How to Create Hourly Breakdown Column Charts in Bold BI?

Overview

Visualizing data over time is a common requirement in data analysis and reporting. Bold BI, a comprehensive business intelligence tool, allows users to create detailed and informative column charts. One of the powerful features of Bold BI is the ability to use expression columns to break down data by each hour of the day. This article will guide you through the process of using expression columns to create hourly breakdown column charts in Bold BI.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create Hourly Ranges

1. Access the Data Source: Begin by accessing the data source that contains the datetime information you wish to analyze.

2. Create a Conditional Expression: Navigate to the expression editor in Bold BI. Here, you will create a conditional expression that categorizes each record into hourly ranges.

3. Define the Hourly Range: Use the HOUR function to extract the hour part from your datetime field. Then, create a series of nested IF statements to define the range for each hour. Below is a sample expression for the first ten hours of the day:

IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 0, '00:00 - 01:00',
  IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 1, '01:00 - 02:00',
    IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 2, '02:00 - 03:00',
      IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 3, '03:00 - 04:00',
        IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 4, '04:00 - 05:00',
          IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 5, '05:00 - 06:00',
            IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 6, '06:00 - 07:00',
              IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 7, '07:00 - 08:00',
                IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 8, '08:00 - 09:00',
                  IF(HOUR([startdate]) = 9, '09:00 - 10:00', 'RangeUndefined')
                )
              )
            )
          )
        )
      )
    )
  )
)

4. Apply the Expression: Once the expression is created, apply it to the column(s) section of your column chart.
   

   

5. Visualize the Data: With the expression applied, your column chart will now display columns for each hour of the day, allowing for easy analysis of hourly trends.
   

   

Additional Tips

• Ensure that your datetime field is correctly formatted and recognized by Bold BI to accurately extract the hour component.
• You can extend the conditional expression to cover all 24 hours of the day.
• Customize the appearance of your column chart using Bold BI’s design features to enhance readability.

Conclusion

Creating hourly column chart in Bold BI is straightforward with the use of conditional expressions. By categorizing data into defined hourly ranges, you can gain insights into patterns and trends that occur throughout the day.

Additional References

• Displaying the Hourly Data