Gadgets on a dashboard can link together to respond to user selected values. A data selection gadget displays values for a user to choose. Another gadget subscribes to the data selection gadget, linking the gadgets together. Subscribed gadgets receive the user selected value and use it to filter displayed data.
For example, you add a list gadget to display country names. This gadget publishes the country name selected by a user. You then add a chart gadget and link it to the list. When a user selects a country name, the chart updates to show values for the selected country.
This process supports the following data scenarios:
Filtering visual displays based on parameter selection by a user
Cascading choices, selections in one data selection gadget populate choices displayed in another data selection gadget
Interlinking data sources, changes in a data selection gadget can affect gadgets using data from different data objects
User selection triggers scripts that execute JavaScript code
Figure 34‑1 shows linking gadgets receiving filtered data based on user selection. The filtered data is then displayed to the user.
Figure 34‑1 Gadgets linking to a list gadget
Linked gadgets do not need to have the same data sources. For example, a list of cities from a customer database can display the cities where customers live. You link a chart showing monthly sales from a sales database to the list. When a user selects a location, the chart of monthly sales updates to show values for the selected city.
Filtering visual displays based on parameter selection by a user