Interacting with Data

Active Reports offer analysis tools comparable to those in popular spreadsheet applications.

When you use analysis tools such as charting and calculations, the Active Report uses any filters you have in place.

For more information, see the following sections.

• Charting Data

• Making a Chart
• Learning More about Chart Data
• Linking Chart to Filters
• Using Data Visualization

• Performing Calculations

• Adding Calculations to Columns
• Removing all Calculations from Columns
• Changing how Calculations Display with Filters

 

Charting Data

You can view your Active Report data as a line, bar, scatter, or pie chart.

You can make multiple charts from the same Active Report simultaneously.

 

Making a Chart

Making charts is quick and easy. You start with the menu in the heading of the column you want to chart, and then make a few quick selections.

Use the following instructions to make a chart from a column of data.

To make a chart from a column of data:

1. If necessary, apply any filters to the report.
2. Click the down arrow in the heading of the column with the information you want to chart.
3. Select Chart.
4. Select a field to use in sorting the data.

 

Learning More about Chart Data

Move your mouse over a section or point on the chart to get a data tip. Here is an example of a data tip for the Insufficient Usage field in a chart comparing cancel descriptions.

Use the following instructions to show data tips.

To show data tips:

• Move your mouse over a section or point on a chart to see a pop-up with information about the data.
• In addition to showing data tips, you can display a smaller table with only the charted data. Move your mouse over a section or point on a chart to see a pop-up with information about the data.
• Charts include a toolbar. Click to see a table of just the information used in the chart.

Here is an example of a rollup table for the Cancel Description chart referenced above.

 

Linking Charts to Filters

Filters and charts can work together. Sometimes you may want the chart to change as you adjust filters; at other times you may want to keep it frozen to its original filter.

Use the Freeze/Unfreeze button (/) in the chart toolbar to set whether a chart is affected by filter changes.

• Frozen charts (indicated by ) use the filter in place when the chart was originally created. If you change the filters on the report, the chart stays the same.
• Unfrozen charts (indicated by ) change when you change the filters on the source report.

To change a chart as you change filters:

• Click the Freeze/Unfreeze button (/) in the chart toolbar.

 

Using Data Visualization

Data visualization lets you quickly compare the values in numeric columns. Selecting visualization for a column adds bars showing the relative value of the data of the column in the chart itself.

Here is an example of a report with the Payment Amount field visualized.

Use the following instructions to add visualization to a column.

To add visualization to a column:

1. Click the down arrow in the heading of the column you want to visualize.
2. Select Visualize.

The Active Report adds visualization bars to the right of the column.

 

Performing Calculations

You can perform calculations on the data in an Active Report. Calculations you can perform include counts, sums, averages, minimums, maximums, and percentages. (For more information, see Calculation Types.)

 

Adding Calculations to Columns

You can apply more than one calculation to a column. Here is an example of a report that uses both a Sum and a % of Total calculation.

Use the following instructions to add a calculation to a column.

To add a calculation to a column:

1. Click the down arrow in the heading of the column.

2. Select Calculation.
3. Select the type of calculation.

The Active Report shows the results of the calculation.

 

Removing all Calculations from a Column

Use the following instructions to remove all calculations from a column.

To remove all calculations from a column:

1. Click the down arrow in the heading of the column.
2. Select Calculation.
3. Select Clear.

 

Changing how Calculations Display with Filters

When there is a filter in place for your report, you can change which data is used for the calculation: (1) the filter (or subtotal) information, (2) all of the report data regardless of filters, or both.

Data Used	Example Calculation
Subtotal and total
All rows, regardless of filter
Only filtered rows

Use the Total button in the pagination bar at the top of the report to switch among the different methods. The button only appears when you have a calculation in place.

Here is an example of the Total button.

Use the following instructions to change how filters affect calculations.

To change how filters affect calculations:

1. Apply a filter and at least one calculation to the report.
2. Click the Total button until the report uses the calculation method you prefer.