InetSoft Product How-To: Creating Portlet Dashboards

InetSoft's sophisticated dashboard software allows users to create portlet dashboards that have the look and feel of a modern simple-to-use webpage. View the information below to learn more about the Style Intelligence solution.

A Portlet Dashboard may contain a combination of report and Viewsheet elements in a particular row or column layout. To create a Portlet Dashboard, follow these steps:

1. Open the 'Dashboard Configuration' page (under the Server tab, in 'Presentation' > 'Dashboard').

2. Click the 'New Dashboard' button under the 'Dashboards' table. This opens the 'Dashboard Properties' dialog box.

3. In the 'Dashboard Name' field, enter a name for the new dashboard. This name will be displayed on this dashboard's tab in the User Portal.

4. Select 'Portlet Dashboard' as the 'Dashboard Type'.

5. From the 'Layout' menu, select the desired arrangement of row/col­umn portlet containers. A column container permits its constituent port­lets to be positioned vertically, while a row container permits its constituent portlets to be positioned horizontally. The row/column layout cannot be changed after it is selected.

6. (Optional) Enter a description for the dashboard in the 'Description' field. This description is visible when the dashboard is being edited by administrator or user.

7. Click 'Apply'. This closes the 'Dashboard Properties' dialog box, and automatically opens the 'Edit Dashboard' page.

The tree on the left side of the 'Edit Dashboard' page lists all the Viewsheets and reports that are accessible as portlets. The panel on the right side shows the “portlet containers” positioned in the row/column layout you previously selected.

8. From the tree on the left, drag a portlet element (report or Viewsheet) over the desired portlet container on the right side. When the portlet container is outlined and highlighted, drop the portlet into the con­tainer.

Note: Portlet elements are displayed at the actual size they will appear in the final dashboard. This helps you constrain your design to fit the user's screen. Viewsheet portlets are displayed as pie charts, while report portlets are displayed using report metadata.

9. Drag additional portlets to the remaining portlet containers, as desired. Row containers can accept multiple portlets side-by-side, while column containers can accept multiple portlets one above the other.

10. Enable 'Reload on select' if you want reports on the dashboard to be refreshed when the user clicks the dashboard tab.

11. Click 'Save' to save the dashboard design.

This closes the 'Edit Dashboard' page and returns you to the 'Dashboard Configuration' page. The new dashboard is now listed in the 'Dashboards' table, and will be visible to users who have appropriate permissions.