DataLaVista™¶
Frequently asked questions¶
This page answers the questions people ask most often about DataLaVista. It is for anyone deciding whether to use it, or wondering why something works the way it does. If something is not working, see Troubleshooting.
Does DataLaVista cost anything?¶
No. DataLaVista is free. Anyone can use it, share it, and change it, under the terms of the GNU General Public License. The project README has the full license text and the credits.
Where does my data go?¶
Usually nowhere new. DataLaVista works inside your web browser. It reads your data from where it already is, such as a SharePoint list or a file, and does all its work on your own computer. DataLaVista has no server of its own. A dashboard you publish to SharePoint stays in your SharePoint site.
There are two cases where data does move:
- A file you upload from your computer is saved inside the dashboard file. If you share that dashboard file, the other person gets a copy of your data too.
- A file on another website sometimes cannot be opened directly. DataLaVista then asks whether it may fetch the file through a relay. A relay is a public service on the internet that downloads the file and passes it on. If you say yes, the relay sees the file's address and its whole contents, and your yes applies to every file from that website until you reload the page. Never say yes for confidential or regulated data. Instead, put the file in a document library on your own SharePoint site, which never needs a relay.
The Compliance page lists the protections in DataLaVista and what they do not cover.
Does DataLaVista replace Power BI, Tableau, or other BI tools?¶
Not fully, and it does not try to. DataLaVista is quick to set up and easy to use. That makes it a good fit for smaller reports, one-time questions, a first look at new data, and reports on SharePoint lists, which the bigger tools often handle poorly. For very large data, reports that refresh on a schedule, or reporting for a whole organization, one of the bigger tools is still the better choice.
Why is my dashboard slow?¶
All the work happens in the browser of the person looking at the dashboard. Speed depends on their computer and on how much data the dashboard loads. On the Query tab, keep only the fields you need and filter out the rows you do not need. Fewer charts and tables on one dashboard also helps.
Can DataLaVista connect to a database on our network?¶
Not directly. A web browser is not allowed to open a connection to a database such as SQL Server or Oracle. Export the data to a CSV, Excel, JSON, XML, or SQLite file, or load it into a SharePoint list, and connect DataLaVista to that instead. A future version may add a way to reach a database through a service that your IT team would have to run.
Why does a file on another website fail to load?¶
The website that holds the file has to allow other websites to read it. If it does not, your browser blocks the download, and you see an empty result or a message about the file. The simplest fix is to put the file in a document library on your own SharePoint site, which always works. See Troubleshooting for other causes.
Which file types can I load?¶
CSV, JSON, XML, Excel (.xlsx and .xls), and SQLite (.sqlite and .db)
files. Inside a SharePoint site, you can also connect to the site's lists. The
Connect to data guide has the details.
Where do I get the latest version?¶
Download the files from the dist folder on GitHub. Each release on GitHub offers the same files. The SharePoint install guide explains how to update a SharePoint site to a newer version.
How do I cite DataLaVista?¶
Mongefranco, Gabriel; Gluskin, Jeremy; Boa, Shelley (2026). DataLaVista™. University of Michigan. Software. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19245606
Conclusion¶
If your question is not here, the guides on the help home explain each step in more detail. To ask something new, open an issue on GitHub.