Dashboards

Overview

Dashboards provide a configurable visual interface for displaying key information, navigation shortcuts, reports, and external content. They can be added to application homepages or used within individual applications to provide users with a centralised view of important data and functionality.

• Key Benefits
• Creating a Dashboard
• Dashboard Properties
• Dashboard Tile Types

Dashboards are built using a tile-based layout, allowing different content types to be combined on a single page. Each tile can be configured to display a specific type of content, including reports, images, actions, templates, and embedded external content.

Key Benefits

Easy Navigation: Dashboards can feature buttons that act as shortcuts, leading you directly to specific pages. This streamlines the navigation process, making it more user-friendly and efficient.

Visual Insights: With the inclusion of images, particularly graphs, dashboards provide a visual summary of the application or site's performance. This makes data interpretation quicker and more intuitive, especially for those who prefer a visual representation over raw data.

Click-Through Reports: This feature directs you to a pre-filtered Table Report. It eliminates the need for you to manually sift and filter data, saving you time and ensuring you get the exact view you're seeking.

Comprehensive Overview: One of the standout benefits of a dashboard is its ability to display multiple reports on a single page. This allows for a holistic executive overview, facilitating easy visibilty across different data sets or metrics.

Interactive Reporting: The reports within a dashboard are dynamic. For instance, in bar and column charts, you have the option to click on specific sections, enabling or disabling them as per your requirements. This interactivity ensures that you get a tailored view, focusing on the metrics that matter most to you.

Flexible Layouts: Dashboards aren't one-size-fits-all. They can be customized to feature various layouts, utilising a 9 by 9 grid structure. This flexibility ensures that the dashboard aligns perfectly with your informational needs and aesthetic preferences.

Creating a Dashboard

To create a new dashboard got to the home area in App Studio:

1. Select the Dashboards folder from the left-hand navigation menu.
2. Select Add Dashboard from the banner toolbar.
3. Configure the dashboard properties and tile layout.
4. Add and configure the required dashboard tiles.

The dashboard configuration screen allows you to define the dashboard appearance, layout, availability, and content.

Dashboard Properties

Title 

The Title defines the display name of the dashboard.

The title is used:

• As the page heading when users view the dashboard.
• As the dashboard name when selecting it for a Homepage or Report.

Identifier

The Identifier is the system reference used to identify the dashboard.

By default, the identifier is generated from the dashboard title by:

• Removing spaces.
• Removing special characters.

The identifier must:

• Contain a minimum of three characters.
• Only contain letters and numbers.
• Begin with a letter.

The identifier is visible within the dashboard URL.

Layout Type

The Layout Type determines the number of rows and columns available within the dashboard grid.

For example:

The selected layout determines how many tiles can be added and how dashboard content is arranged.

Is Global?

The Is Global? setting determines where the dashboard can be used and whether it can display data from multiple applications.

Global Dashboard

When Is Global? is enabled:

• The dashboard can contain tiles from multiple applications.
• The dashboard can be selected as a Homepage.
• Tiles can display information from different applications.

Application-Level Dashboard

When Is Global? is disabled:

• The dashboard is available for selection within Reports at application level.
• All tile content must come from a single application.
• The dashboard will only display within that application.

Dashboard Tile Types

Each dashboard tile can display different types of content. Select the required tile type using the icons at the top of the tile configuration area.

Available tile types include:

• Use Empty
• Use Image
• Use App Report
• Use Matrix Report
• Use App Level Template
• Use Action
• Use iFrame

Note: If the dashboard is not configured as global, all tile content must originate from the same application.

Use Empty

Dashboard tiles with the Grid can be empty. There are two distinct options for an empty tile

• Empty - This will display the tile but with no conent

• Hide - The tile will not display and so the other columns in that row will expand to fill the extra space available

Use Image

Image tiles allow static images to be displayed within a dashboard.

Images can be added using one of the following methods:

• Entering an image URL.
• Selecting an existing image asset.
• Uploading a new image asset.

Selecting Upload New Asset opens the image upload panel, allowing a new image to be added and used within the tile.

Use App Report

App Report tiles display an existing report from an application.

To configure an App Report tile:

1. Select the application containing the report.
2. Select the required report.

Use Matrix Report

Matrix Report tiles display an existing matrix from an application.

To configure a Matrix Report tile:

1. Select the application containing the matrix report.
2. Select the required matrix report.

Use App Level Template

App Level Template tiles display App Level Templates. These are templates designed to provide summary information by displaying fields of the type Aggregate Field.

Aggregate Fields perform calculations across multiple records within an application, allowing dashboards to display consolidated metrics.

To configure an App Level Template:

1. Select the application containing the template.
2. Select the required template.

Use Action

Action tiles allow users to execute predefined application actions directly from the dashboard.

Before adding an Action tile:

1. Create the required Action within an application.
2. Configure the action behaviour, such as:
   • Opening a Record Add screen.
   • Navigating to a report.
   • Launching another application function.

To configure the tile:

1. Select the application containing the action.
2. Select the required Action field.

Use iFrame

iFrame tiles allow external content to be displayed within a dashboard.

Common uses include embedding:

• Power BI reports.
• Domo dashboards.
• External charts or reporting tools.

To configure an iFrame tile:

1. Provide the source URL where the external content is hosted.
2. Configure the frame dimensions:
   • Width: Percentage value (for example, 100%).
   • Height: Numeric value representing the height of the iFrame window (for example 700).

The height setting controls the iFrame container rather than the embedded content itself. The embedded report or chart dimensions must be configured within the external system.

Tile Alignment and Display Settings

After selecting the content displayed within a tile, the appearance and positioning can be configured.

Alignment

The Alignment setting controls the horizontal positioning of the tile content.

Available options:

• Left aligned.
• Centre aligned.
• Right aligned.

Transparent Background?

The Transparent Background? option controls the appearance of the area surrounding the tile content.

Enabled

• The tile background becomes transparent.
• The dashboard or homepage background colour is displayed.

Disabled

• The tile background remains white.

Hide Title?

The Hide Title? option removes the title header displayed at the top of the tile.

This is useful when:

• The content already provides context.
• A cleaner dashboard layout is required.

Hide Cell?

The Hide Cell? option hides the entire tile from the dashboard.

This can be used during dashboard development to:

• Prepare tiles before publishing.
• Keep incomplete content hidden from users.