Analyze list page and query data using data analysis mode

APPLIES TO: Public preview in Business Central 2023 release wave 1 and later for analyzing list pages; Generally available in Business Central 2023 release wave 2 2024 wave 1 for analyzing data from list pages and queries.

In this article, you learn how to analyze data from list pages and queries using the data analysis mode. The data analysis mode enables you to analyze data directly from the page, without having to run a report or switch another application like Excel. It provides an interactive and versatile way to calculate, summarize, and examine data. Instead of running reports using different options and filters, you can add multiple tabs that represent different tasks or views on the data. Examples could be "My customers", "Follow up items", "Recently added vendors", "Sales statistics", or any other view you can imagine.

Prerequisites

• If you're using Business Central version 22, the data analysis mode is in preview. So, an admin must enable it before you can use it. To enable it, go to the Feature Management page and switch on Feature Update: Analysis mode, quickly analyze data directly in Business Central. Learn more about Feature Management.

• In version 23 and later, your account must be assigned the DATA ANALYSIS - EXEC permission set or include execute permission on the system object 9640 Allow Data Analysis mode. As an admin, you can exclude these permissions on users who you don't want to have access to the analysis mode.

Get started

1. Open the list page or query.

   For example, to work with Customer Ledger Entries page, select the  icon (Alt+Q), enter customer ledger entries, and then choose the related link.

2. In the action bar at the top of the page, turn on the Analyze toggle switch.

   Data analysis mode opens the data in an experience that's optimized for data analysis. While in data analysis mode, the normal action bar is replaced with a special data analysis mode bar. The following figure illustrates the different areas of a page in the data analysis mode.

   Each area is explained in the sections that follow.

3. Use the different areas to manipulate, summarize and analyze data. See the sections that follow for details.

4. When you want to exit the analyze mode, turn off the Analyze toggle switch.

   The analysis tabs that you've added remain until you delete them. So if you return to the data analysis mode again, you see them exactly as you left them.

Open

Work with data analysis mode

In the data analysis mode, the page is divided into two areas:

• The main area, which consists of the data area (1), summary bar (2), and tabs bar (5)

• The data manipulation area, which consists of two panes: columns (3) and analysis filters (4).

Data area (1)

The data area is where the rows and columns of the list page query are shown and data is summarized. The data area provides a versatile way to control of the layout of columns and a quick way to get a summary of the data. For columns that contain numeric values, the sum of all values in the column is shown in a last row, unless you've defined row groups. In this case, the sums appear as a subtotal for the groups.

Open

• To move a column, select it and drag it to where they make the most sense in your analysis.

• To sort on a column, select the column header. To sort on multiple columns, select and hold Shift key while selecting the column headers want to sort on.

• Right-click the column or hover over it and select the menu icon  to access several actions that you can do on columns. For example:

  • To pin a column to the left or right of the data area so that it doesn't move off the screen when you scroll, select  > Pin column > Pin left the column part.

  • Define data filters directly on the column definition instead of going to the Analysis Filters panes. You can still peek in on details about related data and for each line, and open the card to learn more about a given entity.

• Use the data area to interact with the data. For columns that contain numeric, summable values, you can get descriptive statistics on a set of fields by marking them. The statistics appear in the status bar (2) along the bottom of the page.

• Export data in Excel or csv format. Right-click on the data area or a selection of cells to export.

Summary bar (2)

The summary bar is along the bottom of the page and displays statistics about the data in the list page or query. As you interact with columns whose values can be summed, like selecting multiple rows in a column that displays amounts, the data updates.

The following table describes the different numbers that are shown in the totals area:

Columns (3)

The Columns is one of two panes that work together to define your analysis. The other area is the Analysis filters pane. The Columns pane is used to summarize the data. Use the Columns pane to define which columns should be included in the analysis.

To move a field from one area to another, select the grab icon  next to the column in the list and drag into the target area. You're prevented from moving a field into an area where's it's not allowed.

Analysis filters (4)

The Analysis filters pane lets you set further data filters on columns to limit the entries in the list. Set filters on columns to limit the entries in the list and subsequent sums to only those entries you're interested in based on a criteria you define. For example, suppose you're only interested in data for a specific customer or sales orders that exceed a specific amount. To set a filter, select the column, choose the comparison operation from the list (like Equals or Starts with), then enter the value.

Tabs (5)

The tabs area at the top lets you create different configurations (columns and analysis filters) on separate tabs, where you can manipulate data on the tabs independently of each other. There's always at least one tab, called Analysis 1 by default. Adding more tabs is beneficial for saving frequently used analysis configurations on a dataset. For example, you might have tabs for analyzing data in the pivot mode, and other tabs that filter to a subset of rows. Some tabs might show a detailed view with many columns, and others only display a few key columns.

Here's some pointers on working with multiple analysis tabs:

• To add a new tab, select the large + sign next to the last analysis tab.

• Select the down arrowhead on a tab to access a list of actions you can do on a tab, like rename, duplicate, delete, and move.

  • Delete deletes the tab you currently have open. Delete All deletes all tabs that you've added, except the default Analysis 1 tab.

• You can't completely remove the Analysis 1, but you can rename it by using the Rename action and clear the changes you've made by using Delete or Delete All.

• The analysis tabs that you've added and configured remain until you delete them. So if you return to the data analysis mode again, you see them exactly as you left them.

  Tip

  The tabs that you set up are only visible to you. Other users will only see tabs they've set up.

• You can copy analysis tabs. Copying can be useful if you want to experiment with changing a tab without changing the original, or if you want to create different variations of the same analysis.

Date hierarchies

In analysis mode, date fields of the dataset are generated in a Year-Quarter-Month hierarchy of three separate fields. This hierarchy is based on the normal calendar, not any fiscal calendars defined in Business Central.

The extra fields are named <field name> Year, <field name> Quarter, and <field name> Month. For example, if the dataset includes a field called Posting Date, then the corresponding date hierarchy consists of fields called Posting Date Year, Posting Date Quarter, and Posting Date Month.

Pivot mode

You can use pivot mode to analyze large amount of numerical data, subtotaling data by categories and subcategories. The pivot mode is like pivot tables in Microsoft Excel.

To turn the pivot mode on and off, slide the Pivot mode switch in the Columns pane (3). When you turn on the pivot mode, the Column labels area appears in the pane. Use the Column labels area to group sum totals for rows into categories. Fields that you add to the Column labels area show as columns in the data area (1).

Building out the data analysis in pivot mode involves moving fields into the three areas: Row groups, Columns labels, and Values. The following figure illustrates where the fields map to the data area (1), where sum is the calculated data, and optionally Values.

Analyze large amounts of data

If the dataset you want to analyze exceeds 100,000 rows, you're suggested to enter an analysis mode that's optimized for large datasets. There are currently two limitations if you switch to this mode:

• Formatting of fields of the following four data types might change:

  • currency

  • decimals (always shown with two decimals)

  • dates (always shown in the format YYYY-MM-DD)

  • timezones

• Fields that are used in pivot mode and added to column labels must have a low number of distinct values.

  If you enable pivot mode and drag a field into Column labels area, where the underlying data for that field has too many distinct values, then the browser tab might become unresponsive and will eventually close, requiring you to start over in a new session. In this case, either don't pivot on that field or set a filter on the field prior to adding it to the Column labels area.

Share data analysis

After you’ve prepared an analysis on a tab, you can share it as a link with coworkers and others in your organization directly from the client. Only recipients that have permission to the company and the data can use the link.

1. On the analysis tab, select the down arrowhead, and then select Copy link.

   The Link to <tab name> dialog opens.

2. By default, the analysis you share will link to the page or query in the company you're currently working in, which is indicated by company=<company_name> in the URL field next to the Copy button. If you want to send a link to an analysis that's not associated with a specific company, set the Company: field to Do not link to a specific company.

3. Select Copy.

4. Paste the link into the communication media of your choice, like Word, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, and so one.

5. Once received, recipients can then select the link and open the analysis for the page or query in Business Central. They're prompted to specify a name for the new analysis tab that will be created.

Limitations in 2023 release wave 1 (preview)

The public preview of this feature has the following limitations:

• The analysis mode view has a limit of 100,000 rows. If you exceed this limit, you'll get a message telling you so. To work around this limitation, the set filters on the page before you switch to analysis mode, if it's possible. For example, maybe you want to analyze a certain group of customers or only want data from the current year. You can also choose a predefined view if it would work for your analysis.

• The share data analysis feature isn't available.

• The ability to save preferred data analysis choices on list pages and save analysis menus per analysis tab are currently not available.

Source Analyze list page and query data using data analysis - Business Central