With the latest releases of SAP Analytics Cloud, the filter area and its components got new features and an improved user experience.
This blog post highlights some features and gives a brief outlook of what’s coming next. All features will be available for the New Optimized Story Experience only.
Stories have often multiple filter tokens in the story filter bar, and in combination with the resolution of the device, some tokens can be “hidden” and are not obviously visible to the end users. Until QRC4.2022, it was only possible to use the arrows in the story filter bar to navigate through the list (influence request, 27 votes).
As a first improvement of the filter usability in SAP Analytics Cloud, a “See More Filters” token was introduced. The overflow menu allows users to more easily show and interact with the “hidden” filters.
Starting with QRC4.2022, the first phase of dimension value sorting for story filters and input controls has been enabled (influence request, 25 votes).
Now they offer to sort dimensions by newest to oldest for dates, alphabetical order, description and to create custom orders (HANA Live, Acquired, BW Live).
When working with multi-selection filters, there is a little debounce period between selections. As the debounce period is small, the interaction can be disturbed by multiple requests sent to the backend even the interaction was not completed by the user.
With QRC1.2023, an “Apply Selection” button was introduced that improves the request handling and prohibits inadvertent actions (influence request, 65 votes) when working with story filters and input controls.
With the New Optimized Story Experience in SAP Analytics Cloud, the Vertical Filter Experience was introduced.
With QRC2.2023, users can switch the horizontal filter bar to a vertical filter panel (left side panel) and also set an orientation default for a story. The advantage of the vertical filter panel is to see more filters at once and to provide more space to interact with filter values (e.g. while navigating through larger hierarchical value lists).
When using a story in SAP Analytics Cloud, one of the first components end users get in touch is the variable dialog. Starting with QRC3.2023, the variable dialog will get improvements in a phased approach. The first phase includes:
Roadmap Explorer
The order of individual filter tokens in the story filter bar depends on the last creation date of each individual filter token. While having many story filters configured, it can be difficult to navigate to the needed filter and a reordering would help, be it to highlight the priority of some filters or just to "group" them.
The feature request about the ability to reorder story filters and variables was one of the highest voted influence requests in the filter area (influence request, 101 votes) and we are happy to announce that this functionality will be introduced soon in SAP Analytics Cloud.
In H2.2023* and in design time, a story designer will have the choice to select a predefined order or to define the order manually via the filter panel settings as shown below*:
The order can be rearranged via drag and drop or by using the sort icons, and will be reflected in the filter bar, filter panel as well as in the mobile app. The order of variables in the filter panel can be changed as well.
Roadmap Explorer
*This is the current state of planning and may be changed by SAP at any time.
More to come in the next QRCs, please stay tuned and check the Roadmap Explorer for more details.
We are also happy to receive feature requests and votes via the Influence Portal.
Thank you.
This blog post highlights some features and gives a brief outlook of what’s coming next. All features will be available for the New Optimized Story Experience only.
Recent Innovations
Filter Bar Overflow Menu
Stories have often multiple filter tokens in the story filter bar, and in combination with the resolution of the device, some tokens can be “hidden” and are not obviously visible to the end users. Until QRC4.2022, it was only possible to use the arrows in the story filter bar to navigate through the list (influence request, 27 votes).
As a first improvement of the filter usability in SAP Analytics Cloud, a “See More Filters” token was introduced. The overflow menu allows users to more easily show and interact with the “hidden” filters.
Sort Order in Filter Components
Starting with QRC4.2022, the first phase of dimension value sorting for story filters and input controls has been enabled (influence request, 25 votes).
Now they offer to sort dimensions by newest to oldest for dates, alphabetical order, description and to create custom orders (HANA Live, Acquired, BW Live).
Apply Selection
When working with multi-selection filters, there is a little debounce period between selections. As the debounce period is small, the interaction can be disturbed by multiple requests sent to the backend even the interaction was not completed by the user.
With QRC1.2023, an “Apply Selection” button was introduced that improves the request handling and prohibits inadvertent actions (influence request, 65 votes) when working with story filters and input controls.
Vertical Filter Experience
With the New Optimized Story Experience in SAP Analytics Cloud, the Vertical Filter Experience was introduced.
With QRC2.2023, users can switch the horizontal filter bar to a vertical filter panel (left side panel) and also set an orientation default for a story. The advantage of the vertical filter panel is to see more filters at once and to provide more space to interact with filter values (e.g. while navigating through larger hierarchical value lists).
Outlook
Variable Dialog
When using a story in SAP Analytics Cloud, one of the first components end users get in touch is the variable dialog. Starting with QRC3.2023, the variable dialog will get improvements in a phased approach. The first phase includes:
- Show technical names of variables
- Show only mandatory prompts
- Allow multi-selections for certain variable types
Roadmap Explorer
Reorder of Filter Tokens*
The order of individual filter tokens in the story filter bar depends on the last creation date of each individual filter token. While having many story filters configured, it can be difficult to navigate to the needed filter and a reordering would help, be it to highlight the priority of some filters or just to "group" them.
The feature request about the ability to reorder story filters and variables was one of the highest voted influence requests in the filter area (influence request, 101 votes) and we are happy to announce that this functionality will be introduced soon in SAP Analytics Cloud.
In H2.2023* and in design time, a story designer will have the choice to select a predefined order or to define the order manually via the filter panel settings as shown below*:
The order can be rearranged via drag and drop or by using the sort icons, and will be reflected in the filter bar, filter panel as well as in the mobile app. The order of variables in the filter panel can be changed as well.
Roadmap Explorer
*This is the current state of planning and may be changed by SAP at any time.
More to come in the next QRCs, please stay tuned and check the Roadmap Explorer for more details.
We are also happy to receive feature requests and votes via the Influence Portal.
Thank you.
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