Start of Content Area

Function documentation Filters  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Use

A filter is an object that describes a multidimensional segment of data from a data set. Filters are used in reporting, analysis and planning, for example, to restrict data to a certain business area, certain product groups or certain time periods. You segment data in this way so that users or user groups only have access to the data that is relevant to them or so that only certain data areas are available within an application scenario.

Within BI Integrated Planning, filters determine the selection of data upon which a planning function is executed. A planning sequence comprises a set of planning functions. A filter is assigned to each of these functions.

Example

You want to revaluate the transaction data in your InfoProviders by a factor of 10%. However, you only want to perform the revaluation for certain groups of customers. To do this, you create a filter that contains the group of customers for which you want to revaluate data.

Filters can be reused in planning functions and in queries.

Integration

You can create multiple filters for an InfoProvider. You do this using the Planning Modeler or Planning Wizard or the Query Designer. In the Planning Modeler or Planning Wizard, you can only define filters on aggregation levels.

For more information about filters in the query, see the documentation on the Query Designer under Filter

Prerequisites

To create a filter and use it in BI Integrated Planning, you need an aggregation level. For more information, see Aggregation Levels.

Features

You choose the characteristics that you want to restrict from the characteristics of an aggregation level and add them to the filter.

A filter has the following components:

Filter Components

Element

Description

Characteristic restrictions

In the restriction dialog, you further restrict the characteristic using single values, value ranges, hierarchy nodes and variables. These characteristic restrictions determine the selection of data for a filter.

Default values

Default values are only relevant in queries. They can be defined in the same way as characteristic restrictions. They define the initial filter status of the query upon execution.

To specify selections of data that are time dependent, for example if you want to determine a time-dependent hierarchy for time-dependent hierarchy node selections, you specify a Filter Key Date.

Note

You use the delivered variable 0PLANDATA with characteristic 0CALDAY to synchronize key dates in queries, filters, characteristic relationships, data slices and planning functions. In this way you ensure that the same key date is used in these objects.

The function of a filter depends on whether you are using it in a planning function or in a query.

Filters in Planning Functions

In planning functions, a filter on the characteristic restrictions describes the data for which a planning function is executed.

Selections in the default values are not consulted when the planning function is executed.

You use a key date for the filter to determine time-dependent selections.

Filters in Queries

The values defined in the characteristic restrictions restrict the data that is available for further filtering at runtime of a query. You cannot apply a filter to a characteristic value that is not included in this value set.

The default values determine the initial filter status of the query.

The settings Changeable upon Execution and Only Single Value generally refer to the use of filters with a query.

Changeable upon Execution determines whether you can change the values selected in the characteristic restrictions when you execute the query. This setting is a prerequisite for the definition of default values for a characteristic.

If you select the Changeable upon Execution option, you can use the Only Single Value option to specify that you want to use a single value only for filtering the query.

For more information about filters in queries, see the documentation on the Query Designer under Filter.

Activities

You are in the Planning Modeler on the Filter tab page. In the Filter Selection screen area, you can create, copy, delete, change, check, save and activate filters.

Creating Filters

...

       1.      To create a filter, choose Create.

       2.      In the Create Filter screen area, enter a technical name and a description for the filter that you want to create.

       3.      In the Aggregation Level Selection screen area, choose the required aggregation level. If you do not enter a search term and choose Start, the system shows all the aggregation levels available in your system.

Choose Transfer. In the lower screen area of the Planning Modeler, the system displays the Filter and Settings tab pages.

       4.      On the Filter tab page, choose the characteristics that you want to restrict.

Note

You can adapt the display of the characteristics according to your requirements (display with key, text, key/text or text/key).

Add the characteristics that you want to restrict to the list. You can add individual characteristics to the list or all characteristics in the aggregation level (choose Add or Add All).

       5.      Select the characteristic that you want to restrict and choose the symbol for input help in the column after Characteristic Restrictions. The dialog box for determining characteristic restriction appears.

Note

You can choose single values, value ranges and hierarchy nodes or variables as required. You can also transfer values from the history or from favorites.

You can choose one of the following views to select single values, value ranges and hierarchy nodes or variables:

        All Values to display all characteristic values

        Search  to search for a specific characteristic value or hierarchy node

        Value Range to define value ranges (such as intervals)

        Variables to select or create a variable

        All Nodes to display and select hierarchy nodes

       6.      In the list of values, select one or more values, value ranges or hierarchy nodes and choose Insert and save the relevant selection by choosing OK. The system transfers the relevant settings to the list of restricted characteristics.

       7.      You can make further restrictions by choosing Show Enhanced Settings:

       Changeable upon Execution (determines whether the characteristic restrictions can be changed at execution)

If you select the Changeable upon Execution option, you can make further settings:

       Default Value Choose the symbol in the column after Default Value. The dialog box for determining the default value appears. Proceed as when restricting the characteristic values.

       8.      On the Settings tab page, you set the key date.

       9.      To save the definition of the filter, choose Save.

   10.      To check that the filter definition is consistent, choose Check.

Note

Even when the check for a filter is not successful, you can save the filter in the Planning Modeler or Planning Wizard (like in the Query Designer). This allows you to save filters that have characteristic values that are not yet available and create these filters in the system later. The system performs a consistency check when it executes the filter, before the filter is used.

 

End of Content Area