1. Creating Oracle Business Intelligence Interactive Dashboards
Schedule: Timing Topic
30 minutes Lecture
25 minutes Practice
55 minutes Total

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Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Construct an Interactive Dashboard
Use Interactive Dashboard objects to create an Interactive Dashboard
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3. Oracle Business Intelligence Interactive Dashboards
Oracle BI Interactive Dashboards:
Displays the results of Business Intelligence requests to users
Provides two types of views of corporate and external information:
Personalized views
My Dashboard for each user
Preconfigured views
Shared dashboards can be saved by users with administrative privileges.
Shared dashboards
Oracle Business Intelligence Interactive Dashboards
Oracle BI Interactive Dashboards provides personalized views of corporate and external information. Based on your permissions, you can view preconfigured dashboards or create your own. Users with administrative privileges can create shared dashboards for groups of users with common responsibilities or job functions.
Personalized views can be created based on a user’s permission. You can view your personalized views by clicking My Dashboard. My Dashboard is also the default dashboard.
Preconfigured views are linked across the top of the screen. They can be created by administrators and shared with groups of users with common responsibilities or job functions.
Personalized view: My Dashboard
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4. Key Interactive Dashboard Terms
User or group that can modify a dashboard
Builder
Contains columns and sections that hold content
Page
Stores content created with Answers and Interactive Dashboards
Presentation Catalog
Controls how dashboards and results are formatted for display
Style
Controls appearance of Presentation Services interface
Skin
Output of requests returned from the Business Intelligence server
Results (reports)
Items that are embedded in a dashboard (section is an example)
Dashboard object
Object in a column that holds the actual content
Section
Used to align content on a dashboard
Column
Description
Term
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5. Interactive Dashboard
Dashboard column
Business Intelligence request with Title, Chart, and Table views
Embedded Web content in a second dashboard column
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6. Creating a New Dashboard
Users with appropriate permissions and responsibilities can create a new dashboard. 1 2 4
Creating a New Interactive Dashboard
The builder is a specified user or group that can modify an Oracle BI Interactive Dashboard. In the example in the slide, any user who is a member of the ABC Sales group can modify the Regional Sales dashboard.
To build a new dashboard:
1. Select the Administration option.
2. Click the Manage Interactive Dashboards link.
3. Click Create Dashboard.
4. Enter the Dashboard name, folder, and other information and click Finished. The dashboard appears in the dashboard list. 5 3
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7. Interactive Dashboard Pages
Appear as tabs across the top of the dashboard
Display anything that you can access or open with your Web browser: saved requests, alerts from Delivers, images, charts, tables, text, links to Web sites and documents, and so on
Dashboard pages
Interactive Dashboard Pages
Pages contain the columns and sections that hold the content of a dashboard. Every dashboard has at least one page. In dashboards, pages are identified by tabs across the top of the dashboard.
Multiple pages are used to organize content. For example, you might have one page to store results from Answers that you refer to every day, another that contains links to the Web sites of your suppliers, and one that links to your corporate intranet.
Click to edit dashboard.
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Dashboard Editor
Enables you to add, modify, or delete content
Dashboard Properties
Use the drop-down list to navigate pages.
Dashboard Editor
To access the dashboard editor, click the Page Options drop-down list at the top-right corner of any dashboard and select Edit Dashboard.
Add Page
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Dashboard Styles
Styles control how dashboards and results are formatted for display:
Administrator may create styles from which to choose.
A default style is used if no styles are selected.
Style drop-down list
Click the Dashboard Properties button in the dashboard editor.
Dashboard Styles
To change the dashboard page style, select a style from the Style list in the General Properties area.
Page controls
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10. Dashboard Page Controls
You can do the following:
Rename
Delete
Reorder
Hide
Dashboard Page Controls
In the example in the slide, properties are set for the My Dashboard pages. For shared dashboards, authorized users can also change permissions for the contents of the page.
Dashboard pages that are in the Dashboard Properties area are permanently deleted. For this reason, you are prompted to confirm the deletion.
Rename
Delete
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11. Adding Objects to Dashboards
Add content to a dashboard by dragging any saved objects from the selection pane to the dashboard layout screen.
Drag saved objects to the dashboard.
Adding Objects to Dashboards
You explore dashboard objects in detail in the lesson titled “Configuring Oracle BI Interactive Dashboards.”
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Dashboard Columns
Dashboard columns are used to align content on a dashboard.
Not the same as columns in a request
Create as many columns as you need.
Every new dashboard page automatically contains one empty column with one empty section.
Add Column button
Click the Properties button to set column properties.
Dashboard Columns
Columns are used to align content on a dashboard (sections in columns hold the actual content). You can create as many columns on a dashboard page as you need.
Every new dashboard page automatically contains one empty column with one empty section in it.
Click the column’s Properties button to open the Column Properties dialog box. In addition to selecting typical formatting options, you can add or remove columns and set the width either in pixels or as a percentage of the dashboard page.
Additional column
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Dashboard Sections
Appear in columns in the dashboard layout
Hold the content dragged from the selection pane
Organize content in a column
Click and drag objects to build dashboard pages.
Dashboard Sections
Sections appear in columns in the dashboard layout. They hold the content dragged from the selection pane and are used to organize content in a column.
You can drag as many sections as you need to a column. If you drag content to a column without first adding a section to hold the content, a section is created automatically. If you drag a section from one column to another column, any content in that section is also included.
Instructor Note
The Section dashboard object is covered here because it is highlighted in the example as a layout element in building dashboards and should be considered with columns. The remaining objects are covered in the next lesson.
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14. Dashboard Print Controls
Print pages by using:
Adobe Acrobat PDF
Print command in browser
Print settings are independent for each dashboard page. 1 2
Dashboard Print Controls
Dashboards are printed in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You can specify page settings as well as header and footer content for the output in dashboard printouts.
To change PDF and print options:
1. Click the “PDF and Print Control Properties” button next to the Page drop-down list. The “PDF and Print Control” dialog box appears.
2. Specify your choices and click OK.
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Dashboard Prompts
Filter the results of embedded requests to show only those results that match the prompt criteria:
Filter all requests embedded in a dashboard or only the requests on certain dashboard pages.
Set or update variables:
Presentation variables are populated by prompts.
Repository and session variables can be overwritten by prompts.
Prompts are created in Answers.
Dashboard Prompts
A dashboard prompt is a special kind of filter that filters requests that are embedded in a dashboard. A dashboard prompt filters embedded requests that contain the same columns as the filter. It can filter either all embedded requests in a dashboard or only those embedded requests that are on the same dashboard page.
New Dashboard Prompt button
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16. Building Dashboard Prompts
1. Set the scope of the prompt.
2. Select the column and operator.
3. Set the control and constraints.
4. Set defaults.
5. Set variables.
6. Create a label.
7. Save the prompt.
8. Add the prompt to a dashboard.
9. Test the results.
Instructor Note
This is a structuring slide. Do not teach the steps or concepts here because the following slides cover them in detail. Instead, provide a high-level description of what is discussed.
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17. 1. Set the scope of the prompt.
The scope determines whether the dashboard prompt filters a page or the entire dashboard.
1. Set the scope of the prompt.
If you select Dashboard, every page in the dashboard is filtered. If you select Page, only the active dashboard page is filtered.
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18. 2. Select the column and operator.
To add a column, click columns in the selection pane.
Use the Edit Column Formula window to add functions, filters, variables, and other expressions.
Select the filter operator for the prompt.
Select the filter operator.
Edit Formula button
2. Select the column and operator.
The number of prompted columns can affect performance. Use care to prompt only for necessary columns.
If the column that you are adding is a date-time column, a button appears (to the left of the Edit Formula button) to enable you to set a time zone for the prompt.
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19. 3. Set the control and constraints.
The control specifies the way the user enters the prompted value.
Select the Constrain option to constrain values available for selection based on a previous prompt.
User enters text into prompt.
User selects value from a list including all column values.
3. Set the control and constraints.
In the example, the values that are available for selection in the Sales District column prompt are constrained by the user’s selection in the preceding Region prompt.
When you prompt to populate a Presentation variable, set the control to either Edit Box or Drop-Down List. Variables do not work with Multi-Select prompt controls.
Constrained columns are constrained by all other columns in the prompt. For example, if the prompt contains the Year, Region, and District columns, and if Constrain is selected for District, the values shown in District are limited by the values that are entered in Region and Year.
Constrain by Region.
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4. Set defaults.
(Optional) You can set a default prompt value to report defaults, a specific value, a variable, or the results of a SQL query.
Values are selected from the Regions column.
4. Set defaults.
If you set a default, it is applied to the dashboard or page unless the user selects a different value for the prompt.
In the example, the Region prompt defaults to Central.
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5. Set variables.
(Optional) You can populate a declared Presentation variable or override a repository variable based on the prompted value.
Prompt populates the Presentation variable.
5. Set variables.
To populate a Web or server variable, set the variable type in the Set Variable drop-down list and enter the variable name in the text field. In the example in the slide, the myFavoriteRegion Presentation variable is set by the prompt. Note that the variable name is case sensitive.
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6. Create a label.
(Optional) You can enter a label for each prompt. The default behavior is to display the column name.
Prompt populates the Presentation variable.
6. Create a label.
Enter a label that indicates what the dashboard user is being prompted for. By default, the name of the column is displayed.
In the example in the slide, note that the control for the first prompt is an edit box; as a result, the label prompts the user to enter a region. The second prompt is a drop-down list; its label prompts the user to select a district.
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7. Save the prompt.
Save the prompt to the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog.
7. Save the prompt.
Prompts are saved in the same way that requests are saved.
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24. 8. Add the prompt to a dashboard.
Edit the dashboard to add the prompt.
8. Add the prompt to a dashboard.
In the dashboard editor, drag the prompt from the selection pane to a section where it is added to a dashboard. The prompt is often placed directly above a request.
Add the prompt from the selection pane in the dashboard editor.
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9. Test the results.
Navigate to the dashboard and test the prompt.
The myFavoriteRegion Presentation variable is populated by the Region dashboard prompt.
The Region prompt defaults to Central.
The District prompt is constrained to districts in the Central region.
9. Test the results.
In the example in the slide, the default that was set on the Presentation variable prompt is present in the Edit box. The district prompt is thus constrained to districts in the Central region.
The myFavoriteRegion variable is populated by the Region dashboard prompt and is defined as the display value in the column formula for the Region Variable column. It is therefore populated in the results that are returned from the prompt selections.
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Saved Selections
Saving selections enables users to view dashboard pages that are preselected by frequency or by favorite filters and prompts.
Eliminates need to choose prompts and filters manually
Saves preferred values for Presentation variables
Provides ability to:
Save multiple view selections with different combinations of choices (for personal use or use by others)
Switch between saved selections
Specify a saved selection as the default view
Saved Selections
Saved selections enable users to view dashboard pages with their most frequently used or favorite choices for filters and prompts preselected, without the need to make choices manually for prompts and filters that appear on the dashboard. Users can save multiple view selections with different combinations of prompt and filter choices, and can switch between them.
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27. Creating a Personal Saved Selection
Users with appropriate permissions can create and save selections for personal use. 2 1 3
Creating a Personal Saved Selection
To save a selection for personal use:
1. Make your choices for prompts and filters in the dashboard.
2. Click the Page Options button on the dashboard page and select Save Current Selections > For Me.
3. Enter a descriptive name for the selection or use the default name. (Optional: To assign this name as your default, select the default option.)
4. Click OK. 4
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28. Creating a Saved Selection for Others
Users with appropriate permissions can create and save selections for others. 1 2 3
Creating a Saved Selection for Others
To save a selection for use by other users:
Make your choices for prompts and filters in the dashboard.
Click the Page Options button on the dashboard page and select Save Current Selections > For Others.
Type a descriptive name for the selection or use the default name. (Optional: To assign this name as your default, select the default option.)
Specify access by clicking the Set Permissions button.
Add groups to the “Groups with Permission” area and click OK. 5 4
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29. Applying a Saved Selection
Click the Page Options button to apply saved selections. 1 2
Applying a Saved Selection
To apply saved selections:
Click the Page Options button on the dashboard page and choose Apply Saved Selections. Your personal Saved Selections, if any, are shown at the beginning of the list. Shared Saved Selections are listed next. Your current default selection is bold.
Click a Saved Selection in the list to apply it to the underlying dashboard.
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30. Editing Saved Selections
Users with appropriate permissions can edit saved selections and defaults. 1 3
Rename
Change defaults
Delete
Editing Saved Selections
To edit saved selections:
1. Click the Page Options button on the dashboard page and select Save Current Selections > “Edit Saved Selections and Defaults.”
2. Locate the selection that you want to rename or delete. Then click the appropriate button.
3. Click OK when you are finished. 2
Set permissions
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Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned how to:
Construct an Interactive Dashboard
Use Interactive Dashboard objects to create an Interactive Dashboard
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Practice 26: Overview
This practice covers the following topics:
Creating a dashboard page
Adding content to the page
Creating a prompt and adding it to the dashboard
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