How to link from read-only table without confusing users?
tl;dr Is there a way of linking from a read-only table to a settings section, without potentially confusing the user?
I have a table that exists to show a user of an internal tool an overview of certain settings on a product-by-product basis, and in particular, to show which settings have been changed from the defaults.
The settings themselves are complex and important enough such that using inline editing in the table itself probably wouldn’t hold up.
The table is to be read-only, and the settings to be accessed by digging into accordion-style expanding panels.
Then I thought about using this table to link to appropriate settings, so the user can jump to those sections, but came up against the following problem:
There’s not a lot of room in the cells for links and buttons, and if I make the string a link (see the first cell in the table, the entry for ‘Product 1’ and ‘CT’ in the mockup – ‘Include’) then it seems potentially confusing. The link is setting up the expectation that something related to inclusion or exclusion is going to happen, when the user is simply going to be take elsewhere.
Is there a way of linking from this table to the settings sections, that is clear and makes sense?