Automatic list analysis with charts and filter function

The automatic list analysis brings Business Intelligence (BI) elements into each of your list-based apps. The creation of an app from an Excel list is very easy and usually done within a few minutes.

The list analysis - with its automatically generated diagrams - is a kind of "live pivot table". The diagrams show the composition of the data contained in the list area (counting the number of values in the columns) and are also able to sum values from these columns with values from columns with numeric values.

The columns of your Excel file that you use for app creation are parsed to recurring values. Based on this analysis, a list analysis with diagrams is generated completely automatically. If the automatic creation of the list analysis is not carried out because, for example, too few recurring values are detected, you can also activate and define the list analysis manually. To do so, open the editor for the list element of your app and switch to the "List Analysis" tab in the "Main" editor. Here you can manually select the desired columns in the left pane under "Drilldown Columns" by clicking on the eye icon. In these columns, the values will be counted and displayed in a chart.

Thanks to the list analysis, you can see at a glance how many sales staff you have in Germany, or how many of your devices run under iOS. These are just two small examples. The usage possibilities for lists in Excel are almost endless. With Open as App, you are now making this data available everywhere.

Contents of this article:

• Activating the list analysis functionality
• Enabling or disabling columns for the list analysis
• Opening the list analysis view in the app
• How list analysis works
• Starting the app in the list analysis view
• Changing the order of the charts in the list analysis
• Changing the colors of the list analysis charts

Activating the list analysis functionality

The Dynamic Dashboard is automatically added to your list app if recurring data is recognized in the columns.

In Excel lists, which consist of countless different values in the columns, you cannot create a helpful dashboard, since each value is represented only once.

To learn how to create an app from your Excel list and then use the dashboard, please see this tutorial: "Create an app from an Excel inventory list".

In this article, app creation is explained using a device inventory list, which is available in almost every company in different variations.

Enabling or disabling columns for the list analysis

If the list analysis is not activated automatically during the initial app creation process, or if the list analysis is to be adapted to your own requirements, you can make any changes to the configuration at any time.

To enable or disable columns for list analysis in the app, proceed as follows:

1. Open your app on the portal.
2. Open the editor for the list. (Preview » pencil icon on the list item)
3. In the "Main" tab, change to the tab "List analysis".
4. Activate the desired columns in the left pane under "Drilldown Columns" by clicking on the eye icon.
   This column is now used to create a chart that counts the number of values.
5. In the right pane under "Sum Columns", you enable the columns with the numeric values that are used to sum all active columns from "Drilldown Columns".
   This creates additional combinations of "sum diagrams".
6. Confirm the changes by clicking on the check mark at the bottom of the editor.
7. Save the changes and update your app.

Columns activated in the "Drilldown Columns" section will be available for filtering in the filter row in the list view.

Opening the list analysis view in the app

You can open the list analysis charts in the function menu of your list app:

1. Open the function menu with a click / tap on the round button in the upper right corner.
2. Click on "List Analysis".

Alternatively, you can find a small icon in the search bar within your app that allows you to directly access your list analysis charts.

How list analysis works

With the list analysis, you can not only add neat charts to the app, which give you a quick overview of the data, but add additional features to your list as well.

Drilldown columns

The generated BI-dashboard can filter your list so that only entries that match the desired value are displayed.

1. Open the function menu in your list app.
2. Click on "List Analysis".
3. Click on the value in one of the charts (column, bar or slice of the chart), after which you want to filter your list.

Please note that filtering is only performed for columns that are active in the list view (main view). If your list is not filtered when you click on one of the diagrams, check in the "Main" tab of the list editor if the column is activated. To enable and disable columns for list view, see the section "Defining Views in the "Add List" article.

Sum columns

In addition to the "drilldown columns", there are also the "sum columns". Columns that are active for "sum columns" are summed with each column of the active "drilldown columns", so there are several additional diagrams.

Example:

• Column C of your employee list shows the "Job Title".
• Column D shows the "Country".
• Column E shows sales for the current year.
• Column F shows sales for the previous year.

If you enable the list analysis for all columns, the following six diagrams will be visible in your app:

Drilldown charts

• A chart in which the employees are summed up by job title.
• A chart in which employees are summed by country.

Sum column charts

• Sales of the current year by job title
• Sales of the current year by country
• Sales of the previous year by job title
• Sales of the previous year by country

In addition, the sum of the amounts from column E and the sum of the amounts from column F are displayed in a box at the top of the list analysis. These boxes can be clicked to jump directly to the respective diagram.

Starting the app in the list analysis view

It is possible to make the list analysis view the "front page" of the app. This means that the dashboard is not hidden in the function menu, but displayed on the entire screen, when you start your app.

To start your app directly on the dashboard, proceed as follows:

1. Open your app on the portal.
2. Open the editor for the list. (Preview » pencil icon on the list item)
3. In the "Main" tab, change to the tab "List analysis".
4. Check the "Start on dashboard" switch.
5. Confirm the changes by clicking on the check mark at the bottom of the editor.
6. Save the changes and update your app.

The functionality remains the same and you can use the charts to filter your list. In the search bar within your app, you will find a small icon to switch between the list view and the list analysis dashboard.

Changing the order of the charts in the list analysis

You can change the order of the charts in your list analysis by moving the corresponding columns.

1. Open your app on the portal.
2. Open the editor for the list. (Preview » pencil icon on the list item)
3. In the "Main" tab, change to the tab "List analysis".
4. Change the position of the column by drag & drop.
   Grab the box under "Drilldown Column" on the right edge and move it to the desired position.
5. Confirm the changes by clicking on the check mark at the bottom of the editor.
6. Save the changes and update your app.

Changing the colors of the list analysis charts

You can select a predefined color palette for the list analysis diagrams or define a custom palette.

1. Open your app on the portal.
2. Open the editor for the list. (Preview » pencil icon on the list item)
3. Go to the "Style" tab.
4. In "Dashboard Color Palette", click the "Choose colorpalette" icon (to the right of the "plus" icon).
5. Select the desired color palette.
6. Confirm the changes by clicking on the check mark at the bottom of the editor.
7. Save the changes and update your app.

You can edit individual colors of the palette by opening the color picker using the small arrow next to a color and defining the new color. For detailed information about how to change colors, see the "Change Colors" article.