Workbooks Data Elements

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT: 

Intro to Element Types

Developed workbooks typically house a collection of elements on a single page and/or distributed across multiple pages. 

There are three element types: data elements, UI elements, and control elements. Each has a unique function, and they collectively allow you to display, interact with, and provide additional context to your data.

Workbook editors define elements and can individually configure them for viewer interaction. 

Data Elements

Data elements include grouping tables, pivot tables and visualizations built directly from a data source. A workbook can contain a variety data elements derived from multiple data sources.

UI Elements

UI elements include buttons, dividers, images, spacers, embeds, and text used to add context and/or workbook styling.

Control Elements

Control elements include data filters and parameters used to manipulate data elements in the workbook.

Workbooks support three element types: control elements (e.g. filters),  UI elements (e.g. buttons and images), and data elements. Data elements are elements built directly from a data source. They include grouping tables, pivot tables and visualizations.

While each element type has its own style of data display, the underlying data itself is always column-based. 

Element Creation and Data Sources

Each workbook can contain multiple elements sourced from a variety of data sources. You can pull in new data sources at any time and are not restricted to a single source per workbook or workbook page. An element's data can be sourced from cloud data warehouse (CDW) tables, datasets, uploaded CSVs, written SQL, or other workbook data elements. 

Please note: Uploading CSVs and writing custom SQL are features only available to organization Admins and Creators.

Upstream Changes have an Impact.

If a data source is modified, any dependent elements may be impacted. For example, if Element B uses Element A as a data source, removing a column from Element A will immediately make that column inaccessible for Element B.

Editing Basics

The Editor Panel

When an element is selected, its configuration is automatically displayed in the workbook's editor panel. A data element's view in this panel displays all of the element's available columns.

By default, all columns are listed under the COLUMNS section. To configure your element, move columns to other sections listed in the panel, using either the section's + menu or dragging and dropping the column.

You can also view your source at any time by clicking the source popup button at the bottom of the editor panel while you element is selected. Use the source popup's vertical ••• menu to view, replace or edit your source.

Standard vs Focus View

All data elements have two interactive view modes: the standard view and the focus view. When an element enters focus view, it expands to take up the entire page canvas. 

Focused visualizations and pivot tables show both the element and a spreadsheet-like version of the element's data, called the focus view table. The visualization and its focus view table are linked – make a change to one and the other will react accordingly.

Focused tables, on the other hand, are simply a full page version of the table, as an additional focus view table would be redundant.

To open an element's focus view, click the maximize button in the element’s in-line toolbar (accessible on hover and when the element is selected). 

To collapse it back to its standard view, click the minimize button in the page toolbar.