Widgets

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Introduction

Widgets are provided to create plug in data that can be used to build Dashboards. Some widget types make use of existing measures and provide the ability to display them in a more appealing format. Certain widget types allow you to return and display data based on configuration carried out within the widget.

Creating a new Widget

Select the + Create New Widget button, give the new Widget a name, and choose which type of Widget you wish to create. Configuration options and an example video for each of the Widget types is given below.

Widget Types

Data Chart

Charts can be in the form of a Bar, Pie or Line Graph

When defining Data Charts it is possible to define the data for the chart using the following options:

Measured Sample - This type allows you to add multiple measures data to a single chart, and to display the data using definable sample intervals, and history.
Measured Group By - This type allows a single measures data to be displayed and grouped by Saved Data Columns.
Measure Samples Group By - This type allows a single measures sampled data to be grouped and displayed by Saved Data Columns and by definable sample periods (manual or predefined date settings).
Sql Group By - This type allows you to specify a database table, which columns to group on, and count on and define filter conditions for the data.

Measured Sample

Data Source Details

Data Type - Choose Measured Sample
Tick Type - By default this will be set to Automatic and will inherit the Sample period for the measures added to the chart. If when configuring the Measure, you recorded date fields in the Saved Data Columns for the measure you will be able to switch the Tick Type to look at the data by any of the other sample periods (Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly. Examples of the date columns could be h_datelogged or h_dateresolved from the primary h_itsm_requests table
Sampling Type - This will control the values by which you can view the sample data. Choosing Use manual sample setting will allow you to manually specify the number of samples to display on the data chart using the tick type sample periods. For example Tick Type = Monthly and Samples to use = 6 will show (if the data is available) the last 6 Months samples. If the Samplying Type is set to Use predefined data setting the Samples to use field will change to Sample Periods and a list of predefined sample periods will be available to select from

Scorecard

A Scorecard widget can be used to display one or more Measures which have previously been defined.

Data Measure / Data Formatter

Add previously configured Measures to the Scorecard by selecting the + button and choosing the Measure you wish to add from the drop down list. Add additional Measures using the + button.
Remove measures from the Scorecard by selecting the dustbin next to the Measure you wish to remove.

Scorecard Display

Configure the data which is displayed on each Scorecard by selecting the from the options below:

Show scorecard: This will display the actual sample data against each sample period for each measure. The number of samples displayed for each measure is configured against the measure not on the widget.
Show sparkline: This will display a visual trend line representing the data over the defined sample period for each Measure
Show target: This will display the target which was defined for each Measure
Show previous sample: This will display the previous actual sample value before the latest for each Measure
Show current value: This will display the latest actual sample value for each Measure
Show difference value: This will display the difference between the latest and the previous actual sample values for each Measure
Show direction indicator: This will display a graphical indicator of the direction of the latest actual sample value against the previous actual sample value against the target which has been defined for each Measure. If the direction is positive the indicator will be green, if it is negative or there is no change the indicator will be red. The arrow can be up or down for both positive and negative results depending on each Measure's target and if being above or below the target has been set as a positive or a negative outcome.

Target Counter

This type of widget is used to display how a single measure is performing against it's target.

Counter Data Measure

Choose the Measure which the widget will use from the drop down list
Change the Measure to be used by selecting another Measure from the drop down list

Display Data

By Default the latest sample (value) for the Measure will be displayed. It is possible to compliment this value with other measure attributes as explained below:

Show Desired Target: Select this option if you wish to display the predefined target for the Measure on the Target Counter Widget.
Show Previous Sample: Select this option is you wish to display the previous sample value alongside the current sample value.
Show difference value: Select this option if you wish to display a value which represents the between the current and the previous sample values.
Show Sparkline: Select this option if you wish to graphically display the available historical sample values for the Measure. The number of samples values displayed will reflect the number of sample of historical sample values you have configured to retain in the measure configuration.

Display Icon

Optional include an icon alongside the Counter values by selecting an appropriate icon from the icon picker
Change the displayed icon by choosing another icon, or remove an icon completely by selecting the Clear option

List of Data

Allows you to populate a widget with a list of data based on a user defined table query.

There are two options for defining the content which will appear on your datalist and these can be chosen from the Widget settings.

Datalist Settings

List Type: Choose either Single Table Query or Custom sql Query

Single Table Query

Query Settings

Select No. Records: Define how many results to display on your data list if a large number of results are returned.
From Table: Choose the table from which your datalist will be populated.
Select Columns: Choose the columns of data (in the order which you wish them to appear on your datalist) from the table above
Where Clause: Define any conditions which will filter the amount of data to be displayed in your datalist

Custom sql Query

This advanced option provides you with the ability to define a SQL statement to populate the content of the Datalist.

Select the Edit Custom SQL option to open the Datalist SQL query editor

List of Counters

This widget allows you to display one or a list of metrics that are based on an aggregate value such as count, average, max, and min.

Widget settings

Add a new counter by selecting on the Add button

Configure the new counter:

Icon: Optionally browse and select an icon which will appear next to the new counter name and counter value on the widget.
Name: Define a name for the new counter, this name will appear on the widget next to the counter value.
Edit List item sql: select this option to open the configuration options for the counter value

SQL Query Configuration

Select: Choose the appropriate aggregate for the counter - Count, Ave, Sum, Max, Min
From: Choose the table from which the counter data will be selected
Where: Define the where conditions which will filter the counter data as necessary

Optionally it is possible to have the colour of the counter value change depending on the current value. By default the value will be black, but it is possible to define what colour the value should display in, if the value is equal to or above or below defined thresholds.

Once the configuration is complete, select the Apply Changes button.

Add additional counters to the widget by selecting the Add button and repeating the steps defined above.
Remove counters by selecting the dustbin icon next to the counters you wish to remove from the widget

Define the Widget settings, and the General look and feel as required and then save the widget using the disc icon.

Custom

The custom widget type allows you to specify a URL and display the content as an image, in an iframe or div.

You may wish to compliment the Hornbill data which can displayed in Widgets, with that of content from external sources. The Custom widget option allows you to either add an image via a specific URL, or display the content from an external source via a URL.

Custom Widget Configuration

URL: Define the external content or image you wish to display.
Format: Choose Image, Iframe or Div

As with other widgets it maybe necessary to preview and fine tune the appearance of the Custom widget before making this available to be used in a Dashboard.

General Look and Feel

Using the paintbrush icon you can configure how the widget will appear when displayed on a Dashboard.

Container Header: Here the options include where to display the Header bar, if the title should be shown, if a border is needed, header text and background colors.
Container Border: Here you can decide if the widget's border should be shown, if so what color it should be and if curved edges enhance the appearance.
Container Coloring: Here the main body of the widget can be configured, the text colour if applicable, background, effect and background effect colors can be chosen.

Preview

It is important to understand how the Custom or other widgets are going to display before adding them to a Dashboard. Using the Preview Width and Height settings above the Widget content will allow you to preview different sizes and layouts which may influence the dimensions you need to allocate when adding the widget to a Dashboard.