Report parameters

In this procedure we use report parameters for communication between reports in dashboards. A discussion of report parameters is outside the scope of this tutorial, but this procedure provides a basic example of one approach to their use.

Previously we linked the Tutorial10 report and the Deviation Chart report with a jump. We used variables to ensure that the Period, Measure and Region selected in Tutorial10 were automatically selected when we jumped to the Deviation Chart report. Although report jumps work in dashboards, it is more likely that you will display two or more linked reports together in the same dashboard. If we were to place the Tutorial10 and Deviation Chart reports in a dashboard, we would not require the jump action. But, to update Deviation Chart with our Period, Measure, and Region selections would require refreshing the entire dashboard. This is impracticable, particularly in a dashboard with multiple reports, some of which might not be linked. We can use report parameters to update linked reports in a dashboard, without having to refresh the dashboard.

In this procedure, both reports share the same global variables. But you can use report parameters to link multiple reports which merely refer to the same lookup list or which use only report variables.

If you have access to Dashboards add Tutorial10 and Deviation Chart to a dashboard. Notice that, if you select a different region, for example, the region in Deviation Chart does not update.

To use report parameters to link the reports in a dashboard:

Note: If you have created your own variables for the Period, Measure, and Region hierarchies, select those variables rather than the specified variables.
  1. In Design mode, open the Tutorial10 report.
  2. Right-click Tutorial10 in the Report Catalog and select Report Parameters.
    The Report Parameters dialog box is displayed.
  3. Click Add a report parameter.
    A blank field is created in the Variable column.
  4. Select gv_Time2 from the list of global variables.
  5. In the Type column, select Element.
  6. In the same way, add the gv_Measure2 variable and the gv_Region2 variable.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Open the Deviation Chart report.
  9. Right-click Deviation Chart in the Report Catalog and select Report Parameters.
  10. Repeat Steps 3 to 7.
If you again add the reports to a dashboard, notice that the selections you make in Tutorial10 now automatically update the Deviation Chart report.