Filter

Use

A filter is an object that describes a multidimensional extract 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. By segmenting the data set, you can ensure that users or user groups only have access to the data that is relevant to them and can only see the relevant data areas in an application scenario.

Filters can be saved for reuse in other contexts.

Features

The filter selection restricts the entire query. All the InfoProvider data is aggregated using the filter selection of the query. You can select characteristics from the directory tree of the InfoProvider and restrict them to individual characteristic values; you can also select individual characteristic values or a key figure.

Decide whether to base all the query data on the numerical values of just one key figure or to base it on multiple key figures. If you want to base the query on the numerical values of just one key figure, select the relevant key figure for the InfoProvider tree and drag it to Filter. You can also use a restricted or calculated key figure.

By selecting default values, you can create a query that is based on extensive data, but for which only a specific part of the data is displayed when the query is executed; this data that is displayed is the data in which you are most interested. You can then change the filter and analyze the remaining data as well. For example, all the customers in a query are to be analyzed, but in the initial state of the query, you only want to see specific customers.

You can also change the filter definition and include new objects, for example. If you change the reusable filter, these changes are applied everywhere the filter is used.

You can also change the filter locally, for example by placing the object below the reusable filter instead of in it. In this way, the reusable filter and the local filter object are used in this query.

Filters that contain key figures cannot be saved as reusable objects. These filters are always local objects of the query. This is not a restriction, because you can always combine a reusable filter and a local filter. You can use the reusable filter with the characteristic values and also add a key figure to the local filter.

Activities

Defining Filters

In Query Designer, specify the filter by using drag and drop to drag the following objects from InfoProvider to Characteristic Restrictions area on the left of Filter.
- Characteristics: Restrict the characteristics to the required characteristic values, to characteristic value intervals, hierarchy nodes, or variables.
- One or more characteristic values
- A key figure
  
  Note
  
  Note in this case that the query is not allowed to contain any other key figures in the rows or columns.
Drag the required default values for the initial state of the query to Default Values on the right of the screen.
You can define default values in the same way as characteristic restrictions. By specifying these values, you set the initial filter state for the query when it is executed.

Note

If you restrict a characteristic to a variable in the default values, users can override the variable value or values at runtime. This enables users to change the default values of variables at runtime.

More information: Defining Default Values for Variables to Allow Overwriting

Making Filters Reusable

If you want to save the filter as a reusable object, choose Save Filter in the context menu for the filter and enter a technical name and a description.

Using Reusable Filters Locally in a Query

Drag a reusable filter from InfoProvider to Filter.
Select the reusable filter and chose Remove Reference from the context menu..
In this way, you use the reusable filter locally in this query. Any changes you make to the reusable filter are no longer applied to the local filter.