How can you show data from multiple entities in the same data grid?

Using associations in data grids allows you to display related data from multiple entities within a single grid effectively. This feature leverages the relationships defined between entities in the Mendix data model, enabling you to pull in relevant information from associated entities and present it in a cohesive manner.

By adding columns that reference these associations, users can see how different data points relate to one another, such as displaying a list of orders alongside customer details, all within the same grid. This enhances the usability of the application as it reduces the need to switch between different views or data grids to access related information.

The other options do not provide a streamlined method for displaying related data from multiple entities. Using a single entity for all data can compromise data integrity and normalization principles, leading to potential redundancy and making the database less efficient. Grouping data by date created might organize information but does not merge data from different entities. Likewise, creating separate data grids for each entity could lead to a fragmented view and would require users to navigate multiple grids to piece together related information. Thus, utilizing associations is the most effective and efficient approach to meet the requirement of showing data from multiple entities in the same context.