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Filters

Dashboard Filters

Knowi dashboard filters make it easy for the users to apply different data perspectives on the dashboard, across all the widgets. Once the filters are defined by the dashboard creators or admins, the end-user viewing the dashboard can select a particular filter or FilterSet to visualize the data of most interest on the dashboard. Moreover, some advanced filtering functionalities are also provided including auto-suggestions, multi-value filters, and date ranges.

Note: Knowi remembers the filtered view, hence the next time the user visits the dashboard, the same filtered view is displayed.

Admin Settings

Admins and dashboard creators are provided with the ability to control the access of data and values the end-users can filter through any one of the following two options:

  • Adding a new filter directly

  • Fine-Tuning the available filters

In the subsequent sections, the step-by-step procedure for the implementation of the above two has been elaborated, to help admins and dashboard owners incorporate control on how data appears on the dashboard.

Adding New Filter

Step 1: Click on the Filters icon on the dashboard toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the +Add button and select Filter from the dropdown list.

Step 3: Configure the filter by defining the values for the following parameters:

  1. Fields to filter

  2. Condition type

  3. Value

  4. Filter Control

Note for the Condition Type:

  • Equals is case sensitive.

  • Contains is not case dependent (and slower in cases with large amounts of data)

  • Users can use the Starts With condition type to filter records that start with the filter input value. This condition type can be used on integer or string field types only.

Note for adding Values:

  • Users can add comma-separated values in the Value dropdown while creating filters. The records in the Value field are populated based on the field chosen in the Field to Filter dropdown. The filter type is Multiple in this case.

Note for the Nested fields:

If data contains JSON, the nested fields will be shown in the list to filter. A user can therefore filter on inner fields. Please note that this list will only contain a few nested fields as Knowi will not scan the whole dataset for the JSON data. However, Cloud9QL can be used to filter any nested field.

Step 3: Hit the Save button and the filter will be added to the right sidebar.

Filter Behavior

The admin or dashboard creator can also toggle on any of the following two or both to further optimize the filter behavior:

Hidden: The filter will be applied to the dashboard but the definition of it will be completely hidden from the dashboard end users. It will only be available to view and edit by an admin or the dashboard creator.

Mandatory: If this option is set, the filter is always present on the dashboard and prevents the end-users from removing the filter. However, the end-user can still add or remove values from that filter.

Require Value: Set this option to optimize the filters and define a require value for the filters on the dashboard. To set this option, you need to toggle on the mandatory option.

Save as Global

Once the fields to filter are added through the Add button, the admin or dashboard creator will then have the option to save the newly created filter configuration as a Global Setting for all end users of the dashboard to see.

This, in essence, will be the end-user 'default view' when they first enter the dashboard. From here, they will be able to change the default selections and add in their own personal filters on top of the global view configure.

Clicking on the 'reset' will take the user back to the global default view of the data.

It is similar to a hidden filter in that it would provide a default view of the dashboard, however, it differs due to the fact that the end-user would not know the filter existed at all and could therefore not change any of the default values configured.

Fine Tuning the Available Filters

Manual Configuration

The admin or dashboard creator has the ability to decide which fields to either allow or forbid from using in the filters.

Step 1: Click on the Filters icon on the dashboard toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the Settings gear icon and you will be offered the option to define the fields that a user should be able to filter on.

Note: By default, all the fields are allowed.

Step 3: Simply click on the Configure Manually and select any of the following two access types from the dropdown list to define the specific fields that should be made available or not be made available for filtering to the end-user.

Access Type Field
Allow Select specific fields you want to provide to the end-users for filtering
Forbid Select specific fields you don't want to provide to the end-users for filtering

Step 4: After making the relevant selections, click on the Save button at the top to save your manual configurations.

Disable or Enable

As an admin or dashboard creator, you can temporarily disable or enable the existing filter(s) from the right sidebar to control the access of data and values the end-users can filter.

Edit Filter

As an admin or dashboard creator, you can edit the existing filter(s) from the right sidebar to control the access of data and values the end-users can filter.

Step 1: Click on the Edit icon of the filter you want to re-configure.

Step 2: Make relevant changes and click on the Save button.

End-User Filter Edit

Once the filters have been created and applied to a dashboard, it is very easy for the end-user to change the values in the filter itself. To do this, the end-user simply clicks on the filter notification icon at the top of the dashboard.

Dashboard FilterSets

FilterSets allow you to easily create a collection of defined dashboard filters that can be saved and reused across multiple dashboards, shared dashboards with public URLs, and shared with other users for enhanced collaboration and productivity. For example, you can have a FilterSet called Weekly North American Sales to look at specific sales performance for a particular region, dynamic date range, and specific product category.

Creating Dashboard FilterSets

FilterSets can be added to any dashboards for tailored results on the dashboard's data. Add the FilterSet by following the steps discussed below:

Create the FilterSet

Step 1: Click on the Filters icon on the dashboard toolbar.

Step 2: Click on the Add button and select Create new filter set from the dropdown list.

Step 3: Enter the FilterSet name, select the FilterSet color for easy management, and hit the Create button to add the FilterSet in the right sidebar.

Add Fields to FilterSet

After creating the FilterSet, decide which fields to include and the filtered values.

Step 1: Select +Filter to add filters to the newly created FilterSet.

Step 2: Define the following:

  1. Fields to filter

  2. Type of filter

  3. Default value

  4. Filter Control

Step 3: Click on the Save button after making the appropriate selections.

Enable, Disable & Apply FilterSets

Enable FilterSets

By default, a new dashboard FilterSet is enabled when applied on the dashboard.

Disable & Remove FilterSets

To disable a FilterSet, toggle OFF the green switch from the bottom left and the same will no longer apply to the dashboard.

To remove FilterSet from the dashboard but not delete it from your account, click the cross on the top right corner of the tile.

Apply FilterSets

To apply one or more FilterSets to a dashboard, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click on the +Add button and select Filter set from the dropdown list.

Step 2: Select existing FilterSet(s) from the drop-down list you wish to apply on the dashboard and click on the Add Set button.

Editing an Existing FilterSet

You can edit an existing FilterSet from the right sidebar to change the FilterSet name and FilterSet color by simply clicking on the Edit button at the bottom-right corner of the tile.

Deleting a FilterSet

Step 1: Delete a FilterSet completely by clicking on the FilterSet's trash icon at the bottom right corner.

Step 2: Confirm the Delete action by clicking on the OK button.

Note: Deleting a FilterSet also deletes it from any shared user or group.

Sharing a FillterSet

Step 1: Share an existing FilterSet to a user or group by clicking on the Share button on FilterSet.

Step 2: A share dialog will appear on the screen allowing you to select the appropriate access level for users and groups.

When sharing a FilterSet to a user or group, there are two access level options available:

  • View: Users/groups can consume FilterSet but are not allowed to modify

  • Edit: Users/groups can consume and make edits to a FilterSet, including the name, color, and filter field/value attributes.

Click on the Share button after making the appropriate selections.

Widget Filters

Knowi widget filters have the same functionality as their dashboard counterparts with the added benefit of also being able to incorporate Knowi's highly flexible cloud9QL function to further manipulate the data contained in a particular widget.

Please refer to Cloud9QL documentation for more details.

Tree Filters

Tree filters let users filter based on an element within a tree structure hierarchy. This can be applied to a dashboard or widget. For example, after picking one product, and then seeing all products in the same category as the chosen product.

Note: Tree Filter currently only works for string fields.

Follow the instructions below to define the tree filters:

Step 1: Select a field to filter and choose Tree

Step 2: Add any additional field(s) to filter to visualize the tree, or relationship between elements

Step 3: Select any values or tree structure to filter

Step 4: Select Save to filter the selected values

Please have a look at the illustration below defining tree filters:

Auto Suggestions From Another Dataset

Autosuggestions help you define the picklist values from another dataset. It will also allow you to specify key/value pairs where a user legible label is shown to the user but a id is passed into the underlying query when selected.

Usage:

Step 1: Select the Filter icon from the top right corner of the dashboard and click on the edit icon of the dashboard filter you want to configure for the autosuggestions.

Step 2: Select the filter condition and filter control.

Step 3: Toggle on the autosuggestion; choose the dataset from which you would like to pick the auto-suggested values or labels, or both.

Note: The auto-suggestion icon is available only on edit modes. If the dashboard, for example, is shared via URL, the icon will not be shown for dataset autosuggestions. In view-only modes, the suggestions are shown based on the dataset associated with the auto-suggestions, (if configured) or will default to the sampling method.

Step 4: Select the auto-suggested values or labels or both (from the dropdown list) you want to fetch from another dataset through filter picklist and click on the Save.

In the above screenshot, id key will be sent to the Query for filtering and customer values are shown for the filter picklist.

If value and Label are not specified:

  • If the other dataset contains a column with the same name as the column to be filtered, the values of that column are returned.

  • If the other dataset does not contain a column with the same name as the column to be filtered, the values of the first column are returned.

Note: If the label is not specified, only the value will be shown in the picklist*

Step 5: Pick the value from the picklist, click on Apply, for the dashboard to be filtered accordingly.

Date & Time Filtering

Knowi provides a range of Date/Time filters out of the box at the dashboard or widget level.

Usage:

Step 1: Click on the edit icon of the time-based filter.

Step 2: Change the condition type (type of filter) and select any of the following three as the filter controls to define the date range for fetching the value:

  • Date Picker: Set up the date/time range using the picker

  • Range Slider: Set up the date/time range using the slider

  • Date/Time: Set up the date/time range using a slider

For example, you can use Date Picker as a filter control.

Customizing Date Picker Options

If you would like fine grained control on the filter picklist options for Date/Time based filters, you can optionally define and configure it via the following steps:

Step 1: Create an Excel/CSV formatted file with the appropriate date options you would like to display. Here is an example:

Modify the Label, Value and Range appropriately for your use case. For a list of date tokens, refer to Date Tokens.

Step 2: Upload file to Knowi using the Upload File option in the Datasource.

Step 3: Select the auto-suggested values or labels or both (from the dropdown list) from this new dataset in the filter, set the appropriate field. From the example above: if it is a date range, the Value will be Range, Label will be the Label field. For greater than/less than etc, Value will be Value, Label will be Label.

Step 5: Once saved, your picklist should now show the applicable values from the new dataset.

You can also customize the picklist for the Last N Period or Custom date. 

Usage: 

Step 1: Select the filter type (anything except range) and the specific time for which you want to filter the values. You can also select Last N Period or Custom date among many other options from the dropdown list while specifying the time.

After making the relevant selection, toggle on the auto-suggestions and select another dataset from which you would like to pick the auto-suggested values. Select the auto-suggested values or labels or both (from the dropdown list) you want to fetch from another dataset through the filter picklist and click on the Save.

Step 2: Navigate to the dashboard, click on the filter configured for auto-suggestions to pick the values automatically suggested from another dataset you have selected.

Note: The last two options in the picklist will always be available-

  • Last N Period

  • Custom

Step 3: Make the selection from the picklist, click on Apply, and the results in the dataset shall be updated accordingly.

Date Filtering

Similarly, Knowi supports date filters for Date fields on a Widget or Dashboard level. To add/edit a date filter:

  1. Navigate to Filters on a widget and click Add.
  2. In the Field to Filter, choose Date.
  3. In the Condition Type, choose any conditions according to the use case, like equals, greater than, etc.
  4. In the Value Type, choose any of the values according to the use case, like today, this quarter, etc
  5. Click Save. 

Note: When users choose the condition type as Equals on a date filter, there is an option to filter based on the Last N Period. This means users can filter data based on the last N period from today. Where  N could be minutes, days, months, or years.

Using Filters as Runtime Parameters

Filters in Knowi provide you with two options of how to filter the data shown to the user:

  1. Filter on top of the results from the underlying query (default).

  2. Pass in filter values/ids into the underlying queries using Runtime parameters in the query.

If a query uses Runtime parameters and a Label is specified, they are automatically surfaced at the dashboard or widget level filters. Additionally, the picklist can be populated with values from another dataset.

Please refer to the documentation on Runtime Parameters for more details.