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Feature Request: Formula/Dynamic Variables in Email Snapshots

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Ed Brocklebank
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Feature 1

The ability to use formula (particularly date formula) in email snapshot variables.

Why?

Consider a dashboard that displays data from a rolling 30 day window, requiring a 'startDate' variable of format 'yyyy-MM-dd'. Right now this variable has to be updated manually everyday, causing extra work. This is multiplied when there are more variables on the dashboard, as is usually the case.

Possible solutions

Ideal: Full use of formula within email snapsnot variables

Halfway option: A special set of reserved strings which can be used, and are interpreted and replaced by Klipfolio when the email is generated. Such as LAST_N_DAYS:30, LAST_N_YEARS:2 (much like SOQL).

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Feature 2

Calculation of all dashboard variables before email snapshot is sent.

Why

My dashboards have a control klip which set the values of around 6 variables as soon as the dashboard loads. These variables are used by all other klips in the dashboard. This works perfectly within the app, but breaks in an email snapshot. For some reason, the variables are calculated within the klip but NOT sent to the other klips.

Because of this I have to create email versions (where the variables are hardcoded) of all my dashboards. This requires extra time, and might push me over the dashboard limit for my pricing plan.

Possible solutions

Calculate all the variable values, and acknowledge the 'dashboard level' scope, before generating the email snapshot. 

 

Thanks!

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1 comment

  • 1
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    Jan Van Der Veen

    Hi Ed (and others for future reference),

    Not sure you need it anymore, but I found a way to accomplish what you need. Indeed Klipfolio still doesn't support using dynamic values, just checked with the helpdesk. Here's how I worked around it.

    1. Right click on a component in the left pane and select "Add hidden data".
    2. In the hidden data field (in my case named reportDate), use a formula such as this: IF($reportDate="email",DATE_ADD(TODAY(),"5",-1),$reportDate)
    3. Instead of using the variable directly in your components, reference to them using the name of your hidden field, in my case !reportDate instead of $reportDate)

    When configuring your E-mail you simply fill in the value "email" and it will use a different date. Of course you can create your own dynamic values, such as "lastWeek" or "lastMonth".

     

    To test if it works correctly, add a second user input hooked up to the same variable and set the type to text field. On the text field you can now change the value to whatever you want.

     

    Cheers,

    Jan

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