Data Area tab
A data area specifies the slice of data to filter.
Often you want to filter the slice that you are looking at in the report (for example, you have a report showing product sales in 2006 but you create a filter to exclude sales in that year below a certain amount). But, sometimes you want to filter a different slice (for example, you want to view only the current year’s results where some criteria in a previous year was met).
To define the data area, select the check box. Each dimension and hierarchy of the cube is listed. For each dimension, select one or more elements by clicking in the Elements column of the data area. If you select more than one element for a dimension, you must also select a method from the Method list.
Options of the Data Area tab
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Use data filter | Select to use the data filter. If the check box is not selected, the filter definitions are not applied. |
| Data Area | Specify the cell values of the cube, according to which the data are filtered. If you do not select an element, the filter is determined by the options "Only consider aggregate elements" and "Only consider base elements". |
| Cube | Select the cube containing the dimension to filter. |
| Method | The method determines what happens to the cell values of the value range if you specify more than one element for a dimension within the data area. The values are combined into one value if any of the aggregate methods (Sum, Min, Max or Average) is selected. |
| Suppress empty cells | Select to hide empty cells. |
| Only consider aggregate elements | Select to consider only aggregate elements. Filtering on the complete dimension can have a significant impact on performance. If you have not selected any elements of a dimension (that is, it is still marked *) this option restricts the filter so that it only looks at aggregate elements. This option does not apply to the dimension on which you have created the filter. For that dimension, a filter will always look at both total and base elements. So, when you use this option, your results may still include one or more base elements. |
| Only consider base elements | Select to consider only elements of the lowest level. This option affects all dimensions, including that on which you have created the filter. |
Overview of the methods
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimum value | The element with the lowest value passes through the filter. |
| Maximum value | The element with the highest value passes through the filter. |
| Sum of all values | Sums the values of the elements. If the sum meets the condition, the element passes through the filter. |
| Average of all values | Calculates the average value of the elements. If the value meets the condition, the element passes through the filter. |
| Any value | If one of the values meets the condition, the element passes through the filter. Then the next value will be searched. |
| Every value | All values of the selected elements must meet the condition. Those elements pass through the filter. |
Choosing a method is necessary only if you have selected more than one element of a dimension in the data area.
.List
You can use the .List property to filter one client list displayed in a list view by the members of another list.
The browse button in the Elements column of the Data Area tab displays the Select Elements dialog. In the Select Elements dialog you can select elements, or you can select global lists or global variables.
To use the .List property, expand Global lists and select the list by which to filter.
The right-hand pane of the dialog displays =GlobalLists.[list_name].text. Edit this to display =GlobalLists.[list_name].list. The client list is then filtered by all the members of the specified list.
=GlobalLists.[list_name].text filters by the first element of the specified list. =GlobalLists.[list_name].list filters by all the elements of the specified list.
An example of using .List to suppress zero values is given in the Application Studio Advanced Help. Select .