Report Input Controls

This article demonstrates how to use Input Controls for reports created on Lambda Analytics (Zoola).

TOPICS

• Input Controls Overview
• Simple Input Controls
• Multi-Select Input Controls
• Adding Input Controls to Dashboards
  • Renaming an Input Control
• Filter Column Window

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Introduction to Input Controls

When using input controls in your reports and dashboards, they can limit the data to what you would like to see - and nothing more. When running a report based on a domain topic that defines a filter, the server can render the filter as an input control. 

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Simple Input Controls

Using input controls, you can run the report with one set of data and then another. When saved, an instance of the report with alternate input controls is called a Report Version and is labeled as such in the Repository. 

To explore simple input controls, we will open up and filter the Learners Program Progress Summary Report. To run this report with simple input controls:

1.  In the Repository, open the Reports folder in the Public tree.

2.  Open the Learners Program Progress Summary Report.

3.  In the Options panel, select a specific user from the Users list.

4.  Click Apply at the bottom of the panel. The report now only shows data for the specified user. 

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Multi-Select Input Controls

To explore multi-select input controls, we will open up and filter the Quiz Questions Summary Data Report. To run this report with multi-select input controls:

1.  In the Repository, open the Reports folder in the Public tree.

2.  Open the Quiz Questions Summary Data Report.

3.  From the Report Viewer tool bar, click Input Controls.

4.  Scroll to the bottom of the Input Controls dialog to view the Question Name input control.

5.  Enter "settings" in the Search field. Only question names containing "settings" are shown. 

6.  Click the first item in the list, then scroll down and Shift-Click to select all the items with "settings" in the title. 

7.  Click the Search field again and delete the "settings" search term. All items are displayed, with the ones that include "settings" selected. 

8.  Click the Selected tab to see only the selected items. Then, click the Available tab to view all the items. 

9.  Click Invert to invert the selection. Now all items are selected except those that contain "settings."

10.  Click OK at the bottom of the panel. The report now shows data for all quizzes that do not contain the word "settings" in their name.

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Adding Input Controls to Dashboards

When adding a report that has input controls to a dashboard, controls will not appear on the dashboard until you explicitly add them one-by-one. These controls can either be added directly to the dashboard as a dashlet, or accessed from the toolbar as a pop-up window. When the report runs, dashboard users provide input using the control. Data based on the user input appears in the dashboard. 

To add controls to a dashboard as a dashlet:

1.  In the Filters section of the Dashboard Designer, expand a folder. The available input controls for the Report/View appear.

2.  Drag an Input Control onto the Dashboard Canvas. The input control will become a unique dashlet. 

3.  If required, drag more controls onto the new input control dashlet. Resize the dashlets as needed to view all of the input controls. 

4.  Click Save, and select Save Dashboard.

5.  Click Display to preview the dashboard.

6.  Use the options to select a value from the values list, and click Apply at the bottom of the dashlet. The data displayed changes, but is not updated in the other reports.

7. Click to return to the Dashboard Designer.

Renaming an Input Control 

1.  In the Dashboard Designer canvas, right-click the input controls dashlet and select Properties from the context menu. Then, the Filter Properties window will open. 

2.  Select the Show Filter Dashlet as Pop-up option.

3.  Click OK. The input controls dashlet disappears from the dashboard, and the filter button appears on the toolbar. This button is also displayed to end users when viewing the dashboard.

4.  Hover over the Save icon and select Save Dashboard. Then, click Preview if you would like to preview the dashboard. 

5.  From the preview toolbar, click Filter to view the filter pop-up window.

6.  Click Apply to apply any input control changes to the dashboard.

7.  Click Filter to close the filter pop-up window.

8.  Click Preview to return to the Dashboard Designer. 

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Filter Column Window

To conditionally filter a report, select the column that you would like to use as a basis for filtering. Next, enter a filter condition and a value for comparison. The server will then compare each field of the column to the value that meets the condition.

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