#How to use it

  1. Ask for the outcome. Describe what you want gathered or worked out. When the answer is naturally a list of items with shared fields, Nourva presents it as a table — you do not have to request the format.
  2. Read across and down. Each row is one item; each column is one field. Read across a row for everything about one item, down a column to compare one field across all items.
  3. Sort to bring order. Sort by the column you care about to float the highest, newest, or most relevant rows to the top.
  4. Ask to refine. If you want different columns, fewer rows, or a particular ordering, say so in plain language and Nourva adjusts the table.
  5. Export or reopen. Export the table when you want it outside Nourva, or come back to it later as a saved artifact.
Tip

If a result arrives as prose or a chart but you would rather scan it as rows and columns, just say "show that as a table" and Nourva re-presents the same data.

#Examples

What you ask:

text
Find the five busiest airports in Europe last year with passenger counts.

What you see: a table with one row per airport and columns for the airport name and its passenger count, ready to sort from highest to lowest.

What you ask:

text
List the upcoming releases you found, with date, title, and category, sorted by date.

What you see: a table sorted by date, each row a release with its title and category lined up so you can scan what is coming and when.

What you ask:

text
Show that comparison as a plain table instead.

What you see: the same information re-presented as rows and columns, each option on its own row with the same fields in each column.

#Tips

  • Be specific about the fields you want. Naming the columns you care about ("date, title, and category") gives you a table you can use immediately, with nothing missing and nothing extra.
  • Sort before you read. A quick sort by the right column turns a long table into a short answer — the rows you need rise to the top.
  • Switch formats freely. Tables are great for scanning and sorting, but if the shape of the data matters more than the exact values, ask for a chart; if you are weighing options, ask for a comparison.
  • Export when it is final. Once a table is what you want, export it so you have a durable copy outside Nourva to keep or share.