Visualizations → Bar

About a Bar visualization

A bar visualization is ideal for displaying nominal variables using rectangular bars whose lengths are proportional to the values they represent. One axis of the chart shows specific categories you are comparing, and the other axis represents a measured value. Some bar graphs present bars clustered in groups of more than one, showing the values of more than one measured variable.

With three possible dimensions, a bar 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 a bar chart on a dashboard tab that shows:

  • a grouping dimension as the labels along the y-axis (vertical axis)
  • a coloring dimension as vertical columns colors
  • a measure as horizontal bar lengths with increments along the x-axis (horizontal axis)

The distinction between a bar visualization and a bar insight is that an insight is an instance of the visualization. As an instance, a bar insight has unique configurations that a dashboard developer determines for displaying a bar 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 and/or coloring dimension.

Configurations for a Bar insight

A dashboard developer first selects a bar 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 bar chart appears as an insight in a dashboard tab, but also how a dashboard consumer can interact with the bar 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.

The available trays for a bar insight are:

Note

A bar insight requires at least one measure pill. A coloring dimension tray is not available when there are more than two measure pills.

Grouping Dimension

From the Data panel, you can add a column or a formula to the Grouping Dimension tray. The bar insight plots the first pill in the Grouping Dimension tray on the y-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 and/or coloring dimension and in doing so, also create one or more dashboard runtime filters

Coloring Dimension

The Coloring Dimension tray is only available when there is only one measure pill.

From the Data panel, you can add a column or a formula to the Coloring Dimension tray. A coloring dimension is a third dimension that colors the horizontal bars in the chart. Each pill in the Coloring Dimension tray is a filterable bar for the insight.

A defined coloring dimension introduces a Filter by menu as a user interaction for the bar chart. With the Filter by menu, a dashboard consumer selects to filter the dashboard by:

  • a grouping and a coloring dimension
  • a grouping dimension
  • a coloring dimension

The pill ordering in the coloring dimension tray defines the following:

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

Measure

To create an aggregation or calculation, you can add a column or a formula from the Data panel to the Measure tray.

A bar insight shows the increments for the measure pill on the x-axis. A bar insight with two or more measure pills does not support the definition of a coloring dimension.

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 bar 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.

Aggregate Filter

You can define a filter expression that contains an aggregation or calculation using the Aggregate Filter tray.

Note

The Aggregate Filter tray is not available for a bar insight with a coloring dimension pill.

To create a filter expression, you can add a column or a formula to the Aggregate Filter tray from the Data panel. You can select the aggregate filter pill to open the Filter panel.

Using the Filter panel, you can specify the aggregation, the filter operator, one or more filter values, or the filter expression itself with the Formula Builder. You can also disable the aggregate filter.

To learn more about filter expressions for an aggregate filter, review Concepts → Aggregate 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, coloring dimension, or a measure pill with the Properties panel for a bar insight.

In order to create a filter expression, you can 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 in order 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 for the a pill in the grouping dimension tray in a bar 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.
Formula text box When you select it, it invokes the Formula Builder to create the [formula expression] you want. 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
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 → Sort By drag and drop Drag and drop the column or formula to sort the columns 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
    Format → Plot Bands link Select + Add Plot Band to highlight certain areas in the Bar chart, usually specific thresholds designating whether the data falls under these boundaries or not.
    Plot Band → Start text box Enter the numeric start position of the plot band
    Plot Band → Stop text box Enter the numeric stop position of the plot band
    Plot Band → Label text box Enter a label for the plot band
    Plot Band → Background Color select Select the background color of the plot band
    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.
    Note

    The Plot Bands feature for Grouping Dimension pills is available starting with release 5.0.

    Coloring dimension 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 the a pill in the coloring dimension tray in a bar 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.
    Formula text box When you select it, it invokes the Formula Builder to create the [formula expression] you want. 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 coloring dimension column or formula
    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 → Sort By drag and drop Drag and drop the column or formula to sort the categories by
    Format → Format Color Palette toggle Enable this property to display the color palette, which allows you to change the color of a category

    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 the pills in the measure tray in a bar 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.
    Formula text box When you select it, it invokes the Formula Builder to create the [formula expression] you want. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a formula added to the Measure tray.
    Data → Column Label text box Enter the label for the measure
    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. 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
    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 value
    Format → Thousands Separator toggle This property appears for all 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 a color for the measure value
    Format → Plot Bands link Select + Add Plot Band to highlight certain areas in the Bar chart, usually specific thresholds designating whether the data falls under these boundaries or not.
    Plot Band → Start text box Enter the numeric start position of the plot band
    Plot Band → Stop text box Enter the numeric stop position of the plot band
    Plot Band → Label text box Enter a label for the plot band
    Plot Band → Background Color select Select the background color of the plot band
    Drill Down → Dashboards Drill down link Select + Add Dashboard to select a dashboard tab to drill down to when the user selects the measure value in the insight
    Add Dashboard → Include Runtime Filters toggle Enable this property to pass a filter 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.
    Advanced → Base Field drag and drop Drag and drop the column to join two tables that are not directly joined.
    Advanced → Average Lines link This property is available if no pills exit in the Coloring Dimension tray.
    Select + Add Average Line to draw a line across the entire chart to show specific trends, such as the average value or the linear trend of the measure.
    Add Average → Average Line Type select Select the type of the line that you want to add:
  • Average Line
  • Linear Trend
  • Simple Moving Average
  • Exponential Moving Average
  • Add Average → Line Style select Select the style of the line, for example, dash, solid, or dot
    Add Average → Period text box Select to add a Simple Moving Average or Exponential Moving Average for the Average Line Type to configure this property.
    Enter the number of the data points to get their average value that represents a point in the trendline.
    For example, if you set the Period to 2, then the average of the first two data points is used as the first point in the moving average trendline. The average of the second and third data points is used as the second point in the trendline, and so on.
    Advanced → Query Plan button Select this property to reveal the direct data map path that the Incorta Analytics Service uses to retrieve or calculate the measure

    Individual filter properties for a filter expression

    To filter individual rows for the bar 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 for a filter expression for a column as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for a bar insight:

    Property Control Description
    Column fully qualified name label The fully qualified name of the selected column.
    Data → Column Label text box Enter the label for the measure
    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 criteria
    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.
    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 for a filter expression for a formula as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for a bar insight:

    Property Control Description
    Formula label label The formula label
    Data → Column Label text box Enter the label for the measure formula
    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 criteria
    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. 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.

    Aggregate filter pill properties for a filter expression

    You can define a filter expression that contains an aggregation or calculation using the Aggregate Filter tray.

    Note

    The Aggregate Filter tray is not available for a bar insight with a coloring dimension pill.

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

    Here are the properties for a filter expression for a column as a pill in the Aggregate Filter tray for a bar insight:

    Property Control Description
    Column Label text box Enter the name of the filter
    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
  • Aggregation drop-down list Select the aggregation type to use in the filter. The available aggregation types are:
  • Average
  • Count
  • Distinct
  • Median
  • Min
  • Max
  • Sum
  • None
  • Operator drop-down list Select the operator to use in value comparison to the measure value.
    Values text box Select the comparison value to use in the filter, or enter a new value to use in the filter comparison.
    Disable Filter toggle Enable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight.
    Aggregate filter properties for a filter expression with a formula as a pill

    Here are the properties for a filter expression for a formula as a pill in the Aggregate Filter tray for a bar insight:

    Property Control Description
    Column Label text box Enter the name of the filter
    Formula text box Enter the formula in the Formula Builder to create the filter expression
    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 bar insight. To open the Setting panel, in the Analyzer, select Settings (gear icon) in the Action bar.

    Property Control Description
    General → Max Rows Limit 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 update the insight when the underlying data is updated
    Layout → Rotation drop-down list Select an angle to rotate the x-axis labels (categories) at. The options are:
  • Default (no rotation)
  • -45
  • -90
  • 45
  • 90
  • Layout → Legend toggle Enable this property to display the chart legend. The chart legend displays the values of the first pill in the Coloring Dimension tray, if any; otherwise, the legend shows the measure column label(s).
    Layout → Values toggle Enable this property to display measure values on the chart
    Layout → Fixed Placement toggle Enable this property to display overlapping columns for multiple measures
    Layout → X-Axis Labels toggle Enable this property to display the x-axis labels (categories)
    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 Enable this property to display the y-axis title (i.e. the label of the measure pill). This property is available when only one pill exists in the Measure tray.
    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 a bar insight

    As a dashboard consumer, you can interact with a bar insight on a dashboard tab. Some interactions will affect only the bar chart. Other interactions will affect both the bar 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 a bar insight:

    • Select a legend label to hide (and then show) the related vertical column
    • Select a vertical column to drill down into a grouping dimension and in doing so, create a dashboard runtime filter
    • Select a vertical bar to open the Filter by menu and select a option to drill down into a grouping dimension and/or coloring dimension and in doing so, create a dashboard runtime filter
    • Select a dashboard tab to navigate to in the Go to menu
    Note

    A dashboard runtime filter that 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 a bar insight

    Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) enforces access to certain features and functionality. With Discretionary Access Control (DAC), a user who owns the dashboard to 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.

    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 bar insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis).
    • Select Download.
    • Select the download file format:

      • PNG
      • JPEG
      • PDF
      • SVG

    View as Table

    The View as Table is an Incorta Labs feature and a tenant configuration. A CMC Administrator must enable the feature.

    In order to view a bar insight as a Listing Table or Aggregated Table, follow these steps:

    • For the bar insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis).
    • 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 a bar insight by defining a filter expression for a measure filter, individual filter, and/or aggregate filter.

    • For the bar insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis).
    • Select Set Alert. Refer to the Scheduler document for additional information on Data Alerts.

    Create a Bar insight visualization

    For an existing dashboard, to create a Bar 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.
    • Under Charts, select Bar.

    Bar insight example

    Create a Bar insight that shows the top 10 products by gross margin percent.

    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 SALES and date schemas.
    • Select X to close the Manage Data Sets panel.
    • In the Insight panel, under Charts, select Bar.
    • From the Data panel, drag and drop Add Formula to the Measure tray.
    • In the Formula Builder, enter the following:
      sum(SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD - SALES.SALES.COST_OF_GOODS) / sum(SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD)
    • Select Validate & Save.
    • Change the name of the formula to Gross Margin Percent.
    • From the Data panel, drag and drop Product from the PRODUCTS table to the Grouping Dimension tray.

    Edit the pill properties

    • Select the arrow to the right of Gross Margin Percent to open the Properties panel.

      • For Aggregation, select Formula.
      • For Format, select Percent.
    • Select > the arrow to the right of Product to open the Properties panel.
    • From the Data panel, drag and drop Add Formula to the Drag columns/formulas here tray in Sort By. The default is to sort Descending.
    • In the Formula Builder, enter the following: sum(SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD - SALES.SALES.COST_OF_GOODS) / sum(SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD)
    • Change the name of the formula to Gross Margin Percent.
    • Select Validate & Save.
    • Name the insight “Top 10 Products by Gross Margin Percent.”

    Edit the insight settings

    • In the Action bar, select Settings (gear icon).
    • In the Settings menu, set Max Rows to 10.
    • In the Action bar, select Save.

    © Incorta, Inc. All Rights Reserved.