Selecting Elements and Managing Dimension Parameters: Data Entry Forms

To work with the tool in Foresight Analytics Platform 10, use the new interface.

Selecting Elements and Managing Dimension Parameters

Selecting Dimension Elements

Selecting by dimensions allows for limiting a list of dimension elements, based on which table area will be built.

In the dialog box that opens select one of the filter options:

All Elements. All elements will be selected. It is not available for fixed dimensions with disabled aggregation
Selected Elements. Required elements will be selected. The list of elements is generated in the Selected Elements area using the buttons:

Select Elements. It adds elements selected in the All Elements area to the Selected Elements area.
Exclude Elements. It removes the selected elements from the Selected Elements area.

When setting up sidehead dimension elements and data entry form indicators structure, multiple element selection is available. To do this:

Select the element range.
Select the first range element, hold down the SHIFT key and select the last range element.
Hold down the CTRL key and select the required elements.
Use context menu commands. The Select All and Deselect All commands are available.

NOTE. If child elements without parent ones were added to the Selected Elements area, parent elements are also displayed in the area but are not considered as selected and are not used in filtering.

Filtering will be executed by all elements contained in the Selected Elements area. If it is required to execute filtering by all elements except for those contained in the Selected Elements area, select the Exclude Selected checkbox.

Only one element can be selected for fixed dimensions with disabled aggregation, and the Exclude Selected checkbox is disabled.

To search for an element in each area, start entering name of the searched element in the Search string. When the entire word or its part are entered, the area displays the elements, which names contain the searched character combination:

To clear the search string, click the Clear button.

Advanced Filter. Add rules to the advanced filter by clicking the Add button. Set:

Attribute. Select an attribute of the specified dictionary in the drop-down list. To filter dictionary elements by linked dictionary attributes, select from the list of available linked attributes the attribute of the dictionary selected on link creation with attribute of selected dictionary. Linked attributes are displayed with the first nesting level and it represents the tree of available linked attributes.

NOTE. If dictionary attribute contains multiple values, then on checking filtering condition all attribute values will be compared. If at least one attribute value meets the condition, the dictionary element will automatically meet the condition.

Condition. Set filtering condition depending on attribute data type . Available options: equal, not equal, greater, less, greater or equal, less or equal, included, not included. For the string type data attribute, advanced condition options are available: starts with, ends with, contains, does not contain.
Type. Select filter type. Available options: value, parameter.
Ignore Empty. Empty values will be ignored if the checkbox is selected. Available only for the Parameter type.
Value. It depends on the selected attribute and type:

If the Value type is selected, the specific value corresponding to the data type
If the Parameter type is selected, then the parameter attribute from the drop-down list which is a tree of availalbe parameter attributes is selected in the field contained in the form parameter list.
If attribute is linked and the selected type is Value, then available value of linked dictionary from the drop-down list is selected in the field.
If attribute is linked and the selected type is Parameters, then parameter attribute is selected from the drop-down list in the field which is a tree of availalbe parameter attributes and linked dictionaries.

Do Not Filter from Empty Values. Attribute empty values will be filtered if the checkbox is selected.

NOTE. If alternative hierarchy is set up for the dimension, and advanced parameter filter is set, the advanced filter is applied to the alternative dictionary.

Click the Delete button to delete the advanced filter.

Finish selection by clicking the Finish button.

Application Order of Advanced Filter Settings

If to build data entry form table area, the cube with configured dimension control is used and advanced filter application is selected, then cube settings are applied first and the advanced filter next.

The cube was used to build a table area. The cube has three dimensions: Employees, Departments, Calendar.

The Departments MDM dictionary has the Actuality Date parameter and the Number of Employees attribute :

The number of dictionary elements depends on the year:

In 2017 there are elements: Development Department, Documentation Department, Technical Support Department, Customer Service Department. Human Resources Department, QA Department.
In 2018 the Marketing Department element is added.
In 2020 the Design Department element is added.

In 2019 the Development Department changes the name to Products Development Department.

The Number of Employees attribute values for the Development Department element changes depending on the year:

In 2017 - 22 employees.
In 2018 - 20 employees.
In 2019 - 22 employees.
In 2020 - 16 employees.

The Employees MDM dictionary has the Date of Employment attribute and the Department imported attribute , for which a link is set up with the Departments MDM dictionary:

The Calendar dimension is selected as a controlling dimension of the cube:

In the data entry form the Employee parameter is set up for which the Employees dictionary is also the source.

When building table area set cube to the indicator, Calendar to the shared dimensions, Departments to the sidehead and Employees to the fixed dimensions.

Set up advanced filter for the Employees dimension:

Attribute - key.
Condition - equal.
Type - parameter.
Value - Employee. Key.

Set up advanced filter for the Departments dimension:

Attribute - number of employees.
Condition - equal.
Type - value.
Value - 22.

Set up advanced filter for the Calendar dimension:

Attribute - period start date.
Condition - equal.
Type - parameter.
Value - Employee. Employment date.

In the configured data entry form, depending on the selected value in the Employee parameter, filtering will be applied in the following order:

Advanced filter is applied to the Calendar shared dimension. The Date of Employment attribute value is sent to the Calendar dimension.
The dimension is controlled. The sidehead contains the departments for which the Date of Employment parameter attribute value lays in the range of department actuality dates.
The advanced filter is applied to the Departments sidehead dimension. From departments displayed for the selected date, only departments with the number of employees equal to 22 are shown.

If in the employee parameter the Petrov value is selected, the table area sidehead looks as follows:

Petrov's date of employment is 08.10.2019, for this date there is no design department, but the Development Department name is changed to Products Development Department. After the advanced filter is applied for the Departments dictionary, the sidehead contains only the departments with 22 employees.

If in the employee parameter the Vladimirov value is selected, the table area sidehead looks as follows:

Vladimirov's date of employment is 15.02.2020, all departments are actual for the date. After the advanced filter is applied for the Departments dictionary, the sidehead contains only the departments with 22 employees. The Products Development Department is not displayed because starting from 2020? the number of employees is equal to 16.

If in the employee parameter the Mikhailov value is selected, the table area sidehead looks as follows:

Mikhailov's date of employment is 20.10.2017, there are no marketing and design departments for this date. After the advanced filter is applied for the Departments dictionary, the sidehead contains only the departments with 22 employees. The Products Development Department element changes the name to Development Department.

Managing Dimension Parameters

To set up dimension parameter management, select a dimension and select the Manage Parameters context menu item. The Manage Parameters dialog box opens.