The Centercode Data Engine is the beating heart of the Centercode platform, allowing you to gather, compare, display, and utilize data in a huge number of ways!
This article applies to All editions.
The core idea behind the Centercode Data Engine is that all of the data collected will fall under the umbrella of one of three core data objects: User, Feedback, and Project. Each of these core data objects can have extensions of data, which can take many different forms.
When a user fills out a user profile indicating their demographics or their interests, each one of those fields used to collect data becomes an extension of that user's record in the system. The data can come from forms your users fill out, such as surveys, profiles, and the direct feedback they provide within projects. It can also include implicitly generated data, data that the Centercode platform collects for you such as log-in tracking data; when, where, and how users are accessing the platform.
Where the Centercode Data Engine really shines is combining and reusing that data throughout the platform. Each new piece of data collected extends, enhances, and enriches the data you've already collected! This data can be combined and reused in many many ways all throughout the platform.
Here are just a few examples:
Filters and Views (more info)
The Centercode Data Engine's system of Filters and Views allows you to explicitly define WHAT data you want to see (the View, which determines the columns on your data table) and WHICH pieces of data you want presented to you (the Filter, which determines the rows on your data table).
Reporting Engine (more info)
Utilizing the same framework and data sets as Views and Filters you can build a custom report sourced around any of the 3 aforementioned core data sets: User, Feedback, or Project data. Based on what data you provide the Centercode Data Engine will automatically present you a number of different ways to visualize the data. For example, if you're generating a report on a single multiple choice answer question from a survey the reporting engine will know that this data can be charted, and present you with a number of different chart options to choose from. If you pull in two axes of data it will know these can be charted dual-dimensionally and present you with those options.
Macros and Automation (more info)
You can even use the data you've already collected to automate certain aspects of the platform! You can design macros to trigger emails to your Admin or Support staff based on specific responses to surveys or feedback forms or set your project up to automatically segment your users into appropriate teams as they join a project.