When accessing an Explore, you'll notice the 'Calendar' dropdown, and underneath that the 'Calendar Date' field. These Dimensions make it possible to measure data over a specified period of time.
It is very important to understand the functionality of Dimensions before attempting to utilize specific Calendar Date Dimension Filters.
- Selecting a Dimension
Clicking on a Dimension creates a dedicated column for the Dimension in your Data table, by default, it will also appear in your Visualization. Once clicked, the Dimension will remain highlighted.
*In the example below, we want to see Net Sales for every year. Under the Calendar drop down 'Year' is highlighted. you'll notice a column appears in the table displaying the year, and is displayed as a row in this type of Visualization.
- Using Calendar Filters
Filters give you the ability to specify a specific time period or date range. Clicking the 'Filter' button in a Dimension field will bring up editable options under the 'Filters' window (above Visualization).
*In the example, we've decided that we'll only need Net Sales for 2020 YTD. The Filter button has been selected and is now highlighted (purple). You'll notice under 'Filters' I've selected 'is in the past 1 years' (selecting complete years will display last complete year not YTD).
NOTE: A Dimensions does not need to be highlighted for a Filter to be applied. The Filter button can also be a stand alone feature. If the 'Year' field was deselected in the image below, the Visualization would stay the same.
- Using Date Pivot Option
The Pivot function is ideal for individualizing data associated with a dimension in column format rather than rows.
*In the example below, we've used a Pivot to show Net Sales for each year. The Visualization now gives each year it's own column and color to help differentiate between year at first glance.
*Things to remember!
- A Dimension does not need to be highlighted for a Filter to be used
- There are several options to choose from when applying a date filter, please be sure you select the right one (day vs. complete days etc.)
- Focus on the Data in the table before the Visualization.