[data grid] Column Visibility - Reset Button Confuses Users

[bbosreferrals]

Summary

The reset button in the column selection pane confuses all users we've tested the function with. Everyone expects it to reset the columns back to the default ones. But it becomes disabled after you select columns and people are confused why it only works when you're actively selecting columns.

Here's short video showing the issue: https://vimeo.com/1043746747/2e32b38b79?share=copy

Does MUI have any advice or future functionality to address this?

Examples

https://mui.com/x/react-data-grid/column-visibility/#column-visibility-panel

Motivation

Allow our customers to easily revert back to our default columns.

Search keywords: Column Visibility, column Reset Button

[arminmeh]

@bbosreferrals thanks for the suggestion.
I agree that the label could be misleading. @KenanYusuf do you think "Undo" or "Revert" would be more suitable here?

@bbosreferrals to just change the default label, you can use Localization feature and override columnsManagementReset translation key

To change the button's behavior and/or to add more buttons, you will have to pass a custom component to the columnsPanel slot. You can see a customized panel in this demo

It is not perfect because you have to override the whole panel, but it will solve your problem. To make this experience better we are actually working on a new set of composable components. This will make it easier to make the customizations like yours. You can follow the linked PR to get the updates.

Hope that this helps.

[KenanYusuf]

I think "Undo" would be clearer.

It is confusing - it would make more sense to reset to the initial columns state IMO. Is there a reason we only reset the changes that were made whilst the columns panel is open? @mui/xgrid

[cherniavskii]

I agree it's confusing and the Reset button should behave the same regardless of whether the panel was closed before reset 👍🏻
Now, what's the initial column visibility state? For the uncontrolled model, it's initialState.columns.columnVisibilityModel.
How about the controlled model? Should we store the first controlled model value and use it on reset?

[KenanYusuf]

How about the controlled model? Should we store the first controlled model value and use it on reset?

I think so. From an end user perspective, the first controlled model is the initial state of column visibility.

[arminmeh]

I have tracked down the requirement for the button to #5700

Other features to consider
Add a "Reset state" button.
From customer feedback: "The ability to reset the table columns view to its initial state would be very useful. This would allow users to revert the columns to their default state after users have made changes using the column selector."

For me it looks like that this is aligned with the motivation from this issue, so we should update the button action to actually reset.

Now, since we already have the logic for "Undo", should we have both actions in the panel or that might be too much?

[cherniavskii]

Now, since we already have the logic for "Undo", should we have both actions in the panel or that might be too much?

No, I think the new Reset behavior should replace the old one, otherwise it would be confusing.

[arminmeh]

@bbosreferrals as a temporary workaround you can use my earlier suggestion.
Once this issue is closed, the button should work as you expect.

[bbosreferrals]

Thanks so much for working through this. Do you have a rough idea or guess when the change will be made? I need to set a reminder to have the dev team add the reset button back once you do. Cheers, Blake Bos Senior Product Designer Share Referral Rock and earn $200 <https://t.sidekickopen08.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cN7Y9W791Xxj1jkhflN4kC_d_pLnS0VNZtZ_3FcZJ9V61_NT5VBLxbf197v5Y04?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW49Kvk749QW2MW49PFQk1JxwY5W1LzPtC3H6wV1W1GHcPp3_SNqlW3K8K5t4hMnzcW4cNcV-3F6d9fW3zd5_X1GzQbtW3T0nvN4fKWwwW3K2-zD3_y6ZLW3P4cDl4hLxV-W4hMnzc3F4FvdW3zbTMq2fdYKPW3K8Q_L3ZrXCqW43QJQG3_qt5C4TnhJ1&si=8000000019437080&pi=95cf1687-2fc8-4463-e4f1-aa5b2857f384>

…

On Mon, Jan 6, 2025 at 3:56 PM Armin Mehinovic ***@***.***> wrote: @bbosreferrals <https://github.com/bbosreferrals> as a temporary workaround you can use my earlier suggestion. Once this issue is closed, the button should work as you expect. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#16072 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BOFJY5L3LTZR7RKY4JTBHX32JLUZNAVCNFSM6AAAAABUSEPVG6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDKNZTHEYTCMBTGY> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[MBilalShafi]

I agree that the general user's expectation is closer to setting the initial columns on Reset, +1 on changing the behavior.

Adding the Undo like functionality should be possible in the user land by customizing the columnsManagement slot.

the first controlled model is the initial state of column visibility.

The dynamic columns use-case could be tricky with this.

Consider the following case:

State A:
columns: `[a, b, c]`
columnVisibilityModel (controlled): `{ a: true, b: true }`

State B (after columns update):
columns: `[d, e, f]`
columnVisibilityModel (updated): `{ d: true, f: true }`

The reference point for comparison should be updated at State B, so probably it makes sense to update the Reset button reference point on columns update?

[arminmeh]

Thanks so much for working through this. Do you have a rough idea or guess
when the change will be made?

@bbosreferrals there is no ETA at the moment, but since it looks like that we agree that the change should happen and it is a breaking change, it is very likely that the change will be delivered this quarter

[github-actions]

This issue has been closed. If you have a similar problem but not exactly the same, please open a new issue.
Now, if you have additional information related to this issue or things that could help future readers, feel free to leave a comment.

Note

@bbosreferrals How did we do? Your experience with our support team matters to us. If you have a moment, please share your thoughts in this short Support Satisfaction survey.

[bbosreferrals]

Hi there, Is the reset column change live, and if so, for what versions? - The github log makes it look like it's no live yet. Thank You, Blake Bos Senior Product Designer Share Referral Rock and earn $200 <https://t.sidekickopen08.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cN7Y9W791Xxj1jkhflN4kC_d_pLnS0VNZtZ_3FcZJ9V61_NT5VBLxbf197v5Y04?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW49Kvk749QW2MW49PFQk1JxwY5W1LzPtC3H6wV1W1GHcPp3_SNqlW3K8K5t4hMnzcW4cNcV-3F6d9fW3zd5_X1GzQbtW3T0nvN4fKWwwW3K2-zD3_y6ZLW3P4cDl4hLxV-W4hMnzc3F4FvdW3zbTMq2fdYKPW3K8Q_L3ZrXCqW43QJQG3_qt5C4TnhJ1&si=8000000019437080&pi=95cf1687-2fc8-4463-e4f1-aa5b2857f384>

…

On Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 9:13 AM github-actions[bot] < ***@***.***> wrote: *This issue has been closed.* If you have a similar problem but not exactly the same, please open a new issue <https://github.com/mui/mui-x/issues/new/choose>. Now, if you have additional information related to this issue or things that could help future readers, feel free to leave a comment. Note @bbosreferrals <https://github.com/bbosreferrals> How did we do? Your experience with our support team matters to us. If you have a moment, please share your thoughts in this short Support Satisfaction survey <https://tally.mui.com/support-satisfaction-survey?issue=16072&productId=x> . — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#16072 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BOFJY5LXEC5QHYKTOHZEK332QHVAHAVCNFSM6AAAAABUSEPVG6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDMNRTGI2TCOJTHA> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***> [image: github-actions[bot]]*github-actions[bot]* left a comment (mui/mui-x#16072) <#16072 (comment)> *This issue has been closed.* If you have a similar problem but not exactly the same, please open a new issue <https://github.com/mui/mui-x/issues/new/choose>. Now, if you have additional information related to this issue or things that could help future readers, feel free to leave a comment. Note @bbosreferrals <https://github.com/bbosreferrals> How did we do? Your experience with our support team matters to us. If you have a moment, please share your thoughts in this short Support Satisfaction survey <https://tally.mui.com/support-satisfaction-survey?issue=16072&productId=x> . — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#16072 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BOFJY5LXEC5QHYKTOHZEK332QHVAHAVCNFSM6AAAAABUSEPVG6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDMNRTGI2TCOJTHA> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[michelengelen]

Hey @bbosreferrals ... it is not yet live ... it will be in this weeks release, which is typically happening every thursday.