Concepts → Applied Filter
About an applied filter
An applied filter is a type of dashboard filter. An applied filter is a filter expression that affects all applicable insights on all tabs of the given dashboard.
An applied filter behaves the same way as a default filter option. The difference between an applied filter and a filter option is that a dashboard consumer without Edit access rights to the dashboard is not aware of an applied filter.
A dashboard developer creates one or more applied filters.
A dashboard developer with Edit access rights to a dashboard can create and edit one or more applied filters. Here's how:
- In the Action bar of a dashboard, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
- In the More Options menu, select Dashboard Filters Manager.
- In Dashboard Filters Manager, in the Data panel, drag & drop a column or formula to the Applied Filters tray.
- Configure the properties of the applied filter pill.
Valid references in a filter expression for an applied filter pill
As a filter expression, an applied filter pill consists of least one filterable column, a filter operator, and at least one filter value. A filterable column for an applied filter can be a data-backed column or a formula column from:
- an alias
- a physical schema table
- an Incorta Analyzer table
- a materialized View
- a business Schema View
- an Incorta Analyzer View
The join relationships between physical schema tables affect a filter expression. For example, when the filterable column is from a parent table, the filter expression automatically applies to all the dashboard insights related to this table’s child tables. However, if the filterable column is from a child table, the filter expression does not affect the insights related to the parent tables.
A filterable column from an Incorta Analyzer View will only affect an in insight on a dashboard that queries that specific Incorta Analyzer View.
Certain filter operators afford various options for selecting one or more filter values. For example, the In and Not In operators allow for the selection of none, one or more, or all filter values.
A filter value for an applied filter can be a scalar value, array of scalar values, or a reference to a variable as follows:
- a filter expression session variable
- an internal session variable
- an external session variable
- a global variable
- a defined presentation variable for the dashboard
- a date system variable
- a miscellaneous system variable
You can also define an applied filter as a filter expression using the Formula Builder.
A common design pattern is to define a presentation variable as a filter value for an applied filter. You can manually add the value to the dialog using the $ reference.
A global variable is unsupported. It is possible to reference a global variable in a formula expression. It is not possible to make an explicit reference to a global variable as a filter value.
View access rights
In order to reference a column or variable in a filter expression, you must have View access privileges to the grandparent object (schema or business schema) or the variable. A global variable is available to all users.
About an applicable insight for an applied filter pill
The joins between the physical schema tables and the query plan for an insight measure determine whether or not the filterable column affects the insight. For example, a physical schema column in a parent table serves as a filterable column for a measure in a child table. However, a physical schema column from a child table is not a filterable column for a parent table, even when it is the foreign key reference.
You can use the In Query operator in a filter expression to filter the parent table values using a query or queryDistinct built-in function. The query or queryDistinct built-in functions can reference a child table column (or any other table with no relation to the parent table) to generate the filter values.
For a filterable column, an applicable insight meets one of the following conditions:
- The filterable column is a key, dimension, or measure column in the insight.
- The filterable column has a sibling column from the same physical schema table, and that sibling is a dimension or measure for the insight.
- The filterable column is a dimension or key that shares a measure on the insight from a common child table with other dashboard insights.
If an applicable insight already contains an insight filter, an applied filter will complement the insight filter based on a common filterable column as described above.
An insight that queries an Incorta Analyzer View is an applicable insight for a dashboard filter or dashboard runtime filter only for filterable columns from the Incorta Analyzer View.
Properties for an applied filter pill as a column
The following are the properties of the applied filter pill that uses a column.
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column name | label | Displays the fully-qualified name |
| Column Label | text box | Optional. Enter the display name for the column. A dashboard user will not see this value. |
| Operator | drop down list | Specify the default operator for the filter expression. Depending on the data type of the applied filter pill, operators will differ. The selected operator also affects the available controls for specifying the default filter values. |
| Values | text box | This option is available when the selected operator is In Query. Enter an expression using the Formula Builder. In the Formula Builder, you can specify a reference for a filter expression session variable, internal session variable, external session variable, presentation variable, date system variable, miscellaneous system variable. |
| Values | target box | This option is available when the select operator is First Version or Last Version. Drag and drop from the Data panel a column to the target box. |
| Values → Search values | text box | Enter a search term to search for specific values. |
| Values → Select All | checkbox | This property is available only when the selected operator allows for multiple values. Select to enable. Deselect to clear the selected list. |
| Values → Edit in Bulk | link | Select to enter multiple values in bulk by entering or copying and pasting an array of delimited values, either Comma or Line Break delimited. Select Done. This property is available only when the selected operator allows for multiple values. |
| Values → Case Sensitive | button toggle | Enable to match both the value text and letter case. This property is available only when you select a filter operator that requires string input, such as Starts With, Ends With, and Contains. |
| Values → Add | text box, checkbox, radial, calendar, calendar with time picker, or level | Depending on the selected filter operator and the related data type of the prompt column, you can select the default filter values for the filter expression. You can manually reference a filter expression session variable, internal session variable, external session variable, presentation variable, date system variable, miscellaneous system variable. This property is available only when the selected operator requires one or more values. |
You can specify a presentation variable for the filter value of an applied filter. The presentation variable data type needs to match the data type of the filterable column.
Properties for an applied filter pill as a formula
In order for an applied filter to actually function as a dashboard filter, it must be a complete filter expression. As such, the formula expression encapsulates the filterable column or filterable columns within the filter expression.
Here is an example of formula for an applied filter that represents a calculated value as a partial filter expression.
SALES.SALES.AMOUNT_SOLD - SALES.SALES.COST_OF_GOODS
In this example, the two columns in the calculation serve as the filterable columns in the filter expression. The data type for the formula result determines the available filter operators. The formula result determines the available filter values.
For a formula that represent a partial expression, a dashboard developer must complete the filter expression in the properties panel by specifying the filter operator and the filter values.
It is also possible to specify a filter expression session variable as a dynamic property.
The following are the properties of an applied filter pill that is a formula:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column Label | text box | Required. Enter the display name for the column. A dashboard user will not see this value. |
| Dynamic | toggle | Enable this option to select an external session variable or a filter expression session variable. |
| Dynamic → Values → Search values | text box | Enter a search term to search for the name of an external session variable or a filter expression session variable. |
| Dynamic → Values | radial | Select an external session variable or a filter expression session variable. Visible only when Dynamic is enabled. To view the variable value, select the Inspector (magnifying glass icon) in the right gutter. |
| Formula | text box | Select to open the Formula Builder to create the filter expression. Visible only when Dynamic is disabled. |
| Operator | drop down list | Specify the default operator for the filter expression. In the case where the formula represents a complete filter expression cases, select either True or False. In the case where the formula represents a partial filter expression, then select the relevant operator. |
| Values | text box | This option is available when the selected operator is In Query. Enter an expression using the Formula Builder. In the Formula Builder, you can specify a reference for a filter expression session variable, internal session variable, external session variable, presentation variable, date system variable, miscellaneous system variable. |
| Values | target box | This option is available when the select operator is First Version or Last Version. Drag and drop from the Data panel a column to the target box. |
| Values → Search values | text box | Enter a search term to search for specific values. |
| Values → Select All | checkbox | This property is available only when the selected operator allows for multiple values. Select to enable. Deselect to clear the selected list. |
| Values → Edit in Bulk | link | Select to enter multiple values in bulk by entering or copying and pasting an array of delimited values, either Comma or Line Break delimited. Select Done. This property is available only when the selected operator allows for multiple values. |
| Values → Case Sensitive | button toggle | Enable to match both the value text and letter case. This property is available only when you select a filter operator that requires string input, such as Starts With, Ends With, and Contains. |
| Values → Add | text box, checkbox, radial, calendar, calendar with time picker, or level | Depending on the selected filter operator and the related data type of the prompt column, you can select the default filter values for the filter expression. You can manually reference a filter expression session variable, internal session variable, external session variable, presentation variable, date system variable, miscellaneous system variable. This property is available only when the selected operator requires one or more values. |
Often, you specify a filter expression session variable when you enable the Dynamic property. However, if using an external session variable, the external session variable must return a string that represents a complete or partial filter expression. If the filter value is a variable, the variable should be of the same data type of the expression. A global variable is not supported as a filter value.