A user can create a dashboard with interlinked charts or with options to select a single country, company, or another indicator, and have all charts refresh to feature that information. We refer to this as Parameterization, the linkage of charts (aka gadgets) based on a selected parameter that is shared among them. In this article, you'll find:
- How to set up filter (parametrization) in the dashboard
- How to use dynamic chart titles that auto adjust
- How to filter based on calculated variables
How to set up parametrization
By parameterizing a dashboard or select visualizations within a dashboard, users can change the selection in this dimension and see different results. For example, if you parameterize a page based on the location, users may change the default country selection and the chart will refresh to feature the newly selected country. To parameterize a full dashboard or a set of visualizations within the dashboard:
- Open your dashboard in edit mode.
- Click the Parameterize link in the action bar along the top of the page. Select gadget you want to parametrize. The site opens the 'Choose Parameter' dialog box.
Note: there is a green question mark icon. Click it to view a step-by-step guide!
- Select the parameter (e.g. the dimension) that will be the variable by which a user can adjust the charts.
Note: If you plan to parameterize a dashboard that includes charts with indicators that you calculated in the formula editor, you must parametrize based on a dimension that does not include the calculation, otherwise, you'll break calculation added.
- Specify a name for the parameter by clicking on the name again from the top of the page.
- Choose the Display all members option if you want the parameter to show all available elements regardless of whether data is available; choose Restrict to selected members to define a custom list of elements to be available to users.
- Click Save to apply changes.
Once you save the parameterized page, the site adds a drop-down menu at the top of the page. Select a new element for the parameterized dimension by choosing a value from this drop-down menu. All the gadgets on the page that you linked via the parameterization feature will refresh automatically to show the data for the new selection.
After you save the dashboard, the default item will be selected in the drop-down list each time the dashboard is opened. To change the default item, just select a new item from the list while editing the dashboard and save it.
How to use dynamic chart titles that auto adjust
When using filter (parametrization) in a dashboard, the content of visualizations becomes dynamic. So, it is usefult to make chart titles dynamic as well so that they automatically adjust based on the item selected and always correctly reflect the content.
To make chart titls dymanic, use curly brackets {} with dimension name inside them. Dimension names appear in the "Dimension Filter" tab of the chart editor.
Once you save the title by hitting "Enter", dimension names inside curly brackets will be replaced with names of items selected in these dimensions.
Now, if you change an element in the drop-down list, the title of a chart will change automatically.
How to filter based on calculated variables
There is a possibility to use calculated items as filters (parameters) in a dashboard. So, if you have several calculated items shown in one chart and link this chart to another one, then clicking a calculated item in the former will show the same item in the latter.
In the example below, score card at the top contains indicators which are calculated. The scorecard is linked to the two charts below. So, once you click one of the calculated variables in the scorecard, it will appear in both charts without the need to create the same calculation for the charts separately.
To check if a chart has calculated elements, you need to edit it and open "Dimension Filter" tab. If an item contains a calculation/formula, it is indicated by a green "F" letter as shown below.