Visualizations → Area Range

About an Area Range visualization

An area range visualization displays information as a range of data by plotting two y-values (or more) per data point. You can use an area range visualization to emphasize the magnitude of difference between high and low values and at the same time to show trends in data over time or across categories. This type of visualization is useful for displaying ranges of values, such as between minimum and maximum prices over a timespan.

An area range visualization is similar to both a line visualization and an area visualization. While a line visualization plots multiple measures as separate lines, an area range visualization plots each pair of measure pills as separate lines and fills the area between these lines with the color of the first pill of the pair. Compared to an area visualization, an area range visualization fills the area between the two lines that represent a pair of measure pills instead of filling the area between each line and the x-axis bar with a different color for each line as in an area visualization. For each data point on the x-axis, the distance between the upper and lower points on the y-axis represents the range between the two measures or values.

With two possible dimensions, an area range visualization offers a dashboard developer the ability to create an insight that groups one or more aggregated or calculated values by one or more attributes. The result is an area range chart on a dashboard tab that shows:

  • a grouping dimension as the labels along the x-axis (horizontal axis)
  • two measures as the increments along the y-axis (vertical axis)

The distinction between a visualization and an insight is that an insight is an instance of the visualization. As an instance, an area range insight has unique configurations that a dashboard developer determines for displaying an area range chart on a dashboard tab. Insight configurations affect the available user interactions for a dashboard consumer such as the ability to drill down into a grouping dimension.

Configurations for an area range insight

A dashboard developer first selects an area range visualization for an insight in the Analyzer. Using the Analyzer, a dashboard developer configures pill properties, filter properties, and insight settings. Insight settings and pill properties determine not only how the area range chart appears as an insight in a dashboard tab, but also how a dashboard consumer can interact with the area range chart.

The visualization selection in the Insight panel of the Analyzer determines the available trays. From the Data panel, a dashboard developer adds a column or a formula to a tray. A column or a formula in a tray is a Pill.

Each pill has configurable properties. The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill.

The available trays for an area range insight are:

Note

An area range insight requires at least two measure pills and one grouping dimension pill. Using one measure pill results in a line insight.

Grouping Dimension

From the Data panel, you can add a column or a formula to the Grouping Dimension tray. The area range insight plots the first pill in the Grouping Dimension tray on the x-axis.

Each pill in the Grouping Dimension tray is a filterable column for the insight. The pill ordering in the grouping dimension tray defines the following:

  • the first pill is the initial grouping dimension
  • the other pills define an order of user interactions that allow a dashboard consumer to drill down into the next grouping dimension and in doing so, also create one or more dashboard runtime filters

Measure

To create an aggregation or calculation, add a column or a formula from the Data panel to the Measure tray. To create an area range insight you need at least two measure pills. You can add multiple pairs of measure pills and each pair constitutes an area range. The color of the first pill of a pair specifies the area range filling color.

In the case of a single measure pill, the insight plots it as a line even if there are one or more pairs of pills.

An area range insight shows the increments for the measure pills on the y-axis.

You can select the measure pill to open the Properties panel. In the Properties panel, you can configure various properties such as the Aggregation and Format properties.

Individual Filter

To filter individual rows for the area range insight, define an individual filter for the insight. You can add a column or a formula to the Individual Filter tray from the Data panel.

You can select the individual filter pill to open the Filter panel. Using the Filter panel, you can specify the filter operator, one or more filter values, or the filter expression itself with the Formula Builder. You can also disable the individual filter.

To learn more about filter expressions for an individual filter, review Concepts → Individual Filter.

Pill properties

The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill. There are various possible configurations for each pill type:

You can edit the properties of a grouping dimension or a measure pill with the Properties panel for an area range insight.

To create a filter expression, edit the properties of an individual filter or aggregate filter pill with the Filter panel.

In the case of the Filter property of a measure pill, you can open the Filter panel from the Properties panel to create the filter expression.

To open the Properties panel or Filter panel, select the pill arrow.

Grouping dimension pill properties

Here are the properties of a pill in the grouping dimension tray in an area range insight:

Property Control Description
Column fully qualified name label The fully qualified name of the selected column. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a column in the tray.
Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name.
Formula text box Select to invoke the Formula Builder and create the formula expression. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a formula added to the tray.
Data → Column Label text box Enter the label for the grouping dimension column or formula pill. The label of the first pill will be the title of the x-axis.
Data → Date Part drop down list When the selected column is a date or timestamp, select the part of the date used. The options are:
  • Full (default)
  • Year
  • Quarter
  • Month
  • Day
    		•
    Data → Hierarchy toggle This option is available only for columns from objects with data hierarchy (physical schema objects with a self-join relationship).
    Enable this property to specify the level of data in the hierarchy that you want to include in the insight for the respective column.
    Hierarchy → Level text box Enable Hierarchy to configure this property.
    Enter a numeric value that represents the level of data you want to include in the insight. Leave blank or enter -1 to include all levels.
    Data → Sort By drag and drop Drag and drop a column or formula to sort the x-axis labels by
    Format select Select the format of the formula or date column. This option is available only when you edit the pill properties for a date column or a formula.
    Format → Date Mask text box Enter a customized date format or select a predefined one to appear in this text box
    Drill Down → Dashboards Drill Down link Select + Add Dashboard to select a dashboard tab to drill down to when the user selects a grouping dimension value in the insight
    Add Dashboard → Include Runtime Filters toggle Enable this property to pass the applied filter, if any, from one dashboard to another
    Add Dashboard → Search Dashboard text box Enter a search string to filter the dashboard tree. From the results, select a dashboard tab to drill down to.

    Measure pill properties

    The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill. Select the arrow to the right of the pill name to open the Properties panel and configure the related properties.

    Here are the properties for a pill in the measure tray in an area range insight:

    Property Control Description
    Column fully qualified name label The fully qualified name of the selected column. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a column in the Measure tray.
    Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name.
    Formula text box Select to invoke the Formula Builder and create the formula expression. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a formula added to the tray.
    Data → Column Label text box Enter the label for the measure pill. If only one pill is available in the Measure tray, the label will be the y-axis title.
    Data → Date Part drop down list When the selected column is a date or timestamp, select the part of the date used. The options are:
  • Full (default)
  • Year
  • Quarter
  • Month
  • Day
    		•
    Data → Aggregation drop down list Select the aggregation option for the measure values. The available options vary according to the column or formula data type. The options are:
  • Average
  • Count
  • Distinct
  • Median
  • Min
  • Max
  • Sum
  • Formula
  • None
    		•
    Data → Scale drop down list Select the chart scale. The options are:
  • None
  • Percent (%)
  • Thousands (K)
  • Millions (M)
    The default is None.
    		•
    Data → Running Total toggle Enable this property to display the measure values as a running total
    Data → Filter drag and drop Drag and drop a column or formula to filter the measure values by
    Format select Select the format of the measure (e.g. Dollar Rounded)
    Format → Decimal Places text box This property appears when you select Decimal, Dollar, Euro, Yen, or Percent as the Format. Enter the number of decimal places to display for the measure values.
    Format → Thousands Separator toggle This property appears for all number format options, except No Format. Enable this property to include a comma separator for values of 1000 or greater.
    Format → Abbreviate on Hover toggle Enable this property to abbreviate the measure value upon hover
    Format → Color select Select the area range filling color. The filling color will be the one you select for the first pill of each pair of measure pills.
    Advanced → Base Field drag and drop Drag and drop a column to join two physical schema objects that are not directly joined. To learn more, review Concepts → Base Table.
    Advanced → Query Plan button Select to access the Query Plan Viewer to check the Direct Data Map path that Incorta Analytics Service uses to retrieve or calculate the measure

    Individual filter properties for a filter expression

    To filter individual rows for the area range insight, define an individual filter for the insight. You can add a column or a formula to the Individual Filter tray from the Data panel.

    Individual filter properties for a filter expression with a column as a pill

    Here are the properties of a filter expression for a column as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for an area range insight:

    Property Control Description
    Column fully qualified name label The fully qualified name of the selected column.
    Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name.
    Data → Column Label text box Enter the label for the individual filter pill
    Date Part drop down list When the filter column is a date or timestamp, select the part of the date used. The options are:
  • Full (default)
  • Year
  • Quarter
  • Month
  • Day
    		•
    Operator drop down list Select the operator to use in the filter expression
    Values multi-select Select the value(s) to evaluate the column value against. Some operators do not require a value to evaluate against, such as Null and True, and some require more than one value, such as Between.
    If applicable, enter a string in the search bar to filter the list of values. To add a value to the list, enter it in the text box below the list and select +.
    Advanced → Disable Filter toggle Enable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight.
    Individual filter properties for a filter expression with a formula as a pill

    Here are the properties of a filter expression for a formula as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for an area range insight:

    Property Control Description
    Formula label label The formula pill label
    Data → Column Label text box Enter the label for the individual filter formula pill
    Formula → Dynamic toggle Enable this property to select a filter expression session variable as a value
    Formula text box Disable Dynamic to configure this property. Enter the formula in the Formula Builder to create the filter expression.
    Operator drop down list Select the operator to use in the filter expression
    Values multi-select Select the value(s) to evaluate the column value against, if required. Some operators do not require a value to evaluate against, such as Null and True, and some require more than one value, such as Between. In the case that you enable Dynamic, select a filter expression session variable. If applicable, enter a string in the search bar to filter the list of values. To add a value to the list, enter it in the text box below the list and select +.
    Advanced → Disable Filter toggle Enable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight.

    Settings panel

    With the Settings panel, you can configure additional properties for the area range insight. To open the Settings panel, in the Analyzer, in the Action bar, select Settings (gear icon).

    Property Control Description
    General → Max Rows text box Enter the maximum number of categories to show on the x-axis. A value lower than the number of the insight query rows returned will restrict results. A value of 0 will include all rows.
    General → Logarithmic toggle Enable this property to display the x-axis on a logarithmic scale
    General → Auto Refresh toggle Enable this property to automatically refresh the insight preview while editing it in the Analyzer.
    A tenant configuration in the CMC Clusters Manager can globally enable or disable this feature at the tenant level.
    Layout → Rotation drop down list Select an angle to rotate the x-axis labels. The options are:
  • Default
  • -45
  • -90
  • 45
  • 90
    		•
    Layout → Legend toggle Enable this property to display the chart legend. The chart legend displays the pair of measure pills for each area range as an item.
    Layout → X-Axis Labels toggle Enable this property to display the x-axis labels (i.e. values of the first grouping dimension pill)
    Layout → X-Axis Title toggle Enable this property to display the x-axis title (i.e. the label of the first grouping dimension pill)
    Layout → Y-Axis Labels toggle Enable this property to display the y-axis labels (values in the y-axis)
    Layout → Y-Axis Title toggle This property is available when only one pill exists in the Measure tray. Enable this property to display the y-axis title (i.e. the label of the measure pill).
    Layout → Y-Axis Min text box Enter a minimum numerical value for the y-axis
    Layout → Y-Axis Max text box Enter a maximum numerical value for the y-axis
    Advanced → Max Groups text box Set the maximum number of groups that cannot be exceeded in the insight
    Advanced → Join Measures drop down list Select Yes to calculate the group-by function across joined tables

    User interactions for an area range insight

    As a dashboard consumer, you can interact with an area range insight on a dashboard tab. Some interactions will affect only the area range chart. Other interactions will affect both the area range chart and the dashboard. The creation of one or more dashboard runtime filters is an example of a user interaction that affects all applicable insights on all tabs of a dashboard.

    Note

    Some user interactions require specific configurations by a dashboard developer and therefore may not be available.

    Here are the possible types of user interactions for an area range insight:

    • Select a legend label to hide (and then select again to show) the related area range
    • Select a point on an area range border to drill down into a grouping dimension and in doing so, create a dashboard runtime filter
    • Select a point on an area range border to open the Go to menu, and then select a dashboard tab to navigate to (requires a dashboard drill down configuration for a grouping dimension pill)
    Note

    A dashboard runtime filter affects all applicable insights on all tabs of a dashboard. A dashboard runtime filter appears as a filter bar pill and displays the filter expression.

    More Options menu for an area range insight

    Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) enforces access to certain features and functionality. With Discretionary Access Control (DAC), a user who owns the dashboard can control the access to the dashboard. Access rights include the ability to view, share, and edit the dashboard. Together, RBAC and DAC affect the available selections in both the Action bar and the More Options menu for an insight.

    For more information about RBAC and DAC, review Tools → Security Manager.

    In addition, certain tenant configurations by a Cluster Management Console (CMC) Administrator affect the available selections in the More Options menu for an insight.

    Download

    • For the area range insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
    • Select Download.

    • Select the download file format:

      • PNG
      • JPEG
      • SVG
      • PDF

    View as Table

    You can view an area range chart as a Listing Table or an Aggregated Table. A CMC Administrator must enable the Insight ‘View As’ Menu feature in the Tenant Configurations and the Default Tenant Configurations before you can do so.

    To view an area range insight as a Listing Table or Aggregated Table, follow these steps:

    • For the area range insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).

    • Select View as Table, and then select the table type:

      • Regular
      • Aggregated

    For a Listing Table or Aggregated Table, you can:

    Set Alert

    You can set an alert that identifies specific changes to an area range insight by defining a filter expression for a measure filter, individual filter, and/or aggregate filter in an aggregated table or a listing table.

    • For the area range insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
    • Select Set Alert. The Analyzer opens with an aggregated table insight that has the Grouping dimension pills and the measure pills from the area range insight. Refer to the Scheduler document for additional information on Data Alerts.

    Steps to create an area range insight

    For an existing dashboard, to create an area range insight for a given dashboard tab, follow these steps:

    • If not already open, open a dashboard.
    • To add a new insight to the dashboard, in the Action bar, select +.
    • If needed, in the Analyzer, in the Data panel, select Add Data Set.
    • In the Manage Data Sets panel, select one or more business schema views and/or one or more physical schema tables.
    • To close the Manage Data Sets panel, select X or any other area of the Analyzer.
    • In the Insight panel, select V.
    • In Charts, select the Area Range visualization.

    • From the Data panel, drag and drop various columns to various trays in the Insight panel:

      • Grouping Dimension
      • Measure
      • Individual Filter
    • Configure the pill properties using the Properties panel or Filter panel.
    • Configure various insight properties using the Settings panel.

    Example of an area range insight

    In this example, you will create an area range insight that shows the range of average salaries per department. The example uses the HR schema that comes with the Sample Data.

    Note

    In the CMC, you can create a tenant that includes Sample Data. The Sample Data includes the HR schema.

    Add an insight

    • In the Action bar, select +.
    • In the Data panel, select Add Data Set.
    • In the Manage Data Sets panel, in Tables, select the HR schema.
    • Close the Manage Data Sets panel.
    • In the Insight panel, under Charts, select Area Range.

    • From the Data panel, drag and drop the following columns to the respective tray:

      • From the Departments table, drag and drop Department to the Grouping Dimension tray.
      • From the Employees table, drag and drop Employee Name to the Grouping Dimension tray under the Department pill.
      • From the Employees table, drag and drop Min_Salary and Max_Salary to the Measure tray.
    • For both the Min_Salary and Max_Salary pills, select the arrow to the right to open the Properties panel, and then for Aggregation, select Average.
    • Name the insight Average Salary Ranges Per Department.
    • Select Save.
    Related Links
    © Incorta, Inc. All Rights Reserved.