+ All Categories
Home > Documents > How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

Date post: 27-Nov-2014
Category:
Upload: musafir7777
View: 83 times
Download: 7 times
Share this document with a friend
34
How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer This paper will illustrate how to build Dashboard (reports, charts) from Excel Spreadsheet. The data file is also provided so you can follow the steps. http://www.infocaptor.com CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 1/34
Transcript
Page 1: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard DesignerThis paper will illustrate how to build Dashboard (reports, charts) from Excel Spreadsheet. The data file is also provided so you can follow the steps.

http://www.infocaptor.com

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 1/34

Page 2: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

How to build Dashboard (reports, charts) from Excel Spreadsheet.........................................................................3This is the sample Excel Spreadsheet test_data.xls............................................................................................. 3Launch InfoCaptor............................................................................................................................................... 4Connect to the Excel file......................................................................................................................................5Create your first Dashboard................................................................................................................................. 6Add content to your new Dashboard................................................................................................................... 7

Syntax for Querying Excel Worksheets...........................................................................................................7Your first Portlet (Qlet ).......................................................................................................................................7Portlet Customizations......................................................................................................................................... 9Create Summary Portlets................................................................................................................................... 10

By Region...................................................................................................................................................... 10By Product Category......................................................................................................................................10By Channel.....................................................................................................................................................11

Create Pie Chart (Glet).......................................................................................................................................12Add Parameters..................................................................................................................................................18

Year Parameter...............................................................................................................................................18Link the Parameters to Portlet............................................................................................................................22

By Region...................................................................................................................................................... 25By Channel.....................................................................................................................................................25By Product Category......................................................................................................................................25Top Countries.................................................................................................................................................25By Period....................................................................................................................................................... 25

Dynamic Refresh of Dashboard when changing Parameter.............................................................................. 26The Dashboard So Far....................................................................................................................................... 29Create Drills – Drill from one portlet to another............................................................................................... 29

Important Information............................................................................................................................................34Column Names...................................................................................................................................................34Connection problems? ...................................................................................................................................... 34

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 2/34

Page 3: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

How to build Dashboard (reports, charts) from Excel Spreadsheet

For practice, you can download this excel spreadsheet and use the same SQL code in this document.All of the SQL code that is highlighted in Yellow can be selected and copied using the Acrobat select option

Did you download InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer? If not, then it is a good idea to have it installed so you can follow the steps easily.

This is the sample Excel Spreadsheet test_data.xls

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 3/34

Page 4: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Launch InfoCaptor

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 4/34

Page 5: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Connect to the Excel file

If the path of the Excel file is “c:\files\data.xls” then use “\\” , result c:\\files\\data.xlsIn this case the file to be used is “d:\\test_data.xls”.

Select “Excel File – sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver” from the Driver list.

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 5/34

Page 6: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Create your first Dashboard

• Click on the “New Dashboard” button (yellow highlight)• Enter the desired dashboard name (green highlight)• Click OK (blue highlight) – It creates an empty dashboard as shown below

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 6/34

Page 7: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Add content to your new Dashboard

Syntax for Querying Excel Worksheets• Each worksheet in Excel file is treated like a SQL table• The worksheet is referenced as [worksheet name$]• You can perform normal SQL selects on this table

Your first Portlet (Qlet )Lets create the first portletWe will show the complete file in the portlet using below query“Select * from [detail_data$] {detail data is one of the worksheet in the test_data.xls file}

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 7/34

Page 8: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

• Click on the “New Qlet” button or select Create Query Portlet from Menu bar• In the property window as shown above, enter the Qlet Name • Select the Connection • Enter you query in the text editor • Click on the Apply button

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 8/34

Page 9: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Portlet CustomizationsOnce your portlet is visible, you can change the cosmetic features such as colors and fonts, increase/decrease column widths, change the location of the portlet and resize the portlet.

We just changed the column colors. CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 9/34

Page 10: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Create Summary PortletsUsing the same data, we can create any slice of data by grouping the numbers by any column. Click on the new Qlet button and type the following query

By Regionselect country_region, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by country_regionorder by 3 desc

“order by 3 desc” tells to sort by the third column in descending order. You can also mention the sort this way “order by sum(amount_sold) desc” or “order by sum(amount_sold) asc” for ascending

We will add few more portlets as shown below.

By Product Category

select prod_category, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by prod_categoryorder by sum(amount_sold) desc

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 10/34

Page 11: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

By Channelselect channel_class, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by channel_classorder by sum(amount_sold) desc

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 11/34

Page 12: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard DesignerBy Now the dashboard should be getting crowded

But what is a dashboard without charts? Lets add some colors to it with charts.

Create Pie Chart (Glet)We will convert each of the above queries into Pie chart. For a pie chart we just need two columns, the first column becomes the base on which the pie sections are named after and the second column is the numeric column that decides the pie size for each section.Since we have three columns in all of the above queries, we will pick the first and the second column.

• Click on the New Chart button • Enter the name of the Glet• Select the Chart Type (2d Pie or 3d Pie)• Enter the following query

select country_region, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by country_regionorder by 3 desc

• Click Apply

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 12/34

Page 13: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

We don’t need the order by clause for a pie chart. You can select “pie” , “Pie 3d” or “Ring” from the drop down.Here is the 3D pie version

Here is the “Ring” version

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 13/34

Page 14: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Similarly lets create other pie chartsBy Product Category Pie chartselect prod_category, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by prod_category

By Channel Classselect channel_class, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by channel_class

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 14/34

Page 15: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Your dashboard should look something like this

As you see the portlets are randomly placed and sized. We will take care of the placement and sizing later. Lets add few more stuff to the dashboard.

Now we add a Bar chart

Top Countriesselect country_name, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by country_nameorder by sum(quantity_sold) desc

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 15/34

Page 16: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

We select the “Chart Type = Bar”, enter the query and hit “Full Apply”

The bar chart is displayed but there are few ugly things. The labels on the X-Axis are overlapping, we need proper names for the X and Y axes and what if we just need to see the “Top 5 Countries”?

As you see, we changed the Max Rows=5 which limits the bar chart to top 5 countries. We changed the X Axis label = Country, Y Axis label = Quantity Sold and finally we set the x Axis label angle to 30 degrees

Lets add another bar chart by MonthBy Periodselect calendar_month_name, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by calendar_month_name

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 16/34

Page 17: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Now we align and re-size the portletsClick on Menu Edit Show Grid. Drag the borders of each portlet and resize them as you see fit

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 17/34

Page 18: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Now that our dashboard is almost ready, we will add some parameters and make it more user friendly.

Add Parameters

Year ParameterClick on the new parameter button or from the menu select Create Parameter

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 18/34

Page 19: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

• Enter “Year” as the parameter name • In the “Display Column” type “distinct fiscal_year” • In the text editor type the worksheet name “FROM [detail_data$]”• Click on “Fully Apply”

•• The above is the result list of values• The list of value is showing a decimal value, this is because of the Excel formatting.

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 19/34

Page 20: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

• Change the query to add a condition as below. We will use the TRIM function (if you list of values shows a null value then also add a where condition to remove null value e.g “where fiscal_year <> ‘null’ “)

Similarly lets add the region parameterRegion Parameter

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 20/34

Page 21: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

For this parameter we have enabled the “All Values”. We also added ‘country_region’ in the (ID1) Internal Column1 property. This is needed in order for ‘All Values’ to work.

Now we need to wire all the portlets to the above two parameters.

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 21/34

Page 22: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Link the Parameters to PortletRight now the parameters and the portlets are independent. In order to link the tables and charts to the parameter we need to modify the SQL queries for each portlet (table and chart). Select the ‘By Region’ and Edit it.

• The current query is select country_region, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]group by country_regionorder by 3 desc

• Just after [detail_data$], hit ‘Enter or return key’ to create a new line below• Type and fiscal_year = , then right click just after the ‘=’ sign• A list of all ‘Parameters’ is made visible.

• Select the ‘Year (p33) parameter, a sub-menu will popup• Select ‘p33: Get Display >/*distinct TRIM(fiscal_year)*/• p33 is the internal Identifier for the ‘Year’ parameter•• Once you select ‘p33: Get Display >/*distinct TRIM(fiscal_year)*/’, the query should be as shown

belowselect country_region, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = 'G_PARAM<p33:Display>' /*distincttrim(fiscal_year)*/ group by country_regionorder by 3 desc

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 22/34

Page 23: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

• Since “Year” is a numeric value, we will remove the quotes around G_PARAM<p33:Display> and remove the string /*distinct TRIM(fiscal_year)*/. So the final query looks as shown below

select country_region, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = G_PARAM<p33:Display>group by country_regionorder by 3 desc

• The code G_PARAM<p33:Display> is an instruction to pick the current value of the “Year” parameter identified by id = p33 and get the Display Value

• When you click on ‘Full Apply’, the SQL query is dynamically reconstructed at run time to use the parameter value. If you go to menu Run Display Log, click on ‘Log Enabled’ button, refresh the chart and go back to the Display Log, you will see the modified query as it is submitted.

• Similarly we add the condition for the ‘Region’ parameter

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 23/34

Page 24: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

• For the “Region” we include a LIKE operator. Since we have enabled ‘All Values’ in the region parameter, the ‘All Values’ internally passes a ‘%’ character in the ‘ID1’ field, i.e if you select ‘All Values’ in the region parameter then the ‘G_PARAM<p34:ID1>’ will contain a value of ‘%’, in all other cases it will contain the actual country region.

• Here is the log display with ‘All Values’

••• We will apply the above conditions to all the portlets. The resultant queries are as below

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 24/34

Page 25: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

By Regionselect country_region, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = G_PARAM<p33:Display>and country_region like 'G_PARAM<p34:ID1>' group by country_regionorder by 3 desc

By Channelselect channel_class, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = G_PARAM<p33:Display>and country_region like 'G_PARAM<p34:ID1>' group by channel_class

By Product Categoryselect prod_category, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = G_PARAM<p33:Display>and country_region like 'G_PARAM<p34:ID1>' group by prod_categoryorder by sum(amount_sold) desc

Top Countriesselect country_name, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = G_PARAM<p33:Display>and country_region like 'G_PARAM<p34:ID1>' group by country_nameorder by sum(quantity_sold) desc

By Periodselect calendar_month_name, sum(quantity_sold) as qty_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = G_PARAM<p33:Display>and country_region like 'G_PARAM<p34:ID1>' group by calendar_month_name

• When you change any of the parameters, you need to click on the ‘Refresh Dashboard’ button. This action refreshes the full dashboard.

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 25/34

Page 26: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Having to click on the ‘Refresh button’ everytime you change the parameter is little tedious. So is there a way where the dashboard refreshes automatically whenever there is a change in parameter?

Absolutely! Infact, you can control which portlet gets refreshed for any particular parameter change.

Dynamic Refresh of Dashboard when changing ParameterFirst take a note of the internal identifiers for each of the Graph portlet and Query portlets.

When you click on any portlet, the internal ID is displayed at the bottom in the status bar

The internal ID for ‘By Region’ portlet is = ‘q32’.

Now we will add a trigger in the ‘Year’ parameter to refresh ‘By Region’ whenever the user changes or selects a year value

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 26/34

Page 27: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

As shown above, edit the ‘Year’ parameter (right click on ‘Year’ title, select ‘Edit’)Set “Run Dynamic Java Script” = ‘Y’ Click on the ‘Dynamic Java Script Editor’Type the following command “//<REFRESH_LIST>q32</REFRESH_LIST>

You can refresh more than one portlet by adding the portlet id separated by comma e.g. “//<REFRESH_LIST>q32,q34,g35</REFRESH_LIST>

Now if you need to refresh all the portlets then there is an easy shortcutJust type “//<REFRESH_LIST>ALL</REFRESH_LIST> NOTE: “ALL” is in Caps

Similarly, add the trigger command to the ‘Region’ parameter

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 27/34

Page 28: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 28/34

Page 29: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

The Dashboard So Far

Create Drills – Drill from one portlet to anotherWe will create a drill from the “By Region” portlet to a detail level by ‘By Region and Country’. So this detail level will tell us How is the Sales distributed among different countries for each ‘Region’

We need to create a new Qlet with the following SQL queryselect country_region, country_name,sum(quantity_sold) as qty_sold,sum(amount_sold) as amt_soldfrom [detail_data$]where fiscal_year = G_PARAM<p33:Display>and country_region = 'param<Region Name,Asia>'group by country_region,country_nameorder by 3 desc

In the above code, we introduced a new element which is called as Portlet Filters. Each portlet filter is defined using the following syntax [‘param<Filter name, default filter value>’]. The quotes at the beginning and end of the filter definition are needed if the column (in this case pldesc) is character. If the filter is against a numeric column then you don’t need the quotes.

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 29/34

Page 30: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

• Once you click ‘Apply’, it prompts you to enter the Filter value

• We can type any value in the ‘Region Name’ or just accept the default ‘Asia’ value. • Click on ‘Apply’. The portlet is refreshed and the results are as shown below.

•CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 30/34

Page 31: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

• Now focus on the ‘By Region’ Qlet• Right click on the first column i.e. on any cell in the ‘Country Region’ column

••

• Switch to the Drill Settings Tab as shown here

• Click on the ‘Add’ button. Enter ‘Drill Name’, Select ‘Drill Into’ as ‘By Region and Country’

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 31/34

Page 32: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

•• Once you select the ‘Drill Into’ value as ‘By Region and Country’, the Parameter region will show the

available parameters.• Click on the values region and a drop down will appear. This is the list of available columns from the

‘By Region’ Qlet which is the parent Qlet.• Select the ‘Country_region’ value• Click on ‘Done and Close’• Click on ‘Close’ on the Drill Settings tab• Refresh the ‘By Regions’ Qlet and you will see the ‘Drill’ indicator on the ‘Country Region’ column

•• Right click on any cell on the PL column

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 32/34

Page 33: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

•• Select ‘Get Details by Country’• The child Qlet is refreshed and the drill value is displayed

• This completes the Drill definition and testing.

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 33/34

Page 34: How to Build Dashboard Using Excel

How to build Dashboard using Excel data with InfoCaptor Dashboard Designer

Important Information

Column Names• The first row of the Excel file is assumed to be the Column names.• Its good idea to not have spaces in your column names. For e.g If possible convert a column name like

Account Balance to “Account_Balance”. This way you can directly refer the column name in your SQL query. Alternatively, If you have blank spaces in between words in your Column name then put them in double quotes “Account Balance” , For e.g. Select sum(“Account Balance”) from [sheet1$]

Connection problems? If your excel file “C:\\test_data.xls” is open in Excel, you cannot connect using InfoCaptor. Similarly if your Excel file is connected through InfoCaptor then you may not open it in Excel, you may lose your connection.

CopyRight RudraSoft LLC http://www.infocaptor.com 34/34


Recommended