By the end of this section you will be able to:

• Create a dashboard
• Apply filters on dashboard charts
• Apply sort orders on dashboard grids

Create a new dashboard

• In the repository browser, find - Dashboards
• Press  - Add Dashboard
• Set the dashboard name to Debt Overview
• Press 
• Drag your view Debt levels by payment means onto the dashboard pane
• Right click on the chart Debt levels by payment means in the dashboard and select Dashboard Options → Add Horizontal Bar
• Drag Debt levels by payment means 2 into the space
• Right click on the chart Debt levels by payment means in the dashboard and select Dashboard Options → Add Vertical Bar
• Drag Debt overview by payment means into the space
• Press Dashboard Options → Lock the layout to see the resulting dashboard

Remove dashboard elements

• Open the dashboard Debt Overview
• Right click on any view and select Unlock the layout
  

You decide that you want to see, instead of Debt levels by payment means 2, two versions of Debt levels by payment means – one with all records, one with only records for the last 40 days.
You first need to remove Debt levels by payment means 2:

• Right click on Debt levels by payment means 2 in the dashboard and select Dashboard Options → Remove Element from Dashboard

Add view

• Drag Debt levels by payment means into the space on your dashboard
• Press Dashboard Options → Lock the layout to see the resulting dashboard

Set dashboard to maximise on opening

Set your dashboard to that it automatically maximises when it is opened:

• Right click on any view in the dashboard and go to Dashboard Options → Show Dashboard Details
• In the dashboard configuration form, tick Open Maximised
• Close and open the dashboard, it will now be maximised

Apply filters on dashboards

You will now filter one of the views Debt levels by payment means to show only the last 40 days:

• Open the dashboard element details for the view:
  • Go to the copy of Debt levels by payment means in the top left hand corner
  • Right click on the view and go to Dashboard Options → Show Element Details
  • Tick the flag Use Custom Default Filter
  • Select the filter Last 40 days
  • Press OK

Using background filters

Over the next two exercises you will create a dashboard that supports investigation into debt issues. First, you will create a view with a background filter:

• Open the configuration form for the view Overall Debt Levels
• Set the Background Filter to Last 40 days
• Save your changes to the view
• Create a new dashboard, called Debt Investigation
• Drag the view Overall Debt Levels onto it
• You will see that the data appears with the filter Last 40 days applied, to check this:
  • Press - this will show that only 102 records are now shown
• Add a new filter:
  • Name: Cash Only
  • Conditions: PaymentMeans equals CASH
• The resulting data set will contain records with PaymentMeans = CASH and within the last 40 days (34 records showing)

To verify this, open the Default View on the stream Overall Debt Levels and apply the Cash Only filter; all CASH rows will be shown (100 records)

Using prompt for value filters

To complete the dashboard for investigating debt issues, you will now create a filter that will allow users to enter a value in a pop up form:

• Add a filter to the view Overall Debt Levels on the dashboard Debt Investigation:
  • Name: select Payment Means
  • Conditions:
    • Where ALL the following are true
      • PaymentMeans equals _prompt.PaymentMeans
      • Press the ABC button - this will now say fx
  • When you have completed all these details press 
• A form will pop up prompting you to enter a value – type in CHQ and press OK
• The data will refresh to show entries for payment means CHQ (34 records showing)

Every time that this dashboard is opened the user will be prompted to enter a value. If you enter a value and want to change this, you can re-select the filter and you will be prompted to enter a new value.