Summarise data

In DoordaOnline, summarising data enables you to aggregate information to uncover insights such as averages, totals, and other key metrics. This guide will walk you through the process of creating summaries, grouping data, and selecting appropriate visualisations.

Understanding Summaries

Summarising involves combining data from multiple records to produce a single value, like calculating the average product rating. To create a summary, you need to determine:

• Metric: The numerical operation to perform (e.g., count, sum, average).

• Column: The specific field whose values will be aggregated (e.g., quantity, price, rating).

• Breakouts (Optional): Categories by which to group the data (e.g., by month, product category).

For example, you can calculate the average rating by product category or the total sales grouped by month.

Creating a Summary

To summarise data in DoordaOnline:

1. Access the Query Builder: Navigate to the desired table within DoordaOnline.

2. Add a Summarise Step:

   • Click on the purple “Summarise” button.

   • Choose the appropriate metric (e.g., sum, average).

   • Select the column to aggregate.

3. Group the Data (Optional):

   • To group your summary by a specific field, click on “Group by” and select the desired column.

   • For date fields, you can specify the granularity (e.g., by day, week, month).

4. Apply Filters (Optional):

   • Add filters to narrow down the data before summarising.

5. Visualise the Results:

   • Click on “Visualise” to view the summary in a chart or table format.

   • DoordaOnline will suggest a default visualisation based on the data; you can change this to suit your preferences.

Tips for Effective Summarisation

• Grouping by Dates and Times: When grouping by date fields, choose the appropriate granularity to reveal trends over time.

• Grouping by Numeric Variables: DoordaOnline can bin numeric fields into ranges, allowing you to group data into categories like price brackets.

• Cumulative Summaries: Use cumulative metrics to calculate running totals or counts over time. Ensure your data is ordered correctly for meaningful results.

• Distinct Values: To find the number of unique entries in a column, use the “Distinct values” summary option.

Custom Expressions

For more complex calculations, DoordaOnline offers custom expressions. These allow you to define formulas that incorporate conditions or advanced functions. For example, to sum totals only for orders with tax, you can create an expression like:

SumIf([Subtotal], [Tax] > 0)

By effectively summarising your data in DoordaOnline, you can gain valuable insights and present information in a clear and impactful manner.