How do I select which data from a report to use for a chart?

Ggomez02

Currently, my chart widget is defaulting to the entire data set of the report.

I just need to shart selected data from it.

Lidiya S.

Hello @Ggomez02 ,

Do you want to display certain columns in the chart? If so, you can change which columns are displayed in the chart settings (just click the down arrow in the "Columns Included" setting when you create the chart):

If you are looking to filter the data itself, that has to be done in the report. The chart will display all the information in the selected columns in the report.

Let me know how it goes and @ me with any other comments/questions!

Lidiya Shutaya

lidiya@ddbconsultants.ca

Ggomez02

Lidiya,

Thanks for the feedback. I saw a video on the Chart widget that seemed to suggest that you can pick which columns and rows you want to use for the chart (sort of like in Excell). But I think, I may not have access to that option. I ended up filtering the data as you suggested and that worked. Thank you.

Lidiya S.

@Ggomez02

You may be able to select the rows if you are creating a chart directly from a sheet, but using a report with filters is the best method I can recommend for a few reasons (elasticity, dynamic response, sorting/summarizing):

1. Reports are dynamic so if your sheet rows ever change (ie you decide to add a row in the sheet that you don't want in the chart), the report won't look at that row if you don't want it to because of the filter options.

2. You are able to easily change filters on the spot and your chart will automatically react rather than having to remake the chart.

3. You can sort and summarize information in the report to help your graph tell the right story. For example, if you are looking at multiple departments and their corresponding sales $s, the goal would be to see the department with the largest $ first and then descending from there. Even if the information is entered in a random order in the sheet, you can set the report to show the departments in a descending order.

Glad this helped! Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Lidiya Shutaya

lidiya@ddbconsultants.ca