Ad Hoc Views

An ad hoc view is a view of data based on a domain or topic. Ad hoc views allow you to visualize your data for analysis and report creation. An ad hoc view is the base structure of a report.

• Domains are basic sets of data that can be configured and filtered before being added to a view using the Ad Hoc Editor, for example, the Demographics and Enrollment domain, which is a public domain. Data can be added from public domains; however, public domains cannot be modified.
• Topics are sets of data configured by a user that can be added to an ad hoc view or report using the Ad Hoc Editor, for example, a student birthday list.

Create an Ad Hoc View

Follow these steps to create an ad hoc view.

1. On the home screen, go to the Ad Hoc Views section and click Create. You can also click Create > Ad Hoc View from the toolbar. The Select Data window opens.
2. Scroll to find the domain you want to select. Use the search box to narrow down your choices. Click  to view domains as a tree; click  to view as a list. These icons change from grey  to blue when selected.
3. Highlight the selected domain. This examples uses the Demographics and Enrollment Domain found in the Public > Ad Hoc Components > DataSets > SIS > Demographic and Enrolment folder.
4. Click Choose Data. The Choose Data screen opens on the Fieldstab.
   Data Chooser: Source - Screenshot
5. Click Arrow to open a folder.
6. Add fields from the Source column to the Selected Fields column. To select fields, double-click and drag or use the direction buttons.
7. Click OK.
   Choose Data Fields Tab - Screenshot
8. Go to the Pre-filters tab. A pre-filter restricts the data retrieved from the data source. Pre-filtering irrelevant data reduces the size of query results and processing time.
9. Double click a field to use it as a pre-filter. The field opens in the Filters column.
10. Enter the criteria to use as a filter. Standard pre-filters for almost any report are School_ID, School_Year, and Status_Flg, for example, School_Year equals 2020.
11. Place a check in the Locked box if you want to lock this filter. By default, the Locked check box is unchecked, making the filter available to users running the report. If Locked is checked, it can be deleted, but not changed.
12. Click OK to save a filter. Click OKat the bottom of the screen to complete Pre-filters.
    Pre-filters Tab - Screenshot
13. Use the Displayscreen to change the display name for fields, re-order fields, and pick the display type. You can:
    • Change the order of fields using the up and down buttons on the side of the screen.
    • Click a field name in the Display Label column. It becomes an editable field and can be changed to a more descriptive label.
    • The screen automatically displays fields as a Nested List. Click Flat List to change the display.
14. Use the Format Visualization panel to add a Title and set Appearance options. This panel allows you to:
    • Show title
    • Data Detail
    • Show duplicate rows
15. Display - Screenshot

    

15. Click SAVE icon to save the ad hoc view. The Save As window opens.
16. Enter the Data View Name (required) and Data View Description, and select a location.

    
    

17. Click OK.
    Save - Screenshot

    Ad Hoc Editor

    Use the Ad Hoc Editor to create and edit views and use them to create reports. After you open the ad hoc view, select the type of report you want to create: Table, Crosstab, or one of many other visualization types, such as Column, Bar, Pie, and more.

    You intuitively interact with the editor to create these views by simply dragging and dropping elements. You can add and summarize fields, define groups, label and title the report, and format data for each field. You can also use the editor to explore and analyze data.

    There are several ways to create a report:

    • directly from the Ad Hoc View Data Chooser screen when an Ad Hoc View is created
    • from a saved Ad Hoc View
    • from the Home screen by clicking Create on the Reports section

    After the Ad Hoc View opens, select the type of view from the drop-down in the toolbar. Changes made in one type of view apply to the data displayed on another.

    Table

    Table views display with data fields as column headings. The following are common Table functions:

    Resize a column	Click the right border of the column header and drag it horizontally.
    Add a blank column	Drag a Spacer from the list of available measures and drop it in the Columns area.
    Sort a column	Right click a column heading and select Use for Sorting.
    Filter a column	Right click a column heading and select Create a Filter.

    Chart

    There are multiple categories and types of charts available. In addition, you can add custom formatting to a chart. A chart's appearance is determined by the type of chart, the fields selected as measures, and the fields that group the data.

    Crosstab

    A crosstab report shows the relationship between three or more query items. This type of report shows data in rows and columns with information summarized at the intersection points.  

    Use these features to design your report. These options can be used as many times as needed.

    Toolbar

    The toolbar at the top of the screen has a number of functions.

    

    

    Just below the toolbar, Columns, and Groups section is a gearbox . Hover over it to access a drop-down for options to display Detailed Data, Totals Data, or Details and Totals or to Hide Duplicate Rows.

    Tip: As you create the report, initially use only Sample Data, as this allows you to preview your canvas more quickly. Sample Data is limited to the first 15 rows of data from the full data set.

    Add Domain Fields

    Open the Domain Fields on the left side of the screen to choose data for the canvas. Drag and drop or double click to add a data field.

    Important: Change source lets you select a different Topic or Domain for your view. All data and formatting are lost when you select a different Topic or Domain.

    Column Header Menu

    Right click on a column header and a menu of options displays.

    • Use for Sorting opens the Sort window. Move Available Fields to the Sort On column.
    • Add Summary adds a Summary Row at the bottom of the screen.
    • Change Function becomes available when Add Summary is selected. Options are Count All or Distinct Count (count without duplicates). If the Summary is a numeric field, the options Sum, Average, Maximum, and Minimum are also available.
    • Edit Label opens the Edit Label window. Add a column label as you want it to appear in this report.
    • Delete Label removes the label entirely.
    • Remove from Table removes the field from the table.
    • Create Filter adds the field to the Filters window on the right.
    • Move Right / Move Left moves the column to the right or left.

    Add Filters

    Click Create Filter from a column header. The data field is added to the Filters panel on the right side of the screen.

    The Filters panel displays any filters defined for the view. You can set the filter values and see the resulting change in the canvas. To hide the filters panel, click the icon in the top left corner of the panel. Click the same icon on the minimized panel to expand it again.

    Filter controls let you change the display of filters, either collectively or individually. The menu on the filter panel lets you collapse or remove all filters.

    Tip: To show only Enrolled students, add a filter for STATUS_FLG equals E.

    Save an Ad Hoc View and Create a Report

    After changes are made to your Ad Hoc View, click SAVE icon. There are three options in the drop-down.

    • Save Ad Hoc View saves this view under its current name. Previous versions are overwritten.
    • Save Ad Hoc View As ... opens a window to give the Data View a new name and description and save it in any folder to which you have access.
    • Save Ad Hoc View and Create Report opens a window to save this view and create a report.