US Patent 11423217 Flexible table based visualizations

Embodiments are directed to visualizing data. A graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a shelf panel and a display panel may be generated. Column fields may be generated and displayed in the shelf panel based on a data source or a table specification. The table specification may be employed to generate a table view that may be displayed in the display panel such that the table view includes columns that correspond to each column field. Data items may be determined based on the data source and the column fields such that each column field corresponds to a portion of the data items. Each portion of the data items may be displayed in a column of the table view that corresponds to the column field that corresponds to the portion of the data items.