Filter

A filter is an object that describes a multidimensional extract of data from a data set. Filters are used in reporting, analysis and planning, to restrict data to a certain business area, certain product groups, or certain time periods for example. 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.

In BW-integrated planning, the filters specify the data selection for 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 Example

You want to revaluate the transaction data in your InfoProvider by 10%. However, you only want the revaluation to be applied to specific customer groups. You can do this by creating a filter that contains the customer groups that you want to revaluate.

End of the example.

Filters can be reused in planning functions and queries.

Integration

You can create various filters for an InfoProvider. You do this using Planning Modeler or Query Designer. In Planning Modeler,, you can define filters on aggregation levels only. You can also specify a filter key date in Planning Modeler, which is not possible in Query Designer.

Prerequisites

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

Features

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

A filter is made up of the following:

Filter Components
Element	Description
Characteristic Restrictions	In the restriction dialog, you restrict the characteristic using single values, value ranges, hierarchy nodes and variables. These characteristic restrictions define 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 when it is executed.

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 Note

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

End of the note.

The function of a filter depends on whether you use 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 ignored when the planning function is executed.

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

Filters in a Query

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

The default values define the initial filter state of the query.

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

Changeable upon Execution defines whether you can change the values selected in the characteristic restrictions when executing the query. This setting is a prerequisite for defining 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 to filter the query.

Activities

For more information on creating and changing filters, see the Planning Modeler documentation under Editing Filters; for more information on creating and changing filters, see the Query Designer documentation under Filters.