How to Create a Metric Qualification Prompt

A Metric Qualification prompt allows users to create their own instant filter for data returned for one of the metrics on the report. You create a Metric prompt by selecting one or more metrics. Users will be able to define their filters based on these metrics.

For an example and images of a Metric prompt, see the Answering Questions about Data chapter in the Basic Reporting Help.

The metric(s) you choose for the prompt do not have to appear on the report itself. For example, a store manager needs a report to show sales data for products whose current inventory falls below a certain count. However, the report does not necessarily need to display inventory counts for those products.

When answering the prompt, users can define their filters based on the value, rank, or percentage of the metric.

You can create a stand-alone prompt, or you can create a prompt that is embedded in a filter. A Metric Qualification prompt can be used in Metric set qualification.

To create a Metric Qualification prompt

1. Click Create on any page, point to New Prompt, and select Metric Qualification Prompt. The New Prompt page opens.
2. To select the metric(s) for which users can define their filters, on the Definition tab, choose one of the following options:
   • Choose a metric: Browse to and select a specific metric to use in the prompt. Users will be able to filter their report data based on the metric you select.
   • Use a predefined list of metrics: Select this option to create a list of metrics from which users can choose. Click Add, select the metrics, then click OK. To remove an object, highlight it and click Remove. To remove all items, click Clear.
   • Use the result of a search object: If you have previously created a search object, browse to and select the search object or specify the name of the search object. A search object searches for and displays specific project objects when the user executes the report. This lets you prompt the user with the most up-to-date objects in the project. For example, you can let the user select a metric from a search for all metrics with Revenue in the name.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Specify a title and description for the prompt in the Title and Instructions fields.
5. To require users to answer the prompt before running the report, specify whether the prompt requires an answer. Select the Prompt answer is required checkbox.
6. Set the maximum and minimum number of prompt answers allowed, if desired. Enter these numbers in the Minimum number of answers and Maximum number of answers fields. You can specify a minimum number even if you do not specify a maximum number.
7. Determine whether users can save and reuse their prompt answers, and if so, how many prompt answers they can save for the prompt. From the Personal answers allowed drop-down list, select one of the following:
   • To keep users from saving and reusing prompt answers, select None.
   • To allow users to save and reuse only one prompt answer, select Single.
   • To allow users to save and reuse multiple prompt answers, select Multiple.
8. Click the Style tab.
9. From the Display style drop-down list, specify a presentation style, such as Textbox, for the prompt. This is how the prompt is displayed to the user.
10. To ensure that the prompt's text fields and options are a fixed size, select the Fixed text box width and/or Fixed textbox height checkboxes, and specify the size of the prompt's text fields and options in the fields.
11. To determine how prompt options are arranged, from the Orientation drop-down list, select Vertical or Horizontal.
12. To determine the number of prompt answers displayed in a row or column (depending on alignment), enter a number in the Items per column/row field.
13. If you are using a search object, you can determine whether to allow users to use a search box to locate prompt answers. Searching for objects allows analysts to quickly locate specific objects to use to answer the prompt. From the Show search box drop-down list, select one of the following options:
    1. To display the search box, select TRUE.

    2. To not display a search box, select FALSE.

    The Show search box option is not available if you are using the Textbox display style.

14. To show the object path (folder hierarchy), select the Use folder structure checkbox. This option, available for search objects only, is useful when the same object with the same name is saved in multiple folders. If you are using the Shopping Cart display style, you can select the checkbox to display the prompt choices in a folder structure.
15. To allow users to navigate above the root folder when searching, select the Allow navigation above search root checkbox.
16. Click the Qualification tab.
17. Determine the default condition operator (for example, Greater than or Less than) that is displayed in the prompt by selecting an option from the Default condition operator drop-down list.
18. Determine the default operator that is used between conditions by selecting an option from the Default operator between conditions drop-down list.
19. To allow users to modify expressions, select the Allow modification of the logical operator checkbox.
    • To ensure that users can only use a single condition operator (AND/OR) between all of the conditions in an expression, select the Use a single logical operator between all conditions option.
    • To ensure that users can choose a default operator to use between each condition, select the Allow the user to set independent logical operators between conditions option.
20. To allow users to specify the output level of metrics, select the Display output level selector checkbox.
21. If you creating a prompt for a filter, click OK to save the prompt in the filter. You are returned to the New Filter page. To finish creating the metric set qualification, begin at this step. To save the prompt, select Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.
22. Specify a name, description, and the location in which to save the prompt and click OK.

You can now add your new prompt to a report. See Adding a Prompt to a Report.