6.4. Using dashboards

6.4.1. Display the list of dashboards

In Dashboards, he list of available dashboards is accessed with rond1:

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  • rond1 display the list of dashboards.

  • rond2 list of tables (double-click a title to open a table)

  • rond3 create a new dashboard

  • rond4 share dashboards

To the right of rond2, a number of buttons on each dashboard let you perform certain tasks:

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  • rond4 share the dashboard

  • rond5 view the table

  • rond6 alter the table

  • rond7 duplicate the table

  • rond8 delete the table

  • rond9 table data lineage

The buttons shown will depend on the rights the Tale of Data user holds to the dashboard in question:

  • if the table is being shared, the user will only be able to open or delete it

  • if the user is also the author of the table, the other functionalities will be available

6.4.2. Sharing a dashboard

Using the rond4 above, it is very easy to share the dashboards you have created with other Tale of Data users as they link to a share interface, similar to those used to share catalog sources and flows.

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  • rond1 search bar for filtering users

  • rond2 Tick the users with whom you want to share the dashboard

  • rond3 Buttons for adding or deleting selected users from the list of those with whom the share has been made.

  • rond4 Share validation

The shared dashboard will appear on the share beneficiary’s list of dashboards. The beneficiary will be able to consult it, to use all the sort and filter functions and to download the charts and tables made available. The beneficiary will not however be able to alter the dashboard by e.g. renaming pages or charts or to change their configuration. The share will not allow access to the sources of catalog data feeding into the dashboard. Responsibility is therefore clearly divided between dashboard administration and the users of the information in the tables.

Note

if you give the URL of a dashboard to another user, you must share the table with that user before it will work.

Note

Tale of Data offers a range of licences that allow different actions with dashboards:

Type of licence

Consult a table

Create a table

Share a table

Dashboard Reader

x

Personal

x

x

Business

x

x

x

For further information, please contact Tale of Data.

6.4.3. Interactive dashboard browsing

When you have opened a dashboard to view it, you can browse its pages, documentation and charts:

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  • rond1 List of pages: click to browse the pages

  • rond2 Display dashboard description (appears if a dashboard description has been configured)

  • rond3 Bar displaying a description of the page (appears if configured)

  • rond4 Display a description of the individual chart concerned (appears if configured)

Each chart has individual buttons:

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  • rond1 Alter the chart (appears if you are the owner)

  • rond2 Chart description (appears if configured)

  • rond3 Share the chart

  • rond4 Expand the chart to full page

  • rond5 Download the chart

6.4.3.1. Share the URL for a particular dashboard or chart

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With rond3 Tale of Data gives you a unique URL that will take its user to the chart concerned.

In view mode you can also simply copy your browser’s URL when you are in view mode into the dashboard you want to share. The URL will then link to the first page of the dashboard and not to a specific chart.

Note

The URL can only be used by valid licence holders with whom you have shared the dashboard. This ensures access to the data provided via a dashboard is secure.

The Dashboard Reader licence is a very affordable solution allowing basic access to people who want to use dashboards without having to learn how to use Tale of Data.

6.4.3.2. Downloading a chart

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With rond5, a range of download options is offered for retrieving the chart in the form of an image, an Excel file if it is a table or a pivot table.

Hint

While dashboards do not allow access to the sources of the catalog data feeding into them, they do allow users to download data that is visible on the dashboard. In effect, you may wish to use flows to prepare data before it is displayed, to share aggregated or pre-filtered information and to check the confidentiality of data and information shared via dashboards. Flows can be used to, for example:

  • present aggregated information on groups of people rather than on individuals

  • anonymize data before presenting it