Building SharePoint Dashboards

Susan Lennon MCITP (SharePoint Administrator 2010, DataBase Administration), MCSD.NETsusanlennonmct@hotmail.comTwitter: susanlennonBlog: http://wss.LennonTechnologies.com/blog

SharePoint Saturday, New York CityJuly 31, 2010

Agenda

Discuss dashboards and terminologyResources (Images, fonts, libraries)Methods to build dashboards

Using Content Editor Web Parts and Calculated Columns to build a dashboardUsing SharePoint Designer to build a dashboard

Links and questions

Why Build Dashboards?Our bosses LOVE them!

Right Information, Right Time, Right Format

Provides similar capabilities that more expensive products

include; e.g. Performance Point or MOSS Enterprise (KPIs or

BDC); i.e. these methods work in both Windows SharePoint

Services and MOSS Standard

Dashboard is a web page containing Scorecards

Scorecards are web parts (for SharePoint) that contain KPIs

KPI is a Key Performance Indicator – a single metric or

value that is often represented graphically; e.g. red or

green stoplight, thumbs up or down, happy or sad face

Online Samples

Use Images from _Layouts folder

Online Color Reference

WingDing and Web Ding Fonts with Calculated Columns

Online tool for Calculated Columns with embedded HTML

Dashboard Methods

Can use embedded HTML within calculated columns to display graphics

Only works for SharePoint lists

Can use SPD and Data Form Web Parts with conditional formatting

Also works for XML, web services, databases within network, RSS

Use Wingding fonts can provide different looks (e.g. l t n C D ) – see WingDings document

Using Calculated Columns to Build Dashboards

Add calculated column(s) to SharePoint list – building HTML strings (usually based upon other columns)

Can use SharePoint Designer (SPD) to build a workflow that updates column if calculated column does not provide enough capability

Need “special” JavaScript (see PowerPoint Notes) to render HTML on a web part page

JavaScript must be BELOW the list view web part Store JavaScript in Document Library (reusability, versioning, auditing) and refer to in a Content Editor Web Part (CEWP)

Start with a simple SharePoint listOptionally, add a calculated SharePoint column, usually based upon another SharePoint column of type choice – this technique puts some of the control back in the hands of the end userCreate a webpart page – within an existing document library (best practice – in Sandbox DL)Use SharePoint Designer (SPD) and Data Form Web Part to create dashboard view of list with conditional formattingOptionally, use special fonts to create symbols Can add legends above or below dashboard using out of the box (OOB) Content Editor Web Part (CEWP)Data Form Web Part can be exported and used as a web part elsewhere in the site

Using SharePoint Designer (SPD) to Build Dashboards

Data Views: Access to Data

Improved OOB support for: Lists, SQL, OLEDB, XML, SOAP Services, Server Scripts, RSS, Business Data Catalog (w/Office SharePoint Server)

NewCombine data from multiple sources into single views

NewFully extensible ASP.NET Data Source control model

Methods to Spice-up a DFWP with SharePoint Designer (SPD)

Add a Data Form Web Part (DFWP) to a Web Part Page by either:

a) Dragging a data source into a web part zone, or

b) From the data menu select Insert Data View

Any rows or columns can be formatted with Conditional Formatting (e.g. Red if negative, Black if positive)

Images can be shown or hidden with conditional formatting

Bar charts can be built using CSS

Create a Document Library to store web part pages

Create a Web Part Page in the Document Library

Open web part page in SPD

Insert Data View into a Web Part Zone

Once DVWP is on page, can choose columns (or add columns) to apply conditional formatting

Export Data View Web Part as DWP to use elsewhere on site

Resourceshttp://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointtechnology/CH100650061033.aspx

http://applestooranges.com/blog/post/css-for-bar-graphs/?id=55

http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdesigner/archive/2008/06/27/css-style-bar-gr

aphs-using-data-views.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdesigner/Default.aspx?p=2

http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdesigner/archive/2007/04/24/spdatasource-a

nd-rollups-with-the-data-view.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdesigner/archive/2008/02/25/filtering-and-for

matting-with-date-values.aspx

http://pathtosharepoint.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/color-coding-more-exampl

es/#comment-1180

http://pathtosharepoint.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/live-demo-jquery-sparkline

s/

Resources (continued)http://www.bitsofsharepoint.com/ExamplePoint/Site/StatusProgressBar.aspx

http://www.bitsofsharepoint.com/ExamplePoint/Site/SharePointLayoutImages.aspx

http://www.pathtosharepoint.com/sharepoint-user-toolkit/Pages/Color-Coding-Calendar-List.aspx

http://pathtosharepoint.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/using-calculated-columns-to-write-html/ 

http://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_colornames.asp

http://www.endusersharepoint.com/2009/10/29/visualizing-information-in-sharepoint-demo-02-five-solutions/

Questions?Coordinator of

Hampton Roads SQL Server and SharePoint User Group in Virginia Beach, VA http://www.hrssug.org

DOD SharePoint User Grouphttps://www.fleetforces.navy.mil/communities/spug

Susan’s blog –http://wss.LennonTechnologies.com/blogemail: SusanLennonMCT@Hotmail.com Twitter ID: SusanLennon