A Data Cloud widget displays attribute elements in various sizes to depict the differences in metric values between the elements. The widget is similar to a heat map in that it allows an analyst to quickly identify the most significant, positive, or negative contributions.
The widget consists of a list of attribute elements. The font size of each attribute element represents a metric value for that element. These metric values represent the values of the first metric on the widget’s template. In the widget below, the size of each attribute element from the Subcategory attribute represents the amount of revenue generated by each genre of books.
In the image below, the widget’s template is provided below the widget to show the exact metric values for the attribute elements displayed in the widget.
To successfully create a useful widget that can be used to analyze data, you must first correctly define it. After you add a widget to a document, you must place report objects such as attributes and metrics on the widget template, which resembles a standard grid template. The report objects and their placement on the widget template determine how the widget displays data in Flash Mode.
To create a Data Cloud widget
Add the widget to a document in Web
Open the document in Design or Editable Mode.
From the Insert menu, point to Widgets, and then select Data Cloud.
Click the location on your document, except for in the Detail section, where you want to place the widget. The widget template, which appears similar to a standard grid container, is displayed. A small icon at the bottom right corner of the widget template identifies the type of widget you have added to the document.
If desired, resize the widget by clicking and dragging its handles.
Add objects to the widget template
From the Dataset Objects panel on the left, select attributes and metrics, and drag them on top of the widget, as described below.
Place at least one attribute on the widget template's rows.
The elements of the attribute are displayed in the widget. For example, if the attribute is Year, a list of years is displayed in the widget.
If you include additional attributes to the right of the first attribute, elements from all of the attributes are combined and displayed in the widget. For example, if Year is the first attribute and Quarter is the second attribute, every combination of year and quarter is displayed in the widget, including 2007 Q4 and 2007 Q3.
Place at least one metric on the widget template's columns.
The first metric on the columns determines the size of the font of the attribute elements in the widget.
If you include additional metrics to the right of the first metric, the metrics are displayed in the tooltips available in Flash Mode. When a user hovers the cursor over an attribute element, a tooltip is displayed. The tooltip lists the attribute element and metric values for that attribute element.
View the widget in Flash Mode
To view and interact with the widget, switch to Flash Mode by selecting Flash Mode from the View menu.
Note: If Flash Mode is not available in the View menu, you must make Flash Mode available for this document.
Modifying the Data Cloud widget
In Flash Mode, right-click the widget heading and select Properties. The Data Cloud dialog box opens. These are the options:
Sort Alphabetically: Select whether you want to display the data cloud widget results alphabetically. If you leave this option unselected, then the results will display in random order.
Alignment: Determine how you want to align the data in the widget. Choose from Align Left, Center, Align Right, and Justify.
Equation: Determine how the widget data will be scaled. The options are:
Square Root: Select this option if you want to display your data in abrupt increments. Selecting this option is beneficial if you have large value differences between each set of data in the widget.
Logarithm: Select this option if you want to display your data in gradual, more smooth increments. Selecting this option is beneficial if you are using percentage data that drops below 0%.
Linear: Select this option if you want to display your data as a weighted average. For instance, selecting this option is beneficial if you want to display the average sales data for each month of the year, or the average profit for Q1 of 2007.
Minimum Font Size (1-15): Determine the font size of the smallest value in the widget. 1 is the smallest and 15 is the largest.
Font Color 1: You can select two colors in which to display the data in the widget. Select the first font color from the color palette.
Font Color 2: You can select two colors in which to display the data in the widget. Select the second font color from the color palette.
Background Color: Select a background color to display behind all of the data in the widget.
Border Color: Select a color to border the widget.
Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.
To use the widget as a selector
In Design or Editable Mode, do one of the following:
Right-click the attribute, custom group, or consolidation in the Grid/Graph to use as the selector, and choose Edit Selector. The Configure Selector dialog box opens.
Right-click the Metrics column in the Grid/Graph, and choose Edit Selector. The Configure Selector dialog box opens.
Select the target Grid/Graph or panel stack in the list of available targets on the left. Click > to add it to the list of selected targets on the right. You can select multiple targets.
The attribute, custom group, or consolidation you selected in the Grid/Graph is the source, and the selected Grid/Graph is the target. The Action Type of the selector is set to Select Element.
To ensure that the user can select more than one element in the widget, select the Show option for All check box.
To ensure that the element displayed in the selector changes if an element is chosen in another selector, select Allow selection to be updated by other selectors.
Click OK to apply the changes and return to the document.
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