The term "Dashboard" is used widely throughout Slate to describe a customized display of data. This information is meant to highlight information to be available at-a-glance and is read-only. Using some advanced liquid markup, further customization can be added, such as color-coded changes to data points to indicate level of severity.
Dashboards can be created to appear:
- On the “Dashboard” tab of a person or dataset record.
- Within an Inbox message.
- While comparing two records within Consolidate Records.
- Within Batch Acquire.
An example of a dashboard:
Dashboards are created using the query tool. When the query is saved to the System folder, the ability to choose which type of dashboard and the ability to edit will display.
Filters may be added for dashboards on records that meet certain criteria, for specific users or roles, and to only display values if they exist for a record.
Tip
While dashboards can display any data point, be careful not to fill them with so much information that it detracts from quick digestion of high-level details. A simple test is to ask the question, “If the student walks into the office, what information would I need to know immediately?” Often, it’s only a handful of criticals.
Creating the Query
- Click Queries / Reports in the top navigation bar.
- Click New Query.
- Enter the following configurations in the popup window:
- Name - Provide a short, descriptive name, such as "Advisor Snapshot" or "Student Success Dashboard." (The query no longer needs to be named strictly as "Dashboard.")
- Sharing - Select "Share query with other users with the query and query base permissions."
- Folder - Select "System." (If the System folder does not yet exist, select "Other," and then enter "System.")
- Base - Select the population desired. This can be Enrolled, Applications, or a dataset. This is very beneficial in a shared database.
- System Key - If the "System" folder already exists in the database, the "System Key" setting appears automatically. Select "Dashboard" for this setting. If the "System" folder was just created, save the query, go back to the Edit screen, and then select "Dashboard" for this setting.
- Select exports for the data to be displayed. Double-click on each export, and give it a computer-friendly name (no spaces, lower case).
Editing the Dashboard
- Follow the breadcrumbs within the query just created, and click Edit Dashboard.
- Apply CSS to the Source.
If desired, copy and paste the following code:
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title></title>
<style type="text/css">.dash_table {display: flex; flex-flow: row wrap; justify-content: flex-start; align-content: flex-start; }
</style>
<style type="text/css">.dash_table > div { margin: 8px; padding: 15px; box-sizing: border-box; width: 175px; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="dash_table">
<div style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 10px; border-radius: 5px;">
<b>Major</b>
<div style="font-size: 1.25em; margin: 5px 0;">
{{major}}
</div>
</div>
Tip
Person Record Dashboards can also include iframes. Any embedded portal from an external system can appear dynamically on the record (i.e. Other Dashboards, Videos, Data Tables, etc.).