Key Differences Between Q and Displayr

The key differences between the Q and Displayr user interfaces fall into four broad categories:

• General look and feel
• More can be done in Displayr
• Changes in terminology
• Things that are done differently in Displayr, include:
  • Adding and updating data sets
  • Tables are created by dragging and dropping
  • Statistics are added via the object inspector
  • Filters and weights are created and applied in the object inspector
  • Statistical testing is applied and modified in the object inspector
  • Modify variables and variable sets in the Data Sets tree and the object inspector
  • Create new variables by inserting them into the Data Sets tree
  • View and edit raw data in the Data Editor
  • Export to web pages, PowerPoint, etc. from the Publish menu 
  • Trace dependencies using links and the interactive Dependency Graph 
  • Go back in time to older versions using Version History

General look and feel

Whereas Q has three main tabs, Output, Variables and Questions, and the Data tab, Displayr's user interface is designed so that just about everything is done on a single screen. 

More can be done in Displayr

As discussed in Displayr Supports a More Efficient Workflow (Than Q), Displayr does both analysis and reporting, whereas Q is primarily analysis only. More specifically, Displayr allows you to:

• Create Stories at the Same Time as Doing Analysis
• Easily Share Beautiful Data Stories
• Automate report creation and updating (see Automatic Updating, Duplicate & Modify, and Extensibility)
• Perform simple Excel-like calculations (see Calculate Anything).

Changes in terminology

There are differences in terminology between Q and Displayr. Displayr uses terminology more consistently and is more aligned to standard data analysis terminology. The most common differences in terminology are:

Things that are done differently in Displayr

Adding and updating data sets

Data sets are added by pressing the + button next to Data Sets. Data sets are updated by selecting the data set and then clicking Update in the object inspector (the panel on the right side of the screen, which shows the properties of whatever is selected).

Tables are created by dragging and dropping

Summary tables are created by dragging data onto the page.

Crosstabs are created by dragging data onto the summary analyses.

Banners are also created by dragging onto an existing crosstab.

Statistics are added via the object inspector

Statistics, such as sample size, are added to tables by selecting the table and then choosing the relevant statistic from the Inputs tab in the object inspector.

Filters and weights are created and applied in the object inspector

Filters and weights are applied, and created, by selecting the output that you want to weight/filter, and then using the options for FILTERS & WEIGHT in the object inspector. You can also turn existing variables into filters and weights by selecting the variables, and checking Properties > Usable as a filter or Usable as a weight.

Statistical testing is applied and modified in the object inspector

Statistical testing options are accessed by first selecting a table, and then choosing the options from Properties > Significance.

Rules are added and modified in the object inspector

Rules, such as conditional formatting, are applied by selecting the chart or table of interest and creating a rule in the Properties tab. Right-click on a rule to see additional options.

Modify variables and variable sets in the Data Sets tree and the object inspector

Variables and variable sets are modified either by directly interacting with them in the Data Sets tree, which is located at the bottom-left of the screen. For example, reorder by dragging, and split by right-clicking on them.

Other properties of variables and variable sets are modified by selecting the variables and modifying their properties in the object inspector. For example, press Values if you wish to recode the values.

Create new variables by inserting them into the Data Sets tree

New variables are created by hovering over the variables in the Data Sets tree and pressing the + button.

There are a large number of things that can be done this way, including:

• Creating a Weight (which can also be done by selecting a table and using the object inspector).
• Creating a Banner (which can also be created by going to Anything > Data > Variables > New > Banner, see How to Create and Customize a Banner.
• Custom Code, for creating new variables in the R and JavaScript languages.
• Filters (which can also be done by selecting a table and using the object inspector).
• Ready-Made New Variables, which includes automated tools for standard ways of creating new variables (e.g., NPS, scaling).
• Text Categorization

If the new variable needs to be created using an existing variable as an input (e.g., Ready-Made New Variables > Numeric Variable(s) from Code/Category Midpoints or Filter > Filters From Selected Data), you will need to first select the input variables.

View and edit raw data in the Data Editor

To view raw data in Displayr, select the variables from Data Sets tree, right-click, and select View in Data Editor.

Export to web pages, PowerPoint, etc. from the Publish menu 

Displayr documents are published as dashboards or can be exported to Excel, PowerPoint, or PDFs. The data can be exported as .SAV, .CSV files, and QPacks from the Publish menu.

Trace dependencies using links and the interactive Dependency Graph

When you select an object, any inputs are shown in the object inspector. For example, the select table has two inputs: Rows and Columns. When you hover over the inputs, a link is shown to the source of the data. You can click on the link and you will be taken to the data.

You view all the dependencies of any data by right-clicking on it and selecting Dependency Graph. 

Go back in time to older versions using Version History

Every 10 minutes, Displayr auto-saves a new version of your document, as well as every time you publish or re-publish the document. Each version is kept for 24 hours. Eventually, this will gradually be thinned until 48 weeks, at which time only one version per 4-week period will be retained. Go to Version History to see the older versions.

You can :

• Download an older version, and then upload it again as a new document (see How to Create a Displayr Document Using a QPack).
• Press Use this version to replace the most recent version.

See also

How to Create a Displayr Document Using a QPack

How to Update Your Displayr Document via Q