Time components

Time components visually represent data using selected time slices segregated by hours, days, weeks, months, and so on. You can display and present time components in many formats including area, bar, and line charts. They're also available in stacked and 100% stacked formats, which enable you to portray the data in comparative context.

Within a single time component, you can have multiple independent series, each retrieved from different a data source if required. You can also set up a calculated series, which is a new series based on a mathematical expression that uses values from the other series as parameters. When using a calculated series, you have the option to hide any series used in the calculation.

Complete this procedure in either the Dashboard or Document Designer. This procedure assumes content from one of your data sources is already open in the details pane and displayed in a time-component format.

To edit components in a saved dashboard, you must first click the icon.

1.In the title bar of the time component you want to edit, click the icon and select Component.

2.The Time Component dialog displays the following options:

•General tab

•Title: Title for the time component as it appears in the details pane.

•Series: A series list defined for the component. For details about setting up a series, see the section below.

•Output tab

•X axis format: Format for the label to use on the X axis of the time component.

•X axis label: Label displayed on the X axis.

•Y axis label: Label displayed on the Y axis.

•Y axis range: A specified range for the Y axis rather than the default range. Specify a secondary range when the data values are too different to display on the same Y axis.

•Series summaries: Options to display on the component header.

•Hide 0’s: Hide data slices that show only a zero (no real data value) when the format is a grid.

•Show title summary: Xtraction creates a title summary of what the component does, along with your own title. If you clear this option, the default summary is removed. For example, the title "Incidents (Last Month)" becomes just "Incidents."

•Show value: Select to make summary values visible.

•Show percent (series): Select to calculate a percentage based on the data across a series.

•Lines tab

•Add one or more fixed lines of text to display across any of the time-component formats, indicating when data exceeds a value. Right-click in the columns area and select Add line to enter the text, a value, and a color. For example, you can enter "Very High" for the text with a value of "100" and select the color red to visually show when data exceeds that value.

•Alert Rules tab

•Select colors to use in the results triggered by values within the data. Right-click in the columns area and select Add rule to enter an operation, value, colors for text and background, and notes about the rule if needed. Any added notes will display in the component header when you mouse hovers over the notes icon.

•Note that alert rules at the series level will override alert rules at the component level

•Notes tab

•Enter explanatory text directly into the blank area, which will display when your mouse hovers over the notes icon for the component. If Show notes is selected for an export, these notes are included in that component export.

Time-component series

Follow the next procedure to define a time-component series. Time components can display multiple, independent series at one time, meaning you can view data from multiple data sources within a single time component if desired.

To sort the order of more than one series displayed in the list, use the icon to drag and drop items up/down the list.

1.In the Time Component dialog > General tab > Series area, right-click and select Add series.

2.The Time Component Series dialog displays with these options:

•General tab

•Title: Title for the series.

•Name: Optional. Name of the series if it's being used within a calculated series.

•Data source: Data source used for this series.

•Date conditions: The upper and lower limits of data displayed in the series, such as last 12 months.

•Time interval: Determines the size of the time slice. For example, if you have a date condition of last 12 months, the time interval defaults to 1 month, but you may want to show 3 months or 7 days instead.

•Summary: Summary condition to apply to the sourced data. Options include count, sum, average, min, and max.

•Output tab

•View type: Data display type. Options include area, column, and so on.

•Value format: Format for displaying numerical values.

•Color: Color to use for the series.

•Chart on secondary axis: Select to have the data charted accordingly.

•Show trendline (linear): A straight line that's used with simple, linear data sets, usually showing that data is increasing or decreasing at a steady rate.

•Show trendline label: A text label for the trendline to prevent confusion with other chart lines.

•Show trendline end-point values: Y values at the start and end of the trendline.

•Trendline color: A color for the trendline to prevent confusion with other chart lines.

•Visible: Select if you want the series to be visible in output.

•Export chart labels: Select from default, on, or off to show labels that appear on chart export graphs.

•Filter tab

•Criteria used to filter the data from the data source. This data is used in combination with the date condition you set up under the General tab. Right-click in the blank area and select to create filter or open a saved one. For details about filters, see Filtering data.

•Alert rules tab

•Select colors to use in the results triggered by values within the data. Right-click in the columns area and select Add rule to enter an operation, value, colors for text and background, and notes about the rule if needed.

•Note that alert rules at the series level will override alert rules at the component level.

Calculated series

A calculated series enables you to create a new series for the time component based on a mathematical expression that uses values from the other series as parameters. For example, this type of series is useful when combining incidents or graphing percentage lines from separate service desks into a single chart.

When using a calculated series, you have the option to hide any series used in the calculation.

1.In the Time Component dialog > General tab > Series area, right-click and select Add calculated series.

2.The Time Component Series dialog displays with these options:

•General tab

•Title: Title for the series.

•Name: Name of the series for use within the calculated series expressions.

•Expression: A mathematical expression used to calculate the required value. For details, see the Expressions section below. To ensure your entry is valid, click the checkmark icon.

•Output tab

•View type: Data display type. Options include area, column, and so on.

•Value format: Format for displaying numerical values.

•Color: Color to use for the series.

•Chart on secondary axis: Select to have the data charted accordingly.

•Show trendline (linear): A straight line that's used with simple, linear data sets, usually showing that data is increasing or decreasing at a steady rate.

•Show trendline label: A text label for the trendline to prevent confusion with other chart lines.

•Show trendline end-point values: Y values at the start and end of the trendline.

•Trendline color: A color for the trendline to prevent confusion with other chart lines.

•Visible: Select if you want the series to be visible in output.

•Alert rules tab

•Select colors to use in the results triggered by values within the data. Right-click in the columns area and select Add rule to enter an operation, value, colors for text and background, and notes about the rule if needed.

Use expressions to calculate values for your series. Expressions can use values from other series as parameters. Currently, expressions are limited to returning only numerical values.

You can use the following items within an expression:

Parameters

Parameters are case sensitive, and you need to enclose them in square brackets.

•[S1]: Current value for series one.

•[S1_TOTAL]: The total for series one.

Expressions can use values from other series when being evaluated. There are two ways to refer to another series—by using the series index, or by using the series name (if set up):

•Series index: You can refer to another series by using its index. The index for the first series is 1 and the second series is 2. For example, when adding two series together: [S1] + [S2]

•Series name: If you've set up the series with a name, you can refer to it by that name in an expression: [INCIDENTS] + [REQUESTS]

Operators

•Add (+): [S1] + [S2]

•Subtract (-): [S1] - [S2]

•Multiply (*): [S1] * [S2]

•Divide (/): [S1] / [S2]

•Modulus (%): [S1] % [S2]

•Primary ((,)): ([S1] * ([S2] + [S3])

Functions

•Abs: Returns the absolute value of a specified number—Abs(-1), Result: 1

•Ceiling: Returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to the specified number—Ceiling(1.5), Result: 2

•Floor: Returns the largest integer less than or equal to the specified number—Floor(1.5), Result: 1

•if: Returns a value based on a condition—if(condition, true-value, false-value) if(True, 1, 2), Result: 1