PhixFlow Help
Dashboard
This page covers:
Viewing and Using Dashboards
You can display the charts generated by stream views in dashboards. You can also generate some types of charts without using a dashboard. For example, you can view the contents of a stream set in a grid; see Stream Set List.
Chart type: Data Grid
A data grid displays the data in a table format. To open the properties for a data record in the grid, double-click on its row.
Details for an individual stream item can be viewed by double clicking on a row. This bring up the Stream Item Form with details of the Stream Item selected.
Chart buttons
Charts provides the standard grid icons.
They also provides the following icons:
Refresh the chart. | |
Select an existing (or predefined) Filter or create, delete and modify Filters. This causes the chart to refresh and display only those entries which match the selected Filter. | |
Select an existing (or predefined) multi-column Sort Order or create, delete and modify Sort Orders. Note that data is ordered across all records which are implied by the Filter, not just the current page of data. | |
Opens the download data form allowing the user to export just the selected items or all data on the chart as either an Excel file, a CSV (comma separated) file or as an HTML document. | |
Display the number of records in the data, and the number of records currently being displayed. |
Grid Context Menus
Right-click on a data grid to open the context menu. The options available depend on whether you right-click in the header row or in a grid row.
Header Context Menu
Sort Ascending | Sort the data in this grid by this column in ascending order (0 to 9, A to Z) |
Sort Descending | Sort the data in this grid by this column in descending order (9 to 0, Z to A) |
Freeze Column | Freeze the column to keep it visible when you scroll through the other columns. |
Unfreeze all Columns | Unfreeze all the columns so that the will all move if the grid is scrolled. |
Set Flex Column | Flex columns adjust their size automatically to fit the space. |
Hide this Column | Use these options to expand or collapse grid columns in a dashboard. Hidden columns do not appear in the grid. To re-show a hidden column, right-click any grid row and select Show Attributes for View <viewName> → Hide this column |
Show Hidden Columns |
Row Context Menu
Show Stream Item Details | Opens a window with all the information contained in that grid row |
Show Attributes for View <viewName> | Opens a list of all of the attributes (column headers) for this stream view. Attributes formatted in italics are present in the stream but are hidden in the grid. To change whether an attribute is hidden or visible, right-click the attribute and select Show this column or Hide this column. |
Configuring Dashboards
A dashboard allows you to gather into a single view a set of charts.
This grouping of related reports and statistics provides the users with pre-configured overviews of selected areas, making all the data that is required to view and monitor the health of the system both accessible and easy to read.
Any number of dashboards can be constructed by dragging predefined Stream Views onto a dashboard pane.
Things added to the dashboard in this way are known as dashboard elements. Dashboard elements are given short names which can then be used in expressions to refer to items selected in those Stream Views.
Dashboard Properties
The toolbar has the standard icons. For information about the sections Parent Details, Analysis Models, Description and Audit Summary, see Common Properties. For information about other property tabs, see Property Tabs.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Basic Settings | |
Name | The name of the dashboard. |
Open Maximised | If ticked, the dashboard opens fills the whole screen when it is opened. |
Allow User to Resize | If ticked, the user can change the size of the dashboard while in app mode. All designers can still change |
Show Toolbar | Show the toolbar on the dashboard. |
Always On Top | Always keep the dashboard on top. |
Keep Data | If ticked, the dashboard data is available and can be referenced even after the dashboard is closed. It can be used if the user wants to store global data available in the system. |
Preload | If ticked, PhixFlow preloads the dashboard as it is setting up. Preloading adds to PhixFlow's setup time. When the user then opens the dashboard, the layout displays immediately. The data itself may still take time to load. Use this option for dashboards that the user will always want to open when they use PhixFlow. |
Cache Locally | If ticked, PhixFlow does not preload the dashboard. Instead, when the user opens the dashboard for the first time, PhixFlow caches it on the client computer. When the user closes and reopens the dashboard, the layout loads immediately. The data itself may still loads from the server. Use this option for dashboards that a user may want to open. |
Dashboard Elements | |
A list of the dashboard elements on this dashboard. | |
Access Permissions | |
All Users Can View Data | If ticked, this specifies that all users can view this dashboard by default (provided they have the basic privilege to view dashboards). If this field is not checked, then access to the dashboard is controlled by dropping user groups in the the user group list. |
User Groups | |
A list of the user groups which can view this dashboard. This tab is only shown if All Users Can View Data is not selected. | |
Description | |
Description | Description of the dashboard. |
Form Icons
The form provides the standard form icons, as well as:
Display the dashboard. |
Configuration
Dashboards open locked by default (elements cannot be moved or edited and buttons carry out updates even in design mode). In design mode, right click on the dashboard area to unlock it. The previous locked status is remembered when switching back to design mode from app mode.
Splitter Bars
The Dashboard area can be divided into multiple, resizing panes by adding vertical or horizontal splitter bars. Right click the pane or any element on the pane to:
- Add Vertical Bar
- Add Horizontal Bar
Splitter bars can be removed by right clicking on an empty pane and selecting Delete Pane.
Add Element
An element can be added to a dashboard by dragging predefined Stream Views onto the dashboard pane.
Remove Element
You can remove an element from the dashboard by right clicking on the view and going to Dashboard Options → Remove Element From Dashboard
Link Dashboard Elements
You can link Dashboard views together so that the contents of one view are filtered based on items selected in a "Driver" view.
A grid view (grids only) will be automatically made a "Driver", if any of the filter expressions in any of the dashboard elements reference the view by name.
To make a Dashboard element dependent upon the Driver view, set it up with a Filter which uses at least one condition with an expression containing the drivers view name. i.e ACCTS. When the Filter is evaluated, the view name ACCTS notation will contain the rows selected on the Driver view. An example condition expression is:
AccountNum equals ACCTS.AccountNumber
Where AccountNumber is an Attribute on the Driver view.
Dashboard Element Properties
Stream views on a Dashboard have parameters like short names (aliases) which can be used in expressions when referring to items selected on those views, data range and filter which can be used to control the list of records shown by the Dashboard Chart. This form allows you to change those parameters from their default values, which are taken from the original view.
The following fields are configured on the form:
Field | Description |
---|---|
Name | Name of the dashboard element. |
Name of target | Name of the view underlying this dashboard element. |
Data Retrieval Options | |
Refresh If Not Active | If ticked, the dashboard will refresh even if not active (e.g. after the driving selection changes). Otherwise it will refresh as soon as it becomes active. |
Use Custom Data Range | Ticking the field allows to choose the different data range than is selected on the original view. |
Data Range | Range of Stream Sets which will be shown on the chart. The user can choose Latest Stream Set or All Stream Sets. |
Use Custom Default Filter | If you tick the checkbox, you can choose a default filter. This will override the default filter set in the original view, if one has been set. |
Default Filter | The default filter applies to this dashboard element. |
Refresh When Dashboard Refreshes? | Select one of:
|
Header Options | |
Display Export Button | Toggle the export button on the view in the dashboard |
Display Filter Button | Toggle the filter button on the view in the dashboard |
Display Paging Button | Toggle the paging button on the view in the dashboard |
Display Refresh Button | Toggle the refresh button on the view in the dashboard |
Display Sort Order Button | Toggle the sort order button on the view in the dashboard |
Background Filter Rules | |
Evaluate These Filter Rules as an Or | Ticking this field means that the background filter rules will be combined as an "or" filter as opposed to an "and" filter |
Background Filter Rules | A grid of background filter rules which are combined together (usually as an and conjunction) to create the background filter for the dashboard element |
Background Filter Rules have the Following attributes: | |
Rule Expression | The Expression for this Filter rule, if it evaluates to true then the filter associated with this filter rule will be used |
Filter | The Filter that will be used should the Rule Expression evaluate to true |
Order | The order in which the filter rules for this dashboard element will be evaluated |
Enabled | If not true, this filter will not be used |
Stop If True | If true and the Rule Expression evaluates to true then any subsequent filter rules will not evaluated |
Description | A Description of the filter rule |
Dashboard Context Menu
Right-click on a dashboard to display the context menu for it.
Menu option | Description |
---|---|
Unlock the Layout | When a layout or dashboard is locked, unlock to make changes. |
Lock the Layout | Lock a layout or dashboard to display the data content. |
Show Context Parameters | Open a window listing the context parameters. |
Add Vertical Bar | Add a vertical bar to the current area. |
Add Horizontal Bar | Add a horizontal bar to the current area. |
Create New Form | Create a new form in the current area. |
Show Palettes | Open the palette to drag in components. |
Show Dashboard Details | Open the properties tab for the dashboard. |
Turn auto size off/on | Toggle whether or not the currently selected component is automatically autosized when an application window is resized by the user. Using this option, or manually resizing a component may change the state of the Layout → Style Settings → Auto Size property. |
Show Attributes for <stream name> | Open the list of attributes for the stream. This option is available when a dashboard has a backing stream. |
Show Attributes for <view name> | Open the list of attributes for the stream view. This option is available when a dashboard has a backing view as well as a backing stream |
Please let us know if we could improve this page feedback@phixflow.com