Adaptive column selection

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a size of a table in a display area;

obtaining column descriptors, each column descriptor identifying a column, a column width and a minimum column width, wherein at least one column descriptor includes a column width different from the minimum column width;

on a device, automatically gathering a set of columns from one or more applications;

from the set, determining a set of columns to present, including:

including a high priority column based on a determination that the high-priority column is required;

comparing the column width of a column to an available size remaining in the display area after accounting for the width of the high priority column, and

including the first column in the set in response to determining that the column size is less than the available size;

comparing the minimum column width of a second column to the available size remaining in the display area after accounting for the column width of the high priority column and the first column, the minimum column width of the second column being different from the column width of the second column;

excluding the second column from the set in response to determining that the minimum column size of the second column is greater than the available size remaining;

calculating an aggregate width of all the columns in the set;

allocating a portion of the size of the table to each column in the set of columns based on a ratio of width of the respective column and the aggregate width of the table; and

presenting the columns in the set of columns on the display area.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the column width of the column by a column padding factor.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sorting the column descriptors based on a priority associated with each column.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining to include a column in the set based on a priority associated with of the column.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether a column can be compressed in response to determining that the column size is greater than the available width; and

determining to include the column in the set of columns in response to determining that the columns can be clipped.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining to include the column comprises determining that available space exceeds a squeeze threshold that defines a minimum length to be allocated to a clipped column.

7. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining column descriptors, each column descriptor identifying a column, a column width and a minimum column width, wherein at least one column descriptor includes a column width different from the minimum column width;

on a device, automatically gathering a set of columns from one or more applications;

from the set, determining a set of columns to present, including:

including a high priority column based on a determination that the high-priority column is required;

comparing the column width of a column to an available size remaining in the display area after accounting for the width of the high priority column, and

Including the first column in the set in response to determining that the column size is less than the available size;

comparing the minimum column width of a second column to the available size remaining in the display area after accounting for the column width of the high priority column and the first column, the minimum column width of the second column being different from the column width of the second column;

excluding the second column from the set in response to determining that the minimum column size of the second column is greater than the available size remaining;

calculating an aggregate width of all the columns in the set;

allocating a portion of the size of the table to each column in the set of columns based on a ratio of width of the respective column and the aggregate width of the table; and

presenting the columns in the set of columns on the display area.

8. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising adjusting the column width of the column by a column padding factor.

9. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising sorting the column descriptors based on a priority associated with each column.

10. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising determining to include a column in the set based on a priority associated with of the column.

11. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising determining whether a column can be compressed in response to determining that the column size is greater than the available width; and

determining to include the column in the set of columns in response to determining that the columns can be clipped.

12. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein determining to include the column comprises determining that available space exceeds a squeeze threshold that defines a minimum length to be allocated to a clipped column.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining column descriptors, each column descriptor identifying a column, a column width and a minimum column width, wherein at least one column descriptor includes a column width different from the minimum column width;

on a device, automatically gathering a set of columns from one or more applications;

from the set, determining a set of columns to present, including:

including a high priority column based on a determination that the high-priority column is required;

comparing the column width of a column to an available size remaining in the display area after accounting for the width of the high priority column, and including the first column in the set in response to determining that the column size is less than the available size;

comparing the minimum column width of a second column to the available size remaining in the display area after accounting for the column width of the high priority column and the first column, the minimum column width of the second column being different from the column width of the second column;

excluding the second column from the set in response to determining that the minimum column size of the second column is greater than the available size remaining;

calculating an aggregate width of all the columns in the set;

allocating a portion of the size of the table to each column in the set of columns based on a ratio of width of the respective column and the aggregate width of the table; and

presenting the columns in the set of columns on the display area.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising adjusting the column width of the column by a column padding factor.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising sorting the column descriptors based on a priority associated with each column.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising determining to include a column in the set based on a priority associated with of the column.

17. The system of claim 13 , further comprising determining whether a column can be compressed in response to determining that the column size is greater than the available width; and

determining to include the column in the set of columns in response to determining that the columns can be clipped.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein determining to include the column comprises determining that available space exceeds a squeeze threshold that defines a minimum length to be allocated to a clipped column.