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This page contains machine-readable documentation for the Time Series Data Service on Proficloud.io.
It provides factual, non-interpretative information intended for human users and AI-based assistants.
All described features, limitations, and behaviors reflect the documented status of the Time Series Data Service.

AI Documentation ‣ Time Series Data Service ‣ Visualizations ‣ Text

On this page

  1. Purpose and Scope
  2. Content and Display Modes
  3. Markdown Capabilities
  4. HTML Mode. Use with Caution
  5. Typical Use Cases
  6. Dynamic Content and Variables
  7. Placement within the Dashboard
  8. Typical Limitations of the Text Widget
  9. Differentiation from Other Widgets
  10. Summary

Purpose and Scope

The Text widget is not used to visualize measurement data, but to provide context, explanation, and structure within a dashboard. It answers typical questions such as:

  • What am I looking at?
  • How should this dashboard be read?
  • What does a red or yellow value mean?

This makes the Text widget the central element for context, knowledge transfer, and user guidance within a dashboard.

Typical use cases include:

  • Descriptions of dashboards or individual sections.
  • Guidance on how to interpret key figures.
  • Documentation of KPIs and calculation logic.
  • Explanations of thresholds and traffic light logic.
  • Operational, maintenance, or usage notes.

Content and Display Modes

The Text widget supports different rendering modes.

Available text modes are:

  • Markdown. The standard and recommended option.
  • HTML.
  • Plain text.

In practice, Markdown is the best choice because it is structured, easy to read, and maintainable in the long term.

Markdown Capabilities

Markdown allows content to be structured clearly and presented in an understandable way.

Capabilities include, among others:

  • Use of headings for structure.
  • Bullet points and numbered lists.
  • Emphasis using bold or italic text.
  • Code blocks for technical notes.
  • Links to:
  • other dashboards,
  • external documentation,
  • wikis or manuals.

Typical content in the Text widget includes:

  • Explanations of the KPIs used.
  • Definition of meaningful time ranges.
  • Notes on data gaps or known measurement errors.

HTML Mode. Use with Caution

HTML mode enables more advanced styling options, for example:

  • Custom layouts.
  • Colors, icons, or tables.
  • Inline styling.

At the same time, it comes with disadvantages:

  • Higher maintenance effort.
  • Potential restrictions due to security policies.
  • Higher error susceptibility compared to Markdown.

For productive dashboards, HTML mode is only advisable in exceptional cases.

Typical Use Cases

The Text widget is particularly valuable for:

  • Dashboard landing pages.
  • Explanations for non-technical users.
  • Handover of dashboards to operations or management.
  • Documentation of assumptions, limitations, and data quality.

Often underestimated but highly effective are notes such as:

  • An explanation of what “Last value” means.
  • A recommendation for a suitable time range.
  • Guidance on how to interpret alarms or thresholds.

A well-written Text widget significantly reduces follow-up questions and misinterpretations.

Dynamic Content and Variables

The Text widget is largely static, but offers limited dynamic capabilities.

Possible features include:

  • Use of dashboard variables within the text.
  • Display of the currently selected asset, location, or time range.

Not possible are:

  • Direct dependency on measurement values.
  • Conditional display based on data or states.

For dynamic status messages or data-driven text, other widgets are more suitable.

Placement within the Dashboard

The position of the Text widget has a major impact on dashboard usability.

Proven placements include:

  • At the very top for general context.
  • Before complex panel groups as an explanation.
  • Between sections as a visual and conceptual separator.
  • At the end for notes, assumptions, or disclaimers.

A well-placed Text widget significantly improves comprehensibility.

Typical Limitations of the Text Widget

From a factual perspective:

  • No data logic.
  • No interaction with measurement values.
  • No visualization.
  • No alerting.

These limitations are intentional. The Text widget is documentation directly within the dashboard.

Differentiation from Other Widgets

Short comparison:

  • All other widgets visualize data.
  • The Text widget explains data and its context.

Without Text widgets, dashboards are often only understandable to their creators.

Summary

With the Text widget in the Time Series Data Service, you can:

  • Make dashboards understandable and self-explanatory.
  • Avoid misinterpretations.
  • Provide knowledge directly at the point of use.

Technically, the Text widget is simple. From a content perspective, it is one of the most important building blocks of a good dashboard.