Gauges

In CDP Data Visualization, Gauge visuals resemble simple speed dials in automobile dashboards, but they are powerful tools for communicating performance against set targets, projected trends, and a qualitative assessment of the measurement.

Gauges show minimum and maximum values on an evenly distributed scale, and qualitative ranges for classifying the primary measurement as different colors, which is very useful for visually distinguishing them from one another.

Gauges are semi-circular by default, and include many setting adjustments.

Consider these three examples of gauge charts, to illustrate their structure.

Example 1: Measure < Projection < Compare To: In this scenario, both the measurement and its projected future value are less than the target value.
Example 2: Measure < Compare To < Projection: In this scenario, the measurement is less than the target value, but its projection is expected to exceed the target.
Example 3: Compare To < Measure < Projection: In this scenario, the measurement has already exceeded the target value, and the projection is even greater.

The long dark inner arc of the visual represents the value on the Measure shelf. It is the feature measurement of the visual. Note that in Example 3, the last section appears in dark blue because the value of Measure is greater than the Compare To value.
The extension of the same arc is the expected value of the measure at a future date, supplied by the Projection shelf of the visual. Note that the overlay of colors and their opacity leads to different effects depending on the relative values of Measure, Projection, and Compare Toshelves:
- In Example 1, this appears in pale blue and does not terminate the arc; this is because the value on the Projection shelf is less than the Compare To value.
- In Example 2, Projection appears in darker grey as extension beyond the lower Compare To value (in pale blue).
- In Example 3, Projection again appears in darker grey, but this time as an extension beyond the darker blue arc that shows by how much the Measure exceeds the lower Compare To value.
The Compare To shelf shows the target value for the measurement. In this article, it has a value of 800 for all gauges.
The secondary outer arc shows the Qualitative Ranges that form the upper limits of the 'goodness' for the current measurement. From the origin to the upper value, they specify relative levels of performance success. You may define anywhere from 0 to 4 qualitative ranges.
The Label shelf overrides default labeling taken from the Measure shelf. This is an opportunity to clarify what is being measured, as well as the units of measurement. This shelf accepts a maximum of two values.

Like other CDP Data Visualization visuals, the gauge visual may be trellised using X and Y shelves, have additional fields on the Tooltips shelf, and use Filters. See Shelves for gauge visuals.

This example uses the 2012 and 2013 API Scores for California School Districts.

We are working with the dataset District Performance, built on a datafile that contains the California School District APIs from 2012 and 2013. The range of possible scores varies from a low of 200 to a high of 1000; however, the statewide API performance target is 800.

Start a new visual based on dataset District Performance.

See Adding data, Creating datasets, and Creating a visual.
In the visuals menu, find and click Gauge.
Note that the shelves of the visual changed. They are now X, Y, Measures (mandatory), Compare to, Qualitative Ranges, Projection, Label, Tooltips, and Filters.
Populate the shelves from the available fields (Dimensions, Measures, and so on) in the Data menu.
1. Measure shelf: add the field Api13. Then customize the expression to calculated the waited average of the field, based on the number of students tested in each district (field Valid).
  1. Click the (right-arrow) icon to the left of the field, and select the [ ] Enter/Edit Expression option.
  2. In the Enter/Edit Expression modal window, change the expression to the following formula:
```
floor(sum([Api13]*[Valid])/sum([Valid]))
```
  3. Click Validate & Save to ensure that everything works.
2. Compare To field: add the field Api13. Then customize the expression to change it to the state-wide target of API=800.
  Click the (right-arrow) icon to the left of the field, and select the [ ] Enter/Edit Expression option. Change the expression to the scalar value of 800, and click Validate & Save to ensure that everything works.
3. Qualitative Ranges shelf: add the field Api13. Then, specify the equation that returns the upper limit of the first qualitative range. For this visual, we are using simple scalar values.
  
  Click the (right-arrow) icon to the left of the field, and select the [ ] Enter/Edit Expression option. Change the expression to the scalar value 600, and click Validate & Save.
  
  To create other ranges, simply click the (right-arrow)icon to the left of this field, and select the Duplicate option. Then open the Enter/Edit Expression modal window for the duplicate, change the value, and click Validate & Save. In this example, we defined three ranges: at 600, 700. and 800.
  
  Later, we aliased the qualitative ranges as Poor, Improving, and Satisfactory, in that order.
  
  An alternative to specifying qualitative ranges through the shelf is to calculate them as percentages of the Compare To field. To do that, follow the instructions in.Specifying qualitative range as percentages.
4. Projection field: add the field Api13. Then, specify the equation that projects the current measurement to some future date by clicking the (right-arrow) icon to the left of the field, selecting the [ ] Enter/Edit Expression option, and changing the expression to the following SQL clause:
```
if(  sum([Api13]*[Valid])/sum([Valid])>800,
     sum([Api13]*[Valid])/sum([Valid])+25,
     sum([Api13]*[Valid])/sum([Valid]) + 50)
```
5. Label field: add the field Api13, and convert the expression to the following SQL clause:
```
concat("API: ", cast(floor(sum([Api13]*[Valid])/sum([Valid])) as string))
```
  [Optional] Add the field Cname under the first field, and change its aggregation to max([Cname]).
6. Tooltips shelf: add more fields here to provide additional information. We created the following tooltips:
  - floor(sum([Api12]*[Valid])/sum([Valid]))
  - floor(sum([Api13]*[Valid])/sum([Valid])) - floor(sum([Api12]*[Valid])/sum([Valid]))
  - sum([Valid])
  We suggest that you apply an Alias to these fields. We later named them 2012 API Score, 2012 -> 2013 Growth, and Students.
7. Filters shelf: add the filters here. We used Cname for name of the County, selecting the values Alameda, Kings, Marin, Mendocino, Sierra, and Siskiyou.
8. Y shelf: add the field Cname (county name) to trellis the visual. Alias it as County.
[Optional] Click the Settings menu, select Trellis, and de-select the Show trellis borders option.
[Recommended] Click the Settings menu, select Marks, and select the Include a gauge line option. See Displaying the gauge needle.
[Optional] Click the Colors menu, and select different options for Foreground Color, Pointer Color, and Background Color from the color palette menu. You may change the Projection Opacity and Background Opacity options, too; we left them alone.
[Optional] Alias the fields. We used the names of the shelves for each alias.
Click Refresh Visual.
The new gauge visual appears.

Notice that the gauge line makes it easier to recognize.
Change the title to District Performance, by County - Gauge.
- Click (pencil icon) next to the title of the visualization to edit it, and enter the new name.
- [Optional] Click (pencil icon) below the title of the visualization to add a brief description of the visual.
At the top left corner of the Visual Designer, click Save.
At the top left corner of the Visual Designer, click Close.

To adjust the gauge display, check all the available settings for this visual.