html_url,issue_url,id,node_id,user,created_at,updated_at,author_association,body,reactions,issue,performed_via_github_app
https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/942#issuecomment-898050457,https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/942,898050457,IC_kwDOBm6k_c41hymZ,9599,2021-08-12T23:59:53Z,2021-08-12T23:59:53Z,OWNER,"Documentation: https://docs.datasette.io/en/latest/metadata.html#column-descriptions

Live demo: https://latest.datasette.io/fixtures/roadside_attractions

<img width=""1045"" alt=""fixtures__roadside_attractions__4_rows"" src=""https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/9599/129284675-ef2fd6ed-54ba-4f6a-add5-7a9253921279.png"">
","{""total_count"": 0, ""+1"": 0, ""-1"": 0, ""laugh"": 0, ""hooray"": 0, ""confused"": 0, ""heart"": 0, ""rocket"": 0, ""eyes"": 0}",681334912,
https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/942#issuecomment-898037650,https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/942,898037650,IC_kwDOBm6k_c41hveS,9599,2021-08-12T23:23:54Z,2021-08-12T23:23:54Z,OWNER,I like this enough that I'm going to ship it as an alpha and try it out on a couple of live projects.,"{""total_count"": 0, ""+1"": 0, ""-1"": 0, ""laugh"": 0, ""hooray"": 0, ""confused"": 0, ""heart"": 0, ""rocket"": 0, ""eyes"": 0}",681334912,
https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/942#issuecomment-898037456,https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/942,898037456,IC_kwDOBm6k_c41hvbQ,9599,2021-08-12T23:23:34Z,2021-08-12T23:23:34Z,OWNER,"Prototype with a `<dl>`:

<img width=""721"" alt=""fixtures__sortable__201_rows"" src=""https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/9599/129282175-c94dcf74-beb3-4f0a-9106-f75d19369fb0.png"">

```diff
diff --git a/datasette/static/app.css b/datasette/static/app.css
index c6be1e9..bf068fd 100644
--- a/datasette/static/app.css
+++ b/datasette/static/app.css
@@ -836,6 +841,16 @@ svg.dropdown-menu-icon {
     background-repeat: no-repeat;
 }
 
+dl.column-descriptions dt {
+    font-weight: bold;
+}
+dl.column-descriptions dd {
+    padding-left: 1.5em;
+    white-space: pre-wrap;
+    line-height: 1.1em;
+    color: #666;
+}
+
 .anim-scale-in {
     animation-name: scale-in;
     animation-duration: 0.15s;
diff --git a/datasette/templates/table.html b/datasette/templates/table.html
index 211352b..466e8a4 100644
--- a/datasette/templates/table.html
+++ b/datasette/templates/table.html
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@
 
 {% block description_source_license %}{% include ""_description_source_license.html"" %}{% endblock %}
 
+{% if metadata.columns %}
+<dl class=""column-descriptions"">
+    {% for column_name, column_description in metadata.columns.items() %}
+        <dt>{{ column_name }}</dt><dd>{{ column_description }}</dd>
+    {% endfor %}
+</dl>
+{% endif %}
+
 {% if filtered_table_rows_count or human_description_en %}
     <h3>{% if filtered_table_rows_count or filtered_table_rows_count == 0 %}{{ ""{:,}"".format(filtered_table_rows_count) }} row{% if filtered_table_rows_count == 1 %}{% else %}s{% endif %}{% endif %}
         {% if human_description_en %}{{ human_description_en }}{% endif %}
 ```
","{""total_count"": 0, ""+1"": 0, ""-1"": 0, ""laugh"": 0, ""hooray"": 0, ""confused"": 0, ""heart"": 0, ""rocket"": 0, ""eyes"": 0}",681334912,
https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/942#issuecomment-898022235,https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/942,898022235,IC_kwDOBm6k_c41hrtb,9599,2021-08-12T22:52:23Z,2021-08-12T22:52:23Z,OWNER,I like this. Need to solve for mobile though where the cog menu isn't visible - I think I'll do that with a definition list at the top of the page.,"{""total_count"": 0, ""+1"": 0, ""-1"": 0, ""laugh"": 0, ""hooray"": 0, ""confused"": 0, ""heart"": 0, ""rocket"": 0, ""eyes"": 0}",681334912,
https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/942#issuecomment-898021895,https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/942,898021895,IC_kwDOBm6k_c41hroH,9599,2021-08-12T22:51:36Z,2021-08-12T22:51:36Z,OWNER,"Prototype:

<img width=""650"" alt=""fixtures__sortable__201_rows"" src=""https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/9599/129279808-08d56b2f-a4d6-4147-b3a6-542c62b566c1.png"">

```diff
diff --git a/datasette/static/app.css b/datasette/static/app.css
index c6be1e9..5ca64cb 100644
--- a/datasette/static/app.css
+++ b/datasette/static/app.css
@@ -784,9 +784,14 @@ svg.dropdown-menu-icon {
     font-size: 0.7em;
     color: #666;
     margin: 0;
-    padding: 0;
     padding: 4px 8px 4px 8px;
 }
+.dropdown-menu .dropdown-column-description {
+    margin: 0;
+    color: #666;
+    padding: 4px 8px 4px 8px;
+    max-width: 20em;
+}
 .dropdown-menu li {
     border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc;
 }
diff --git a/datasette/static/table.js b/datasette/static/table.js
index 991346d..a903112 100644
--- a/datasette/static/table.js
+++ b/datasette/static/table.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ var DROPDOWN_HTML = `<div class=""dropdown-menu"">
   <li><a class=""dropdown-not-blank"" href=""#"">Show not-blank rows</a></li>
 </ul>
 <p class=""dropdown-column-type""></p>
+<p class=""dropdown-column-description""></p>
 </div>`;
 
 var DROPDOWN_ICON_SVG = `<svg xmlns=""http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"" width=""14"" height=""14"" viewBox=""0 0 24 24"" fill=""none"" stroke=""currentColor"" stroke-width=""2"" stroke-linecap=""round"" stroke-linejoin=""round"">
@@ -166,6 +167,14 @@ var DROPDOWN_ICON_SVG = `<svg xmlns=""http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"" width=""14"" heig
     } else {
       columnTypeP.style.display = ""none"";
     }
+
+    var columnDescriptionP = menu.querySelector("".dropdown-column-description"");
+    if (th.dataset.columnDescription) {
+      columnDescriptionP.innerText = th.dataset.columnDescription;
+      columnDescriptionP.style.display = 'block';
+    } else {
+      columnDescriptionP.style.display = 'none';
+    }
     menu.style.position = ""absolute"";
     menu.style.top = menuTop + 6 + ""px"";
     menu.style.left = menuLeft + ""px"";
diff --git a/datasette/templates/_table.html b/datasette/templates/_table.html
index d765937..649f517 100644
--- a/datasette/templates/_table.html
+++ b/datasette/templates/_table.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
         <thead>
             <tr>
                 {% for column in display_columns %}
-                    <th class=""col-{{ column.name|to_css_class }}"" scope=""col"" data-column=""{{ column.name }}"" data-column-type=""{{ column.type }}"" data-column-not-null=""{{ column.notnull }}"" data-is-pk=""{% if column.is_pk %}1{% else %}0{% endif %}"">
+                    <th {% if column.description %}data-column-description=""{{ column.description }}"" {% endif %}class=""col-{{ column.name|to_css_class }}"" scope=""col"" data-column=""{{ column.name }}"" data-column-type=""{{ column.type }}"" data-column-not-null=""{{ column.notnull }}"" data-is-pk=""{% if column.is_pk %}1{% else %}0{% endif %}"">
                         {% if not column.sortable %}
                             {{ column.name }}
                         {% else %}
diff --git a/datasette/views/table.py b/datasette/views/table.py
index 456d806..486a613 100644
--- a/datasette/views/table.py
+++ b/datasette/views/table.py
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ class RowTableShared(DataView):
         """"""Returns columns, rows for specified table - including fancy foreign key treatment""""""
         db = self.ds.databases[database]
         table_metadata = self.ds.table_metadata(database, table)
+        column_descriptions = table_metadata.get(""columns"") or {}
         column_details = {col.name: col for col in await db.table_column_details(table)}
         sortable_columns = await self.sortable_columns_for_table(database, table, True)
         pks = await db.primary_keys(table)
@@ -147,6 +148,7 @@ class RowTableShared(DataView):
                     ""is_pk"": r[0] in pks_for_display,
                     ""type"": type_,
                     ""notnull"": notnull,
+                    ""description"": column_descriptions.get(r[0]),
                 }
             )

```","{""total_count"": 0, ""+1"": 0, ""-1"": 0, ""laugh"": 0, ""hooray"": 0, ""confused"": 0, ""heart"": 0, ""rocket"": 0, ""eyes"": 0}",681334912,
https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/942#issuecomment-897996296,https://api.github.com/repos/simonw/datasette/issues/942,897996296,IC_kwDOBm6k_c41hlYI,9599,2021-08-12T22:01:36Z,2021-08-12T22:01:36Z,OWNER,"I'm going with `""columns"": {""name-of-column"": ""description-of-column""}`.

If I decide to make `""col""` and `""nocol""` available in metadata I'll use those as the keys in the metadata, for consistency with the existing query string parameters.

I'm OK with having both `""columns"": ...` and `""col"": ...` keys in the metadata, even though they could be a tiny bit confusing without the documentation.","{""total_count"": 1, ""+1"": 1, ""-1"": 0, ""laugh"": 0, ""hooray"": 0, ""confused"": 0, ""heart"": 0, ""rocket"": 0, ""eyes"": 0}",681334912,