Why did the internet “back” arrow not take me back to the previous screen exactly as it was?

To return in PolyData Dashboards you always want to use the “Return” action link associated with the request and NOT the browser back arrow at the top of the screen.

This applies any time the ‘return’ action link is available including when you are returning from a drill to detail or returning to the start of a hierarchy drill. If you have changed a column selector selection and want to go back, you will need to re-select the column selection or click ‘Clear My Selections’.

The reverse arrow at the top of the browser screen is NOT reliable for navigation within the dashboards.

Why don’t I see the ‘back’ and/or ‘return’ action link under a specific request?

The “back” and “return” action links are only activated when a drill is done.  “Back” will take you 1 step back in a hierarchy drill (H-drill).  “Return” will take you to the start of the current hierarchy drill (H-drill).  “Return” is also used to return from a drill to detail. 

Clicking the download action link results in a quick flash of another window on the screen, then a return to the original page with no change or download.

If you are using IE (Internet Explorer) check your internet options. 

1. Internet Options, Security, Custom Level.
2. Set: Downloads, Automatic prompting for file downloads to “Enable”

If this does not correct the problem, call the Service Desk at extension 6-7000. 

When I download a table, are all results downloaded or only the rows displayed on the screen?

The entire table is downloaded.

If there is a table view and additional information (chart, text, etc.) in the same request, will just the table be downloaded to Excel? 

When you download to Excel (or Excel 2000) all of the information shown on the screen for that request when you download will be included in the Excel spreadsheet: tables, text, charts (download as pictures not data), etc.

Why does my ‘Download to Excel’ not work on a Mac using FireFox?

Use ‘Download to Excel 2000’ and NOT ‘Download to Excel’ when using a Mac and FireFox.  Not enough research has been done to determine why only the Excel 2000 option works in this situation.

What happens to the data when I download to Excel?

Be aware of the following when you download to Excel or Excel 2000:

• Indicators (flags, circles, gauges, etc.) will download as objects or pictures.  These will not sort when the spreadsheet is sorted.  It is recommended that you pick a view that does not include indicators when downloading. 
• Formulas are not downloaded.  The value in a cell is downloaded as that value, not as a formula. 
• Monetary columns download as numbers.  Values with commas are formatted as numbers and retain formatting that was displayed on the Dashboard, i.e., if two decimal places are shown then those appear in Excel.
• Monetary columns without a comma are formatted as general, which is a number but with no specific number format.  The value does not change but decimal places are suppressed if zeros appear to the right of the decimal place.
• Columns that are numeric and contain values with leading zeros lose the leading zeros when downloaded to Excel.
• Some numeric values may download as text. For more information see Numbers Stored as Text in Excel.

Numbers Stored as Text in Excel

Numbers may download to Excel as text if any single preceding text cell begins with a plus or minus sign. Numbers stored as text will not be included in calculations and will cause totals to be incorrect. The information is correct on the dashboard. This is only an issue in Excel. This issue has been reported to and acknowledged by Oracle. No corrective system patch is available at this time.

Example and workaround solutions are described below.

In the example a text column appears to the left of the dollar amount. The highlighted row shows an example of a minus sign in the text column that precedes the monetary amount. Notice the green error indicator in the upper left corner of the cell which indicates the cell contains a number stored as text. Every numeric cell that follows the cell containing the minus sign is now stored as text instead of a number.

Use the following steps to change numbers stored as text to numbers. The instructions are the same for Excel 2003 and 2007. If you do not see the green error indicator in the upper left corner go to the Instructions To Turn On Error Checking .

Convert Numbers Stored As Text to Numbers

One Cell at a Time

1. Select any cell with a green error indicator in the upper left corner.
2. Next to the cell, click the button that appears , and then click Convert to Number.

A Whole Range at Once

1. In an empty cell, enter the number 1.
2. Select the cell, right-click and select Copy.
3. Select the range of cells you want to convert, right-click and select Paste Special.
4. Under Operation, click Multiply.
5. Click OK.
6. Delete the content of the cell entered in the first step.

To turn on Error Checking

• Excel 2003
• Excel 2007

Excel 2003

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Error Checking tab.

1. Make sure the following are checked:
   • Enable background error checking
   • Number stored as text boxes

Excel 2007

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, then click Excel Options.
2. Click the Formulas category.
3. Under Error Checking, make sure that the Enable background error checking check box is selected.
4. Under Error checking rules, make sure that the Numbers formatted as text or preceded by an apostrophe check box is selected.
5. Click OK.

These excerpts are from the Microsoft Excel Online Help. Instructions for Excel on the Mac may be slightly different. More information about this topic is available by searching on Convert Numbers Stored As Text to Numbers.

What is the difference between download to Excel and download to Data?

Download to Excel puts the values displayed on the screen report results in an Excel spreadsheet.  You can then manipulate and format the data using Excel.  Download to Data creates a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, which includes all of the data fields included in the query (not just the view displayed on the screen).  Formatting from the screen will not be carried over to the file.

After I sorted a table in the Dashboard and then downloaded the table, the download file/spreadsheet was not in the same sequence the table was displayed in.

If the downloaded file/spreadsheet is not in the sequence you want, then sort the downloaded data.  This is a known situation that only occurs some of the time.  When more information is available or this issue is corrected, this FAQ will be updated.

When I downloaded to Excel and then tried to create an Excel Pivot table, an error message was displayed that the pivot table could not be opened.

When you want to create Pivot tables from a Dashboard download to Excel, you must first save the file as a Microsoft Excel Worksheet or Workbook.  After clicking the download action link you can either save at that point, or you can click “Open” and then “Save as” with the “Save as Type” set to Microsoft Excel.

When I do a download to “Data” how do I know what fields will be included in the downloaded file? 

The download to “Data” will include all fields that were part of the underlying query, so you can not tell just by looking at the Dashboard report results.  All of the detail fields displayed in the current view will be included.  Rows containing calculated totals are not included.  If having this information readily available is a requirement for a particular Dashboard page, submit a request to the functional owner for a view (table or text) showing all fields used in the underlying query.

Note: The selections you have made for column selector columns will be included, but not all possible column selection choices may be included in the download to “Data”.     

What differences will I see when I use the download action link on a Mac with Firefox vs. a Dell PC with IE Explorer.

See the Action Link Browser Comparison (PDF) to view common Action Link actions and results on both Dell with IE Explorer and Mac with Firefox.  Research is on-going as to behavioral differences between browsers.

My downloaded Excel spreadsheet, PDF, CSV file, or web page functionality is not working correctly.

These FAQs address Dashboard functionality, which includes download options.  Questions about using the target applications (Excel, PDF, CSV, etc.) are not addressed here.

When I clicked “Download” after not having been active in the Dashboard for a short period, nothing happened. 

To protect Cal poly information, if your Dashboard session has been inactive for a set number of minutes the session will time out. You are asked to log in again if you switch to a new page or dashboard, click "GO", etc. However if you are on a Mac using Firefox and click on an Action Link, there is currently no message. Click "GO" and log in again if requested, then click the download action link to continue with your download request.

When I print a table, are all results printed or only the rows displayed on the screen?

Only the rows shown on the screen are printed.

Will report headers and footers show on the printed report results?

If the report includes a header or footer, it will appear on the PDF or HTML version of the report.  Headers and footers do not appear on the Dashboard or the Excel or Data downloaded versions of the results.

How is a bookmark created?

From the Page Options button, select Create Bookmark Link.
-OR-
From a Bookmark action link that appears at the bottom of a request. A Bookmark action link appears at the bottom of a request when requests are accessed via drill from summary view.

How is ‘save current selection’ different from ‘create bookmark link’?

The ‘bookmark link’ will return you to the page with default selections.  It does not save the selections such as column selections and H-drills at the time the bookmark is created.  ‘Save current selection’ saves all formatting (H-drills, column selectors, page prompts, views, etc.) displayed when the save is done.  Remember to click ‘Go’ before saving selections to ensure the desired settings are saved.

How permanent is a bookmark link?

Not currently known.  May be temporary (30 days).  To be researched further.

When I send a bookmark link to someone, do they just see my request?

No.  Best Practice is for them to log in though the My Cal Poly Portal and then click the link you sent.  If they are not already logged in, they will be asked to log in through the Portal.  They will then be in the PolyData Dashboard itself when they view the information your link displays.

Why did the link I added to Favorites not work?

In order to save or share a PolyData Dashboard link, you need to first click the ‘Create bookmark’ option and then you can save or share the URL.  The option is available as an action link if you have drilled to detail or as a drop-down selection under ‘Page Options’ if you are on the main Dashboard page.  It is not yet known how permanent these bookmark links are.

When I use my Bookmark link am I seeing current information?

Yes.  The report results will reflect current data warehouse information, NOT information at the time the bookmark link was created.

Why did my column header not stay yellow?

When report results are shown in a table view, the heading for a column with a column selection option is yellow.  When you select different choices, the heading may not remain yellow for all choices.  The functionality of the column does not change.

Why do certain column selectors cause a report error?

Interaction of certain column selectors is known to return a View Display Error. See Known Issues and report any new issues.

Why do I see values in some of my page prompts?

Default values for prompts were determined by the functional area as the Dashboard request was developed.  They do NOT limit what you can select.  They help to make the initial Dashboard rendering reasonable and may save you time.  You can still select whatever choice you want for the prompt.   For example, with the initial Finance Dashboard rollout, unless you are a Budget Specialist or Department Manager, the department defaults to 100100 and then you can select any department(s) you want to by using the multi-select option.

How do I change the defaults that I see in my prompts?

The defaults do not prevent you from selecting any option for that prompt through the drop-down or multi-select features.  To change the default value itself a request must be sent to the functional owner for that Dashboard.  Refer to the section: Changing the Dashboard. 

How can I enter my own list into a page prompt?

If the prompt allows for more than 1 value to be entered (multi-select prompt), click the box to the right of the prompt with the three dots (…).  Click the ‘Edit’ button at the lower left corner of the multi-select box.  Enter or paste your list into the ‘Edit’ box. Make sure to follow the same formatting being used in the ‘Match’ results or default values (with each value on a separate line).

When I have selected a value (s) for a prompt and move to the next one, sometimes my choices are limited to just valid options and sometimes I see all possible values. 

When the PolyData Dashboard is created, an option is set as to whether or not the choices presented for a prompt are constrained by the other prompt values already selected.  Setting this option is determined on a case by case basis by the functional areas working with the ITS developers.  When it is set to ‘constrain’ then only valid choices are presented based on prompts already entered; otherwise all choices are presented.

Why does the information showing in the Prompt fields NOT match the request report results?

Remember to click “GO” after setting or changing Prompt values so the new values are reflected in the Dashboard request results.

What happens if I leave a Prompt box blank?

Answer: If a prompt box is left blank it means all values will be included in the associated dashboard request results.  

Why do I get more choices when I use the multi-select ’Match’ option?

When you use the ‘Match’ option for a multi-select prompt, all matching results will be displayed as possible choices.  The ‘Match’ option does not consider the prompts already entered.

When I used the “Match” function in the Multi-Select box, it returned the message “No Choices Available”, but I know there are choices that match the criteria I used.  Why is the Multi-Select not finding a match?

1. First check all of the prompt values to ensure there is not another value that is causing there to not be any choices for the one you are looking at. 

For example, if  in April 2009 I was looking for Primary Instructors and my term prompt contained “Fall Quarter 2009”, I would not find any matches.  I would need to change the term prompt.

2. There is also a quirk in the system where you need to allow the system time to determine the possible choices BEFORE you use the “Match” function.  You know that the possible choices function has completed when there is a number next to the “Choices Returned” at the bottom right side of the Multi-Select box.  If the Multi-Select has not found any possible choices this number will be 0 (zero). 

If you used the match function before the possible choices function has completed it will return the message “No Choices Available”.   This response will be cached so for the duration of your session, you will see the same message if you enter the same information in the match box.  You need to change your match criteria (check 2 letters instead of 1, etc.) or log out and start over.

Currently determining the possible choices takes longer in the Enrollment Management dashboard than the Finance dashboard, because it is looking at all of the prompt information already entered and calculating the possible choices.   Many of the Finance prompts are set up to return all choices regardless of the other prompt information already entered. 

Is the “Match” function in the Multi-Select box case sensitive?

Answer: Initial documentation indicated the “Match” function in the Multi-Select box was case sensitive.  Subsequent testing in the Enrollment Management pages has not shown any difference in possible choices returned when upper or lower case letters were used. 

If you receive a “No Choices Available” response it may be caused by something other than case sensitivity.  Please refer to FAQ: Multi-Select - Match "No Choices Available"

In the Multi-Select pop-up I used the << button to move all of the possible choices from the box on the right to the “Selected” box on the left.   I clicked “OK” button and the “GO” button, but the resulting Dashboard report results did not reflect the selections I made.  Why?

This can occur the first time a multi-select is used after logging in to the Dashboard.  The cause is a “null” value included in the possible choices moved to the “Selected” box.  Two ways to avoid this are as follows:

1. After you use << to move all choices over and finish your selections, scroll to the bottom of the list, select (highlight) the blank line at the end of the list, and double-click or click the > button to de-select this null value
   Or...
2. After you use << button to select all choices, click the Edit button, scroll to the bottom of the list and remove the blank line at the end by pressing the backspace key.

After I used “<<” why did additional choices appear in the possible choices box?

When the possible choices exceeds 255, the “Choices Returned” line in the multi-select box will include a “More” button.  Only the default number of choices (usually 255) will be included in the display of possible choices.  The “<<” moves over all choices displayed and remaining choices up to the default display number (usually 255) will then appear in the possible choices box.

Click “More” to add possible choices to the display.   This will add possible choices to what is already displayed.  If there are more than 255 additional choices, it will add the next 255 and the “More” button will continue to be displayed until all choices are being displayed.

Click “<<” to move over the choices included in the Choices returned box at the point in time when you click “<<”.    

When I cut and paste my personal list into the Edit box in the Multi-select pop-up, I'm getting some but not all in the report results.

Check values you have entered in the other page or request prompts to ensure they are not limiting your results and click “GO”.  If you still feel you are not seeing everything you've requested, contact the functional owner for that Dashboard.

How do I know if a column is part of a hierarchy drill (H-drill)?

Functional training will cover what hierarchy has been established.  You can also move your cursor over the field; if it is a hyperlink the cursor shape will change and it will be underlined.  The font will also be blue rather than black.  If it is a hyperlink, you can click the field to drill.

How do I know when I can drill to detail?

Functional training will cover which requests have drills to detail.  You can also move your cursor over the number/dollar value and if it is a hyperlink the cursor shape will change and it will be underlined.  The text color will also be blue rather than black.  If it is a hyperlink, you can click the field to drill.

Why does my drop-down choice reset when I ‘return’ from a hierarchy drill (H-drill)?

With pivot table views there is an additional drop-down choice to select data for viewing.  This is part of pivot table functionality and is reset when you return from an H-drill.  It also is not saved when you ‘Save Selections’.

When I click to do a hierarchy drill (H-drill) nothing happened.   When I clicked again, both levels of the H-drill were shown.

Click “Refresh” before clicking twice on the hierarchy field.  This scenario has usually been seen when using Firefox and not with IE Explorer.

How do I see what filters were used for specific report results?

Select the view titled ‘Filters’ or ‘Filter View’.

What is OBIEE?

OBIEE stands for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition.  This is the software tool used to create PolyData Dashboards.

Why doesn't the information on the Dashboard reflect today’s CMS updates?

The information for the PolyData Dashboards is pulled from the PolyData Warehouse, which is refreshed each evening.

How do I know the data refresh has been completed when I start using the Dashboard in the morning?

Check the “Important Dates” box at the top right corner of each page in a dashboard to see the date and time when the data refresh was last completed.

What does it mean when I get a ‘max length’ error instead of report results?

If more than about 65,000 rows meet the criteria you have requested, you may get a ‘max length’ error.  Narrow your page and/or request selections and ‘Go’ again.  Report the issue to the functional owner for the dashboard if you need the ability to request information through the Dashboard that is expected to exceed 65,000 rows.

How do I set which Dashboard I want to see first when I log in to My Cal Poly Portal / PolyData Dashboards?

Click the ‘My Account’ at the top right of the screen.  Under ‘Preferences’ there is a drop-down choice for ‘Default Dashboard’.  Select the one you want to be your default each time you log in.

Why did I need to log-in to PolyData Dashboards again when I went back to something I’d been working on earlier in the day?

To protect Cal poly information, if your Dashboard session has been inactive for a more than 30 minutes then the session will time out.

When I changed my view selection nothing happened. 

Click “Refresh”.  This scenario has usually been seen when using Firefox and not with IE Explorer.

Where can I get additional information about a specific dashboard?

In the “Important Information” box at the top right of the screen there may be an “About this Page” link.  Click this link to get information specific to that page.

For general information about dashboards, click on the “Welcome” dashboard.   The polydata.calpoly.edu site also has additional helpful information including these FAQs. 

Where do I go to find the definition of fields in column selector drop-down choices?

A glossary has not yet been posted, but is under consideration.  When completed a link is expected to be in the “Important Information” box or the information will be part of “About this Page” information.

Do these Dashboards replace PeopleSoft?

No.  The PolyData dashboards are in addition to information available through the PeopleSoft CMS system.  The dashboards however, will eventually replace Brio. 

Why did my Log out of My Cal Poly Portal button not work correctly?

If you do not Log in to PolyData Dashboards through My Cal Poly Portal, but instead go directly into the Dashboard via a saved link, when you click ‘Logout of My Cal Poly Portal’ it will actually log you into the Portal instead of all the way out.

When I use the page option ‘Clear my Selections’ what happens to my saved selections?

Nothing.  ‘Clear my Selections’ clears the selections on the Dashboard and displays the page with original default values.  It does NOT impact any saved selections you may have.

How do I edit my Saved Selections?

• To change selection values, apply the Saved Selection you want to change, make the changes, and then save the Selection – either using the same name to replace the original or with a new name. 
• Dashboards will let you save with the same name, so be careful you do not accidentally overwrite a Saved Selection you want to keep.
• To rename, delete or set a Saved Selection as your default, click ‘Page Options’, then ‘Save Current Selections’, then ‘Edit Saved Selections and Defaults’.

My ‘Saved Selection’ does not seem to be working correctly.

Ensure you clicked “GO” before saving your selections.  Also, Dashboard enhancements might have impacted the selections you previously saved.  Check what you saved and update to reflect any enhancements to that page if applicable.  If your saved selections are still not working, contact the IT Service Desk (6-7000) for support.

How can Dashboard report results be sorted?

If you are viewing the results in a table view, the table can be sorted by clicking on the column title for the column you want to sort by.  The table will be sorted by that column in ascending sequence.  Clicking on the column title a second time will sort the table in descending order. 

To sort by a second column within the first column, hold down the ‘Ctrl’ key and click on the column title for the second column.

The only view type which allows sorting by column is a table view.

When I sort a table, are all results sorted or only the rows displayed on the screen?

The entire table is sorted.

What is the difference between Pivot tables and tables?

Pivot tables

• Data already organized and summarized
• Additional drop-down selection option
• Additional heading information can be displayed
• Can NOT sort columns
• Hierarchy drill (H-drill) only at the row level (not the column level)

Tables

• Can sort columns
• Can do hierarchy drill (H-drill) for the entire table in addition to H-drill into one specific row
• Defaults to show only 25 rows at a time

Why is my drop-down choice not saved when I ‘Save Selections’?

With pivot table views there is an additional drop-down choice to select data for viewing.  This is part of pivot table functionality and is reset when you enter the Dashboard or ‘Apply Saved Selection’.  It is also reset when you ‘return’ from an H-drill.

Why does my drop-down choice reset when I ‘return’ from a hierarchy drill (H-drill)?

With pivot table views there is an additional drop-down choice to select data for viewing.  This is part of pivot table functionality and is reset when you return from an H-drill.  It also is not saved when you ‘Save Selections’.

Can I use PolyData Dashboards on a Mac with FireFox?

Yes, but when downloading use ‘Download to Excel 2000’ instead of ‘Download to Excel.’

Can I use browsers other than IE (Internet Explorer) and FireFox – such as Safari or Chrome?

Not at this time.  Only limited testing has been done and results have been inconsistent.

When using Firefox and changing selections where there is no “GO” button (view selection, Hierarchy drills) sometimes nothing happens with the first click.

Clicking “Refresh” brings up the requested view or drill. 

What differences will I see when I use the Action Links on a Mac with Firefox vs. a Dell PC with IE Explorer?

See the Action Link Browser Comparison (PDF) to view common Action Link actions and results on both Dell with IE Explorer and Mac with Firefox.  Research is on-going as to behavioral differences between browsers.

How can I make a new view?
How can I change an existing view?
How can I change the number of column selectors for a view?
How can I add a new choice for a column selector?
How can I add a new choice for a page prompt?
How can I change the default value automatically appearing a Dashboard prompt?
How can I add my own report results to a Dashboard page?

Dashboard pages, views of report results and column selector choices are currently created by ITS developers as requested by the functional owner.  Individual Dashboard users can not create new report results, views, drop-down choices or column selector choices. 

Send a request for the change you need to the functional owner for the Dashboard Page you are using, along with an explanation of why the change is needed.  The functional owner will prioritize requests and work with the ITS developers to schedule and implement approved changes. 

Why do I see different options in Open Labs and training classes than when I log in back at my desk?

Security is granted at a page level.   You will only see the pages that you have access to.  In open labs or training classes you may be shown pages that have not yet been put into production or that do you do not currently have security to use.

What if I do not see the PolyData Dashboards link on My Cal Poly Portal?

Contact the ITS Service Desk at extension 6-7000.

What if I do not see the Dashboard that I'm trying to get to?

Contact the Functional data owner.  Contact information for the functional data owners is listed on the “Welcome” Dashboard.