Working with presentations
Data Caching for Data Providers
PADS4 Designer includes data caching functionality for data providers, making it easier and faster to design data-driven presentations — even when the data source is slow or temporarily unavailable.
Purpose of Data Caching
- Speed up design time when data providers are slow to load.
- Allow offline design work when the data source cannot be reached (e.g., external teams or remote locations).
- Enable sharing presentations with cached data so others can design and test without needing direct access to the data source.
Enabling Data Caching for a Data Provider
- Open your data provider settings in PADS4 Designer.
- On the first page of the data provider configuration, locate the option “Use Design Cache”.
- Enable this option to activate caching.
- Optionally, limit the number of rows (up to 999 rows) to control cache size.
- If you do not want to store original data in cache, you can enable “Generate sample values” to let PADS4 create artificial sample data for design purposes.
Note: Sample values will follow the format:
Value_<row number>
Benefits of Using Design Cache
- Faster graphic design experience, especially with slow-loading data sources.
- Offline capability for designers who don’t have access to the original data source.
- Ability to share presentations with preloaded data, enabling third parties to work on layout and design without needing data access.
- Immediate page rendering on load without waiting for live data.
Cached Data & Refresh Behavior
- Cached data is static until refreshed.
- PADS4 Designer does not automatically update cached data — it shows what was stored at the time of caching.
- To update the data, you need to manually refresh the cache from the data provider.
Preview Mode and Caching
- While previewing a presentation in PADS4 Designer, you can choose whether to use cached data or live data.
- Ribbon bar contains a toggle to enable/disable data cache during preview:
- Enabled: Faster loading using cached data.
- Disabled: Direct live data retrieval for real-time preview.
Behavior on Presentation Load
- If caching is enabled, cached data is used first to quickly display the presentation.
- Meanwhile, PADS4 will attempt to load fresh data in the background.
- New data will replace cached data when retrieved — this update happens once during load.
- Further updates require manual refresh of the data.
Sharing Presentations with Cached Data
- Design presentations with data providers and cache enabled.
- Share the
.padsxfile with third parties. - Recipients can open and design using cached data — even if they don’t have access to the live data source.
- Cached data enables full use of data connections, rules, and layout testing.
Important Notes
- Caching is for design time only.
- PADS4 Viewers do NOT use cached data. They always fetch live data at runtime.
Summary of Key Points
| Feature | Behavior/Benefit |
|---|---|
| Use Design Cache | Store data locally for fast access and offline design |
| Sample Values | Use generated placeholder data to avoid storing real data |
| Preview Mode Cache Toggle | Switch between cached and live data for faster preview |
| Automatic Data Refresh | Cached data loads first, background refresh happens once |
| Sharing with Third Parties | Cached data allows others to design without accessing live data |
| Viewer Behavior | Viewers do not use cached data; they require live connections |