diff -r 2b91abd9f5a4 -r 1fbcf202882d web/views/tableview.py
--- a/web/views/tableview.py	Mon Jun 29 14:12:18 2009 +0200
+++ b/web/views/tableview.py	Thu Jul 02 10:35:03 2009 +0200
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
 
     def call(self, title=None, subvid=None, displayfilter=None, headers=None,
              displaycols=None, displayactions=None, actions=(), divid=None,
-             cellvids=None, cellattrs=None):
+             cellvids=None, cellattrs=None, mainindex=None):
         """Dumps a table displaying a composite query
 
         :param title: title added before table
@@ -101,19 +101,18 @@
         :param displayfilter: filter that selects rows to display
         :param headers: columns' titles
         """
-        rset = self.rset
         req = self.req
         req.add_js('jquery.tablesorter.js')
         req.add_css(('cubicweb.tablesorter.css', 'cubicweb.tableview.css'))
-        rqlst = rset.syntax_tree()
-        # get rql description first since the filter form may remove some
-        # necessary information
-        rqlstdescr = rqlst.get_description()[0] # XXX missing Union support
-        mainindex = self.main_var_index()
+        # compute label first  since the filter form may remove some necessary
+        # information from the rql syntax tree
+        if mainindex is None:
+            mainindex = self.main_var_index()
+        computed_labels = self.columns_labels(mainindex)
         hidden = True
         if not subvid and 'subvid' in req.form:
             subvid = req.form.pop('subvid')
-        divid = divid or req.form.get('divid') or 'rs%s' % make_uid(id(rset))
+        divid = divid or req.form.get('divid') or 'rs%s' % make_uid(id(self.rset))
         actions = list(actions)
         if mainindex is None:
             displayfilter, displayactions = False, False
@@ -154,8 +153,8 @@
             self.render_actions(divid, actions)
         # render table
         table = TableWidget(self)
-        for column in self.get_columns(rqlstdescr, displaycols, headers, subvid,
-                                       cellvids, cellattrs, mainindex):
+        for column in self.get_columns(computed_labels, displaycols, headers,
+                                       subvid, cellvids, cellattrs, mainindex):
             table.append_column(column)
         table.render(self.w)
         self.w(u'</div>\n')
@@ -188,20 +187,15 @@
         box.render(w=self.w)
         self.w(u'<div class="clear"/>')
 
-    def get_columns(self, rqlstdescr, displaycols, headers, subvid, cellvids,
-                    cellattrs, mainindex):
+    def get_columns(self, computed_labels, displaycols, headers, subvid,
+                    cellvids, cellattrs, mainindex):
         columns = []
-        for colindex, attr in enumerate(rqlstdescr):
+        for colindex, label in enumerate(computed_labels):
             if colindex not in displaycols:
                 continue
             # compute column header
             if headers is not None:
                 label = headers[displaycols.index(colindex)]
-            elif colindex == 0 or attr == 'Any': # find a better label
-                label = ','.join(display_name(self.req, et)
-                                 for et in self.rset.column_types(colindex))
-            else:
-                label = display_name(self.req, attr)
             if colindex == mainindex:
                 label += ' (%s)' % self.rset.rowcount
             column = TableColumn(label, colindex)
@@ -214,7 +208,6 @@
                 column.append_renderer(self.finalview, colindex)
             else:
                 column.append_renderer(subvid or 'incontext', colindex)
-
             if cellattrs and colindex in cellattrs:
                 for name, value in cellattrs[colindex].iteritems():
                     column.add_attr(name, value)
@@ -297,7 +290,7 @@
     title = None
 
     def call(self, title=None, subvid=None, headers=None, divid=None,
-             displaycols=None, displayactions=None):
+             displaycols=None, displayactions=None, mainindex=None):
         """Dumps a table displaying a composite query"""
         actrql = self.req.form['actualrql']
         self.ensure_ro_rql(actrql)
@@ -312,7 +305,8 @@
             title = self.req.form.pop('title')
         if title:
             self.w(u'<h2>%s</h2>\n' % title)
-        mainindex = self.main_var_index()
+        if mainindex is None:
+            mainindex = self.main_var_index()
         if mainindex is not None:
             actions = self.form_filter(divid, displaycols, displayactions, True)
         else: