Working with Story Reports

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create Story reports

Story Overview

Story Overview page shown.

Story is a presentation-style report that uses visualizations (chart, image, text, table, shape) to describe data. Story reports consist of pages. Pages are made up of:

  • Visualizations of Data
  • Filters and Input Controls to manipulate the data

Stories use data sources (queries) that retrieve your desired reporting and use widgets to represent the data. To build or update queries, you work in the query designer. To manage the representation of the data the queries retrieve, you work on the story canvas.

Query Designer Overview

The Query Designer page is shown.

The Query Designer enables you select the fields you want to use to create reports using Story. The queries you build using the Query Designer are stored within the Stories and cannot be accessed outside the Story. They are saved as data source(s) for your Story.

Modes

Story Designer Overview

When you design your story report, you can add and edit pages, sections, and widgets with the Story Designer.

Toggle to switch between Edit Mode and View Mode highlighted. Styling icon highlighted. Table Structure choices highlighted.

As a report designer, you can toggle between turning on and off Edit Mode while working on the report. In edit mode, you can enable the right-side panel. The panel has two main functions, the builder and styling. The Builder allows you to configure and select what data appears in the widget while the Styling affects the way data displays. The options that appear in the builder/styling data depend on the visualization you are working with. For example, if you are working in a chart visualization gives you different options from working in a table.

To switch between Edit and View mode, click the appropriate button:

To view the right-side panel:

  • In Optimized Design Experience (ODE), select the Right-Side Button:
  • In Classic mode, select the Designer button:

Once the panel is displayed, you can switch between the builder and styling by clicking the appropriate button on the top on the right-side panel

Action Menu

More Actions menu shown.

When you select a widget on a canvas, you will get an additional menu separate from the toolbar. This Action Menu has commands specific to the widget you have selected. The structure of the menu and commands available vary by widget type and by design mode.

Create a Story Report

The high-level steps to create a story report are listed below.

  1. Navigate to Report Center.
  2. Choose New and select Story.Report Type options shown.
  3. Select a Design Mode Type (Optimized or Classic).Select design mode type options shown.
  4. Build a query in Query Designer.
    1. Browse the module data sets in the Available Data section, and expand the data set for your report.
    2. To select a table for your query, double-click it or drag-and-drop it on the query canvas.
    3. On the query canvas, select the table on which you want to build your query.
    4. Add columns and filters to build your query, using the options on the action menu.
    5. When you have completed your query, choose Finish.
    6. Enter a data source name.
    7. Choose OK to save the query.
  5. Add and configure widgets in your story in Story Canvas.
    1. Add charts and tables to represent your data.
    2. Add filters and input controls to help analyze the data.
    3. Add text, images, and shapes to support the display and understanding of the report.
  6. Save the Report using the File Menu.
  7. Return to Report Center.
Classic Stories are being phased out. It is recommended that you create your Story in Optimized Design Experience.

Creation of a Simple Story Report Example

Watch the video to learn how to create a simple story report.

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