Eloqua Insight: Advanced Analyzer User Guide

Transcription

1 Eloqua Insight: Advanced Analyzer User Guide

2 Table of Contents About this User Guide... 5 Introduction to Analyzer User... 6 Beyond Basic Grids and Graphs... 6 The Benefits of Eloqua Insight... 6 Reporting Capabilities... 7 Enterprise Reports... 7 Scorecards and Dashboards... 9 Layouts Dashboard Display Modes and Export Formats DHTML Modes Flash Mode Design Mode Export to PDF Export to Microsoft Excel Selecting Available Display Modes Selecting Available Export Formats Dashboard Subscriptions Dashboard Subscriptions to History List Dashboard Subscriptions to Creating Dashboards Introduction to the Dashboard Editor Dataset Objects Document structure Related Reports Layout Area Methods for Creating Dashboards Creating Dashboards from Existing Eloqua Insight Reports Creating Dashboards from a Dashboard Template Creating Multiple Layout Dashboards Dashboard Basics Dashboard Objects Eloqua Insight Grid/Graphs Attributes, Metrics, Custom Groups, and Consolidations Text Auto Text Lines & Shapes HTML Container Arranging Objects on a Dashboard Moving Objects Snap to Grid Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 2

3 Alignment and Distribution Sizing Objects Ordering Objects Locking Objects Formatting Objects Control Defaults Formatting Features Section-Specific Properties Subsections Section - General Properties Section - Size Properties PDF-Specific Properties Page Breaks Page Setup and Printing Options - Horizontal Fit Table of Contents Watermarks PDF Bookmarks Dashboard Design Concepts Banded Layouts Detail Section Behavior Custom Sections and Grouping Grouping Properties Headers & Footers Zone-Based Layouts Graph Formats Combined Banded and Zone-Based Layouts Zoom Dashboards Summary Metrics View Filters View Filter Usage Examples Derived Elements Derived Elements Dynamic Aggregation Useful Design Techniques Useful Design Techniques Calculated Expressions Conditional Formatting Personalizing Content with Prompts Tooltips Dynamic Lines & Rectangles Dynamic Images Design Techniques for Grid/Graphs Drilling on Grid/Graphs Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 3

4 Quick Switch Maximize/Minimize (Portal Window) Linking from Dashboards Dashboard Linking Linking a Dashboard to a Web Page Linking to a Specific Report or Dashboard Linking from a Dynamic Text Box to Simulate Drilling Linking from an Object in a Grid/Graph Linking from a Prompted Dashboard to a Prompted Target Linking from a Dashboard to Multiple Targets Links Summary Hyperlinks in a Dashboard Multiple Dataset Considerations Multiple Dataset Join Behavior Compound Joins and Virtual Datasets Join Behavior - Primary and Secondary Datasets Dashboard Performance Considerations Execution Optimizations Optimizing Datasets Output Optimizations DHTML Display Mode Performance DHTML Optimizations PDF Optimizations PDF and DHTML: Page-by Considerations Incremental Fetch Exporting to Microsoft Excel Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 4

5 About this User Guide Notes and Warnings A note icon indicates helpful information. A warning icon calls your attention to very important information that you should read. CCopyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 5

6 Introduction to Analyzer User Beyond Basic Grids and Graphs The Benefits of Eloqua Insight 1 Eloqua Insight was created to address the reporting needs of an entire organization. For example, in any given company, Analyzer Users may need to produce reports for a wide range of recipients and those recipients may require specific styles and formats for their reports. Executives may want to see high-level dashboards, while operational managers may want to see detailed operational scorecards. As you can see, the recipients for business reports can span all levels of an enterprise, including external recipients, such as customers. Desginer Users have the following benefits: Rich data access Analyzer Users can create new reports and dashboards from the entire data model. WYSIWYG Report Layout and formatting Using Eloqua Insight, business users can produce reports in full WYSIWYG mode. Business users no longer need to rely on report developers to create reports to their exact specifications. The reports you build in Eloqua Insight display as well on the screen as they do on paper in portable dashboard format (PDF). All types of scorecards, dashboards, and enterprise reports Designers Users can create virtually any type of report, including multi-tabbed dashboard books. Full interactivity for all scorecards, dashboards, and enterprise reports The menus, toolbars, and drag-and-drop actions in Eloqua Insight make it easy to rearrange the design of any report. Scalable, secure dashboards Eloqua Insight is the enterprise reporting engine of the Eloqua platform. It inherits all the benefits of the platform, including iron-clad security, scalability, centralized administration and unified metadata. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 6

7 Personalized reporting You can answer any number of questions (prompts) before running an Eloqua Insight report or dashboard. The answers you specify dictate the content that the report or dashboard displays. High throughput production reporting With the Eloqua Insight, you can distribute dashboards to hundreds or thousands of recipients across the Web, by . Seamless user experience The Report and Dashboard Editor in Eloqua Insight makes it easy for you to design reports without any additional programming knowledge. Share reports and dashboards with others in your organization only Analyzer Users can save reports in the Reports And Dashboards Custom folder which is accessible by anyone with report access to your Eloqua install. Analyzers can only save reports in their My Report folder for their own use at a later time. Reporting Capabilities In this topic, you will focus on the types of reports that you can create with Eloqua Insight. You will also learn about various report layout concepts and their impact on report design. Enterprise Reports Operational Reports Operational reports organize data into densely populated dashboards that contain various rows of detail grouped in an easy to read fashion. The image below shows an example of an operational dashboard created with Eloqua Insight: Operational Report Example Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 7

8 Classic Business Reports You create classic business reports using charts and grids, which you group together so that the data is easy to read. Classic business reports can satisfy many types of reporting needs. The image below shows an example of a classic business dashboard created with Eloqua Insight: Classic Business Report Example Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 8

9 Scorecards and Dashboards Traditional Scorecards and Dashboards Scorecards and dashboards present several perspectives of data. Typically, they contain many visual representations of key performance indicators (KPIs), which are the metrics deemed the most critical to how a business measures its success. They combine tables, graphs, gauges, thresholds, labels, and other visual elements to show multidimensional views of the business. They enable users to assess several measures efficiently and easily. The image below shows an example of a dashboard created with Eloqua Insight: Dashboard Example Managed Metrics Reports You create managed metrics reports to highlight measurements with conditional formatting. Managed metrics reports typically contain grids of data where values are represented by different colors or symbols. The image below shows an example of a managed metrics report created with Eloqua Insight: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 9

10 Managed Metrics Example Layouts Among the many types of dashboards that you can create, Eloqua Insight recognizes two main types of layouts. Specifically, when Eloqua Insight was designed, requirements generally fell into two different categories of layout: zone-based layout or banded layout. Of course, you can combine these categories into one dashboard resulting in a more complex dashboard design. Zone-Based Layout Dashboards that employ a zone-based layout are those that typically reserve specific areas of a page for dedicated content. For example, one area (or zone) might display a graph, while another might display a grid. Scorecards and dashboards are examples of reports that employ a zone-based design. The idea behind zone-based design is to display as many perspectives of data as efficiently as possible. Banded Layout You can use banding techniques to make dashboards that are densely populated with data more legible. Banding is a broad term referring to techniques for grouping data into easily consumable sizes, or for delimiting different levels of a report with different formats such as colors, shading, or even indenting. Operational reports are examples of reports that use banding frequently. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 10

11 Combined Layout Dashboards can combine a zone-based and banded layout to create appealing and useful output. By using banding to group output, while at the same time placing zones within those bands, you can use Eloqua Insight to make data more easily consumable. A classic business report that shows graphs and grids at specific grouping levels is a typical example of a combined layout dashboard. Dashboard Display Modes and Export Formats In Eloqua Insight, you can view dashboards in the following display modes: PDF Export to Microsoft Excel Design Mode The following display modes are available only when you view dashboards in Eloqua Insight: DHTML modes (View Mode, Interactive Mode, and Editable Mode) Flash Mode The next sections explain each of these modes. DHTML Modes With Eloqua Insight, you can create, edit, and print reports and dashboards using Eloqua Insight. In Eloqua Insight, you can view dashboards in a static HTML format (View Mode), an interactive DHTML format (Interactive Mode), in a fully editable DHTML format (Editable Mode), or in a fully dynamic Flash Mode. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 11

12 View Mode Depending on the type of dashboard you create, View Mode is usually the default dashboard display mode in Eloqua Insight. In other words, when you execute a dashboard in Eloqua Insight, the dashboard automatically displays in View Mode. This display mode provides a static view of the DHTML dashboard and is the recommended display mode for viewing a dashboard that you do not want to alter. Even though View Mode is less interactive than other modes, you can still perform certain manipulations on dashboards such as saving, printing, exporting, and using the Grouping panel. A benefit to View Mode is that it reduces the size of the HTML output, which in turn optimizes the performance of dashboard execution. To switch to View Mode, do one of the following: 1. Run a dashboard. 2. On the Home menu, select View Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click View Mode: Editable Mode If you need to perform formatting changes and extensive dashboard manipulations, you can switch to Editable Mode. Editable Mode offers WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) dashboard creation and editing capabilities in an HTML format. In Editable Mode, you can apply formatting to any object and view the result immediately. You can drag objects onto a dashboard, remove objects, add text, and perform simple manipulations (such as page-by, grouping, and sorting) all within the Web browser. Editable Mode is the recommended display mode when you are fine-tuning an Eloqua Insight dashboard. The features listed below are additional advantages of working in Editable Mode: You can apply Pixel Perfect positioning. You can display alignment grids to help you understand the structure of the dashboard. You can undo and redo your formatting actions. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 12

13 To switch to Editable Mode, do one of the following: 1. Run the dashboard. 2. On the Home menu, select Editable Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click Editable Mode: Interactive Mode For dashboards that contain special interactive objects called panel stacks and selectors, you can toggle to Interactive Mode. To switch to Interactive Mode, do one of the following: 3. On the Home menu, select Interactive Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click Interactive Mode: Flash Mode If you want to view a dashboard that includes Adobe Flash functionality (such as Flash widgets and Flash-specific formatting), you can toggle to Flash Mode. To switch to Flash Mode, do one of the following: 1. On the Home menu, select Flash Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click Flash Mode: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 13

14 Design Mode In addition to Editable Mode, Designers can create and format dashboards in Design Mode. Working with a dashboard in Design Mode in Eloqua Insight is recommended when you need to build a dashboard quickly, without viewing any actual data, and when you want to set basic formatting properties for the dashboard and its objects. Design Mode To switch to Design Mode, do one of the following: 1. On the Home menu, select Design. OR On the Home toolbar, click Design: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 14

15 Export to PDF Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher is required to view PDF output. In Eloqua Insight, users export dashboards to PDF. The PDF output displays a dashboard as it will look when printed (with page breaks, pagination, and so forth). To view a dashboard in PDF in Eloqua Insight, do one of the following: 1. Run the desired dashboard. 2. On the Home menu, point to Export, and select PDF. OR Run the desired dashboard. 3. On the Home toolbar, click PDF. The dashboard designer must enable PDF as an available export mode for users to see the PDF options as described in the above procedures. OR Locate the desired dashboard and click the PDF link that displays under the dashboard name. Export to Microsoft Excel When you export to Microsoft Excel, you send the dashboard data to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, retaining the data and the formatting. In fact, a dashboard's appearance largely remains the same whether you view it in PDF, Microsoft Excel, or in the Eloqua Insight DHTML modes. Graphs that export to Microsoft Excel get exported as Microsoft Excel graphs, not as images. As a result, you can perform manipulations on these graphs in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, using Microsoft Excel functionality. If you are a Mac user, you may need to export to Microsoft Excel using the without formatting option as the with formatting option may not work properly (depending on which Excel version you are using). Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 15

16 Selecting Available Display Modes View Mode is typically the default display mode when you execute a dashboard in Eloqua Insight. However, by altering the Dashboard Properties, you can specify which display modes are available for your dashboards as well as which display mode is the default display mode. To specify available display modes and the default display mode for dashboards: 1. Open the dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. On the Tools menu, select Dashboard Properties. 3. In the Properties window, on the left panel, under Dashboard Properties, select Dashboard. 4. Under Run Modes, under Available Display Modes, select the check boxes for each mode in which this dashboard should display. Clear the check box for any mode that should not be available. 5. In the Run by default as drop-down list, select the desired default display mode. 6. Click OK to return to the dashboard. When you view a dashboard in any of the DHTML modes (View, Interactive, or Editable), it looks the same as if you were viewing it in PDF. However, the DHTML modes display the content of a dashboard continuously, with no section or page breaks. Therefore, all paginationrelated settings apply only to the PDF. Selecting Available Export Formats Before you can export a dashboard, you need to enable the available export formats. To specify the available export formats for a dashboard: 1. Open the dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. On the Tools menu, select Dashboard Properties. 3. In the Properties window, on the left panel, under Dashboard Properties, select Dashboard. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 16

17 4. Under Run Modes, under Available Export Formats, select the check boxes for each format to which you want to export. Clear the check box for any format that should not be available. 5. Click OK to return to the dashboard. You can export to a dashboard to Flash format (an MHT file).. Dashboard Subscriptions Dashboard Subscriptions to History List You can subscribe to a dashboard, just as you would a report, by choosing a schedule. When the schedule is triggered, Eloqua Insight executes the dashboard to your preferred output format and places a message in your History List. The image below shows the subscription options you select when you subscribe to a dashboard in Eloqua Insight. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 17

18 Dashboard Subscriptions to You can schedule subscriptions to . You can also set up an immediate delivery of a dashboard and delivery notifications for your History List subscriptions. When you subscribe to receive a dashboard by , you can choose from the following delivery formats: Flash HTML Excel PDF Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 18

19 2 Creating Dashboards Introduction to the Dashboard Editor A Dashboard is a Document that is already pre-formatted. When you want to create a new dashboard or edit an existing dashboard in Eloqua Insight, you use the Dashboard Editor in Design Mode (shown below). This dashboard display mode shows the following sections: Accordion with the Dataset Objects pane, the Document structure pane, and the Related Reports pane Depending on your privileges, you may not see all of the above panes. Layout area Grouping panel Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 19

20 Dashboard Editor (from the Blank Document template) To open the Dashboard Editor for a new dashboard: 1. On the project home page, click Create Dashboard. 2. On the Create Dashboard page, keep the View dashboard in Design Mode check box selected. 3. Select a template from either Dashboard Templates or Document Templates. Depending on the template you select, the Dashboard Editor displays different sections and different objects in the Layout area. To open the Dashboard Editor for an existing dashboard: 4. Open the dashboard in Design Mode. OR Run the dashboard and switch to Design Mode. Dataset Objects Datasets are preexisting Eloqua Insight reports. The Dataset Objects pane shows you the datasets that are available as source data for your dashboard. Before designing a dashboard, you must either create a report or ensure that a report already exists with the appropriate data for your dashboard. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 20

21 To view the Dataset Objects pane: 5. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 6. If you do not see the Dataset Objects pane on the left, on the Tools menu, select Dataset Objects. A dashboard can use more than one dataset. However, you can only designate one dataset as the grouping and sorting dataset. The grouping and sorting dataset controls how data is grouped for a banded dashboard (covered in the next lesson) and also how the data is sorted within the dashboard. The image below shows a grouping and sorting dataset as it displays in the Dataset Objects pane: Grouping and Sorting Dataset in Multidataset Dashboard The grouping and sorting dataset always displays in bold type in the Dataset Objects pane, while any additional datasets display in plain text. By clicking the + sign next to the attribute, you can expand it and display the attribute forms for the selected attribute. You can place either the attribute itself on a dashboard, or you can add individual attribute forms to a dashboard. To define the grouping and sorting dataset: 1. Right-click the desired dataset and select Set as Grouping and Sorting Dataset. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 21

22 In addition to assigning the grouping and sorting dataset, you can also assign primary and secondary datasets. These designations enable you to control how datasets are joined together during the dashboard execution process. For more information on dataset join behavior, see Join Behavior - Primary and Secondary Datasets. Document structure With the Document structure pane, you can view the complete definition of a dashboard in a tree view. This method for viewing the entire contents of a dashboard provides a simplified view of the document structure. It also makes it easier to select individual objects. In the dashboard below, the Document structure pane shows the contents of each dashboard section. You can select an object in the pane and the object becomes selected in the dashboard. You can also right-click an object and choose from a variety of placement and formatting options, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 22

23 Document structure Pane The Document structure pane is especially useful when designing dynamic enterprise dashboards, which contain special objects called panels and panel stacks. Dashboard designers can easily reposition objects from one panel to another using the Document structure pane. To use the Document structure pane in the Dashboard Editor: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. If you do not see the Document structure pane on the left, on the Tools menu, select Document structure. 3. Expand individual sections to view their contents. 4. First select and then right-click objects to perform manipulations through the right-click menu. Related Reports The Related Reports pane lets you quickly access reports or dashboards that are stored in the same folder as the dashboard you are viewing. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 23

24 Layout Area You define the content of the dashboard in the Layout area. The Layout area consists of several different sections: Page Header, Document header, Detail Header, Detail, Detail Footer, Document footer and Page Footer. Each section determines where content displays in the final output. Layout Area Sections In the preceding image, the sections are indented to illustrate the hierarchy of a dashboard. As you can see, the Page Header and Page Footer are the outermost sections, and the Detail section is the innermost section. In the final output, content in the outer sections surrounds content in the inner sections. The Layout area displays a ruler, which is an actual measure of the size of your content. By default, the measurement displays in inches. Before you create a dashboard, you need to understand the behavior and purpose of each section in the Dashboard Editor, as described below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 24

25 Page Header Items you place in this section display at the top of each page of the dashboard. Useful for page numbers, corporate logos, disclaimer statements or images that you want to display on every page of a dashboard. If you design a multilayout dashboard, the contents of the Page Header display on all layouts by default. Document header Items you place in this section display once by default, immediately below the Page Header section, toward the top of the first page of the dashboard. Useful for an introductory statement, or for producing a cover page, since items in this section display only once. Also useful for displaying grand totals and other summary data. Detail Header Items you place in this section display directly above the detailed data. Useful for labeling data in the Detail section with column headers. Also useful for displaying entire grids and/or graphs. Detail Items you place in this section constitute the detailed data displayed in the dashboard. One row prints for each row of data in the dashboard s dataset. Useful for displaying detailed level data, such as attribute elements and metric values. Detail Footer Items you place in this section display only once, directly below the detailed data. Useful for displaying subtotals and labels for data in Detail section. Document footer Items you place in this section display once, on the last page of the dashboard. Useful for a closing statement, or for producing a summary page, since items in this section display only once. Also useful for displaying the filter details of a dashboard. Page Footer Items you place in this section display at the bottom of each page of the dashboard. Useful for page numbers or images you want to display on every page of a dashboard. If you design a multilayout dashboard, the contents of the Page Footer display on all layouts by default. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 25

26 Custom Headers and Footers In addition to the above sections, you have the ability (by forming groups of data) to create custom sections. For example, by adding Region and Call Center attributes to the Grouping panel of the editor, you can make header and footer bands for each of these attributes, as shown below: Hiding Sections of the Layout Area You can specify whether you want to hide or display certain sections of the Layout area in the Dashboard Editor. By hiding the sections that you are less likely to use as you design a dashboard, you can lend more screen space to the sections that you use more often. To hide sections in the Dashboard Editor: 1. Open a dashboard in Design mode. 2. On the Tools menu, select Sections. 3. In the Properties window, clear the check box for any section you want to hide: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 26

27 You cannot hide all sections. At least one section must be displayed. 4. Click OK to return to the dashboard. Only the selected sections display in the Dashboard Editor. Methods for Creating Dashboards Creating Dashboards from Existing Eloqua Insight Reports You can create an Eloqua Insight dashboard directly from a report. When you right-click any report and select Convert to Document, a new dashboard opens and the following actions take place automatically: The source report, with all of its attributes and metrics, becomes the dataset of the dashboard. The dataset displays in the Detail Header section as a grid (for a grid source report) or as a graph (for a graph source report). The grid or graph displays the same attributes and metrics as the source report. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 27

28 For example, in the source report, if any attributes, metrics, or other objects are in the Report Objects pane of the Report Editor but not in the report template, the grid/graph in the dashboard does not display them. However, these objects will display under the dataset in the Dataset Objects pane of the Dashboard Editor. The grid or graph uses the source report s formatting. Any prompt answers that are stored in the source report are copied to the dashboard. If the source report has an object in the page-by panel, this object becomes a grouping object in the dashboard. The dashboard automatically displays a header and footer section of the grouping object. Also, a dynamic text box containing the object s name, such as {Region}, displays in the custom header section. If the source report has a view filter, it is applied to the grid/graph in the dashboard. For more information on grouping, see Banded Layout. To create a dashboard from an open report: 1. Run the report. 2. On the Tools menu, select Convert to document. OR On the Tools toolbar, select Convert to document: Creating Dashboards from a Dashboard Template When you launch the Dashboard Editor, before the editor comes into view, you should see a set of dashboard and dashboard templates. These out-of-the-box templates are designed to help speed up the dashboard creation process. They come in a variety of formats as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 28

29 Dashboard and Dashboard Templates The dashboard templates make it easier to design dashboard or scorecard style dashboards because they contain predefined zones for dashboard objects. These zones help you position and size objects in precise locations on the dashboard. By default, the dashboard templates display only the Detail Header section (also called the Body section) in the Layout area of the Dashboard Editor. All other sections are hidden. In addition, when you create a dashboard using one of these templates and you switch to View Mode, Interactive Mode, Editable Mode or Flash Mode, the dashboard displays in Full Screen Mode by default. However, you can use the Restore Normal Screen Mode button on the toolbar (shown below) to restore the Eloqua Insight menus and toolbars: Creating Multiple Layout Dashboards Dashboards can display different layouts in a single dashboard. Using multiple layouts, you can combine independently maintained dashboards into a single unified dashboard to create statements or report books. When you create a multiple layout dashboard, you perform either of the following actions: Import existing dashboards into a new dashboard. Each dashboard displays on its own layout tab in the new dashboard. OR Add a new blank layout to an existing dashboard. The dashboard displays its original layout, plus a new blank layout tab that you can continue to format. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 29

30 When you import existing dashboards into a new dashboard, the following rules apply: The datasets of the imported source dashboard are automatically included in the new dashboard s Dataset Objects pane. Each layout tab can have its own default grouping and sorting dataset. Each layout tab can have its own grouping objects. Each layout tab can display data in its own distinct sort order, as defined by any grouping objects or with the grouping and sorting dataset. Each layout tab can have its own page setup options, such as paper size, margins, page orientation, scaling and horizontal fit or overflow. Each layout can have its own border and background color. Each layout can have its own autostyle. All layouts can use all datasets imported into the dashboard. The Page Header and Page Footer sections are shared sections, meaning that their contents display on every layout in the dashboard, by default. However, you can configure these sections to display differently for each layout. When you add a layout, the Document header and Document footer sections are replaced by the Layout Header and Layout Footer. These sections print at the beginning and end of the layout. There is no limit to the number of layouts that a dashboard can contain. However, the more layouts you include, the more time it might take to render the dashboard. In the example shown below, two existing dashboards are imported into a new multiple layout dashboard. The first layout tab displays as follows: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 30

31 Layout 1 The second layout tab displays as follows: Layout 2 To import existing dashboards into a new multiple layout dashboard: 1. Open a dashboard in Design view. 2. On the Insert menu, select Layout. 3. In the Insert Layout window, select the Dashboard tab. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 31

32 4. Locate the desired dashboard and click OK. Exporting Multiple Layout Dashboards to Microsoft Excel When you export a multiple layout dashboard to Microsoft Excel, each layout of the dashboard automatically displays on its own worksheet in the Microsoft Excel workbook. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 32

33 3 Dashboard Basics Dashboard Objects Eloqua Insight Grid/Graphs After you add a dataset in the Dataset Objects pane, you can add it to any header or footer section in the Layout area. When you drag a dataset into a header or footer section, it becomes a grid/graph object. You cannot include grid/graphs in the Detail section. In most cases, when you want to design a dashboard to show grids and graphs, you should use one of the dashboard templates. These templates display only the Detail Header section by default, so any grid/graphs you place in the Layout area of the dashboard automatically go into this section. In addition, the templates contain placeholders for dashboard objects. The placeholders make it easier to size and position in the grid/graphs on the dashboard. The explanations in this lesson assume that you are creating a dashboard based on the Blank Dashboard template. This template shows all Layout area sections by default. It serves as the best example for learning the rules of dashboard behavior. To add a grid/graph to the Layout area, do one of the following: 1. Select the desired Layout area section to which you want to add the grid/graph. 2. Right-click the dataset and select either Add to Section with Formatting or Add to Section without Formatting or Add to Section as Shortcut. OR Drag the dataset to the desired Layout area section. This resulting grid/graph will lose its original formatting. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 33

34 Shortcut to Dataset When you right-click a dataset and select Add to Section as Shortcut, you ensure that the grid/graph within the dashboard maintains a link to the original report. If you modify the formatting, template definition, or filter definition on the original report, your changes automatically take effect within the dashboard. For example, in the dashboard shown below, the grid displays the original formatting for the dashboard s dataset: Dashboard with Original Report Formatting With the shortcut to dataset, when you change the formatting of the original report and run the dashboard again, the dashboard automatically displays as follows: Dashboard Automatically Shows Report s New Format Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 34

35 After you design a dashboard using shortcuts to datasets, you always have the option to remove the link to the source report. When you remove the link, you can format the dataset differently from the original report. For example, when you use the shortcut to dataset option, the grids/graphs you include in the dashboard based on that dataset must contain all of the dataset s attributes, metrics, and so forth. However, when you remove the shortcut, you can create grids/graphs based on that dataset that contain subsets of the original attributes and metrics. Without the shortcut option, the grids/graphs based on the dataset can have independent formatting and can hold a subset of the contents from the original dataset. To remove the shortcut to dataset functionality: 1. Right-click the desired grid/graph and select Properties and Formatting. 2. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Properties, select Layout. 3. Under Grid, clear the Shortcut check box. 4. Click OK. Report Modifications that Affect Dashboard Grid/Graphs Whether or not you use shortcuts to your datasets, there are certain report changes that will always affect your dashboard. For example, if you remove an object (such as an attribute or metric) from the original report, the object is also removed from the dashboard s dataset and any grid/graphs based on that dataset no longer display the object. If you have a dynamic text box for that particular object in the dashboard, a static text box displays in the dashboard s output instead. For instance, your original report contains the Profit metric. You place {Profit} in the Detail section of a dashboard that uses the report as its dataset. If you delete Profit from the original report, the dashboard no longer lists Profit as a metric in the dataset and the {Profit} text box in the Detail section displays the static text {Profit} instead of any Profit values. For more information on dynamic text boxes, Attributes, Metrics, Custom Groups, and Consolidations. Furthermore, if you add a new object (like a metric or attribute) to the original report in the Report Editor, when you close and reopen the dashboard that uses that report as its dataset, the Dataset Objects pane automatically displays the new object under the dataset. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 35

36 If the original report that serves as a dataset in a dashboard contains a view filter, you can retain the view filter by right-clicking the dataset and selecting Add to Section with Formatting. The resulting grid/graph object automatically retains the original report s view filter. If you want to retain the original report s formatting but do not want to retain its view filter, after you add the grid/graph to the section with formatting, you can right-click it, select Edit View Filter, and either clear or modify the view filter definition. For more information on creating dashboard-level view filters, see View Filters. Grid/Graph Components from a Single Dataset A grid/graph object that you insert in the Layout area of a dashboard can only contain objects (attributes, metrics, and so on) from a single dataset. You cannot mix attributes and metrics from multiple datasets within a single grid/graph object. You can always specify the source dataset for a grid/graph using the object properties. To designate a source dataset for a grid/graph: 1. Right-click the grid/graph and select Properties and Formatting. 2. In the Properties and Formatting window, on the left panel, under Properties, select Layout. 3. Under Grid, in the Data source drop-down list, select the desired source dataset. 4. Click OK. Inserting Eloqua Insight Reports To make the process of inserting datasets and grid/graphs quicker and easier, you can insert a report directly into a dashboard. To insert a report into a dashboard: 1. Select the section to which you want to add the grid/graph. 2. On the Insert menu, select Report. 3. Use the cross-hairs cursor to position and size the placeholder for the grid/graph. 4. In the Select Dataset window, select the desired dataset and click OK. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 36

37 Inserting a report inserts the dataset and the grid/graph into the dashboard in one step. Attributes, Metrics, Custom Groups, and Consolidations You can add the individual attributes, metrics, custom groups, and consolidations from datasets to any section of a dashboard. All of these objects can come from one or more datasets. When you add any of these objects, they are denoted with braces { }, for example, {Region}. Objects that contain spaces or special characters must also be surrounded with square brackets [], as in the case of {[Call Center]}. As you create dashboards, you need to understand the behavior of these objects when you place them in different sections of the editor. For more information, see Behavior of objects in Headers & Footers. To add Reports, Attributes, Metrics, Custom Groups or Consolidations to a dashboard, do one of the following: 1. In the Dataset Objects pane, drag the desired element (report, attribute, metric, custom group, consolidation, and so forth) into the desired section of the Layout area. OR In the Dataset Objects pane, right-click the object and select Add to Section as Dynamic Text or Add to Section as Static Text. To show a particular attribute form, expand an attribute, right-click the form, and add it to the dashboard as static or dynamic text. OR Insert a text box into the desired section of the Layout area and type the name of an attribute, metric, custom group, or consolidation surrounded by braces. For example, type {Region} in a text box in the Detail section and the dashboard displays the attribute elements for Region from the dataset. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 37

38 If you want to specify the source dataset for a certain metric, you can also include the name of the dataset in the text box. For example, if the same metric is used in multiple datasets, use the syntax {[dataset name]:[object name]}. Although you do not have to use square brackets unless the names contain spaces or special characters, the brackets can help set off the names. If you want to display a particular attribute form, after the object name, within the braces, where attribute_form is the name of the attribute form to be displayed. For example, {Customer@[Last Name]}, displays only the last names of customers on the dashboard. Text You can insert text into any section of a dashboard using text boxes. You can format text boxes by specifying the size, transparency, borders, font, and much more. To insert text into a dashboard: 1. Select the desired section of the Layout area to which you want to add a text box. 2. From the Insert menu, select Text. (Alternatively, on the Insert toolbar, you can select Text, as shown below:) 3. Type the text that you want to display on the dashboard. Concatenating Static and Dynamic Text You can create dynamic sentences by concatenating static text with dynamic text. Remember that when you surround text with braces {}, the text is treated as data when an object in the datasets matches the text in braces. For example, if your dataset contains the Region attribute and the Profit metric, you can insert a text box that dynamically populates the {Region} and {Profit} text with data, as shown below: Design view: The {Region} region showed a profit of {Profit}. HTML output: The Northeast region showed a profit of $1,495,107. When different types of text boxes (in this case, static and dynamic) are combined in one text box, the entire text box has the same formatting and properties. For example, if you want to make the {Region} names and {Profit} values bold but keep the static text in plain text, you should place them in separate text boxes and format them differently. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 38

39 Auto Text Auto text fields are another useful object type. They are variables that you can insert into a dashboard to be dynamically displayed at run time. Auto text fields are similar to dynamic text boxes, in that they are surrounded with braces {}. However, they differ from dynamic text boxes because they are reserved words, which are also preceded with an ampersand (&). The following table lists the auto text codes for a dashboard: Auto text Codes for a Dashboard Auto text Description {&PAGE} {&NPAGES} {&DATETIME} {&USER} {&DASHBOARD} Inserts the current page Inserts the total number of pages into a dashboard or in the group s section before page numbering restarts Inserts the current date and time of the client computer when the dashboard executes Inserts the full name, not the login, of the Eloqua Insight user who executes the dashboard Inserts the saved name of the dashboard {&DESCRIPTION} {&EXECUTIONTIME} Inserts a dashboard s description Inserts the time the dashboard executes. This auto text is useful for non-interactive users, such as those who receive dashboards on a scheduled basis. {&NOTES} Inserts notes The Date and Time and Dashboard execution time auto text fields can be formatted like any other date and time text field. The following table lists the auto text codes for a specific dataset: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 39

40 Auto Text Codes for a Dataset Auto Text Description {&REPORTNAME: DESCRIPTION {&REPORTNAME: FILTERDETAILS} {&REPORTNAME:PR OMPTDETAILS} Inserts the description of the specified dataset. If the report does not have a description, the text field remains blank. Inserts the filtering criteria (report filter and report limit) used in the dataset. If there is no filter, Empty Filter is displayed. Inserts prompt information for all prompts in the specified dataset. {&REPORTNAME: REPORTDETAILS} {&REPORTNAME:RE PORTFILTERDETAILS } {&REPORTNAME:RE PORTLIMITDETAILS} inserts as many report details as you want to include, such as filter details, template details, and prompt details, for the specified dataset. Inserts the filtering criteria for the report filter used in the dataset. Inserts the report limit details for the dataset. {&REPORTNAME:TE MPLATEDETAILS} Inserts the complete template details, including attributes and metrics, for the specified dataset. {&REPORTNAME:EX ECUTIONTIME} Inserts the date and time the dataset was executed. If you do not specify the dataset s REPORTNAME as part of the code, the dashboard s grouping and sorting dataset is used as the source for the dataset-specific auto text codes. You can configure most of the dataset-specific auto text codes to display as much or as little information as you like. You can also specify their formatting. To insert auto text into a dashboard: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 40

41 1. Select the section in which you want to place the auto text. 2. On the Insert menu, select Auto-text, and select the desired auto text. OR Type the auto text (with its required syntax) into a text box. Formatting Auto Text You can custom format the {&REPORTDETAILS}, {&FILTERDETAILS}, {&PROMPTDETAILS}, {&TEMPLATEDETAILS}, and {&REPORTLIMITDETAILS} auto text codes by choosing how much information to display in these fields. To define custom formatting for the specific auto text fields: 1. Right-click the auto text and select Report Details Properties. 2. In the Report Details Properties window, select the check boxes for the information you want to display in the auto text. Click OK. Concatenating Auto Text and Text You can concatenate auto text fields with other text boxes. For example, you can type the following string: Page {&PAGE} of {&NPAGES} If you are viewing page 2 of a 10 page dashboard, the example above displays as: Page 2 of 10 Notice that {&PAGE} is auto text for the current page, and {&NPAGES} is auto text for the total number of pages in the dashboard. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 41

42 Lines & Shapes Lines and shapes (rectangles and rounded rectangles) are a great way to enhance the appearance of your dashboards by delineating areas where data changes. You can add lines and shapes to any section of a dashboard. After you insert them, you can customize lines and shapes by changing their size, transparency, line width, color, and so on. To insert a line or a shape into a dashboard: 1. On the Insert menu, select Line. OR On the Insert menu, point to Shape, and select either Rectangle or Rounded rectangle. 2. Drag the object to the desired section of your dashboard. HTML Container An HTML container enables you to render HTML code directly in the dashboard either in the form of an URL (for example, or as HTML code. In the example below, the dashboard shows two HTML containers. The top container uses a URL to show the Eloqua corporate Web site (only the top of the site displays below) and the bottom container uses a different URL to show a Flash dashboard with an interactive widget. The Flash dashboard is posted on the Eloqua corporate Web site. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 42

43 Two URL-Based HTML Containers You can also type HTML code in an HTML container. To insert an HTML container into a dashboard: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Select the section to which you want to add the HTML container. 3. On the Insert menu, select HTML Container. 4. In the container, type the URL or HTML code. 5. Switch to View Mode, Interactive Mode, or Editable Mode to view the results. Arranging Objects on a Dashboard After you have added objects to a dashboard, you can control how they display when you view the dashboard s output. This section explains the various ways in which you can move and arrange objects. Moving objects Aligning and distributing objects Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 43

44 Sizing objects Ordering objects To perform the operations described in this section, you should know how to select multiple objects in the Dashboard Editor. To select multiple objects in the Dashboard Editor: 1. From the Dashboard Editor in Design view, do one of the following: CTRL+click Hold down the CTRL key while you click each object. Drag a selection box Click in an empty area of a section and drag a box that touches the objects that you want to select, then release the mouse button. The selection box can span multiple dashboard sections. 2. The selected objects are displayed with red sizing handles. If you accidently select an object that you do not want select, point to the object, and use CTRL+ click again. Moving Objects You can modify the look of your dashboard by specifying the positions of the objects in the Design Mode of the dashboard. Use one of the following methods to move objects within the Layout area. Drag and drop Select the objects and drag and drop them to the location you want. Keyboard arrows Select the objects and press the right, left, up, or down arrows on the keyboard. As long as you hold the arrow key down, it moves the objects. If you hold down the CTRL key while using the keyboard arrows, snap to grid is temporarily disabled. You will learn more about snap to grid later in this lesson. Align or distribute Select multiple objects, right-click, point to Align, and select an option. Properties and Formatting window Right-click the object and select Properties and Formatting. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Properties, select Layout. Under Position, enter values for the Left and Top options. You can even move objects across sections. If you select and move multiple objects, they move as a block. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 44

45 Snap to Grid Snap to grid means that objects are aligned to grid points. If this feature is enabled, the corner handles of an object move from one grid point to another grid point when you move or resize the object. When you create an object, the top left corner of the object is aligned to a grid point. If you drag an object while creating it, all corners of the object are aligned to the grid. If snap to grid is disabled, you can add, move, or resize objects anywhere on the Layout area. To toggle snap to grid on and off, on the Tools menu, select Snap To Grid. To temporarily disable snap to grid, press the CTRL key while moving or sizing objects. To align a particular object to the grid, right-click the object, point to Align, and select To Grid. Alignment and Distribution You can align several objects at a time by selecting them and performing one of the following actions: Right-click the objects, select Align, and then choose an option. OR On the Align and Order toolbar, select the desired alignment option. You align objects in the following ways: Left horizontally aligns all selected objects with the leftmost object. Center horizontally centers all selected objects. Right horizontally aligns all selected objects with the rightmost object. Top vertically aligns all selected objects with the highest object. Middle vertically centers all selected objects. Bottom vertically aligns all selected objects with the lowest object. To evenly distribute objects that are not well-spaced: 1. Select at least three objects. 2. Right-click, point to Align, and select Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically. The objects are evenly spaced relative to each other. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 45

46 Sizing Objects You can size text boxes, images, rectangles, and other objects, using any of the following methods: Drag sizing handles Select the object and drag any of its red sizing handles to its new size. Press SHIFT+keyboard arrows Hold down the SHIFT key while pressing the Up, Down, Left, or Right arrow keys on the keyboard. Use Menu options To resize several objects so that they are of the same size, from the right-click menu, point to Size, and select an option from the following list: To Grid resizes and moves the object so that all corners touch a grid point. To Grid option is also available when a single object is selected. To Tallest changes the height of the selected objects to that of the tallest one. To Shortest changes the height of the selected objects to that of the shortest one. To Widest changes the width of the selected objects to that of the widest one. To Narrowest changes the width of the selected objects to that of narrowest one. Properties and Formatting window: In the Layout options, under Size, specify the Width and Height settings for the selected objects. Ordering Objects You may have objects in a dashboard that overlap. You can change the order of an object and display it in front of or behind another object. To do change the order of overlapping objects: 1. Select the object whose order you want to change. 2. Right-click the object, point to Order, and choose one of the following options: Bring to Front, Send to Back, Bring Forward, or Send Backward. The last two options are useful if you have three or more objects on the same position and want to incrementally bring one object forward or send it behind but not all the way to the front or back. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 46

47 Locking Objects Dashboard designers can preserve the placement and positioning of objects within a dashboard by using the locking feature. This option prevents users from inadvertently moving or resizing objects in a dashboard. To lock an object s position on a dashboard: 1. Right-click the object, select Properties and Formatting. 2. On the left, under Properties, select Layout. 3. Under Position, select the Locked check box. When an object is locked, it displays a padlock icon when you select it in Design or Editable Mode. Formatting Objects In this topic, you learn about only some of the methods by which you can format objects in a Eloqua Insight dashboard. There are many formatting features you can apply to sections and individual objects within a dashboard. Control Defaults In a dashboard, you can set control defaults for formatting each type of object in a dashboard as well as for entire sections of the dashboard. After you set a control default, its format is applied to any new object of the same type that you create in the dashboard. For example, if you format the font of a text box as Tahoma-10 point and blue, and then set the text box as the control default, any new text boxes you add thereafter to the Layout area of the Dashboard Editor will have the same formatting style. Control defaults include many formatting properties, such as font, background color, and border properties. You use control defaults for entire sections only when creating new grouping header and footer sections. In the case of subsections (which you learn about in the next lesson topic), the formatting is copied, or inherited, from the section to which the new subsection is added. To set a control default: 1. Format an object as desired. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 47

48 2. Right-click the object and select Set Control Default. You can also apply the control default to an existing object by right-clicking the existing object and selecting Apply Control Defaults. This is a great shortcut to formatting objects in a dashboard. For example, create a number of objects of the same type, format one as desired, set the control defaults, and apply them to the other objects. Another alternative to applying control defaults is to copy and paste formatting from one object to the next. Simply right-click and object and choose Copy. Right-click the object to which you want to copy the format and choose Paste Format. Formatting Features Depending on the object you want to format, you can take advantage of many formatting features to enhance the look of your dashboards. The following table provides a quick list of these features and their corresponding objects: Formatting Features by Object Object Type Formatting Feature Grid/graph, shapes, text box Gradient color, gradient variant Grid/graph, shapes, line, text box, image Drop shadow, drop shadow depth, display tooltip Grid/graph, shapes, text box, image 3D effect, 3D weight Grid/graph, shapes, text box Fill color Grid/graph, text box, image Border Line, shapes Grid/graph or text box Line color, line style, line weight, line orientation (only for lines) Font, style (regular, bold, italic, and bold italic), size, effects (underline or strikeout), text color Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 48

49 Grid/graph or text box Number format (currency, date, time, percentage, and so forth) Grid/graph or text box Grid/graph Horizontal or vertical text alignment, wrap text, and text direction (horizontal or vertical) Cell padding Display state (grid, graph, or grid and graph) Show title bar Show, merge, or lock row and column headers Show or hide outline format, banding, attribute form names, and/or the Metrics column To access formatting features for any dashboard object: 1. Right-click the object you want to format and select Properties and Formatting. 2. In the Properties and Formatting window, modify the specific property. 3. Depending on the formatting property, you can also use the appropriate button on the Format toolbar. Mouse over any button to view its name. 4. Click OK. Section-Specific Properties Certain dashboard section properties are very useful when it comes to designing appealing dashboards. In this topic, you will learn about subsections and size properties. Subsections A subsection is a new section that you add inside of an existing section. This feature enables you to place text or other objects under a report (or other item) that tends to grow dynamically depending on its content. Consider the following example: You place a grid into the Detail Header section. The grid is based on a dataset that includes a prompt on Category. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 49

50 You add text directly under the grid, which provides information about the data in the report, including auto text that displays your prompt selections. In Design view, notice that the text box is placed directly below the grid. However, the challenge is: You do not know how long the report will be. In fact, you (or another user) could select only one or all four categories from the prompt at run time. The size of the resulting grid varies, depending on the prompt answers you select. The text box is in a fixed position, and does not move based on the size of the grid. As a result, the dashboard output resembles the following (notice that the text box displays on top of the grid): You can solve this problem by using subsections. By simply creating a new section below the grid, and placing the text box into the new subsection, you ensure that the text box displays in the dashboard under the fully rendered grid. After you add the new subsection to the Detail Header, a separator line marks the distinction between the new subsection and the original section, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 50

51 This subsection allows the grid to grow to as many rows as needed and the text box displays below the grid results. To create a new section: 1. Select the section in which you want to create a new section. 2. From the Insert menu, select Insert Section Above or Insert Section Below. 3. A new section is created, separated from the original by a separator line. 4. Insert any desired objects into the new subsection. The new subsection inherits the behavior of the section into which it was inserted. Section - General Properties The Visible property determines whether a section displays when a user views the dashboard. If the Visible check box is cleared, you cannot view the section in PDF or any of the display modes in Eloqua Insight. However, you can still see the section in Design Mode. This property is useful when you want to add comments in a text box (perhaps related to the dashboard s design or to the data the dashboard contains) and you want fellow designers to see these comments in Design Mode, but you do not want those comments to display in the PDF or HTML outputs. Section - Size Properties Each section can grow and shrink dynamically based on its contents. This behavior is governed by the Height can shrink and Height can grow properties, as shown below: Layout Properties for Size: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 51

52 If you select the Height can shrink and the Height can grow check boxes, the section expands and contracts based on its contents. If you clear these check boxes, the section is sized to its fixed height and does not expand or contract according to its contents. By default, each section of the Layout area can grow to accommodate its contents, but it will not automatically shrink. If a dashboard that you run in any of the DHTML modes takes a long time to execute, you might consider using the default behavior for the sections and not enabling the Height can shrink property. The Hide if empty property can also be used to control the sizing of sections in a dashboard. If you select this check box and if the section contains no objects or data, the section does not display at all in the dashboard output. If it is cleared and the section contains no data, the section displays in the final output (according to its size properties). PDF-Specific Properties There are several properties that apply specifically to dashboards you view in PDF. You find most of these properties in Page Setup or Dashboard Properties. In Page Setup, you can define paper size, orientation, scaling, and more. In Dashboard Properties, you can enable PDF bookmarks, font embedding, table of contents, and watermarks. You will learn about some of these features in this topic. Page Breaks Every section, except the Page Header and Page Footer, has properties associated with page breaks. These properties impact the PDF output of a dashboard, but not the dashboard s display in any of the Eloqua Insight display modes. The properties associated with page breaks are shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 52

53 Page Break Properties. Force new page You use this property to create a page break. By default this is set to None, but you can change this to Before section, After section, or Before and after section. Keep together One example of why you would use this setting is to keep column labels with the data they identify. If the column labels of a section are stranded at the bottom of a page, with the corresponding data at the top of the next page, select the Keep together check box. This property is also useful when you design vertical layouts, like stacked metrics. If data for two vertically aligned objects splits across two pages, you can select the Keep together check box to make sure the two values are kept on the same page. Repeat on each page If all of the data within any header section (for example, the Document header or a custom header section) cannot fit on one page and you want the section s header information to print on all overflow pages, select the Repeat on each page check box. This setting is only available for header sections. Repeat horizontally It is possible that the objects you include in a dashboard display beyond the width of the dashboard page. The Repeat horizontally setting helps you govern whether these objects are repeated on pages that go beyond the width of a standard page. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 53

54 Page Setup and Printing Options - Horizontal Fit When you design dashboards, you use the Page Setup dialog box in the Dashboard Editor to control the printing properties and setup properties. There is one setting, in particular, that can be very useful in controlling how a wide dashboard displays. The Horizontal fit setting enables you to control whether data that extends beyond the width of a dashboard displays on the same page or on a separate page. For example, the dashboard shown below contains objects that carry over beyond the width of the first page. By default, the overflow objects are displayed on the next page. Page 1 Page 2 To change this behavior, for the Horizontal fit setting, select the Below option, and the same dashboard displays any overflow objects immediately below the first row of data, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 54

55 Page 1 This setting also applies to wide grids you include in a dashboard. For example, if you add a grid object (which happens to be wider than the width of the dashboard) to the Detail Header section, you can control whether the overflow data for that grid displays on the same page or on the next page. The Horizontal Fit property is a dashboard level setting, so it applies across all sections of a dashboard. To control horizontal overflow: 1. Open the dashboard in Design Mode. 2. On the Home menu, select Page Setup. 3. In the Properties window, under Page Setup, select Page. 4. Under Horizontal fit, in the Overflow drop-down list, select either Next page or Below. Horizontal Fit does not impact dashboards designed to show horizontally-repeating data. For more information on horizontally-repeating data, see Horizontally-Repeating data. Table of Contents You can create a table of contents that dynamically changes depending on the contents of the Grouping panel and the layouts in a dashboard. For example, the dashboard shown below has a table of contents that lets you quickly view the structure of the dashboard as well as navigate to its individual sections. Each entry in the table of contents links to its corresponding page. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 55

56 Table of Contents To configure the table of contents: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. On the Home menu, select Page Setup. 3. In the Properties window, under Dashboard Properties, select Table of Contents. 4. Under Table of Contents (PDF only), select the Include Table of Contents check box. 5. Provide a title for the table of contents, if desired. 6. To modify the font, click Format: 7. In the Font Formatting window, specify the font, style, size, color and effects and click OK. 8. Select or clear the Show tab leader check box, which controls whether or not the dots display between the element name and the page number. 9. To specify the location of the table of contents within the PDF output of the dashboard, in the Before layout drop-down list, select the layout which the table of contents should precede. 10. Click OK. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 56

57 Watermarks The Watermark option in the Dashboard Editor enables you to display a watermark image or text on all of the pages of a dashboard that you view in PDF. You can specify the orientation of the watermark, the font, color, and size of a text watermark, and the display style. For example, the dashboard below shows a Confidential - Do not distribute text watermark in Arial 10-point grey font with a diagonal orientation: Watermark in PDF To define a watermark on a dashboard: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. On the Home menu, select Page Setup. 3. In the Properties window, under Dashboard Properties, select Watermark. 4. Under Watermark (PDF Only), in the Watermark drop-down list, select the type of watermark (project watermark, no watermark, text, or image watermark). Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 57

58 5. If you select Text watermark, in the Text box, type the text. Or, if you select Image watermark, in the Source box, type the image path. 6. For text watermarks, you can also specify font properties, whether to size the font automatically, whether to use the Washout effect, and the desired orientation. 7. Click OK. Watermarks display behind every other object on a dashboard. Any object that is not transparent, even those with a white fill color, cover the watermark. If you want the watermark to show through a grid, graph, or other object, set the background fill of the cells or object to transparent. Administrators can define a project-level watermark, which displays across all dashboards in the Eloqua Insight project. Also, unless the administrator disables the option, by default, dashboard designers can create dashboard-level watermarks, which overwrite the project-level watermark. For more information on defining a project-level watermark, see Project-Level Watermarks. PDF Bookmarks When you design a dashboard that contains attributes in the Grouping panel, you can enable or disable the display of PDF bookmarks. For more information, see PDF-Specific Grouping Properties. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 58

59 4 Dashboard Design Concepts Banded Layouts One of the ways that you can make dashboards more appealing and legible is by using banding. To accomplish banding, you need to understand the behavior of the following Layout area sections: Detail section Custom sections Header and footer sections An example of a banded layout is shown below. Notice how years and regions are grouped so that call centers and a metric display together. You will study this very simple example of banded layout in this topic. Banded Layout Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 59

60 Detail Section Behavior As you create Eloqua Insight dashboards, you need to understand the impact of placing attributes and metrics in the Detail section. When you place attributes and metrics into this section, the dashboard displays data for each row that exists in the dataset. This concept is important to understand, because it significantly impacts the design of dashboards, and most importantly the output. Consider the following example. Assume the following report serves as the dataset for a dashboard. The dataset has 15 rows of data, three attributes (Region, Call Center, and Year), two metrics (Profit and Profit Margin), and a report filter for years 2007 and Sample Dataset Now consider what happens if you place only Region and Profit in the Detail section of the Layout area, as shown below. Detail Section with {Region} and {Profit} Based on what you learned earlier (items in the Detail section display data for every row that exists in the dataset), the result set displays as follows: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 60

61 Repeating Data in Detail Section The region information (Central, Mid-Atlantic, and so forth) repeats because profit values for every record in the dataset. In other words, the profit values (the numeric data) display for every Call Center and Year (the other attributes in the dataset) even though they are not currently in the Detail section. For example, the Central region displays four times because there are two call centers in Central (Milwaukee and Fargo) and there are two years (2007, 2008) in the dataset, resulting in four profit figures in all. As a general rule, after you place an attribute into the Detail section, it is a good practice to do one of the following: Place all other attributes into the Detail section. OR Group by all attributes not placed in the Detail section. Grouping is covered in the next topic To make the dashboard output more comprehensible, you can place the other attributes into the Detail section as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 61

62 All Dynamic Text Boxes in Detail Section When you do this, the results show all levels of detail, making the output easier to understand: All Dynamic Text Boxes in Detail Section Output. However, the data still repeats. While the results are easier to understand, the format is still not quite ideal. You can use custom grouping sections to improve the look and readability of the dashboard. As a general rule, when the dataset you use in a dashboard contains multiple attributes and you want to display the data in the Detail section, your best design approach is to use custom sections. Custom sections are possible through grouping. Custom Sections and Grouping Grouping is a powerful design technique that enables you to create custom bands so that data can be arranged and sorted in an efficient and easily consumable layout. When you group the dashboard described in the previous topic by Year and Region, you see the following results: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 62

63 Banded Layout To accomplish this layout, you simply add attributes to the Grouping panel of the Dashboard Editor. For each attribute you place into this panel, Eloqua Insight creates a custom header and footer for that attribute. In the image below, the editor displays the Grouping panel for the sample dashboard. Because the dashboard groups by Year and Region, corresponding header and footer sections (Year Header, Region Header, Year Footer, and Region Footer) display in the Layout area: Grouping by Year and Region and Custom Sections. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 63

64 Only the custom header sections are shown above. You should consider the following important factors with respect to grouping: The order in which you place attributes into the Grouping panel impacts the output. If Region comes before Year, the dashboard displays a breakdown of regions and then each year. It makes the most sense to group on attributes that are at a higher logical level than those used in the Detail section. For example, the sample dashboard above groups on Region while Call Center is in the Detail section. If you group by Call Center and place Region in the Detail section, the resulting output seems nonsensical. Eloqua Insight can only group by objects from the grouping and sorting dataset. By default, the first dataset that you add to the dashboard is the grouping and sorting dataset. However, you can assign a different grouping and sorting dataset. To change the Grouping and Sorting Dataset: 1. If two or more datasets exist in the Dataset Objects pane, identify which one you want to assign as the grouping and sorting dataset. 2. Right-click the dataset name. 3. Select Set as Grouping and Sorting Dataset. 4. Select attributes, custom groups, or consolidations as grouping objects (not metrics). Grouping Properties For any attributes that you place in the Grouping panel, you can assign several grouping properties. By right-clicking an attribute in the Grouping panel and selecting Grouping Properties, you access options that enable you to control the layout and display of your dashboard. The image below shows the grouping properties: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 64

65 Grouping Properties Page-By Mode When you include attributes in the Grouping panel of a Eloqua Insight dashboard, you can choose whether or not to apply page-by functionality to the dashboard as well. The page-by functionality in dashboards is similar to the page-by feature in reports where you can dynamically page through the data. When you select a page-by element, the dashboard displays only the information related to the selected attribute element, as shown below: Page-by Mode Example By default, page-by is enabled for all the grouping objects in a dashboard. To control the pageby behavior for a dashboard, you choose one of the following Page by Mode settings: No Page-By (All Only) Page-By (Single Element or All) Page-By (Single Element Only) Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 65

66 With the No Page-By (All Only) setting, page-by for all grouping objects to the right of the selected grouping object are also disabled. Exporting to Microsoft Excel When you export a dashboard that contains page-by fields to PDF or to Microsoft Excel, you are presented with the following option: Export Option When you keep the Expand Page-by check box selected, you export the entire dashboard. If you clear the check box, just the current page exports. This export option displays when your dashboard contains grouping objects with the page-by functionality enabled and the Dashboard Properties Prompt user on Export option is enabled, as shown below: Dashboard Properties: Export Options Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 66

67 Horizontally-Repeating data You can control whether the contents of custom grouping sections and the Detail sections (Detail Header, Detail, and Detail Footer) display horizontally or vertically. In the example below, the dashboard shows the contents of the Detail Header, Detail, and Detail Footer displayed horizontally rather than vertically. This type of design makes more use of the page width. Horizontally-Repeating Data - View Mode The same dashboard in Design Mode displays as follows: Horizontally-Repeating Data - Design Mode Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 67

68 The {Quarter} text box in the Detail Header is formatted to display vertically. For more information on displaying text vertically, see Formatting Features. To enable horizontal display for a given grouping object: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Right-click the desired grouping object and select Grouping Properties. 3. In the Grouping Properties window, select the Render horizontally check box. For example, the image below shows the Quarter Grouping Properties window with the check box selected: Render Horizontally Totals in Grouping Objects You can enable totals on a grouping object. Totals aggregate the metric values for each element to display the sum for the entire grouping object. For example, the dashboard below has totals enabled on the Region grouping attribute. When you select a single region, you see metric values that reflect the one region, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 68

69 Single Region Selected When you select the Total option in the grouping attribute, you see the metric values change to reflect the total: PDF-Specific Grouping Properties Total Selected There are a number of properties that pertain to the grouping behavior of the dashboard in PDF Mode. The Keep group together option ensures that groups do not get separated across pages. For example, assume you have Region in the Grouping panel and any object in the Detail section. Now assume that the detailed information for each region spans only a few rows. You want each region s information to be printed on the same page, but you do not want to use a page break between each group. The Keep group together option will ensure that all information for a region is printed on the same page. (If the information for a given region is lengthy, it can span more than one page.) Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 69

70 The Page break between groups forces a new page every time a new data element of the group is printed. For example, if you have Year in the grouping panel and data for 2007 and 2008 displays in the dashboard s output, this setting causes the information for 2008 year to begin on a new page (assuming the years display in ascending order on your dashboard). The Restart page numbering causes page numbering for auto text fields to restart at number one within a group. PDF bookmarks are another PDF-specific feature that relate to grouping. When you place an object in the Grouping panel, each element of the grouping object becomes a bookmark in the PDF. These bookmarks make it easier to navigate through the dashboard. However, you can disable or hide the bookmarks from PDF view. To hide bookmarks in a PDF: 1. On the Tools menu, select Dashboard Properties. 2. In the Properties window, under Dashboard Properties, select Export. 3. Under PDF, clear the Show bookmarks in PDF check box. To prevent the creation of bookmarks in a PDF: 1. On the Tools menu, select Dashboard Properties. 2. In the Properties window, under Dashboard Properties, select Export. 3. Under PDF, clear the Include Bookmarks in PDF check box. Headers & Footers Now that you understand the behavior of the Detail section and how grouping works, you are ready to learn the behavior of header and footer sections. As mentioned previously, header and footer sections are useful for: Labeling columns of data that display in the Detail section Displaying Eloqua Insight grids or graphs Displaying totals and subtotals It is important to understand how certain objects behave when you place them in headers or footers. Behaviors can change depending on whether you are using grouping objects in the dashboard. The following table lists the behavior of objects placed in headers and footers: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 70

71 Behavior of objects in Headers & Footers Header or Footer type Object type Behavior Use Page Header / Footer & Document header / Footer Attribute dynamic text boxes Only the first attribute element in the results of the dataset displays Varies Metric dynamic text boxes The metric is summed for all values in the dataset Useful for grand total Detail Header / Footer Attribute dynamic text boxes If Grouping is NOT used: The first attribute element in the results of the dataset displays If Grouping is used: The first attribute element for the level of grouping displays. Results will vary depending on the attribute. Varies Metric dynamic text boxes The metric displays a subtotal for the grouping level Useful for subtotals Zone-Based Layouts Zone-based layouts are useful for accomplishing a number of different dashboard designs including, but not limited to, scorecards and dashboards. For typical zone-based layouts: You do not need to use the Detail section You insert grids and/or graphs into a header or footer section Remember that you cannot place grids and graphs into the Detail section. To achieve zone-based layouts, you typically drag and drop an entire dataset as a grid/graph into a header section. You can position grid/graphs in various locations within the header to display as much information as possible. In the following example, notice how the dashboard displays four graphs (three gauges and one bar graph) and a grid: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 71

72 Zone-Based Dashboard This dashboard is a classic example of a zone-based layout. When you observe the dashboard in Design Mode (shown below), notice the extensive use of the Detail Header section. Also, notice how the designer places graphs in the section, rather than individual attributes and metrics: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 72

73 Zone-Based Dashboard - Design Mode. The example shown above is just one of many possibilities for zone-based reports. Generally, if you want to create a zone-based dashboard, you should start with one of the available dashboard templates. These predesigned formats make it much easier to build a zonebased dashboard quickly. Graph Formats The default format for graphs in PDF is scalable vector graphs (SVG). Vector graphs reduce the size of the PDF compared to the traditional bitmap graph, resulting in more efficient PDF generation. Vector graphs also improve the quality of printed graphs and are therefore recommended for dashboards that contain many graph objects. You still have the option to use bitmap graphs instead of vector graphs, particularly if you want to use any of the following formatting features, which are not currently supported by vector graphs: Background pattern (Only the background color of the pattern is used.) Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 73

74 Rectangular gradient (Linear and circular gradients are supported; rectangular gradients are converted to circular gradients.) Texture and picture background (A solid white background is applied.) To change the graph resolution in PDF files: 1. On the Tools menu, select Dashboard Properties. 2. In the Properties window, under Dashboard Properties, select Export. 3. Under PDF, select Use bitmaps for graphs, as shown below: 4. To use a lower resolution for the bitmap graphs, select Use draft quality for graphs. 5. Click OK. Vector graphs are used only in PDF files, so graphs that you view in other display modes are not affected. Also, you do not need any special software to use vector graphs since Adobe Acrobat Reader automatically contains a built-in vector graph decoder. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 74

75 Combined Banded and Zone-Based Layouts You can use either banded or zone-based layouts to create appealing dashboards. You can also combine both techniques to expand the dashboard design possibilities. Consider the following example: This dashboard uses banding and zones: Banding: The distribution centers (Fargo and Milwaukee) are grouped. The dashboard also groups by Region, although the Region Header and Footer are purposely empty. Zones: A grid and graph display within each distribution center grouping. By banding the report and placing zones inside of the bands, the zone-based items (the grid and graph) calculate at the level of each band. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 75

76 If you study the dashboard in Design Mode, you see how it groups by Region and Distribution Center. The grid and graph inside the Detail Header fall within the lowest group (or band). They repeat for each Distribution Center. As another example, suppose you have a dashboard with Region in the Grouping panel, and you place a grid/graph object in the Region Header section. If there are three values for the Region: Midwest, Northeast, and Northwest, the grid/graph aggregates and displays only Midwest data in the Midwest Region Header, only Northeast data in the Northeast Region Header, and only Northwest data in the Northwest Region Header. This is an important concept to remember about individual grid/graph objects you include in a custom grouping section: the data displayed in the grid/graph aggregates to the level of the section in which the grid/graph is placed. If you place the grid/graph in one of the custom header or footer sections, the grid/graph displays only the data that pertains to that group. Zoom You can use the zoom feature to help you view dashboards and their contents on a different scale. You can zoom to focus in on certain sections of the dashboard layout area or zoom out to view the entire dashboard on a smaller scale. The zoom factor ranges from 25% to 400%. When you save a dashboard, the current zoom factor is also saved. This feature is particularly useful when fine-tuning the Pixel Perfect positioning of objects or when trying to capture the overall look and feel of your dashboard. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 76

77 Zoom is also very useful when you are formatting objects like lines with low line weights. You can zoom in on the dashboard to enlarge the view of the line and select it with greater ease. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 77

78 5 Dashboards Summary Metrics Summary metrics enable you to control the aggregation function that is used to calculate a subtotal for any given metric on a dashboard. Typically, when you add a metric to a dashboard to produce a subtotal or grand total, the function that is used to calculate the subtotal is the same function that is defined as the subtotal function for the metric. For example, if you place the Revenue metric in the Document header section of the dashboard, the metric produces a grand total across the entire dataset based on the SUM function, the metric's default subtotal function. Using summary metrics, you can change this subtotal function from SUM to MAX, COUNT, or whichever function you prefer. In the image shown below, the dashboard displays two summary metrics, Count of Revenue and Maximum of Revenue. The Count of Revenue summary metric uses the COUNT aggregation operator instead of the Revenue metric's default subtotal function, which is SUM. It counts the instances of revenue figures per quarter, since it is placed in the Quarter header in the dashboard. The Maximum of Revenue summary metric uses the MAX aggregation operator and calculates the highest revenue figure per Region, since it is placed in the Region Header. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 78

79 Summary Metric Example To create a summary metric: 1. In the Dataset Objects pane, under the desired dataset, right-click the metric for which you want to create a new summary metric, select New Summary Metric, and click the desired aggregation function. The summary metric is added to the appropriate dataset and displays in the Dataset Objects pane. 2. Drag the summary metric into the desired dashboard section. You can reuse a summary metric in different sections within the same dashboard. Just like any metric that you add to a dashboard, summary metrics calculate differently depending on their location in the dashboard. View Filters You can create view filters within a dashboard to maximize the use of a single dataset. View filters help you decrease the number of datasets that you need to build certain types of dashboards because you use view filters to apply different filtering criteria to the same dataset. In a sense, you use view filters to create different views of a single dataset. For example, you create a dashboard that contains revenue and profit information for different product categories. You need to be able to display different grids for each product category, all on a single dashboard. Without view filters, you must create a dataset report with the Category attribute and the Revenue and Profit metrics. You must then create copies of the dataset report, each with a different category filter. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 79

80 For example, If you have seven categories, you must create and maintain seven reports. You must then add each report as a dataset to the dashboard, so your dashboard contains seven datasets, each with the same attributes and metrics but a different category filter. In the sample dashboard below, notice the three datasets for each of the three categories. (The dashboard uses only three categories to keep the example simple.) Dashboard without View Filters on Grids - Design When you view the dashboard in View Mode, you see the following: Dashboard without View Filters on Grids In the next few sections, you will learn some formatting techniques that explain the reasons why you might want to use separate grids for each row of a report (as shown above). Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 80

81 You can create the same dashboard using a single dataset, multiple grid/graphs and view filters instead of having to use multiple source datasets. You create one Insight report, which you add as the dataset to the dashboard. You then insert the same report as a grid multiple times into the dashboard. Finally, you define a different view filter for each grid. All of the individual grids share the same exact dataset, but they each employ a different filtering condition. To create view filters on grids and graphs in a Eloqua Insight dashboard: 1. In the Dashboard Editor, right-click the grid/graph object and select Edit View Filter. 2. Click Add Condition. 3. In the Filter On drop-down list, select the attribute with which you want to define the view filter. With dashboard-level view filters, you can only qualify on attributes, not metrics. 4. Click Select and choose an operator. The operators include: In list and Not in list. If you select Qualify, you must choose an attribute form on which to qualify (ID, Description, and so forth). Then, you choose the appropriate operator and enter a value for the qualification. 5. After you select the In list or Not in list operator, use the Add to selections button to move the desired attribute elements to the Selected box. 6. Click Apply, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 81

82 7. Click OK. View filters that you define on a grid or graph in the Dashboard Editor are local to the dashboard on which they are created. In other words, when you define a view filter on a grid/graph in the Dashboard Editor, you do not affect the original report as it is defined in the Report Editor. Similarly, a dashboard generally ignores any view filter you define on a report in the Report Editor, so that all data from the report is used in the dashboard. However, if you want to force a dashboard to recognize a view filter (that qualifies on an attribute) defined on the original report, you can choose to add the dataset as a grid with formatting to the Layout area. By selecting the Add to Section with Formatting option, you ensure that the dashboard pays attention to the original report s view filter and automatically includes it in the grid s definition. Also, if you convert an existing report into a dashboard and the report contains a view filter, the view filter persists in the grid/graph on the new dashboard. View Filter Usage Examples The following examples show a variety of dashboard layouts that are possible with view filters. Custom Row Formats You can use view filters to apply custom formatting to different rows of data. For example, the dashboard below contains four grids, each with its own view filter and custom formatting. Northeast displays in white, italic font with a black background while Northwest displays in black, italic font with a grey background. The other regions display in the default font. Custom Row Formats Custom Sorting Much like you use view filters to display custom row formats, you can use them to achieve custom sort orders. The image below shows a dashboard with a single grid and no view filter. With the default sort order, the dashboard displays as follows: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 82

83 Default Sort Order in Grid You want to sort the data so that the rows display in the following order: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and so forth. To do this, place four distinct grids in the Detail Header section (overlapping them, as shown below) and define a different view filter for each grid: Custom Order - Design Mode The dashboard displays in View Mode as follows: Custom Order - View Mode Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 83

84 Custom Subtotals You can also use view filters to define custom subtotals. In the example below, one grid contains a view filter for Northeast and Southeast, and a second grid contains a view filter for Northwest and Southwest. Totals are enabled for each grid to achieve a custom subtotal, as shown below: Custom Subtotals The column headers of the second grid are purposely hidden to give the effect of a single grid. Derived Elements Derived Elements Derived elements are best understood as a custom grouping of attribute elements that aggregates at the group level. You can group multiple elements on a grid to display as a single element, replacing its individual components. For example, consider the following report with Region on the rows and a few metrics in the columns: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 84

85 Derived Elements Example - Intelligent Cube View Report There are eight regions on the report, many of which you could combine to form super regions. You can group the Northwest and Southwest regions and display them on the report as one element West. The Profit metric values automatically aggregate to include both element values ($195,868+ $411,335= $607,203): Derived Elements Example - West In addition to creating derived elements that replace their components, you can also create new calculations that display in addition to the elements that comprise them. For example, when you create a new calculation West - Web using the new West grouping and subtracting it from the Web element on the same report, a new element displays on the grid, as shown in the image below: Derived Elements Example - Calculation Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 85

86 This functionality is available within the Dashboard Editor when you design individual grids based on view report datasets. To create, modify, delete, save, or reuse derived elements in grids, you must work with the dashboard in Editable Mode. To create derived elements on a grid: 1. Open the dashboard in Editable Mode. 2. Select a grid to which you want to add derived elements. 3. Perform one of the following actions: Right-click the desired attribute header for the derived element and select Derived Elements. In the Derived Elements Editor, create the derived element. OR Select multiple element rows, right-click and select Create Group. Name the group and click OK. To insert an existing derived element 1. In the Derived Elements window toolbar, click Linked Group. 2. Locate and select desired derived element. 3. Click OK. To save a derived element 1. Click the Save icon. 2. Save to the desired location. Dynamic Aggregation When running Eloqua Insight dashboards, you might run into the following scenario (notice the Average Revenue values): Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 86

87 Dynamic Aggregation on Average Revenue Why would the Average Revenue metric at the Region level display -- instead of actual values? The reason is dynamic aggregation. As a general rule, dynamic text boxes for metrics that you place in a header or footer section (that is, anywhere in the dashboard except the Detail section) aggregate to the level of the header or footer. For example, when you place a dynamic text box for the Revenue metric ({Revenue}) in a Region header, the metric calculates at the Region level (even though the original level of the metric is Call Center). The metric aggregates using the function in its definition. In the case of Revenue that is defined as Sum(Revenue), the Sum function is used to calculate Region-level revenue values. Dynamic aggregation works well with metrics that use the SUM, MIN, or MAX functions. However, the challenge arises with metrics, such as the Average Revenue (shown in the dashboard sample), that use other functions like Average, Variance, Mode, Standard Deviation, and so on. These functions cannot always correctly aggregate to higher levels (in this example, Region). In the example above, the dashboard displays -- instead of attempting to calculate Average Revenue at the Region level. The -- is used to demonstrate that the data is not available at this particular level. However, you can change this default behavior in one of two ways: using a summary metric or altering the metric definition. To use a summary metric: 1. In the Dashboard Editor, in the Dataset Objects pane, right-click the desired metric (in the above example, the Average Revenue metric), point to New Summary Metric, and select Average. 2. From the Dataset Objects pane, place the new summary metric (for example, Average of Average Revenue) into the appropriate header or footer (for example, Region Header). In the example above, the summary metric calculates the average revenue at the Region level. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 87

88 6 Dashboard Design Methodology Dashboard Design Methodology Eloqua recommends the following process for creating Eloqua Insight dashboards: 1. Formulate a vision of the dashboard you want to create. 2. Identify the appropriate datasets and data sources. 3. Create a report framework and outline structure. 4. Using the Dashboard Editor, add desired data and static elements to appropriate sections of the dashboard. 5. Perform the majority of precise positioning and formatting. 1. Formulate a vision of the dashboard you want to create Before you start designing a dashboard, have a clear idea of the dashboard s layout, the data you want to show, and the output format. You should create a sample dashboard or mock-up that conveys a clear vision of the dashboard s information, structure, and basic format. It is usually best to create the mock-up in a different application, such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Excel. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 88

89 Also, during this stage, consider the use case for the dashboard. Will users primarily view it online through Eloqua Insight in View or Interactive Mode? If it is a dashboard that requires special visualizations, will users view the dashboard only in Flash Mode? If it is a more traditional dashboard, like the ones you have seen throughout this course, will users need it in PDF to print it to hard copy? Perhaps your users want to see it exported to Microsoft Excel? Or, perhaps you need the dashboard to display in a variety of formats? If users need to print the dashboard, consider whether it prints in full color or black and white. This decision can impact the color choices you make for your dashboard objects. At this early stage of the dashboard creation process, you should also consider the workflow for the dashboard. Will users need to navigate to other reports, dashboards, or Web sites after they view the dashboard? If so, you need to plan for the corresponding links to those targets. Deciding on all of these requirements during the early stages of the dashboard design process helps you estimate the amount of time you will need to create the dashboard and its potential target objects. For example, imagine that you want to create a dashboard like the one shown below. In addition to specifying the content and format of the dashboard, you need to design the dashboard to display in View Mode and in PDF (for printing purposes). You also want the dashboard to be linked to more detailed reports. Imagine that this report spans hundreds of pages. You want to ensure that users can easily navigate within the dashboard using PDF bookmarks or a table of contents. You should consider all of these factors during the early stages of the dashboard creation process. Transactional Sales Dashboard PDF Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 89

90 2. Identify the appropriate datasets and data sources Does the data that you want to display in the dashboard already exist in your Eloqua Insight reports? If not, you will need to create reports with the necessary data in them to use for your dashboards. As a general rule, you should minimize the number of datasets you use in a dashboard. Also, datasets should display only the data that is needed no more and no less. For example, if you want to display only Year-level information, avoid using a dataset that displays data at the Day level. A Day-level dataset returns much more information than you need to display in the dashboard and most likely takes longer to process against the data warehouse. If necessary, build optimized datasets for a your dashboard. In other words, if only a Day-level dataset already exists, purposefully create a dataset with Year-level data to make your dashboard more efficient. After you build the necessary datasets, test their performance to make sure that they meet your performance requirements. Whenever possible, combine similar datasets into fewer master datasets. For example, if you have three datasets in a dashboard that contain the same attributes but different metrics, create a single master dataset that combines all of the metrics with the attributes. Also, if your dashboard requires multiple grids and graphs that show different data elements from the same dataset, apply view filters to the grid/graphs. For more information on optimizing datasets, see Optimizing Datasets. After you have chosen the appropriate datasets for a dashboard, make sure that users edit the datasets only under standard change control processes. Remember that any changes made to a dataset can ultimately affect the dashboard. For example, if a report object (such as an attribute) is referenced by dynamic text box in a Eloqua Insight dashboard, and a user unknowingly removes it from the original report, the dynamic text box becomes static text when users view the dashboard in PDF. For this reason, you should save reports used as datasets in dashboards in a well-labeled location to minimize conflicts between modified reports and dashboards. You should also write detailed report and dashboard descriptions, so users clearly understand the purpose of a report or dashboard. 3. Create a report framework and outline structure Define the overall look of the dashboard by starting with a general design shell. Consider the following: Define the grouping objects, if applicable. Determine which report sections you will use and hide unused sections. Define default and available display modes Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 90

91 Using the same Transactional Sales dashboard example, notice how the dashboard displays data only in certain sections. The Grouping panel contains Customer, Category, and Subcategory. Item-level data displays in the Detail section. The dashboard s title displays in the Page Header and the subtotals display in the grouping header sections. Transactional Sales Dashboard - Design Mode and Grouping Properties The default display mode is View Mode, although you can also export to PDF. 4. In Design Mode, add desired data and static elements to appropriate sections of the dashboard In Design Mode, add static or dynamic text boxes, grids or graphs, lines, rectangles, images, auto text, and so forth to define the content of the dashboard. Place each object in its appropriate section, populating the headers and footers and Detail section as needed. It is generally more efficient to add all dashboard objects in Design Mode first, and then view the actual data values in View or Editable Mode. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 91

92 5. Perform the majority of precise positioning and formatting of dashboard objects Before you spend too much time on formatting or the Pixel Perfect placement of every object on a dashboard, make sure that the dashboard contains all the data you want to display in the appropriate sections. Then, focus on positioning objects using Editable Mode in Eloqua Insight. You might find it easier to position objects in this display mode, since you can actually see how the data values display in their respective locations in the dashboard. You can also use the alignment, sizing, distribution, order, and paste formatting features to make this process easier. At this point, if one of your desired dashboard formats is PDF, define the following PDF-specific settings: Page-by properties Keep group together Page break between groups Restart page numbering Page break logic for sections Paper size and orientation Scale dashboard to fit to page Horizontal or vertical overflow Margins PDF bookmarks Table of contents Watermark As you fine-tune the dashboard, you might want to enhance the overall look of the dashboard by adding some of the following formatting features: Conditional formatting on grid/graphs or text boxes Images Interactive Flash widgets Tooltips Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 92

93 7 Useful Design Techniques Useful Design Techniques Calculated Expressions Calculated expressions offer a quick way to create a calculation on the fly that uses simple (+, -, *, /) arithmetic operators or advanced mathematical functions in combination with metrics from one or more datasets in a dashboard. You can use parentheses within the formula to control the order of operations. You can also use numerical constants in your calculated expressions. For example, with Regional Cost dataset and a Regional Revenue dataset, you can create a Profit calculated expression defined as {Revenue-Cost}: Calculated Expression - Design Mode You cannot create this calculation as a derived metric because the base metrics, Revenue and Cost, do not exist in the same dataset. The dashboard displays the calculated expression as follows: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 93

94 Calculated Expression - View Mode You create calculated expressions using text boxes. You can drag metrics from the Dataset Objects pane or simply type their names directly into the text box. You need braces (that is, { }) around the entire calculated expression. If the name of the object being used in the expression contains spaces or special characters, type the name in brackets (that is, [ ]) within the braces. Furthermore, if the metric exists in multiple datasets, use the format {[dataset name]:[object name]} to specify the dataset you want to use to reference the specific metric. Calculated expressions differ from derived metrics in the following ways: Calculated expressions can include objects from different datasets. You define calculated expressions using text boxes, not a window or wizard. They display in the Layout area section in which you place them, and not in the Dataset Objects pane like derived metrics. To reuse a calculated expression in another section of a dashboard, you must either create a new text box with the same mathematical expression for the calculated expression, or you can copy and paste the original calculated expression into the new section. Conditional Formatting You may already be familiar with the concept of thresholds in Eloqua Insight reports whereby you define specific formatting for metrics that satisfy user-defined, data-driven conditions. With Eloqua Insight, you can apply conditional formatting to many types of dashboard objects. If an object meets your specific conditions, it displays the custom format. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 94

95 The example below shows conditional formatting that displays Sales > $10,000 in black, bold italic type. The dashboard also uses conditional formatting to rename the Mid-Atlantic region as "MDA Region" using black, bold replacement text. Lastly, the profit margin dynamic text box displays a black diamond when profit margin exceeds 20%. Conditional Formatting Example The example shows three possible formats (formatted values, replacement text, and quick symbols) for conditional formatting defined on dynamic text boxes. If the condition you define for a dataset object is true, the object can be: Hidden Formatted in a particular way Replaced by text (static text only) Replaced by a symbol You can also format replacement text and symbols. Conditional formatting involves combining an object, a condition, and formatting properties that are applied to the object when the condition is met. The following table lists the objects and the types of conditional formatting available for each object: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 95

96 Conditional Formatting Object Type Conditional Formatting Image Hide object Formatting: Borders Line Hide object Formatting: line style, color and weight Rectangle Hide object Formatting: background color, line style, color and weight Text box Hide object Replacement text and symbols Formatting: All formatting properties Section Hide object Formatting: background color When you define conditional formatting in dashboards, you use either the Visual or Advanced Conditional Formatting Editor. To define conditional formatting on a text box using the Advanced Conditional Formatting Editor: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Right-click the desired text box, point to Conditional Formatting, and select Advanced. You can also use the Visual Thresholds Editor to define conditional formats, but the Advanced Thresholds Editor provides more formattting options. The Conditional Formatting window opens, as shown below: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 96

97 3. In the Filter On drop-down list, select the object on which you want to define the condition. 4. Specify the operator and value and click Apply, as shown below: 5. On the Conditional Formatting toolbar, select Cell Formatting, as shown below: 6. Specify the formatting for the conditional format as you would any standard threshold. You can specify the following: Format name Replacement text Quick symbol Hide object Font formatting Number formatting Alignment, text direction, and cell padding Color and line formatting 7. Click OK to close the Cell Formatting window. 8. Click OK to close the Conditional Formatting window. Conditional formats that you define on individual grid/graphs are called thresholds. If you select the Allow user to toggle conditional formatting on and off option in the Conditional Formatting window, users can use the appropriate toolbar button to view or hide conditional formatting. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 97

98 To toggle conditional formatting in a dashboard: 1. Open the dashboard that contains a conditional format in Design Mode or Editable Mode. 2. On the Data toolbar, click Toggle Conditional Formatting: Personalizing Content with Prompts Personalization is a key feature of the Eloqua Insight platform. One way you accomplish personalization is through prompts. When you create prompted reports and use them as datasets in a dashboard, the dashboard displays the prompts at run time. After you answer the prompts, the dashboard renders and its contents reflect your prompt answers. If you want to change your prompt answers, you can click a Reprompt button that re-executes the prompts again. Prompts make it possible for users to personalize the dashboard s output to suit their needs. Prompt Answers in Dashboards You can use prompt answers to dynamically populate dashboard content. You do this by using a special auto text box, {&Promptn&}. This text box does not display in the Auto Text menu (under the Insert menu). Instead, you must type the text box directly into the dashboard. When you place the {&Promptn&} text box in a dashboard, the answers you (or a user) provide to prompts are dynamically inserted in the place of the text box. In the syntax, the n refers to the number of the prompt. For example, {&Prompt1&} represents the first prompt displayed to the user. Consider the following example of personalization. The image below displays a letter that contains some personalized data as well as several dynamic text boxes: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 98

99 Prompted Personalized Letter - View Mode In the example, the encircled items are dynamic text boxes that change according to the source dataset s data and its prompt answer. For instance, the quarter (2008 Q4) is the prompt answer, which is dynamically inserted into the letter. If you study this dashboard in Design view, you can see how to accomplish this type of personalization. Keep in mind that the dataset prompts the user to select a quarter. In the dashboard output, the quarter the user selects at run time is 2008 Q4. Prompted Personalized Letter - Design Mode Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 99

100 The letter is created primarily in the Detail section, as shown above. The dynamic text boxes include the following: Name]}: This is an attribute form of the Employee attribute. By expanding the attribute in the Dataset Objects pane, you are able to drag just the first name into the Detail section. This syntax is consistent for all attribute forms: Form} {Region} and {Revenue}: You drag these objects directly from the dataset. {&Prompt1&}: This text box inserts the answer that you select at run time to the first prompt. Same Prompt in Multiple Datasets and Multiple Prompts in Multiple Datasets If you use more than one dataset in a dashboard, and each dataset uses the same prompt, you are prompted only once. For example, if you associate a prompt called Select a Year with Dataset A and Dataset B, when the dashboard executes, you are prompted to select a year only once. If one dataset uses a copy of the prompt (for example, Copy of Select a Year ), the prompt displays twice. You can use {&Promptn&} even if different prompts are presented from more than one dataset. The n still refers to the order in which the prompts are presented. So, if Dataset X has 2 prompts and Dataset Y has 1 prompt, the prompt answers for the prompts in Dataset X are {&Prompt1&} and {&Prompt2&}. The prompt answer to the prompt in Dataset Y is {&Prompt3&}. The governing factor in gathering a prompt answer is always the order in which the prompts are presented to the user. Object Prompts in Dashboards Report developers use object prompts to make their reports more flexible. With object prompts, users can select objects to include in a report (such as attributes, metrics, custom groups, templates, and filters) at report run time. When you run a dashboard that contains an object-prompted grid or graph, the object prompt displays immediately at dashboard run time. You must answer the prompt for the dashboard to render. In the example shown below, the dashboard contains a dataset that includes two object prompts, one for selecting the attributes and one for selecting the metrics to display on the template of the report. When you run the dashboard, you must answer the following prompts: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 100

101 Attributes Object Prompt from Dataset Metrics Object Prompt The rendered dashboard displays the grid with the attributes and metrics you selected at run time, as shown below: Object-Prompted Dashboard To add an object-prompted dataset as a grid to the Layout area: 1. Create a new dashboard or open an existing dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. In the Dataset Objects pane, click Add Dataset. 3. Locate an object-prompted report and click OK. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 101

102 4. Answer the prompts as desired. 5. Click Edit in Design Mode. 6. Select the header or footer section to which you want to add a grid/graph based on the object-prompted dataset. 7. In the Dataset Objects pane, right-click the object-prompted dataset and select Add to Section as Shortcut. Grid/graphs cannot use object prompts, unless you use the Add to Section as Shortcut option. 8. Save the dashboard, selecting either the first or second Advanced Prompts save options to retain the object prompts in the dashboard, as shown below: Tooltips Tooltips are a useful feature for describing an object when a user mouses over it in the dashboard. For example, you can associate a tooltip with a particular metric so that the metric s definition displays in the tooltip description. Imagine a tooltip on a {Revenue} dynamic text box that displays the following text when you mouse over it: Revenue is defined as Sum(Sales). This is an example of a static tooltip. To make your tooltips more flexible, you can include dynamic text. For instance, imagine a tooltip on a {Revenue} dynamic text box that displays the following text when you mouse over it: {Revenue} revenue produced in {Month} for {Subcategory} in the {Region} region. When you view the dashboard in Eloqua Insight, the dynamic text renders the actual revenue, month, subcategory, and region values, as shown below: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 102

103 Dynamic tooltips are only viewable in View Mode, Interactive Mode, and Editable Mode. In Flash Mode, they display as static text. In PDF and Microsoft Excel, they do not display at all. To define a tooltip in Design Mode: 1. Right-click the object to which you want to add a tooltip and select Properties and Formatting. 2. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Properties, select General. 3. Under General, in the Tooltip box, type the text you want displayed as the tooltip for that object. 4. If you want to hide the tooltip, clear the Display check box. 5. Click OK. Dynamic Lines & Rectangles You can insert lines and rectangles into dashboards to delimit data, making dashboards more visually appealing and legible. By specifying a few key properties for lines and rectangles, you can make them grow dynamically with your data. Consider the following example of a report containing banded data: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 103

104 Banded Dashboard While the report displays an appealing layout, you could enhance it a bit with dynamic lines. Consider the same report with lines that denote regions and call centers: Banded Dashboard with Dynamic Lines Notice how the lines are designed to create structure around the regions and call centers in the report. The most important aspect of these lines is that they are dynamic. If there were five call centers in a region, the vertical line for that group would grow with the group. Accordingly, as many horizontal hash lines would be created as needed (one for each call center). To understand how you accomplish this, observe the dashboard in Design Mode. The encircled vertical lines shown below grow dynamically with the content of their respective sections: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 104

105 To create the horizontal lines that emphasize the call centers: You place a line (with a fixed length mode) next to the {[Call Center]} text box in the Detail section, and a new horizontal line displays for each call center in the output. To create the vertical lines: You place a vertical line in the appropriate sections (along with another horizontal line to emphasize Regions and Totals) to create structure around each group. The key to making these vertical lines grow dynamically with the number of call centers is to set the Length mode property to 100% (as opposed to fixed). This setting causes the line to span the entire section in the output. Length Set to 100% Similarly, if you wanted to have a horizontal line grow dynamically, you would set the Width to 100%. You can also force rectangles to grow dynamically by setting their height and width to 100%. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 105

106 Dynamic Images You can create a dashboard that displays dynamic images. For example, if you want to create a dashboard with a list of top-selling items and a picture of each item, you can use dynamic images to display the appropriate picture, as shown below: Dynamic Images in a Dashboard The dashboard above uses dynamic images to display a picture of each item, based on the item ID. (The image files are named after each item s ID.) To achieve this type of dashboard, you simply store the images in a Web server or a file server. You then insert an image object into a dashboard and point the image source directly to the appropriate server using a URL. To associate an image with an attribute element, you use dynamic text that incorporates the attribute ID, such as {Item@ID}. Keep in mind that the image should be stored in a shared location, accessible by Eloqua Insight and Eloqua Insight. Also, you should name the image files so that they correspond to an ID column (or other column) of the attribute to which they are associated. To include a dynamic image into a dashboard using a URL 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Add a data source that contains the attribute, such as Item, for which you want to display dynamic images. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 106

107 3. From the Insert menu, select Image. 4. Use the cross-hairs cursor to place an image object in the desired section of the Dashboard Editor. 5. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Image, in the Source box, enter the URL for the image. For example, The dynamic text box, automatically associates the appropriate image file with its corresponding attribute element. If the image is located on a file server and you want to use an absolute path, you type the URL as \\computername\sharedimagefolder\{item@id}.jpg where computername is the name of the machine that stores the image and sharedimagefolder represents the folder that contains the image. If the image is located on a file server and you want to use a relative path, you type it as Images\{Item@ID}.jpg Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 107

108 Design Techniques for Grid/Graphs This topic explains various features or design techniques that apply specifically to grid/graphs in dashboards. Drilling on Grid/Graphs You can enable drilling on grids and graphs in dashboards. Drilling provides additional interactivity to your dashboards as well as offering users investigative paths for discovering trends and identifying the source for exceptions in reports. On a given grid/graph, you can enable drilling to attributes already contained within the source dataset for the grid/graph. When you drill within the source dataset, the drill result displays in the same window as your dashboard. You can also enable drilling outside the source dataset, which opens a new report in a separate window and takes you to other attributes available in the project. For example, the dashboard below contains a grid that lets you drill only to other attributes within the source dataset for the grid. When you right-click Call Center in the grid, the drill options you see include only the Region attribute that exists in the dataset: Drill Within on a Grid in a Dashboard In the next example, the dashboard contains a grid that lets you drill to any attribute. When you right-click Call Center in the grid, the drill options display all of the project drill paths with no restrictions, as shown below: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 108

109 Drill Anywhere on a Grid in a Dashboard When you select any of these target attributes, a new window opens with the drill report results. To enable drilling on a grid/graph in a dashboard: 1. Open the dashboard in either Design or Editable Mode. 2. Right-click the desired grid/graph and select Properties and Formatting. 3. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Properties, click Grid. 4. Under Drilling, in the Drill options drop-down list, select Drill within to restrict drilling to the attributes within the source dataset. OR To enable drilling outside the source dataset, select Drill anywhere. OR To disable drilling, select No drilling. 5. Click OK. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 109

110 Quick Switch Quick Switch enables you to instantaneously switch the display mode for a grid/graph object from graph to grid or vice versa. When you enable Quick Switch for a grid/graph object, you see a special icon in Interactive, Editable, or Flash Mode that indicates the grid/graph has Quick Switch functionality. In the image shown below, notice the small encircled grid icon: Quick Switch Example This icon indicates that you can switch the line chart to a grid and back again to a line chart with a single click of the icon. Quick Switch is available in Interactive, Editable, and Flash Mode only. Furthermore, when you export a dashboard to Microsoft Excel or view it as a PDF, the last view displayed (grid or graph) is the view that is exported. When you enable Quick Switch, the Graph view and Grid view of a report are both loaded on your client machine when you initially view the dashboard in View, Interactive, or Editable Mode. This means that the dashboard may load more slowly at first, but switching between the views is quicker since a request to the Web server is not necessary. Because Quick Switch enables you to change views in an instant, it is ideal for dashboards. To enable Quick Switch, the grid/graph must be displayed as either a grid or as a graph. If the View Mode is set to Grid and graph, Quick Switch is not available. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 110

111 If you enable Quick Switch, the Height mode and Width mode properties are automatically set to Fixed and the Fit to contents option is disabled. This ensures that the graph or the grid fills 100% of the grid/graph container. The grid/graph container is the object that holds the actual grid/graph. To enable Quick Switch for a grid/graph 1. Open the dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. Ensure that the View Mode property is either Grid or Graph. If View Mode is set to Grid and graph, the Quick Switch property is not available. 2. Right-click the grid/graph for which you enable Quick Switch and select Properties and Formatting. 3. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Properties, select Layout. 4. Under Grid, select the Quick Switch check box. 5. Click OK. Ensure that the Height and Width properties are set correctly, since the Height mode and Width mode are automatically set to Fixed when you enable Quick Switch. Maximize/Minimize (Portal Window) You can display or hide the title bar on a grid or graph within a dashboard. The title bar gives the grid/graph extra context and also makes it possible to maximize or minimize the grid/graph when you view the dashboard in Editable or Interactive Mode. This maximize/minimize feature is also called the portal window feature, because using it for your grid and graph objects gives your dashboards the look and feel of a portal. The maximize/minimize buttons do not display when you export a dashboard to Microsoft Excel or PDF. In the example shown below, the Financial Analysis dashboard contains several graphs, all of which have the portal window options enabled. By selecting the minimize or maximize buttons on the upper right-hand corner of each graph, you can hide or show the individual graphs on the page: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 111

112 Graphs with Maximize/Minimize Feature By maximizing and minimizing the individual grids and graphs on the dashboard, users can further customize its appearance to their personal preference. This feature is particularly useful when you need to include a longer grid on a dashboard and you do not want the grid to consume valuable space in the dashboard. To enable the title baron a Grid/Graph 1. Open the dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Right-click the grid/graph which you want to minimize or maximize and select Properties and Formatting. 3. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Properties, select General. 4. Under Portal Window, select the Show Title Bar check box. 5. In the Title box, type a name for the title bar. By default, the title of the dataset report that the grid/graph uses as a data source displays in the title bar. 6. By default, the initial size of the window is normal. To change it, in the Display State drop-down list, select one of the following options: Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 112

113 Minimized: Only the title bar displays. A user can move the grid or graph, but cannot resize it. Maximized: The size of the grid or graph expands to the current size of the section in which it is located. Eloqua Corporation March All rights reserved. 113

114 8 Linking from Dashboards Dashboard Linking A link is a connection in a dashboard to another dashboard, a report, or a Web page. A link enables you to navigate from a source dashboard to a target dashboard or report and to pass parameters to answer any prompts in the target dashboard or report. You can link from a text box, an image, or an object on a grid/graph within a dashboard. Linking a Dashboard to a Web Page You can create a link in a dashboard to point to a Web site. You associate the link with a text box or an image. In the dashboard shown below, the dashboard s title text box leads users to the company s corporate Web site: Link on a Text Box to a Web Site The title text box also contains a tooltip describing the destination for the hyperlink. You define the tooltip within the text box s properties, independent of the hyperlink. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 114

115 To link a dashboard to a Web page using the Links Editor: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Insert a text box (or an image) in the dashboard. 3. In the text box, enter text, such as the dashboard s title or Click here to go to X Web site. 4. Right-click the text box and select Edit Links. The Links Editor opens, as shown below: 5. In the Links Editor, in the Url display text box, type the name that you want displayed if the user right-clicks the text box and points to Links. Users can right-click the text box and point to Links in Interactive or Editable Mode. Naming the hyperlink is recommended, particularly if you define multiple links on one text box. 6. Select the Navigate to this URL radio button. 7. Type the URL for the target Web site in the corresponding box. 8. If you want the hyperlink to open a new browser window, in the Links Editor, select the Open in new window check box. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 115

116 If you do not select the Open in new window check box, the hyperlink opens the target Web site within the same browser window as the current dashboard, replacing the current dashboard. When you create a link using the Links Editor, it functions in all Eloqua Insight dashboard display modes, except for Design Mode. For information on hyperlinks, see Hyperlinks in a Dashboard. Linking to a Specific Report or Dashboard Just as you can link a dashboard to a Web site, you can link a dashboard to another Eloqua Insight report or dashboard. The target report or dashboard can contain similar information as the source, or it can be completely unrelated. For example, in the Shipping Analysis dashboard shown below, you can click a link to execute an unrelated dashboard called Inventory by Subcategory: Source Dashboard with Shipping Information Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 116

117 Target Dashboard with Unrelated Inventory Information To link a dashboard to another report or dashboard: 1. Open the source dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Insert a text box to serve as the link. 3. Right-click the text box and select Edit Links. 4. In the Links Editor, in the Url display text box, type a name for the link, if desired. 5. Under When this link is clicked, select Run this report or dashboard and locate the desired target report or dashboard. 6. Select the Open in new window check box if you want the target report or dashboard to display in a new browser window. 7. Click OK. Linking from a Dynamic Text Box to Simulate Drilling You can use a link to simulate drilling, where you start at one level of analysis (the source dashboard) and drill to another level of analysis (the target report or dashboard). For example, the source dashboard below contains regional sales information. You can click a specific region to execute another dashboard that displays sales for the call centers ( stores ) in that region, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 117

118 Source Dashboard at the Region Level Target Dashboard at the Call Center Level To simulate drilling between a source dashboard and a target report or dashboard, the target must be prompted. When you click a specific attribute element (such as the Northeast region) from the source dashboard, you pass the attribute element as the prompt answer to the prompted target report or dashboard. Therefore, the target report or dashboard must contain an element prompt for the same attribute for which you are passing the element answer from the source dashboard. In the example, the target dashboard contains a prompted dataset that requires a prompt answer for the Region attribute. To link from a text box to simulate drilling: 1. Open the source dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Right-click the dynamic text box, such as {Region}, from which you want to drill and select Edit Links. 3. In the Links Editor, in the Url display text box, type a name for the link, if desired. 4. Under When this link is clicked, select the Run this report or dashboard radio button and locate the desired target report or dashboard. The target report or dashboard must have a prompt for the same attribute for which you are passing an element answer. 5. The target s prompts display in the box, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 118

119 In the bottom drop-down list, select one of the following prompt answer methods: Prompt Behavior in Dashboard Links Prompt Answer Method Requirements Prompts in the Target are Answered by... Answer with the same prompt from the source Same prompt in the target and source The prompt answer from the source Do not answer this prompt None The user (prompts are displayed when the target is executed) Answer with an empty answer Target prompt must not be required Nothing (no prompt answer is provided from the target to the source and the user is not prompted) Answer dynamically Attribute element prompt in target The object selected in the source (for example, the attribute element that the user clicks) Use default answer None The default prompt answer for the target prompt Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 119

120 6. Select the Open in new window check box if you want the target report or dashboard to display in a new browser window. 7. Click OK. In the drilling example described in this section, the chosen prompt answer method is Answer dynamically. Linking from an Object in a Grid/Graph Similar to the dynamic text box example, you can define links on a specific object (attribute, metric, object prompt, and so forth) within a grid/graph on a dashboard. When you select a particular attribute element, the selection gets passed as a prompt answer to the target dashboard or report that contains a prompt for the same attribute. In the example shown below, the user clicks the Northeast customer region on the grid, which executes a target report that shows the number of customers in that region: Source Dashboard with Customer Region Information Target Report with More Customer Region Information Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 120

121 To define a link on an attribute in a grid/graph: 1. Open the dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Select the grid/graph. 3. Right-click the attribute (or other object) from which you want to link to another report or dashboard and select Edit Links. 4. Use the Links Editor to define the link to the prompted target report or dashboard. Remember that you can always enable traditional drilling on a dashboard grid/graph. For more information, see Drilling on Grid/Graphs. Linking from a Prompted Dashboard to a Prompted Target You can define a link to pass a source dashboard s prompt answers to a prompted target report or dashboard. To accomplish this, you choose the Answer with the same prompt from the source option in the Links Editor. Also, the source and the target must use the same prompt object. For example, the Revenue vs. Forecast dashboard shown below requires prompt answers at run time for the region, category, and quarter. If you select three eastern regions, the Electronics category, and four quarters in 2008, the dashboard displays the following results: Prompted Source Dashboard Results Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 121

122 When you define a link on the Region attribute within the dashboard s grid, you can navigate to the Sales by Region prompted report that contains prompts for region and category. In the image shown below, the user right-clicks the Region grid header, points to Links, and selects Sales by Region. Link from a Prompted Dashboard to a Prompted Report When you click the link, your original prompt answers (three eastern regions and the Electronics category) get passed to the target report as follows: Prompted Target Report Because the target report does not contain a prompt for quarter, the prompt answers from the source dashboard (four quarters in 2008) are ignored. You accomplish this type of usage scenario by defining the link as follows: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 122

123 Both the Region selection and Category selection prompts use the Answer with the same prompt from the source option. There are additional ways that you can define links, depending on the usage scenario and the contents of the target report or dashboard. To learn more about them, refer to the Eloqua Insight Dashboard Creation Guide product manual. Linking from a Dashboard to Multiple Targets With so many linking possibilities, you can even define links from one object (a text box or a grid/graph) to multiple targets. For example, the grid in the dashboard below contains links to multiple prompted reports. Users right-click any customer region element, point to Links, and choose their target report: Source Dashboard with Link to Multiple Target Reports Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 123

124 Users can right-click the linked object to view the list of links in Interactive and Editable Mode, but not Flash Mode. To define multiple links: 1. In the Links Editor, click New and define the link. To set a default link: 1. In the Links Editor, under Select the link you wish to edit box, select the link that you want to set as the default. 2. Click Set as Default. The default link is the link that takes effect when users click directly on the linked object. The default link works in all modes, except Design Mode. You can also clear the default link for an object. If no links are defined as the default link for a particular object, the object is not underlined when viewed in Eloqua Insight, but the links still function. To do this, in the Link Editor, select the default link and click Clear Default. Links Summary In summary, the following are some key characteristics of links: You can create a link on a text box or image (the source). You can create a link from an attribute, metric, hierarchy, or object prompt on a grid/graph (the source). The grid/graph must be displayed as a grid. Links can execute a report, a Web page, or another dashboard (the target). You can use a link to execute a Web page from a text box or image only. Links can open the target in either a new window or the same window (replacing the source). Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 124

125 You can use links to answer prompts in the target in a variety of ways, including using existing prompt answers from the source, using the objects selected in the source, running the prompts, and others. In Eloqua Insight, links function in Interactive Mode, Editable Mode, and Flash Mode, but not in Design Mode. You can define links in source reports or dashboards. Hyperlinks in a Dashboard Hyperlinks are links you define within the object s Hyperlink property, not using the Links Editor. With hyperlinks, Eloqua Insight users are able to click the link and navigate to a target Web site. To link a dashboard to a Web page using object properties: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. Insert a text box (or an image) in the dashboard. 3. Right-click the text box and select Properties and Formatting. 4. In the Properties and Formatting window, under Properties, select General. 5. Under Navigation, select the Is hyperlink check box. 6. In the Hyperlink box, type the URL for the target Web site. 7. Clear or select the Open in new window check box, depending on whether you want the target Web site to open in a new window or replace the dashboard in the current window. Hyperlinks are fully customizable. In fact, in previous versions of Eloqua Insight, before the Links Editor existed, dashboard designers used the Hyperlink box to define the necessary syntax for all different types of links. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 125

126 Hyperlinks using Dynamic Text Boxes You can use attributes and attribute forms in the definition of your hyperlinks. Remember you define hyperlinks through the properties of a given object. For example, if you want to display a link to a page showing item information, and if each page is named after the item s ID (ITEM_ID), you can create a dynamic hyperlink with the following syntax: [server] and [folder] are variables that must be replaced with a valid URL. In the above example, when you execute the dashboard, {Item@ID} is dynamically replaced with the ID of an item. If you use the above syntax in the Detail section of a dashboard, your dashboard displays individual links to a different web page or file for each item. Currently, the Links Editor provides access to most link functionality all in one user-friendly window. To define more advanced types of links (such as links that automatically , export, or subscribe to the target), you can still use the Hyperlink box and manually enter the desired syntax. For information on the proper syntax, refer to the Eloqua Insight Dashboard Creation Guide product manual. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 126

127 9 Multiple Dataset Considerations Multiple Dataset Join Behavior Compound Joins and Virtual Datasets You can control whether a dataset serves as the primary or secondary dataset for a dashboard. These options are important when it comes to how Eloqua Insight combines the datasets to generate the dashboard s output. Before you start assigning datasets as primary or secondary datasets, you should understand the general process by which Eloqua Insight combines datasets for dashboards. When you create a dashboard with two or more datasets, Eloqua Insight performs a compound join between the datasets. A compound join combines all related data, so common attribute elements are matched. Then, beginning with the first row of each dataset and continuing to the last, the compound join creates a row in a virtual dataset. The virtual dataset is the complete set of joined rows held in memory, consisting of all attributes, custom groups, consolidations, and metrics. Eloqua Insight creates the virtual dataset even in dashboard-style dashboards, in which individual datasets are used only as distinct grid or graph objects. Metrics always come from their respective datasets and calculate only at the level of their dataset. In the generic example below, notice a common attribute, Attribute A, exists in both datasets. When Eloqua Insight performs the compound join, the attribute elements for A are matched and displayed once in the final output. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 127

128 Virtual Dataset - Generic Example Any objects that are not held in common between the datasets, such as attribute B and metrics M1 and M2, are appended to the virtual dataset. The next four scenarios further illustrate multiple dataset behavior. In these scenarios, the dashboard demonstrates the default behavior where all datasets are considered primary datasets. You will learn more about primary and secondary datasets later in this lesson. Scenario 1: Multiple datasets with the same attributes and same filter In this scenario, you create a dashboard using multiple datasets that have the same attributes and the same filter. As a result, the dashboard behaves as if it contains only one dataset. The following sample reports represent the datasets included in the dashboard. Notice that the only the metrics differ between the two datasets. Dataset 1 contains the Revenue and Units Sold metrics, while dataset 2 contains the Profit metric. Scenario 1 Datasets When you execute the dashboard, Eloqua Insight performs a compound join and creates a virtual dataset by joining the two datasets. In this case, because the attributes and the report filters are the same, the Detail section displays the same number of rows, but with all three metrics displayed together, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 128

129 Scenario 1 Detail Section Output If you add the datasets as grid objects to a dashboard, each grid in the dashboard displays the data from its respective dataset, with no impact from the other dataset at all. For example, when you add Year to the Grouping panel and add each dataset as a grid to the Year Header section, the grids display a summary of each year s data, as shown below: Scenario 1 Dashboard with Grouping Grid/graphs in dashboards always derive their output directly from their respective datasets, not the virtual dataset. In other words, the virtual dataset only impacts the results of dynamic text boxes that you place in the Detail section of a dashboard. Generally, if you have many datasets that contain the same attributes and filters, you should combine them into a single dataset with all of the required metrics. It takes Eloqua Insight time to join datasets together, even when they contain common objects. To improve dashboard performance, you should combine datasets whenever possible. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 129

130 Scenario 2: Multiple datasets with the same attributes and a different filter In this scenario, you create a dashboard using multiple datasets that contain the same attributes but use different filters. In this case, the dashboard again behaves as if it contains only one dataset, but with some data missing. The reports shown below represent the datasets included in the dashboard. Notice how the Dataset 1 retrieves data for Year 2007 and 2008, and the Dataset 2 retrieves data for only You define the filter criteria for each dataset in the report filter or with prompt answers you submit at run-time. Also, notice that the Dataset 1 does not contain data for the Mid-Atlantic region in 2008 (unlike the previous scenario). As seen below, the Detail section displays the content from both datasets with nulls where the data does not exist. Scenario 2 Datasets and Detail Section Output If you group the dashboard by Year, you see the following: Scenario 2 Dashboard with Grouping Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 130

131 Scenario 3: Dataset with a superset of attributes in another dataset When you use a dataset whose attributes are a superset of the attributes in another dataset, the Detail section displays data at the level of the superset dataset. For example, consider the following scenario: Dataset 1 contains Region, Year, and Category. Dataset 2 contains Region and Year. Dataset 3 contains Region and Category. The following filter conditions apply to all three datasets: Year: 2007 and 2008 Region: Mid-Atlantic Category: All Scenario 3 Datasets The Detail section displays data at the level of Region, Year, and Category with the metrics coming from their respective datasets. In this example, each metric comes from a different dataset. Since Revenue comes from the primary dataset, it calculates at the Region-Year- Category level. The Profit metric comes from the second dataset, so it calculates at the Region- Year level. Finally, the Cost metric comes from the third dataset and calculates at the Region- Category level. This is shown in the following figure. Notice that the Detail section displays eight rows one row for each combination of Region, Year, and Category. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 131

132 Scenario 3 Detail Section Output Also, notice that the metrics never calculate at a more detailed level than the level of their source datasets. For example, the Profit metric repeats the same value for all four categories, because it calculates at the Year level, not the Category level. At first glance, it might appear that the Profit value $228,509 applies to the Mid-Atlantic region in 2007 for the Books category, but the value actually reflects the total profit for 2007 in the Mid-Atlantic region across all categories. If you group by Year, you see the following: Scenario 3 Dashboard with Grouping Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 132

133 Scenario 4: Multiple datasets with different attributes When you use datasets that have no common attribute among them, the Detail section displays the results of the compound join among all attributes in all datasets. Consider the following example: Dataset 1 contains Year. Dataset 2 contains Region. Dataset 3 contains Category. All datasets contain a filter for 2007 and The datasets are shown below: Scenario 4 Datasets The Detail section displays data at the level of Region, Year, and Category with the metrics calculating at the level of their respective datasets. Because no relationship exists among the attributes, Eloqua Insight cannot join them in a meaningful way, as shown below: Scenario 4 Detail Section Output Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 133

134 You see blank fields because metrics cannot calculate at a lower level than their datasets. For example, in its original dataset, the Cost metric calculates at the Category level. Even though the Detail section shows Cost for the Southeast region and the Movies category, the values represent only the Movies category, not the Southeast region. Similarly, in its original dataset, the Revenue metric calculates only at the Year level, so even though the Detail section displays Revenue for the Northeast region, the Books category, and the year 2007, the values actually reflect revenue for only year The Detail section does not display revenue for Northeast or Books because dataset 1, the source of the Revenue metric, does not display data at those levels. When you compare the metric values at their respective levels in their datasets to the dashboard results, you see that the dashboard results do not make any sense. For this reason, Eloqua recommends designing dashboards with datasets that contain at least one common attribute, particularly when you add individual dynamic text boxes from the datasets to the Detail section. When you add Year to the Grouping panel, the Detail section displays two rows of data one row for each year (below). Again, Eloqua Insight cannot join the data in a meaningful way because no relationships exist among the attributes. Scenario 4 Dashboard with Grouping Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 134

135 Multiple Datasets Review The following guidelines help you predict the output of Eloqua Insight dashboards with multiple datasets: When the datasets have the same attributes and same filter, the dashboard displays all data from both datasets as if the datasets are one single dataset. In this scenario, you should combine the datasets into a single master dataset. When the datasets have different attributes but the same filter, the dashboard displays all data from both datasets with null fields where data is not available or does not exist. When the datasets share some of the same attributes and the same filters, the dashboard displays all of the data for the superset dataset. For the metrics that belong to the subset datasets, you see repeating metric values. When the datasets have no common attributes and different filters, the dashboard displays a compound join across all attributes from all datasets. Because no relationship exists among the attributes, Eloqua Insight cannot join them in a meaningful way. The dashboard often contains many null fields. As a general rule, when you have datasets that contain very few common attributes, you should design your dashboard to use grid/graphs in any of the Header or Footer sections, like you do for scorecards, dashboards, and other zone-based dashboards. For dashboards that use dynamic text boxes in the Detail section, such as banded-layout dashboards, use only datasets that share common attributes and combine the datasets whenever possible. Join Behavior - Primary and Secondary Datasets Now that you understand how Eloqua Insight joins datasets behind the scenes to generate a dashboard, you are ready to study the join behavior options. These options within the Dashboard Editor give you more control over how Eloqua Insight creates the virtual dataset for a dashboard. The join behavior between datasets controls which attribute elements display in a dashboard, particularly when the same attributes exist in several datasets within the dashboard. If an attribute exists in several datasets, but one of the datasets contains only a subset of data for the attribute, you can specify the join behavior and control how many attribute elements render in the dashboard. The best way to understand join behavior is to look at an example. The dashboard shown below has two datasets, each with the Employee attribute. Dataset 1 returns a list of 5 employees, the top 5 employees by revenue, as shown below: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 135

136 Dataset 1 - Top 5 Employees by Revenue Dataset 2 returns a list of all employees for the regions you select at run time: Dataset 2 - Employees for Specific Regions When you place dynamic text boxes for the attributes and metrics of these datasets in the Detail section of the Dashboard Editor, with the default join behavior where both datasets are primary datasets, you see the following result set: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 136

137 Default Behavior - All Datasets are Primary Datasets Only five employees in the dashboard have information about Call Center, Profit Margin, and Revenue since they are part of the Top 5 Employees by Revenue dataset (dataset 1). They also have information about Length of Employment since they exist in the Length of Employment dataset (dataset 2). The rest of the employees have information about Length of Employment only (no data for Call Center, Profit Margin, or Revenue), since they come from dataset 2. To effectively combine matching data from these two datasets and remove extraneous records, you can designate dataset 2 as a secondary dataset. Any employees from dataset 2 that do not exist in dataset 1 do not display in the dashboard output, as shown below: Dataset 2 as a Secondary Dataset In this simple example, you designate Dataset 1 as the primary dataset and Dataset 2 as the secondary dataset. However, it is possible to have multiple primary datasets (as you observed with the default behavior) and to have multiple secondary datasets. When you use more than two datasets, you can test different combinations and view the join results in the Detail section. The goal of assigning primary and secondary datasets is to combine the minimum number of data rows from all datasets, which produces a more efficient dashboard. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 137

138 Assigning primary and secondary datasets affects dashboards that use dynamic text boxes in the Detail section, not dashboards that use grid/graphs in header or footer sections. Grid/graphs always render data from their respective datasets, regardless of the primary or secondary designations. To assign primary and secondary datasets: 1. Open a dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. In the Dataset Objects pane, right-click a dataset, point to Join Behavior, and select Primary or Secondary. The following rules summarize the primary and secondary join behavior between datasets with common attributes: All of the data elements from primary datasets display in the dashboard output. Data elements from the secondary datasets display only if they match records in the primary dataset. These rules do not affect the display of grids and graphs. A data element from a secondary dataset displays in a grid/graph even if it does not match a data element in the primary dataset. As you have seen, you can study the join behavior of a dashboard best when you use dynamic text boxes in the Detail section of a dashboard. For more examples of dataset join combinations, refer to the Eloqua Insight Dashboard Creation Guide product manual. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 138

139 10 Dashboard Performance Considerations Execution Optimizations Optimizing Datasets To improve the execution of your dashboards, consider the guidelines described in this topic. Reduce the Number of Datasets in a Dashboard As a general rule, the more datasets you include in a dashboard, the longer it takes for that dashboard to execute, given the same amount of data returned. Imagine that you run a dashboard that uses one dataset and returns 100 rows. Then, you run another dashboard that uses 2 datasets and each dataset produces 50 rows. The second dashboard takes longer to execute because it involves more datasets. Every dataset within a dashboard executes when you run the dashboard, thus increasing the total processing time. Optimizing your datasets is an important step in the dashboard design process. Use Datasets That Return Only the Necessary Data When you select the datasets you want to include in a dashboard, choose those that return only the necessary data. For example, if you want to display information at the Year level, avoid using a dataset that returns data at the Day level. The more detailed your dataset, typically the more rows it returns and the longer the overall processing time. Also, if you have any attributes or metrics in a dataset that are not being used in the dashboard, you should remove them from the dataset. Keep in mind that certain types of report objects, such as consolidations, custom groups, and smart metrics, are often more expensive in terms of performance. Datasets that contain these types of objects might take longer to process. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 139

140 Test Datasets Before Including Them in Dashboards You should test each dataset to ensure that it passes your performance requirements before you include it in a dashboard. If a dataset takes too long to run, check the SQL generation and adjust the report as needed. Simplify the Dashboard s Layout for Better Performance In general, the density of a dashboard has greater impact on the performance of a dashboard than the size of the dashboard. In other words, the more objects and formatting a dashboard contains, the longer it takes to execute as compared to a less dense dashboard with more pages. For example, a 100-page dashboard with little formatting may be as responsive as a 10- page, densely formatted and populated dashboard. If your dashboard is densely formatting and contains a lot of data, consider splitting the content of the dashboard into multiple dashboards and linking them. Also, consider reducing the number of objects on a dashboard. Grid/graphs and thresholds require more processing time, so limit these objects where possible. Text boxes take less processing time than grid/graphs that return few result rows. If you have a dashboard with several one-row grids, you should consider replacing them with text boxes instead. Output Optimizations When designing Eloqua Insight dashboards, consider the size of the dashboard output. Remember that Eloqua Insight sends the dashboard output to the client through the network, and the client then loads the output into memory. Given this, you need to choose the output format that best suits your project requirements. For example, some dashboards are best viewed in the DHTML display modes, while others are best viewed (and printed) in PDF. Given the same dashboard, PDF and DHTML take about the same time to render. However, you should be aware of the following differences: PDF uses more resources on Eloqua Insight. DHTML uses more resources on the Web server machine, the network, and the client. PDF compresses data where appropriate, which results in smaller streams of data sent to the client, compared to DHTML. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 140

141 DHTML Display Mode Performance Compared to Interactive Mode or Editable Mode, View Mode produces a smaller HTML page, in terms of file size. Given this behavior, you should consider saving any static dashboards to automatically display in View Mode. Users will be able to execute the dashboards faster and will be discouraged from altering the dashboard in any way. If they need to interact with the dashboard (beyond printing and exporting) and they have the appropriate privileges, they can switch to Interactive Mode after the dashboard opens. DHTML Optimizations To improve performance of DHTML dashboards, you should consider the guidelines described in this topic. Use Certain Image Formats for DHTML When it comes to optimizing your DHTML dashboard ouput, Eloqua recommends the following guidelines for images in dashboards: For graph images, DHTML supports.gif,.jpeg, and.png formats. For all other types of images (non-graph), DHTML supports.gif,.jpeg,.png and.bmp formats. Be aware of the size of the image before including it in a dashboard. For example, imagine that you want to include a corporate logo image in a dashboard that normally displays as 1024X768. Rather than taking this image and resizing it to 320X240 in the dashboard, shrink the original image to 320x240 before adding it to your dashboard. When you resize an image in a dashboard, the client machine still loads the original image in its full size even though the image displays in a smaller size. Given this, you should resize the original image before adding it to your dashboard. Avoid.bmp images whenever possible since these images are the largest in size. Instead, use.gif images with up to 256 colors or.jpeg and.png images. Enable Caching on the Web Browser To improve the overall performance of your DHTML dashboards, turn on caching in your Web browser. To enable caching on Microsoft Internet Explorer: 1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 141

142 2. In the Internet Options dialog box, on the General tab, under Browsing History, click Settings. 3. In the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings window, under Check for newer versions of stored pages, select Automatically. 4. Click OK to return to the Internet Options dialog box. 5. Click OK again to return to the browser. Also, consider the version and the type of Web browser you use to run DHTML dashboards. In general, you want to use the most recently certified browser by Eloqua to optimize performance of DHTML dashboards. Depending on the amount of information you need to display in DHTML, be aware that the browser can only show so much data at one time. If you need to display more data on the dashboard than what normally fits, consider adjusting the Zoom. For example, set the zoom factor to 75% to see more of a dashboard in DHTML format without having to scroll down. Conversely, if you want to enlarge a smaller dashboard, adjust the zoom factor to a higher percentage. PDF Optimizations Use the Default SVG Graph Format When designing dashboards to display in PDF, keep in mind that graphs are displayed using scalable vector graphics (SVG), by default. The SVG graph format produces graphs that are much smaller in terms of file size than bitmap (.bmp) graphs. Vector graphs also display well at any scale, and they print perfectly even at high resolutions. Eloqua recommends using vector graphs, even though the Dashboard Editor gives you the option to use bitmap graphs instead. Use Certain Image Formats for PDF For images in dashboards, PDF supports the same image formats as DHTML (.gif,.jpg, and.bmp). When you use.jpg images in a dashboard, the images are included directly in the PDF output. On the other hand,.gif and.bmp images are optimized to minimize final PDF file size. In dashboards that contain the same images multiple times, the images are cached to improve execution time. Depending on the dashboard and how many images it displays, consider using.gif or.bmp images to decrease PDF file size and to improve dashboard execution time. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 142

143 Keep Acrobat Reader Open Another general tip for improving the performance of dashboards you view in PDF is to keep an instance of Acrobat Reader open on your computer. By doing this, you speed up the process of exporting to PDF. PDF and DHTML: Page-by Considerations When designing dashboards that employ grouping objects, enable the page-by mode on each grouping object to improve performance. Page-by enables users to choose the elements they want to see at a given time by displaying elements on separate pages of the dashboard. You can set the Page-by Mode to one of the following options: No Page-by - All Page-by (Single Element Only) Page-by (Single Element or All) By setting the Page-by Mode to Page-by (Single Element Only), you limit the maximum output size by forcing the dashboard to display only one element at a time, which improves the time it takes to render results in PDF and DHTML. You can also use the page-by option effectively when you want to export smaller portions of dashboards to PDF, Microsoft Excel, or even when sending portions of the dashboard via to individual users. Incremental Fetch You can enable incremental fetch for dashboards. This feature divides large dashboards into pages, loading data in blocks rather than all at once. Incremental fetch improves the usability and performance of larger dashboards and reduces overall memory usage on the Web server. You can define the incremental fetch options in Eloqua Insight, but incremental fetch only applies to dashboards that you run in View Mode, Interactive Mode, or Editable Mode in Eloqua Insight. You define the blocks of data by the number of objects to return at a certain level. If the dashboard uses grouping, you can select any group as the level. If the dashboard does not use grouping, then the block size applies to the Detail section. For example, the dashboard shown below lists items and several metrics. If you define incremental fetch with a block size of 10, the dashboard displays only 10 items on the page at a time: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 143

144 Incremental Fetch on Detail Section The bottom of the dashboard displays page numbers, which let you navigate to another page to see more information. You can enable incremental fetch on a dashboard that contains a grouping object. In the example shown below, the Category Sales and Profit Performance dashboard has incremental fetch defined for Region with a block size of 2. When you select the All option in the Region page-by, the dashboard displays only 2 regions on the page at a time. To view more regions, you click the page numbers at the bottom of the dashboard: Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 144

145 Incremental Fetch on a Dashboard with Grouping If the group is displayed as a single element only, that group cannot be used as the fetch level, since the dashboard must be displayed with all the grouping elements. You can still apply incremental fetch to the dashboard, but only to the Detail section, not to the group. If the dashboard contains another group, which does allow all elements to be displayed, you can apply incremental fetch using that other group. To enable incremental fetch for a dashboard: 1. Open the dashboard in Design or Editable Mode. 2. On the Tools menu, select Dashboard Properties. 3. In the Properties window, under Layout Properties, Advanced section, select Incremental Fetch. Copyright Eloqua Corporation. June All rights reserved. 145