# Data Sources perspective

In the Data Sources perspective you can find various types of data sources which you can employ in a dashboard. These allow you to access the data that you want to use in your dashboard.

![Data Sources perspective](/files/7CkLE0zK0aN59DHESg7t)

The data source perspective is divided into three sections. The left pane lists the supported data source types, grouped by category. Once selected, the data sources are grouped by category in the middle **Datasources** pane. The **Properties** pane on the right displays the properties you’ll need to set for each data source, such as connection information, the actual query, parameters, column configuration, and output columns.

For information on data sources, properties, queries, and parameters, see the following topics:

* [List of data sources](/pba-ctools/cde-dashboard-overview/community-dashboard-editor-cde-perspectives-ctools/data-sources-perspective-ctools-cde/list-of-data-sources.md)
* [Common properties](/pba-ctools/cde-dashboard-overview/community-dashboard-editor-cde-perspectives-ctools/data-sources-perspective-ctools-cde/common-properties.md)
* [Queries with parameters](/pba-ctools/cde-dashboard-overview/community-dashboard-editor-cde-perspectives-ctools/data-sources-perspective-ctools-cde/queries-with-parameters.md)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.pentaho.com/pba-ctools/cde-dashboard-overview/community-dashboard-editor-cde-perspectives-ctools/data-sources-perspective-ctools-cde.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
