SAP Analytics Cloud – Story Filter, Page Filter, Chart Filter, Table Filter, …..(all about filtering – Part 2)

In the previous blog we looked at some of the filtering options in general, such as a Story Filter and a Page filter, but in this short blog series we want to focus on how those different filter options are relating to each other and how the filter values of the different levels are impacting each other.

So lets start with a relatively simple scenario, where we use Story Filters combined with Page Filters combined with Widget Level filters.

For this example we will use the sample data set available in SAP Analytics Cloud as BestRunJuice_SampleModel.

Story Filter

So we start by creating a new story and we are adding a table, which shows the measures broken down by the product hierarchy.

As first filter we will add a new Story Filter and we will use dimension Location.

As part of the filter definition, we do have the option to choose, if we would like to see the information displayed as hierarchy or if we would like to use the flat presentation for the locations.

For our example, we will use the hierarchical display for the filter and we will select All Members, so that the user has the option to choose from all the available members.

Please note also the option that you have the ability to define a maximum level of depth for the hierarchy, which gives you the option for deep hierarchies to prevent the user from going all the way to the lowest level in the hierarchy for filtering.

After we confirmed all our choices, we have a Story Filter for dimension Location and we can now interactively filter the information in our table.

In the previous steps we created a Story Filter. Please keep in mind – as the name indicates – this is a Story Filter, so it will impact all pages in your Story.

Page Filter

As second filter we want to allow our users the option to filter based on the assigned Sales Manager and we want to define this a page filter. To create a Page Filter, you have two options.

Option 1: You create a Story Filter for dimension Sales Manager and then use the option to turn the Story Filter into a Page Filter.

Option 2: You use the option to create a new Input Control and simply add the Input Control to the Page.

For our example we define the Page Filter based on dimension Sales Manager.

Our Story now has a Story Filter for dimension Location and a Page Filter for dimension Sales Manager.

• Any change in the Story filter for dimension Location will impact the resultset for the Story and it will impact the list of members shown in the Page filter
• A change in the Page Filter will impact the resultset, but it will not impact the list of members shown in the Story Filter.

Take a look at the screen below.

The Page filter for dimension Sales manager has no selected values and therefore the table is shown empty, but the Story Filter still shows all available members.

In case you prefer your Story Filter not to have an impact on the list of available members in the Page Filter, you can switch off the Cascading Effect in the settings.

Please be aware that by switching off the Cascading Effect you could end up in a situation where the user is selecting values that exclude each other.

Widget Filter

Before we start creating the widget filter, lets just clarify the term “widget”. “Widget” refers to the single visualization container, like a chart or a table, so a widget filter refers to the filter specifically for the table in our example.

The easiest option for the user to create a Widget Filter, is by selecting data in the table or the chart and to use the context menu.

So now lets go through a complete scenario with all three filter. We have a table that shows the measures broken down by Product with a Story Filter based on Location and a Page Filter based on Sales Manager.

Step 1:

We set the Story Filter to location San Francisco

The Story Filter not only filters the overall resultset, but it also impacts the list of members shown in the Page Filter for the Sales manager. You can see it shows now “Inactive Values (7)”.

Step 2:

We set the Page Filter to Sales Manager Lois Wood and David Carl.

As you can see, the values have changed in the table. The Page Filter has an impact on the resultset, but does not have an impact on the Story Filter.

Step 3:

We now select the Product Juices in the table and filter the table down to the selected entry.

After we added the widget filter to our table we have the following situation:

Story Filter: Location = San Francisco

AND

Page Filter: Sales Manager = Lois Wood, David Carl

AND

Widget Filter: Product = Juices.

So your consumer will see the Product filter for the table, but the other filter values are not as obvious. So how can the user see all the configured filter values ?

You can use the Controls option (top right) and you will see an overview on all configured filter values.