Spreadsheet WEB includes advanced data visualization and dashboard features that enhance existing data collection, analysis and reporting features. Spreadsheet WEB users can create advanced dashboards through a user-friendly browser-based editor. The overall purpose is to make the data user-friendly in a dashboard environment where they can move and decide on which data is visible. It also allows users to see the data visually in the form of streamline charts that are constantly altered with the data.
A dashboard report can only be created for a database application. To create a new dashboard report, click on the Add Report link in the Spreadsheet WEB Control Panel on the menu to start the new report wizard.
In this screen, you have the choice to name your report as well as choose what type of report you would like to create.
Name of the Report: Provide a name of the report in this field.
Report Type: Choose Dashboard from the list to create your dashboard. Currently, there is only one selection “Dashboard Report”. Additional report types will be added in future versions of SpreadsheetWEB.
Linked File: Choose the SpreadsheetWEB database application for which the dashboard report will be created for. Note that only databases enabled in SpreadsheetWEB applications will be listed here.
Add to Group: Choose or create a group to which this report will belong to. Only members of that group will have access to your dashboard report.
Notes: Enter any necessary notes or comments you want to add to this report.
Edit Report: Click on this link to start editing your report or to create a new one.
Once all the fields are filled press the 'save' link and click on “click here to edit report” to start the new report for editing or creating. A new browser window will open. You can use menu items to create your dashboard. There are four menu items on SpreadsheetWEB dashboard report editor. They are File, Edit, Insert, and View.
Grid component is a tabular view of data. You can select which fields in your data to display in Grid window. You can add more than one Grid window in your dashboard report.
Insert/Edit Grid Screen: The Insert/Edit Grid Screen lets you choose the Available fields to be displayed in the Grid window. Choose the Fields you would like to see on the data grid in this screen and press Save.
Icon fields: You can also create an Icon field in the Grid window. Add Icon wizard works similar to conditional formatting in Microsoft Excel. Choose the name and Data field and define the icon, formula, value and logic for that defined name. Currently “<=”, “<”, and “=” formulae/operations are available. First select your data field, then select an icon-formula-value combination to create your Icon field. Note that you can select up to 5 icons for a given Icon field. As you enter formula-value combination, corresponding logic will be displayed under “Logic” column for easy viewing.
Press Save button after you complete entering icon fields. Grid window will list your Icon fields at the end of value fields.
Interactivity with data is an important aspect of dashboard reporting. User will need to be able to filter data using allowed input controls to drill down into the data. SpreadsheetWEB dashboard report supports adding filter controls into your dashboard.
From the main menu choose insert filter to bring out insert/edit popup window. Here you can choose a name for the filter, data it will apply on and the filter type. Depending on the field type you will be given a list of Filter Types to choose from:
Combo box
List box
Radio button
Check box
Slider
Text box
Note that note all options above will be available for a filter. For example, if the data field is numerical and there is a large variation in values, only slider and textbox will be offered as filter types. On the other hand if the field is not numerical and has small number of unique variables like month names, i.e. January, February,… then combobox and listbox will be offered as filter types.
Once the filter is applied it can be seen in the filter window using this you can manipulate the Data Grid according to what information you like to see.
Options for Filter Box are:
Clear all filters: Removes all the filters which are available to the report.
History: you can undo and redo your actions using the History Panel.
This is similar to creating pivot tables in Microsoft Excel. Standard formulas like Sum, Count, Averages are supported to aggregate data in pivot tables.
From the main menu choose Insert Pivot to start Insert / Edit Dialog.
In the Insert/Edit dialog box choose the rows and columns to create a pivot table and expression you like for e.g. Sum, Count, and Average. The concept of Rows and Columns are very similar to Pivot Tables in Microsoft Excel. You can use up/down arrow buttons to change the order of fields in Rows and Columns.
The data in Column fields will be aggregated with respect to selected Row fields as user expands and collapses while pressing +/- keys.
Spreadsheet Web Supports various chart types and associate them with data fields. Following chart types are supported:
Line chart
Bar chart
Area chart
Pie chart
Scatter chart
Polar chart
Bubble chart
On the main menu click on “Insert Chart” to start the Insert/Edit chart wizard.
First, user must select the chart type for e.g. Line Chart, Bar Chart etc. Depending on the chart type, other chart variables will automatically be updated.
Most chart types have x- and y-axis data field selections. Depending on the chart type and data types, chart window will display a list of data fields to choose from.
Group By and Expression fields can be used to aggregate data used for the chart. It allows visualizing data in three dimensional by normalizing the third dimension by an expression like Sum, Count, or Average.
Once all information is entered press Save button to create the chart.
Once all components are inserted, press Save button under File menu to save your dashboard report. Once saved, all users under the group selection of your dashboard report can view this report.
Once create, dashboard reports are listed on Applications tab like any other SpreadsheetWEB application. Dashboard reports are represented with a different icon:
Dashboard reports can be accessed in read-only and edit view. Pressing on dashboard report’s hyperlink will open the report in read-only view. It means that Menu items will not be available. However, pressing edit icon will open the dashboard in edit mode along with menu items to make changes and save.
Dashboard reports can only be accessed through a login page. Restricted access icon next to all dashboard reports represents this feature.