Google Sheets - Dashboard Tutorial - Dynamic QUERY Function String - Part 3

Summary

This video tutorial guides viewers through the process of creating a dynamic Excel dashboard that filters sales data based on region and date range. The presenter demonstrates how to build a dynamic SQL query string using Excel functions like TEXT, TEXTJOIN, and ISBLANK, allowing users to filter data without manually adjusting the query. The dashboard updates in real-time based on user inputs, with results filtered by selected dates and regions. The tutorial also highlights the use of helper sheets to manage formulas and ensure flexibility in the query-building process, ultimately creating an interactive and customizable dashboard for analyzing sales data.

Takeaways

• 😀 Excel formulas like TEXTJOIN, ISBLANK, and TEXT are essential for dynamically generating query strings based on user input.
• 😀 Users can select date ranges and regions via data validation or manually enter them to filter data in the dashboard.
• 😀 A helper worksheet can be used to store intermediary formulas, making the main dashboard simpler and more user-friendly.
• 😀 The query string dynamically updates based on changes to the start and end date fields and the selected region.
• 😀 The TEXT function is used to convert dates into text format, ensuring that the query string is correctly formatted for SQL queries.
• 😀 The TEXTJOIN function is critical for concatenating strings while ignoring empty values, which is helpful when certain conditions are missing.
• 😀 It's important to test your query strings before finalizing them to ensure they are accurate and return expected results.
• 😀 Using an IF statement with ISBLANK ensures that the dashboard can handle missing data, leaving filters blank when no input is provided.
• 😀 The dynamic dashboard adjusts in real time, displaying filtered data based on user-selected regions and date ranges.
• 😀 The process includes error handling by checking if any inputs are missing, and adjusting the query string accordingly.
• 😀 By combining Excel functions and helper sheets, users can build a flexible, dynamic SQL query system that adjusts to various filtering criteria.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of the process described in the transcript?

The primary goal is to create a dynamic dashboard that filters sales data based on the user's selected region and date range.

What function is used to validate the input date in the query?

The function used is 'ISBLANK', which checks if the start and end date cells are blank before building the query string.

Why is the 'TEXT' function used in the script?

The 'TEXT' function is used to convert Excel dates into a specific string format (YYYY-MM-DD), which is required for the SQL query.

What problem occurs when using a regular date reference in the formula, and how is it solved?

The problem is that Excel treats the date as a numeric value, not as text. The solution is to use the 'TEXT' function to convert the date to a string format.

How does the 'TEXTJOIN' function help in building the query string?

'TEXTJOIN' is used to concatenate multiple strings into one, while ignoring any blanks. This ensures that only non-blank values are included in the final query string.

What happens when the user selects 'all' for the region or leaves the date fields empty?

If the user selects 'all' for the region or leaves the date fields empty, the query string will either not filter on the region or include all sales data without filtering by date.

How does the script handle dynamic updates when the user changes the region or date?

The script dynamically updates the dashboard by rebuilding the query string each time a region or date is selected. This ensures that the data displayed matches the user's filter choices.

What is the purpose of the 'count blank' function in the script?

The 'count blank' function checks if any of the date fields (start or end date) are left blank. If all fields are blank, no filtering is applied to the query.

How does the dashboard behave when the user selects a specific date range or region?

When the user selects a specific date range or region, the dashboard filters the data accordingly, showing the relevant sales data, maps, and totals based on the selected filters.

Why is a helper worksheet used in the process, and what role does it play?

A helper worksheet is used to store intermediate formulas that generate the parts of the query string. It simplifies the formula construction and makes the process more manageable and transparent.