Strategy ONE
Filtering Reports
An important step in designing a report is ensuring that the correct data is returned from your data sources and displayed on the report. One way to do this is by filtering the report.
A filter specifies conditions that data must meet to be included in your report. Use filters to limit and customize large quantities of data, which helps you focus on what you really need to see and analyze.
Report Filters vs. View Filters
You can apply report filters and view filters to reports.
-
Report filters apply to the data in your data source. They restrict how much data is retrieved from the data source.
-
Because report filters apply to the data in your data source, they can use any object in the project, whether or not it is part of the report.
-
Report filters are used in the SQL that is generated to retrieve data from the data source.
-
-
View filters apply to the report results after the data is returned from the data source. They do not modify what data is retrieved from the data source, but dynamically limit the data displayed on the report. This capability translates to improved response time and decreased database load.
-
View filters can only be based on the objects included in the report.
-
View filters do not re-execute the report against the data source.
-
Combine both report filters and view filters to retrieve a larger set of data to analyze (using a report filter), then use a view filter to quickly change the data that is displayed to focus on specific aspects or details. This combination helps improve report execution performance.