Analyzing the output

Tracker generates an SQLite database with entries for each detected component usage and, by default, writes it to usages.sqlite.gz in the current directory. You have a few ways to visualize this data.

Local report

The easiest way to visualize the Tracker data is by generating a report using

npx radius-tracker report

To view, host the report files on an http server, for example, using npx serve ./radius-tracker-report on a local machine.

This report is entirely self-contained without external references. See the CI integration guide for archiving.

ObservableHQ

We are using the sample ObservableHQ report (opens in a new tab) as a template for the local reports. To make changes in that report:

1. Fork the sample report (opens in a new tab)
2. Replace the attached database with the Tracker database you generated

Custom templates for local reports

You can use a fork of an ObservableHQ report as a template for a local report generator. See above for forking the default report. Get an export link from Export → Download code of a report you want to use. See ObservableHQ export documentation (opens in a new tab) for details.

Paste the link into the following command to generate a report template:

npx radius-tracker report-generate-template https://your-export-url

You can then generate the report using your template:

npx radius-tracker report --template=./path/to/template

While this is the same mechanism we use to generate the bundled report template, this is an experimental feature. Report templates are supposed to be self-contained, and the generator is tightly coupled with the default report to support that. The API of the report generator is unstable, and there's no guarantee that it will work for you.

Alternative reporting tools

If you want to run an analysis not covered by the default Tracker report, you can connect the usages database to various data analysis tools.

Both Tableau and Power BI support SQLite as a data source using an SQLite ODBC Driver. Take a look at the documentation for Tableau (opens in a new tab) and for Power BI. (opens in a new tab)

Keep track of the schemaVersion (opens in a new tab) in the meta table — your reports might need to be updated if the schema changes between Tracker version upgrades.