Build Views and embedded Charts

Purpose

Define a reusable, validated query as a View, visualize it with a Chart artifact, and embed the Chart in a generated Form.

View artifacts

A View is a virtual query that runs when its schema, data, or export endpoint is called. It is not a materialized SQLite view and does not accept raw SQL, subqueries, window functions, or computed expressions.

View metadata supports:

one source table and alias
inner and left joins using field equality
field and aggregate output columns
typed string, int, real, boolean, date, and datetime parameters
literal or parameter filters
grouping, sorting, and count, sum, avg, min, and max

{
  "kind": "view",
  "name": "SALES_CustomerTotalsView",
  "label": "Customer totals",
  "app": "sales",
  "model": "Analytics",
  "layer": "DEV",
  "source": { "table": "SALES_Order", "alias": "o" },
  "joins": [
    {
      "type": "inner",
      "table": "SALES_Customer",
      "alias": "c",
      "on": [{ "left": "o.customerId", "right": "c.id" }]
    }
  ],
  "parameters": [{ "name": "fromDate", "type": "date", "required": true }],
  "filters": [
    { "ref": "o.orderDate", "operator": "gte", "value": { "parameter": "fromDate" } }
  ],
  "columns": [
    { "name": "customer", "expression": { "type": "field", "ref": "c.name" } },
    { "name": "total", "expression": { "type": "aggregate", "fn": "sum", "ref": "o.amount" } }
  ],
  "groupBy": ["c.name"],
  "orderBy": [{ "column": "total", "direction": "desc" }]
}

Field references use the declared alias and field name, such as o.orderDate. Output sort entries reference output-column names. Designer/change-set validation checks table and field existence, types, grouping, App dependencies, aliases, joins, and protected tables. Runtime compilation quotes identifiers and binds values as parameters.

View authorization

For an interactive user, all of these must allow the request:

FW_AppAccess.canOpen=true for the App that owns the View.
A Role/Duty/Privilege that includes the View name in views.
Read permission for every source and joined table.
Every row scope applied to those source tables.

The same checks apply to the schema, JSON data, and CSV export endpoints. A scoped service token is the separate integration path described in Connect Power BI to the View API.

Chart artifacts

A Chart references one View and reuses it in one or more Forms. Supported types are bar, line, pie, donut, and kpi.

{
  "kind": "chart",
  "name": "SALES_CustomerTotalsChart",
  "label": "Sales by customer",
  "app": "sales",
  "model": "Analytics",
  "layer": "DEV",
  "type": "bar",
  "view": "SALES_CustomerTotalsView",
  "dimension": "customer",
  "measures": [{ "field": "total", "label": "Sales", "color": "#2563eb" }],
  "legend": true,
  "stacked": false
}

Non-KPI Charts require a dimension from the View output. A KPI requires exactly one measure. Chart authorization is inherited from the referenced View privilege and source-table read permissions.

Embed a Chart in a Form

Add charts to a Form or Form Extension. Each entry chooses a half or full width and binds View parameters from the current record or a literal.

{
  "charts": [
    {
      "chart": "SALES_CustomerTotalsChart",
      "width": "full",
      "parameterBindings": [
        { "parameter": "fromDate", "source": "literal", "value": "2026-01-01" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Use { "source": "record", "field": "customerId" } when a View parameter should come from a current-record field. Embedded Charts render after Form groups and before line grids. A new record that does not yet supply a required record-bound parameter asks the user to save first. Unauthorized Charts are omitted from Form metadata, and direct View or Chart calls return an authorization error.

Apache ECharts is bundled locally; no CDN is required. The generated component resizes with its container and disposes its ECharts instance when removed.

Metadata · Security · Web Designer · Power BI