After you create a visualization item, you bind it to the data warehouse using the Data Items pane.
Each dashboard item type has a specific set of data sections, such as Values, Arguments and Series for a chart; Columns and Sparklines for a grid; and Values, Columns and Rows for a pivot table. Each data section corresponds to a particular dashboard item area or element.
Once you map all the required data items to the corresponding data source fields, the dashboard visualization item will render the data.
Another key concept in data binding is the data item container, which represents a set of data items. It can contain a single data item or multiple data items, and it allows you to specify various options related to how a specific dashboard item visualizes data.
Data item can process data in two ways: as dimensions or as measures.
A dimension is a data item whose values are not intended to be summarized. These values can be of any type: string, date-time or numeric. Whichever is the case, the dashboard does not summarize the dimension values; rather, it groups identical values. You can perform grouping, sorting, or display the top values for dimension values. You can also customize data format settings for numeric and date-time values. To access the data shaping settings, use the data item's menu button (the drop-down button on the right side of the button that appears when you hover over the button with the pointer).
Dimensions typically provide data for a chart’s X-axis, for a pivot table column label, and for row headers in a grid.
A measure is a data item whose values are summarized before they are used in the dashboard. These values can be of any type: numeric, date-time or string. Whichever is the case, the dashboard will calculate an appropriate summary function against the values. You can also customize the data format settings that affect how summary values are displayed. To access these settings, use the data item's menu button (the drop-down button on the right side of the button that appears when you hover over the button with the pointer).
Measures typically provide data for a chart's Y-axis and to a pivot table’s cell values.
The Options Button
Some data sections display Options buttons for each data item container. Use these buttons to invoke a dialog that allows you to specify the additional settings of this data item container. These settings affect how a particular dashboard item's area/element displays the provided data. For example, the Options buttons for the data items in a chart’s Values section allow you to set the chart type. The Options buttons for a Grid’s Values section allow you to specify whether the field should be treated as a dimension or a measure.
Create and Modify the Data Binding
To bind a dashboard item to data, drag the required data field from the query field list and drop it onto the appropriate section in the Data Items pane.
You can remove the data item by dragging it outside the Data Items pane.
To rename the data item, click its menu button and select Rename.
You can move a data field to a different data item by dragging it and dropping it to the new data item.
You can re-arrange data items containers within data section by dragging it and dropping it to the new location. This will usually re-sequence the visualization of the data.
To remove all data items for a selected dashboard item, right-click on the dashboard item and select the Remove Data Items or use the Home ribbon button with the same label.
Hidden Data Items
Use the Hidden Data Items area to facilitate various data shaping and analysis operations based on measures or dimensions that do not directly take part in the visual representation of data.
To create hidden data items, drag the required data field from the query field list and drop it onto the appropriate section in the Hidden Data Items area.
You can use hidden dimensions when filtering the dashboard item. This is the only function for hidden dimensions.
You can use hidden measures to sort the values of a data item, to restrict the values of a data item to the “top N” values (such as the top 10 events by count of attendees), or to apply conditional formatting to the visible values in the dashboard item.