[Feature-Proposal]: Filter summary bar

[amitmiran137]

As a continuation feature to the native-filters left side panel there is a requirement on focusing users on charts by a specific user-path in watch a short summary for the current active filters that applies the current scope in order to make the dashboard more readable oriented in the cases where dashboards are served as a client-facing application.

For that we offer the Filter summary bar which it is another element that can be dragged into the dashboard layout (as charts, tabs , column ,row and etc') , which means it would be optional to use in each dashboard

prototype

Figma

key features:

1. the filter summary bar will always be displayed upon dragging it into the layout
2. upon scope change like tab change, filters will only display the active filters for that scope
3. the purpose of this is not to show accurate filters that are being applied as the filter indicator main purpose but just a summary of what filters are active on the scope

note: we might consider hiding(CSS) those chart filter indicators in order to focus the user on visualization themself but that is for the dashboard creator to decide on each dashboard separately

backward compatibility:

if you don't drag the filter summary bar into the dashboard feature will not be used at all and existing functionality remains intact

dashboard preview:

Summary Filter bar component

[michael-s-molina]

Tagging some people for discussion: @junlincc @rusackas @mihir174 @jess-dillard @kgabryje @graceguo-supercat

[ghost]

I like this idea, but wonder if it becomes confusing in instances where individual charts in a dashboard have different filters applied to them. If a user sees the filter summary bar, they will likely assume all charts below the summary have those filters applied, which may not be the case. We would need one of these for every chart, which brings us close to the solution we have now.

[amitmiran137]

I like this idea, but wonder if it becomes confusing in instances where individual charts in a dashboard have different filters applied to them. If a user sees the filter summary bar, they will likely assume all charts below the summary have those filters applied, which may not be the case. We would need one of these for every chart, which brings us close to the solution we have now.

1. Filter summary bar is optionally to use in every dashboard
2. charts already have an individual filter indicator to show applied filters
3. it is up to the dashboard creator to arrange charts in a make sense layout and deciding to use the Summary bar is a matter of a choice according to your use-case

[jayakrishnankk]

The advantages that I see with respect to this bar are the following, according to me:

• Shows the context right there on the screen without having to do viz triangle tooltip hover over.
• Allows usage of more real estate (the vertical filter bar doesn't need to be always ON to see the filter context)
• It uses some real estate as a row, but it is very minimal compared to the vertical native filters control pane
• If the number filters are too high, then this may not make sense. But, the fact that this is optional, makes it easy to choose and enable whenever this makes sense.

[graceguo-supercat]

I assume you want user to use either filter indicator or filter bar. But their functionalities are not fully matched if just looking at current description:

• as @jess-dillard said, not all charts in the tab have the same applicable filters.
• user click filter indicator can focus the filter component
• filter indicator shows all filters that can apply to this chart, which includes filter has values and filters without values.
• Do you have design for dashboard with nested tabs? the filter summary might show duplicated places.

[amitmiran137]

I assume you want user to use either filter indicator or filter bar. But their functionalities are not fully matched if just looking at current description:

• as @jess-dillard said, not all charts in the tab have the same applicable filters.
• user click filter indicator can focus the filter component
• filter indicator shows all filters that can apply to this chart, which includes filter has values and filters without values.
• Do you have design for dashboard with nested tabs? the filter summary might show duplicated places.

thanks for the input, I've updated the description . basically as you indicated, chart filter indicator is not useful in our usecase and we plan not to use it, but instead use the Filter summary bar for getting a quick context on what data the existing charts are displaying without really analysing filters into depth

[michael-s-molina]

chart filter indicator is not useful in our usecase and we plan not to use it, but instead use the Filter summary bar for getting a quick context on what data the existing charts are displaying without really analysing filters into depth

@amitmiran137 Can't this strategy produce wrong conclusions? I can see two examples of this:

1 - We could have two different datasets that contain the same field name City. A user creates only one filter named City for dataset 1. We have two charts, one from each dataset, and both charts can be filtered by City (different fields). When displaying the filter summary, the user will think both charts are filtered by City but in reality, only the chart that belongs to dataset 1 will be filtered.

2 - A chart contains an incompatible filter. When displaying the filter summary, the user will think the chart is filtered when it's not, leading to wrong conclusions.

[villebro]

Perhaps it would be possible to have something like this:

• when not hovering a chart, it shows all currently set filters, irrespective of whether or not they apply to any/some/all charts
• when hovering a chart, it shows only the filters applied to the current chart

[michael-s-molina]

• when not hovering a chart, it shows all currently set filters, irrespective of whether or not they apply to any/some/all charts

If we do something like this, we would need to display a tooltip or text to let the user know that they can hover and that the summary is not accurate when not hovering.

• when hovering a chart, it shows only the filters applied to the current chart

Wouldn't this practically replace/duplicate the filter indicators?

[graceguo-supercat]

In airbnb when we design Filter Indicator, hover solution was discussed and rejected!
Because when user looking at a dashboard, they hate to hove chart one by one to see which filter are applied.

[amitmiran137]

IMO the summary bar is just a display of the active filters in cases where you want to show the user the context that he is viewing .
It should be on the responsibility of the dashboard creator to create a clear and make sense layout of charts one next to each other.
So if have 4 charts and above it a filtered summary then make sure filters for those 4 charts
if this is not the case so probably you should not use the summary bar and you have chart filter indicator that answers all complex use-cases

[graceguo-supercat]

Hi @amitmiran137 a pretty big feature like this one, should we start SIP first? Superset is an open source project, but it also has its own roadmap. Is this feature aligned with dashboard resign design in the long term?

[amitmiran137]

@graceguo-supercat What is the dashboard resign you're referring to ?
IMO , This feature is basically an enhancement of the native filters and has no life of its own and has no breaking changes what so ever .

It is just a separated component that can optionally be dragged into the dashboard and has no effect beside showing a summary of the active filters

Look at the the PR link to this feature to see a demo on the behaviour .
It took 2 days of implementation, nothing big about it

[graceguo-supercat]

sorry, not dashboard resign, it should be dashboard design :)
I mean the Cartel design we worked on: #8976

[amitmiran137]

closing this one due to an improved solution and SIP
#17210