Dashboard Guide
- Betül Kara (Deactivated)
- 1 Login and Creating a New Dashboard
- 2 Adding and Creating Widgets
- 3 How to Save a Widget
- 4 Layout and Arrangement
- 5 Widget Menu
- 6 Graphical Analysis of Widgets
- 7 Working with Variables
- 8 Locking Variables
- 9 Using Global Variables
- 10 Approving Predefined Dashboards
- 11 Configuring Reports
- 12 Generate Automatic Reports
This article is intended to give an overview of the topic Dashboard.
Login and Creating a New Dashboard
Users can login to the dashboard with their own personal login data, if the user has the corresponding role. More information about roles and roles for the dashboard in particular: Roles
It is also possible to log into the dashboard through the system by clicking on the 'dashboard' icon on the left sidebar. Clicking on the button leads to a redirect and automatic login into the dashboard. The button is only visible if the user has the corresponding role.
Once logged into the dashboard it is possible to individualize the displayed information for the user. A new dashboard can be generated by selecting 'New' on the menu 'Dashboards'.
A pop-up will appear with a prompt to enter a name for the new dashboard. Best practice has shown that each dashboard and later widgets should be given an individual label.
Once clicking the button 'OK' on the pop-up the dashboard will appear on the left upper side.
Once created Widgets can be added the dashboard.
Adding and Creating Widgets
A dashboard can contain as many widgets as desired by the user. A widget can display almost any piece of information and has to be defined by an dashboard-administrator. It is not possible to add a console widget (by which all existing information can be processed) if the current (logged-in) user does not have administrative rights.
Please refer to the following information for more on the types of charts and structures that can be used in the system: View tablestructure
The development of widgets requires knowledge of SQL, which also conforms to the standards of either MySQL or Oracle SQL or MSSQL syntax. For more information on which SQL syntax is used, please ask the contact person.
SELECT lastname, email FROM view_identity WHERE identityType = 'user';In this example, the widget provides an overview of all existing users in the system. Please refer to the Analyses page to access further examples.
A widget providing the desired content can be saved and then eventually made accessible to other users for their own benefit. In order to create a new Widget click on 'Add Widgets'. and select 'Console'.
The dashboard pool will be expanded and an empty widget displayed. Into the white space of the Console the SQL Statement: "SELECT lastname, email FROM view_identity WHERE identityType = 'user';" will be put. Clicking the button 'Run' will execute the Statement and display the result of the query.
How to Save a Widget
To save a widget, click on the button 'Save a Widget'.
A user-defined name has to be given to the widget. In this example, the widget is named 'All Users'.
Under the menu 'Add Widgets' the newly created widget will be shown and can be selected.
Layout and Arrangement
Several widgets can be added to the dashboard. The arrangement of the widgets can be performed automatically by selecting the desired layout from the menu, as shown in the preview. The layout selection will always affect the design of the dashboard currently being accessed.
If a widget is improperly located within the Dashboard, it can easily be moved onto another tile. The exact size and shape of the widget are then set in accordance with the predefined layout. In addition it is possible to drag and drop the widget until it is in the desired position. In this example the lower left widget 'cockpit-w2' will be dragged and dropped on the right side.
Widget Menu
Symbol Function
Symbol | Function |
|---|---|
This button on the menu allows the widget information to be displayed graphically in a diagram. | |
This button on the menu reverts the complete content of the widget to simple table view. | |
This button on the menu exports the complete content of the widget to a single file in Excel-format. | |
This button changes the widget size to be displayed with the largest possible width. | |
This button opens the printer dialog of the local computer. | |
This button enables the user to configure the diagram type. | |
This button enables the user to remove or delete a widget from the Dashboard. |
Graphical Analysis of Widgets
If the user wishes to display the widget information graphically, this can be easily and flexibly implemented. For correct implementation, x- and y-axes have to be created. In the current example, this is not possible to do because an axis cannot be created based solely on entities such as “lastname” and “email”. To create the graph, a new widget, showing how many users were generated on each weekday, needs to be generated.
SELECT DATENAME(weekday,creationtime) AS Tag, COUNT(DATENAME(weekday,creationtime)) AS NUMBER FROM view_identity GROUP BY DATENAME(weekday,creationtime);
This can be saved in the usual manner and then added to the dashboard.
Running the widget will return the number of users created at the respective weekday.
Clicking the diagram button will open a configuration for the diagram where the values for the x- and y-axes can be assigned.
After assigning the values clicking the 'Draw' button will show the diagram.
Next, the diagram symbol/function can be used to set the x- and y-axes. If a specific type of diagram is desired, this is modified via the widget configuration settings. If an analysis is deemed invalid due to a value being too far outside the norm, this may be removed by selecting and deleting the respective group from the legend.
Working with Variables
The dashboard enables widgets to be displayed based on the selection of a particular variable's value. For instance, in the first example, not every user should be displayed by the widget. Rather, the user should be able to select the information to be displayed. To enable this function, the widget has to be changed as follows:
SELECT lastname, email FROM view_identity WHERE identityType = :identType;
Within the dashboard, the displayed variables will always be identified by “: Variable name”
In the second step, the desired content of the variable is defined. To do this the following menu items must be selected: Dashboards → Settings → Variables
By clicking on the button “Add Variable” an input field enabling the definition of the variable is displayed. The following fields are now available:
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Name | Enter here the name of the variable. |
Type | This indicates, if the output is formatted as letters, numbers or dates. |
Returns | This indicates, if the result is a single output or a list of multiple outputs. |
Query | The content of a variable can be defined within this field by using SQL syntax. |
Execute | This shows the test results of the variable. |
Remove | This function will delete the complete variable from the system. |
The name of the variable for the example is identType. The SQL for the Query:
After clicking the button 'Save' the variable can be defined and confirmed within the widget configuration by clicking the button 'OK'.
The new content will be adapted to reflect the system and the variable settings. The selection will look as depicted below after the widget has been saved:
Locking Variables
If the same widget is to be used by multiple entities, e.g. several departments, a locked variable can be implemented in the widget. This ensures that end-user cannot change the variable.
If the variable has been locked, the user is not able to change its value. For example, in the present screenshot, the value 'USER' would always be selected by default.
This can only be changed by the owner of the widget. This makes it possible to use a widget for several dashboards while ensuring that various users only have access to the information for which they are authorized.
Using Global Variables
Global variables can be used within the dashboard. The following variables belong to this category:
Variable | Results |
|---|---|
:CURRENT_USER_NAME | This returns the name of the currently logged-in user. |
:CURRENT_USER_ID | This provides the UserID of the currently logged-in user. |
:CURRENT_USER_DEPARTMENT | This shows the department to which the user belongs. |
:CURRENT_CLIENT_NAME | This gives the name of the client. |
:CURRENT_CLIENT_ID | This provides the current ClientID. |
:CURRENT_TIMESTAMP | This shows the current timestamp. |
:CURRENT_EMAIL | Shows the currently registered email addresses. |
:CURRENT_USER_GROUPS_NAMES | This shows to which groups the current user belongs in quotation marks (“,”). |
:CURRENT_USER_GROUPS_NAME1 | This shows the first group to which the logged-in user belongs. |
:CURRENT_USER_GROUPS_NAME2 | This provides information on any second group in which the currently logged in user is a member. |
et cetera | |
Approving Predefined Dashboards
If a dashboard containing all required widgets and settings have been created, this may be distributed to all individuals working together with the system. Users of this group can then login to the dashboard and have access to its widgets and widget settings. Authorized access can then be granted by selecting 'Settings' in the dashboard menu and clicking the 'Configuration' button on the respective dashboard.
The user can then select the desired groups within the system (while holding the “Crtl” key) and grant them authorization to the dashboard.
Configuring Reports
If needed, the dashboard can export widgets in a report. These reports may be sent to specific users/groups in regular intervals. For this, a Word file with a table must be composed. The name of the to-be-exported widgets should be placed in the first cell.
${widget.nameofthewidget}
Firstly create a Word file with the structure displayed below.
By selecting 'Settings' in the dashboard menu and clicking the 'Configuration' button on the respective dashboard an automatically created report can be configured.
Switch into the tab 'Reports' and upload the previously generated Word file.
By clicking on the button 'Configure' of the specific report the user can configure the mail recipients and content as well as the interval to send the report.
Element | Description |
|---|---|
1 | Shows the subject of a generated mail. |
2 | Shows the content of a generated mail. |
3 | Activates or deactivates the report. |
4 | Shows the date on which the first report should be sent. |
5 | Shows how often the report should be sent, if activated. |
6 | Takes the time from the entry in the dashboard.properties. More under Generate Automatic Reports. |
7 | Recipients may be chosen from either users or groups. |
Generate Automatic Reports
In order to be able to send the reports automatically, the dashboard.properties must be configured. For this, the following values must be adjusted accordingly. ^ Name ^ Description ^ ^ timerInterval ^ How often i check should be run to see if a report is necessary | ^ timerIdentityName ^ User name that creates the corresponding entry in the EMail_queue (i.e. wiki/dashboard) | ^ timerIdentityPassword ^ The user password | ^ emailSender ^ Here, the engine with which the mails should be sent can be entered. | ^ morningReportHours ^ Gives the time (in hours) at which the report should be sent in the morning (the server time is used as a basis). A value of 10 means 10:00 o'clock | ^ eveningReportHours ^ Gives the time (in hours) at which the report should be sent in the evening (the server time is used as a basis).
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