Platform Analytics list visualization columns disappear from configuartion UI on save with variables

[Matt Weir]

I am noticing an issue with the platform analytics list visualization configuration, not only is adding variables to the list a ridiculously terrible experience compared to the reports in Core UI (known "issue" that at the time of this post is on the list of issues, but has no PRB or KB associated: Link to related Community post). If you do manage to add a variable to the columns, when you save the list it functions fine, the variables do show up, but then if you try to edit the list again the columns section of the configuration is blank, requiring you to add all of your columns back, including suffering through adding all of variables back to the list, hopefully the search feature decides to  actually work for you too! 

 

I have noticed that if you do not include variables in the columns, instead only selecting fields from the table itself, then those values persist and still s how up the next time you want to edit. Adding even a single variable though, all values are wiped from the selected fields list.

Screenshots below :

Columns and rows before and after saving changes with just table fields added

Columns and rows before saving with a variable added (Computer/Hostname...)

After saving the previous edit, adding the "Computer/Hostname..." variable to the list.

List visualization itself is unaffected, it displays the columns that were chosen in the second screenshot.

the selected columns appear to still persist after saving even if you do not add any fields back to the Columns and rows section of the configuration however that is not true 100% of the time in my experience. 

Anyone else seeing similar issues like this?

 

[Naveen20]

The behavior you're describing is a classic serialization/deserialization issue in the PA list widget configuration — the config panel likely stores column selections as a JSON payload, and when it encounters a variable reference (which uses a different schema than a direct table field dot-walk), it either fails to serialize it properly on save or fails to resolve it back into the column picker on load.

[Matt Weir]

That could certainly explain the erratic behavior I have seen, especially with the list not always changing if you save it again with the blank columns and rows. I suppose in those cases it could mean that the JSON payload is still there intact, but did not resolve again on load of the configuration UI.
I would guess that times I have seen it wipe out the columns and replace them with defaults that JSON payload could have been corrupted or not saved down properly.