In the previous lessons, you learned how to execute Cypher queries using the Query tab and explored your data using the Explore tab. Now you’ll learn how to create visual dashboards that make your data accessible to business users and stakeholders.
In this lesson, you will learn how to:
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Create interactive dashboards using Aura’s integrated dashboard tool
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Build dashboard cards with Cypher queries
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Add filters to make dashboards dynamic
Creating your first dashboard
You will learn how to build a dashboard that visualizes actor relationships in the movie database.
First, navigate to the Dashboards section in your Aura console:
Before creating your dashboard, verify that you’ve loaded the sample movie data in your instance.
Click Create dashboard to begin:
Rename your dashboard from "New dashboard" to something descriptive like "Movie Analytics Dashboard" by clicking on the title.
Adding dashboard cards
Dashboard cards are individual components that display specific data visualizations.
Click Add a card to create your first visualization:
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Change the card title from "New card" to "Actor Overview"
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Select Graph from the visualization type dropdown
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Paste the following Cypher query in the Query field:
MATCH (p:Person)-[r:ACTED_IN]->(m:Movie)
WHERE p.name = 'Tom Hanks'
RETURN p,r,m
Your dashboard will display a graph visualization showing Tom Hanks' movie connections:
Repositioning cards
You can move cards by dragging them using the six-dot handle that appears when you hover over a card.
Making dashboards interactive with filters
Static dashboards are useful, but interactive dashboards are powerful. Filters allow users to dynamically change what data is displayed without modifying queries.
Add a filter to your dashboard:
Create a "Person selection" filter that will control which actor’s data is displayed.
Now update your Actor Overview card query to use the filter parameter:
MATCH (p:Person)-[r:ACTED_IN]->(m:Movie)
WHERE p.name = $person_name
RETURN p,r,mSave your changes and test the filter:
Your dashboard now responds dynamically to filter selections:
Check your understanding
Purpose Of The Dashboard Tool
Which of the following statements best describes the purpose of Aura’s integrated dashboard tool?
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❏ The integrated dashboard tool aims at business users who don’t understand Cypher syntax but know the underlying data model.
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✓ The integrated dashboard tool aims to lower the time-to-value by bridging the gap between learning Neo4j technology and building full applications.
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❏ The integrated dashboard tool aims at power users (developers, DBAs) who are willing to learn Cypher syntax as their primary database interaction method.
Hint
Think about what "time-to-value" means - how quickly can someone get useful insights from their data without extensive development work?
Solution
The integrated dashboard tool aims to lower the time-to-value by bridging the gap between learning Neo4j technology and building full applications.
The dashboard tool fills the crucial gap between learning Neo4j and building custom applications. It allows users to quickly create meaningful visualizations and insights without the time investment required for full application development. In many cases, these dashboards become the production solution organizations need.
Summary
In this lesson, you learned how to create interactive dashboards in Aura, build dashboard cards with Cypher queries and add filters to make your dashboards dynamic and user-friendly.
In the next lesson, you will learn how to manage and optimize your Aura database performance.