Creating Filters in Reporting Objects


Filters enable users to quickly select predefined criteria that limit the data included in a report or chart. Filters are selection criteria (WHERE statements) that you create for users, who then select the filters needed to limit the data in a report or chart without having to create their own selection criteria.

In order to create a filter, you must create the filter group and define the filters that make up the group.

Note: The Undo and Redo functions are not available for the Filter component until you have created at least one filter.

For more information about filters, see the Using Filters to Customize the Display of Data topic in the WebFOCUS InfoAssist User's Manual.

Procedure: How to Create a Filter Group

  1. Right-click the Filters component and select New, or select the Filter component and click New on the ribbon.

    The Reporting Object Filter Group dialog box opens.

  2. In the Filter Group Name field, type a descriptive name for the filter group folder.

    Make the filter group name as explicit as possible, because users depend on this name to select the correct filter to apply to their reports.

  3. Click OK.

    You are returned to the Reporting Object tool. The filter group folder appears below the Filter component node.

Procedure: How to Define a Filter

  1. Right-click the Filter group to which you would like to add a filter and select New, or select the Filter group folder and click New on the Quick Launch toolbar.

    The Reporting Object Filter dialog box opens.

  2. In the Filter Name field, type a descriptive name for the filter and click Add New if you plan to create multiple filters, or click OK if you plan to create only one filter.

    Make the filter names as explicit as possible, because users depend on these names to select the correct filter to apply to their reports.

    The Advanced Filter dialog box opens, as shown in the following image.

    Create a filtering condition dialog box

  3. Use the Advanced Filter dialog box to create the filter.

    For more information about defining filters, see Data Tab in the WebFOCUS InfoAssist User's Manual.

  4. When you have created the filter, click OK.

    If you clicked Add new in step 2, the New Filter dialog box opens. If you clicked OK in step 2, you are returned to the Reporting Object tool.

Procedure: How to Edit a Filter

Existing filters appear under the Filter group beneath the Filters node, as shown in the following image.

Filter

  1. Right-click the filter that you want to edit and select Open, or select the filter and click Open on the ribbon.

    The Advanced Filter dialog box opens, displaying the selected filter.

  2. Make your changes and click OK to return to the Reporting Object tool.

Procedure: How to Rename a Filter or Filter Group

  1. Right-click the filter or filter group that you want to rename and select Properties, or select the filter or filter group and click Properties on the ribbon.
  2. Type the new filter or filter group name in place of the current one and click OK.

Procedure: How to Delete a Filter or a Filter Group

  1. Right-click the filter or filter group that you want to delete and select Delete, or select the filter or filter group and click Delete on the ribbon.
  2. To delete all filters at once, right-click the Filter component and select Delete All, or select the component and click Delete All on the ribbon.

Procedure: How to View or Edit a Filter in the Text Editor

  1. Right-click the filter that you want to view or edit as text and select Edit, or select the filter and click Edit on the ribbon.

    The text editor opens, displaying the selected filter.

  2. Make your changes and click OK to return to the Reporting Object tool.

Reference: Filter Considerations With Amper Auto Prompting

When Amper Auto prompting is used (Prompt for Parameters is selected in the Reporting Object properties), there are scenarios in which users are prompted to provide amper variable values in selection criteria (WHERE statements) in the Reporting Object that the user did not save with the report. This is due to the internal processing of reports created from Reporting Objects. You can avoid this issue by using the Filter component to predefine selection criteria for users to include in reports. Only the filter or filters that users select for inclusion in their reports are evaluated by the WebFOCUS Amper Auto prompting facility.