BIA _ "Advanced Table" for Confluence Getting Retired

Introduction
“Confluence Table” and “Advanced Table” in Confluence
Confluence Table
Advanced Table
Operational Impact
Impacted Features and Resolution (if any)
Macros Used by Us at TSC Currently
Conclusion

Introduction
'Advanced Tables' is an app from appfire, the Bob Swift brand of addon product for confluence to creatively enhance Confluence tool
(Tables in particular). By the end of 2023, ‘Advanced Tables’ for Confluence is planned to be decommissioned in Atlassian instance of TSC.
This is a measure taken to comply with the organization’s cost control measures as it is believed to be a step towards reducing redundancy
of functionalities.

This BIA analysis plans to show operational impact of this organizational decision. It will try to find if there are any impacts and if it is
possible to resolve these impacts within confluence without the Advanced Table feature.

“Confluence Table” and “Advanced Table” in Confluence

Tables help to keep the data structured, display data in user-friendly format, easy to read, visualize and use/reuse. Instruments in
Confluence like page layout, macros like panels or dividers and great options to organize page and data on confluence, but we skip them
and stick to good old tables. We love to use table for:
Better data visualization.
Table view keeps information structured.
Readers instantly understand.
Tables are fast and easy to create and format.
Reuse information between several tables and merge into one
Create advanced confluence tables with dates, statuses, and other dropdowns.

Confluence Table

We need structured information in Confluence cloud for other readers. Building tables on Confluence is one of the most intuitive ways to
present important information and discuss it with team and stakeholders.

Advanced Table

“Advanced Table” comes with four macros to easily customize tables to display and manipulate data right in the confluence. Advanced
Tables for Confluence goes way beyond Confluence native capabilities, transforming data into rich, eye-catching tables. Available for Cloud,
Data Center, and Server versions of Confluence, this app includes the following powerful macros and features:
Operational Impact

Operational Table Used Macro Used Decommission/Exi Impact Degree of Impact

Features of Table st

If you did not store ADVANCED TABLE JSON Table, CSV DECOMMISSION YES HIGH

your table
previously on
confluence and you
will need to output
them from CSV
(Comma Separated)
files or JSON (Java
Script) file. Can use
data from external
sources.

CSV macro
supports:
Showing only
selected
columns
Embedding
Confluence
macros in your
data
A default sort
order
Numeric
columns
automatically
totaled.
Formatting vis
CSS
Augmenting your
data with derived
 information
Rows
automatically
numbered.

When attaching too ADVANCED TABLE Attachment and DECOMMISSION YES MEDIUM

many documents or Space Attachment

attachments to
pages/space, it is
difficult to locate
those attachments
or documents.

Attachment macro
helps to list down all
the attachment in a
page. Space
Attachment macro
helps to list down all
the attachments in a
space. These lists
can be created
based on different
parameters such as
labels, filename,
attachment
comments and
pages or spaces
where attachment
resides.

These attachment
list tables show
attachment
metadata, image
thumbnails,
formatting vis CSS,
auto numbering of
rows, calculating
total/average file
size, and enhanced
sorting.

Confluence ADVANCED TABLE Table Plus DECOMMISSION YES HIGH

provides simple way

to create tables
which have plain
appearance. We
can create more
customized table
using HTML macro,
but HTML macro
has security issues
and also are difficult
to use.

Table Plus macro

address this
problem to
creatively customize
the table without
using HTML macro.

We can provide
datatype of the
columns to do
arithmetic
operations on the
columns and
manipulate the
columns based on
the datatype.

This macro
supports:
Numeric column
automatically
totaled.
Formatting rows,
columns and
table vis CSS
Augmenting your
data with derived
information
Highlighting a
row when the
user hovers over
it.
A default sort
order
Sorting that
respects
standard date
formats
Rows
automatically
numbered.

Sharing information CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

and working
together.

Limit access to data CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

to certain people or
add everyone.
Work on same page CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

(table)
simultaneously and
all users with read
and write access to
the page can make
changes to the page
simultaneously.

Ability to see page CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

(table) history.

Creating and delete CONFLUENCE TABLE Table EXIST NO NILL

table, add or delete

rows and columns.

Table options - CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

Header row, header

column, numbered
column

Cell options - CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

Insert/delete
columns and rows,
merge cells, split
cells, Sort columns
(A → Z and Z → A),
Clear cell, Distribute
column.

Add cell background CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

(Color the cell),

emoticons to the
table to make it
more engaging.

Create chart from CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

the table.

Copy table. CONFLUENCE TABLE NA EXIST NO NILL

While using Jira, CONFLUENCE TABLE JIRA EXIST NO NILL

you can output your

issues/tasks on Jira
on the confluence
page.

Build Jira chart (3 CONFLUENCE TABLE Jira Charts EXIST NO NILL

types of charts - Pie

Chart, Created Vs
Resolved and Two
Dimensional)

Have tables in Page CONFLUENCE TABLE Page Properties, EXIST NO NILL

properties macros in Page Properties

different pages and Report
display summary
information table in
another page
(master page) with
all information at
one place.

Similar structured CONFLUENCE TABLE Excerpt and EXIST NO NILL

tables can be Excerpt Include

wrapped up in a
single master table,
use a table as
reference in another
page or reuse a
table in another
page.

Build dashboard, NOT ADVANCED TABLE Table Filter, Chart EXIST WITH EXTERNAL… NOT SURE NOT SURE

filter the table, form Table, Pivot

perform simple Table in Table Filter
NOT PRESNET CURRE…
calculations, and charts for
aggregate data in a Confluence app
certain way and
perform calculation.

Pivot table used to NOT ADVANCED TABLE Table Toolbox and EXIST WITH EXTERNAL… NOT SURE NOT SURE

aggregate similar Pivot Table (nested

data. Group data in this order) in
NOT PRESNET CURRE…
according to Table Filter and
parameter of your charts for
choice. Confluence app

Gantt Chart of a NOT ADVANCED TABLE Chart from Table EXIST WITH EXTERNAL… NOT SURE NOT SURE

table with tasks and and Table Filter

start and end date (nested in this
NOT PRESNET CURRE…
of the tasks. Set order) in Table
dependencies, etc. Toolbox macro in
from settings of the Table Filter and
macro. charts for
Confluence app.

If you have various NOT ADVANCED TABLE Task reporting Table EXIST WITH EXTERNAL… NOT SURE NOT SURE

Jira tasks/issues set

in confluence, you
NOT PRESNET CURRE…
can have a table
with all tasks listed
in one table.

Comparision of NOT ADVANCED TABLE Chart from Table, EXIST WITH EXTERNAL… NOT SURE NOT SURE

Planned Time Vs Pivot Table and

Spent Time from Table Filter (nested
NOT PRESNET CURRE…
Jira tasks/issues in this order) in
table. Table Toolbox
macro in Table Filter
 and charts for
Confluence app.

Impacted Features and Resolution (if any)

Impacted Features Table - Macro Resolution Available in Resolution

Confluence (Yes/No)

If you did not store your table Advanced Table - JSON Table, NO Manually enter data.
previously on confluence and CSV
you will need to output them
from CSV (Comma Separated)
files or JSON (Java Script) file.
Can use data from external
sources.

CSV macro supports:

Showing only selected
columns
Embedding Confluence
macros in your data
A default sort order
Numeric columns
automatically totaled.
Formatting vis CSS
Augmenting your data with
derived information
Rows automatically
numbered.

When attaching too many Advanced Table - Attachment YES Go to Space

documents or attachments to and Space Attachment Settings>>Manage
pages/space, it is difficult to Content>>Attachments.
locate those attachments or
Though you may not be able to
documents.
list down the information in a
Attachment macro helps to list page in the form of a table, you
down all the attachment in a can view the attachment and
page. Space Attachment macro filter the attachments by
helps to list down all the extension and labels from the
attachments in a space. These location given.
lists can be created based on
different parameters such as
labels, filename, attachment
comments and pages or
spaces where attachment
resides.

These attachment list tables

show attachment metadata,
image thumbnails, formatting
vis CSS, auto numbering of
 rows, calculating total/average
file size, and enhanced sorting.

Confluence provides simple Advanced Table - Table Plus YES Use HTML macro.
way to create tables which have
plain appearance. We can
create more customized table
using HTML macro, but HTML
macro has security issues and
also are difficult to use.

Table Plus macro address this

problem to creatively customize
the table without using HTML
macro.

We can provide datatype of the

columns to do arithmetic
operations on the columns and
manipulate the columns based
on the datatype.

This macro supports:

Numeric column
automatically totaled.
Formatting rows, columns
and table vis CSS
Augmenting your data with
derived information
Highlighting a row when the
user hovers over it.
A default sort order
Sorting that respects
standard date formats
Rows automatically
numbered.

Macros Used by Us at TSC Currently

We create documents on confluence with the help of the templates at TSC. Examining the templates, we use on confluence; we can come
to a conclusion whether we are currently using Advanced Table macros or not. In Shenker Clouds space, templates we use in the space are
listed below. The macros for the tables used in these templates are also listed and whether or nort these macros are of the Advanced cloud
is also defined.

Templates Macros Used for Tables Does it use Advanced Table?

SOP TEMPLATE No NO

TEMPLATE AWS(cloud-topic) Page Properties NO

TEMPLATE AWS(server details) Page properties Report NO

TEMPLATE Azure(cloud-topic) Page properties NO

 TEMPLATE Azure(server details) Page properties Report NO

TEMPLATE Azure(topic server list and No NO

details)

TEMPLATE (cloud-topic) No NO

TEMPLATE DR <topic name-template> No NO

Application recovery steps

TEMPLATE DR <topic name-template> Page properties NO

Infrastructure recovery steps

TEMPLATE DR <topic name-template> Page properties NO

landscape and invocation process

TEMPLATE Migrated Server Sheet Page properties NO

TEMPLATE Migrated Server Sheet (New) Page properties NO

TEMPLATE (Postmortem) Page properties NO

TEMPLATE Prowler Security Finding Page properties NO

Conclusion
Advanced Table provide an enhanced capability to the confluence with its four macros. However, a change need not be a bumpy road every
time. Based on the inspection of the templates we currently use at TSC, it can be concluded that we are not using “Advanced Table” in our
templates currently. So, I understand it will have no impact on us currently. But in the future, if such features provided by Advanced Table are
to be used, we can see it can affect the functionality capability of the confluence.