Design, filter, sort, save, and publish your reports using several interactive menus displayed at the top of the screen. These only become active once you have selected a dataset.
Navigating through each menu tab
Clicking each tab takes you to a particular editor screen. The arrows on each side of the toolbar provide the same navigation.
Display
Use the Display tab to choose how to display your data. There are four display types available.
(1) Data Search: Ideal for finding and displaying individual data, this type allows you to define how many rows of data to display per page (10 is default), and also to output the results to an Excel spreadsheet.
(2) Data Search with Totals: This is used for calculating sub-total and grand total information. Options from this menu allow you to show totals and data details, and output to an Excel spreadsheet. This display type works in conjunction with the Dimensions tab to control how exactly to sub-total the data.
(3) Pivot Table: Pivot tables help you reorganize and summarize selected columns and rows of data; this display type allows you to drill down into your data. This display type works in conjunction with the Dimensions tab. This display type allows you to have a dimension at the column level, as shown below.
(4) Visualization: Choose from one of several chart types available, and customize labels, text, themes and other visual properties for each. Use the Dimensions tab if you would like to graph data at a subtotal level. Use the available option tabs to the far right of the Selected Display Options screen to configure labeling and other text that appears on your charts and graphs.
Dimensions
The Dimensions tab allows you to specify how a dataset should subtotal results. For example, you can design a report using the Message dataset, further broken down by document direction and type. Another example might be to break down selected data by year or quarter.
- When working with a Pivot display, you can drag and drop available dimensions into either Selected Row or Column Dimensions.
- To remove a dimension from a selected row or column, just drag the selection back to Available Dimensions.
Note: Dimension functionality is not available with the Data Search display type.
Columns
The Columns tab lets you choose which columns to include in your design. Columns are specific to your selected dataset.
Once selected, a column can be further customized by:
- renaming the column (For example, edit "Interchange Control Number" to "ICN")
- hiding the column (removing it as an option for the design process)
- sorting the data by clicking a column header
- re-organizing column sequence by dragging and dropping it from within the output.
You can see how the design appears at the bottom of your screen as you select and customize columns.
Date and Status columns
Several datasets contain Date and Status columns. By default, the date appears in epoch format, whereas status is a numeric code (circled below). To make this data appear more user-friendly, use the StatusCal and DateCal columns instead, as highlighted below. You can also rename them to status and date.
Counter column
A current known issue requires the use of the counter column in order for charts and other Visualization display types to display. If this column appears in the selected dataset, and you wish to use a chart or graph, then you must include.
Filters
The Filters tab allows you to use columns to filter data within your design. All columns within the selected dataset are available for filtering, even those not selected from the Columns tab.
Before using a filter, it must be created and configured; note that all fields are required.
This example shows a filter set to return any results in the “TP” column containing “Acme”.
Multiple filters can be created and used; the And/Or menu is used accordingly. For example, there could be two filters for a “PO” column based on the different values (105, 106). The filters would appear as:
- PO equal to 105 or
- PO equal to 106
Calcs
The Calcs tab allows you to create your own column based on equations that you specify at runtime. Examples of how to use this function might be to concatenate data from two columns into another column or to manipulate your data to display certain statuses based on IF statements.
To create a calculation:
- Click Create New Calculation
- Add a Description. This will be the column header that appears in your design.
- To enter the expression, select a column from the drop-down list and click Add. Only columns you’ve selected within this design will be available. Use the available buttons to create your expression, or write the expression using basic/standard formula logic.
For more complicated equations, use IF, AND, and OR statements. The logic is modeled after similar spreadsheet functionality.
An example
Manipulate your data so that whenever a certain Trading Partner (Acme) appears AND also has an order quantity greater than (or equal to) a particular value, then automatically create a column called “Action To Take”, and either display “Process Immediately” or “Hold” for any other trading partner (or for a quantity less than the same value). The calculation would look like:
IF(AND(${TP}>=”Acme”, ${QTY}>=10000,’Process Immediately’,’Hold for Approval’)Here it is shown in the expression field.
Options
The Options tab allows you to save or share the design you’ve created.
- When saved, your design will be available from the Load Saved Design option (when selecting datasets). When selecting the Public checkbox, then the loaded design will be available to other users set up to view your data sets.
- Sharing allows you to copy the report link and send via e-mail.
Dashboards
The Dashboards tab allows you to add a Visualization display type to an available Dashboard container. This container must first be created from this menu, which includes providing a title and description. In the example below, two Dashboards have been created.
Once created, you can then add existing views (designs) to a Dashboard. You must first open the Dashboard by clicking the Add To or Launch Dashboard buttons. Options include:
- Add visualization to a specific area: places the design on one of the container grids
- Configure Dashboard Layout: determines how many grids will be available
- Save as Default Layout: saves the above configuration for future dashboards
- Reset Dashboard: removes the above default layout configuration
- Open a Dashboard: opens another dashboard
- Share Dashboard: provides a link to the dashboard that can be emailed, shared, etc.
Below is an example of a custom Dashboard container with three different views.
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