Trying to create a loading screen

system · March 12, 2015, 2:41pm

Hi guys,

Using Dashboards 4.1 SP2. query browser to get my data from my universe. I have about 4 queries in my dashboard. I want to create a loading screen that will show my loading circle (from an swf file) while the dashboard loads and refreshes the queries. I have implemented it but it doesnt seem to work.

Attached are my query options and my “loading swf” file’s dynamic visibility is set to show when the cell value is “show”. But when i do the preview, it doesnt show me my “loading swf”. Am i missing something? :?

NycPriya (BOB member since 2010-11-04)

system · March 12, 2015, 3:11pm

Did you follow the steps here?

http://www.pieterhendrikx.com/how-to-create-a-loading-screen-for-sap-dashboards/

Mak 1 (BOB member since 2005-01-06)

system · March 12, 2015, 3:35pm

Those are the exact ones i followed, the only difference is that i have the option selected “Refresh before components are loaded”. The reason i have that selected is because i want the queries to refresh when the dashboard is opened.

NycPriya (BOB member since 2010-11-04)

system · March 12, 2015, 6:45pm

I just did a lessons learned on this.

Your problem may lie in the fact that all four of your queries are using the same cell. So, walk through what happens. As soon as the first query starts refreshing, the cell changes to “Loading” and, presumably, your loading image pops up. As the next three queries start refreshing (almost instantly), they also put “Loading” into that cell.

But here’s the hitch. As soon as the first query finishes, it puts “Idle” into that cell. Even though the other three queries are still going. So your data loading message disappears.

The fix is fairly simple. Give each connection a separate cell that the loading message goes into. Then create a cell that takes the MAX of those cells. Since “Idle” comes before “Loading” alphabetically, MAX will return “Loading” if any of the queries are still running. Now set your dynamic visibility to use that MAX cell.

Lugh (BOB member since 2009-07-16)

system · March 12, 2015, 8:58pm

Lugh:

I just did a lessons learned on this.

Your problem may lie in the fact that all four of your queries are using the same cell. So, walk through what happens. As soon as the first query starts refreshing, the cell changes to “Loading” and, presumably, your loading image pops up. As the next three queries start refreshing (almost instantly), they also put “Loading” into that cell.

But here’s the hitch. As soon as the first query finishes, it puts “Idle” into that cell. Even though the other three queries are still going. So your data loading message disappears.

The fix is fairly simple. Give each connection a separate cell that the loading message goes into. Then create a cell that takes the MAX of those cells. Since “Idle” comes before “Loading” alphabetically, MAX will return “Loading” if any of the queries are still running. Now set your dynamic visibility to use that MAX cell.

I haven’t tried your approach but im almost positive that it will work.

NycPriya (BOB member since 2010-11-04)

system · March 19, 2015, 7:05pm

Get creative with your Loading screens. Here’s one I created earlier

Sorry for the poor quality picture…
Load (2).png

cdavies (BOB member since 2005-01-28)

system · March 19, 2015, 7:07pm

Awesome… 8)

How did you do the % loading refresh thing?

NycPriya (BOB member since 2010-11-04)

system · March 19, 2015, 7:11pm

Used a horizontal Progress bar. I had 5 queries to run when one query finished that was 20%, 2nd one finished 40% etc.

cdavies (BOB member since 2005-01-28)

system · March 20, 2015, 3:26pm

Lugh:

I just did a lessons learned on this.

Your problem may lie in the fact that all four of your queries are using the same cell. So, walk through what happens. As soon as the first query starts refreshing, the cell changes to “Loading” and, presumably, your loading image pops up. As the next three queries start refreshing (almost instantly), they also put “Loading” into that cell.

But here’s the hitch. As soon as the first query finishes, it puts “Idle” into that cell. Even though the other three queries are still going. So your data loading message disappears.

The fix is fairly simple. Give each connection a separate cell that the loading message goes into. Then create a cell that takes the MAX of those cells. Since “Idle” comes before “Loading” alphabetically, MAX will return “Loading” if any of the queries are still running. Now set your dynamic visibility to use that MAX cell.

Or just use 0/1 to be put into a separate cell for each Connection, then sum up those cells: IF > 0 then “Still LOADING”, else “all done”

Andreas (BOB member since 2002-06-20)

system · March 23, 2015, 12:54pm

This doesn’t quite work, though. The label that gets put in the sheet is text, so you would still have to do something to convert it to a number before summing.

Lugh (BOB member since 2009-07-16)

system · March 23, 2015, 3:21pm

Yep, done that

Andreas (BOB member since 2002-06-20)

system · March 24, 2015, 8:33am

Some clever ideas in this thread. I almost want to create a dashboard with a query that takes ages, just so I can watch a progress bar! 8)

Debbie

Debbie (BOB member since 2005-03-01)

system · March 24, 2015, 1:29pm

You’re just like me, i create dashboards sometimes just to see something new and cool

NycPriya (BOB member since 2010-11-04)

system · April 10, 2015, 1:35pm

Lugh:

I just did a lessons learned on this.

Your problem may lie in the fact that all four of your queries are using the same cell. So, walk through what happens. As soon as the first query starts refreshing, the cell changes to “Loading” and, presumably, your loading image pops up. As the next three queries start refreshing (almost instantly), they also put “Loading” into that cell.

But here’s the hitch. As soon as the first query finishes, it puts “Idle” into that cell. Even though the other three queries are still going. So your data loading message disappears.

The fix is fairly simple. Give each connection a separate cell that the loading message goes into. Then create a cell that takes the MAX of those cells. Since “Idle” comes before “Loading” alphabetically, MAX will return “Loading” if any of the queries are still running. Now set your dynamic visibility to use that MAX cell.

Hey Lugh,

So i tried to do this but my destination cell where my MAX is only bringing the first letter. L or I. And even after setting my dynamic visibility of my loading background, it doesnt show up. Just Initializing and then the components.

NycPriya (BOB member since 2010-11-04)