Dashboard Override

What’s the Purpose of This Feature?

This feature allows dashboard-level parameters to override data source filters, removing the need for multiple data source copies with different filters. Filters can be dynamically set using a query-string format, enabling interactive filtering directly from the dashboard. This works for text-based filters, improving performance and ease of use. Imagine you have a dashboard in Sintel BI where you’re looking at some data, like sales or user info. Usually, to filter the data (like showing only one region or filtering by a specific product type), you’d have to go into the data source settings, make your changes, and refresh the dashboard. This new feature allows you to set up those filters directly in the dashboard which makes it much easier to control and change what data you see directly on the dashboard without having to update the data source.

Key Parts of How It Works

1. Enable Dashboard Overrides for Filters

• In your data source, some filters control what data you see in the dashboard (e.g., you might have a filter for “Region” so you only see data for the “North” region).
• When you’re setting up these filters, there’s now a new option called “Allow dashboard override.” If you turn this on for a filter, you’re saying, “I want this filter to be changeable directly from the dashboard.”
• You also give each filter a “parameter name” (like “RegionFilter”). The dashboard will use this name to determine which filter it’s controlling.

2. Dashboard Overrides Only Work for Certain Types of Data

For now this feature supports text-based filters such as names, categories, or similar fields. It currently doesn’t support Date or Number types, so if you’re filtering by a date range or a price, this method won’t apply.

3. Using the Dashboard to Control These Filters

• When viewing or editing your dashboard, there’s now a Data section in the dashboard’s properties pane (the side panel where you change the dashboard’s settings).
• You can type @ to see a list of the parameters you created (like “RegionFilter” or “CategoryFilter”) and select the one you want to change.
• This lets you control which filter you’re setting up without needing to remember every filter name—just start typing @ and select from the list!

4. Setting the Filter Values Using a Query String Format

• This part lets you tell the dashboard which specific filter values to use. It’s a bit like filling out a form with all the filter options but in one line.
• You use a format that looks like this: {[ParameterName]}=Value.
  Example: {[RegionFilter]}=North will set the “RegionFilter” parameter to only show data for the “North” region.
• You can include multiple filters in one line by using & between them, like this: {[RegionFilter]}=North&{[CategoryFilter]}=Electronics
• You can even get fancy with fields that need specific formatting, like users: {[UserFilter]}={“displayText”: “Beyonce Knowles”} or {[UserFilter]}={“displayText”: “@Me”, “type”: 16}.

5. Putting It All Together

So, here’s a full example:

• You set up your data source with filters for Region, Category, and User, and you enable “Allow dashboard override” on each.
• On your dashboard, you go to the Data section and type @ to see the list of filter parameters you set up.
• Then, you use the query format to set filter values. Let’s say you want data for “North” region, in the “Electronics” category, viewed by “Beyonce Knowles”  or me you would write one of the following:

  {[RegionFilter]}=North&{[CategoryFilter]}=Electronics&{[UserFilter]}={"displayText": "Beyonce Knowles"}

   

  {[RegionFilter]}=North&{[CategoryFilter]}=Electronics&{[UserFilter]}={"displayText": "@Me", "type":16}

   

This setup now makes the dashboard interactive, letting you adjust what data you see quickly, without needing to dig back into the data source settings each time.