About DataViews

DataView sources and types  

The data for a DataView can come from a variety of sources, each resulting in one of four types of DataView (or DataView-like) displays:

• Form DataViews can be created from any form that displays data.
  • These DataViews are launched by clicking the DataView button in the toolbar.
  • These DataViews use the data from the form as the source.
  • It does not matter whether the data was filtered before displaying on the form or loaded using a custom load method. But keep in mind that the user can see in the DataView only the data that they can access on the form.
  • You can manipulate the layout for a DataView to view the form data in ways not possible on the form.
  • Layouts created from these DataViews can be saved and applied to the data from the same form again in the future.
  • There is a toolbar icon that you can use to send the data in the current collection to DataView. If this icon is hidden in your toolbar, you can use the Theme editor to display it.
• Predefined DataViews are constructed using the DataViews setup process and are available only to users who have access.
  • These DataViews are typically launched from the DataViews form.
  • They require more setup than form DataViews, using the DataViews Setup form.
  • Predefined DataViews provide greater control over which IDOs are accessed and which properties are shown than do Form DataViews.
  • Permissions made on the DataViews Setup form control which DataViews a given user can see.
  • Predefined DataViews can be embedded in forms. This is done by implementing a DataView component from the Toolbox in the designer.
  • Predefined DataViews can be used to produce custom reports. These reports can be treated as system reports, with Vendor-level protections and associated report criteria forms.
• Critical Number Drilldowns are specialized DataViews that provide details about what makes up a critical number.
  • Drilldowns are launched by double-clicking a critical numbers form or gauge.
  • The drilldown controls specifically which properties are displayed.
  • These drilldowns inherit their permissions from critical numbers authorizations.
  • They have the same layout capabilities as other DataViews.
  • Drilldowns are configured using the Drilldowns Setup form.
  • Both IDO collection and stored procedure sources are supported.
  • When used on critical numbers forms, row coloring is supported for goals and alerts.
• DataSearches are specialized searches in which you can search across predefined data sources for specific values.
  • DataSearches are launched either by clicking the DataSearch toolbar icon or by opening the DataSearch form.
  • The search results are displayed in a DataView-like display.
  • Compared to the typical DataView display, however, the DataSearch display, while similar, is much more limited. Basically, you can only expand the data records, and you can reorder the columns.
  • Sources of data to be used for DataSearches are defined using the DataSearch Source Setup form. This form provides control over which properties are searched and which users or groups can see what data sources.

DataView results

When data is returned from a DataView query, the results are typically displayed in a basic grid on the appropriate DataView results form. There, depending on what kind of DataView query was performed, you can reorganize the data, decide what data displays, and take other actions with the results, such as printing a quick, on-the-fly report, or export the data to a spreadsheet or PDF file.

See About DataView Results.

DataView layouts

To organize and present the data that is included in a DataView, you can create layouts. Layouts can eliminate the redundancy of grouping and sorting the results every time you want to view the data.

These layouts are created by employing a number of options. You can perform these actions:

• Rearrange, reorder, and resize the columns.
• Define data groupings.
• Create custom columns, which can include "on the fly" calculations.
• Display or hide selected columns.
• Merge different levels of data.
• Define summaries.

Once you have the DataView layout organized and the data presented the way you want it, you can save these layouts for future use and reference. You can even use these layouts to create your own custom reports.

As with form customization, DataViews support user-level, group-level, and site-level layouts. Access to these layouts can also be controlled using filters and user permission settings.

See About DataView Layouts.