MicroStrategy ONE

Entry point

An entry point is a shortcut to an attribute in the Data Explorer. Creating an entry point grants users faster access to the attribute without having to browse through multiple attributes to reach different levels in a hierarchy. This is especially useful when accessing frequently-used attributes.

When you create a user hierarchy, the hierarchy, the attributes, and their elements appear in the Data Explorer. When you set an attribute to be an entry point, you are creating a shorter route to access that attribute. For example, a typical hierarchy is Time. When you click on Time, elements for each Year, such as 2007, 2006, and 2005, open. When you click on 2006, an element for each Quarter, such as Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, opens. If you are seeking Week 24, you need to open several levels of attributes to reach the correct data level, which is Week. If you set the attribute Week as an entry point, the attribute Week appears in the Data Explorer at the same level as Year. If an attribute is not set to be an entry point, it appears in its normal position within the hierarchy structure.

If you set a locked attribute as an entry point, it still appears in the hierarchy but with a padlock icon. You can see the locked attribute, but are unable to access elements or attributes below that level.

Prerequisites

A hierarchy has been created.

To create entry points in a hierarchy

  1. In MicroStrategy Developer, open a hierarchy using either the Hierarchy Editor or Architect, as described below:
  • Locate a hierarchy in the Folder List, right-click the hierarchy, and select Edit. The Hierarchy Editor opens.
  • From the Schema menu, select Architect. MicroStrategy Architect opens.

    From the Hierarchy View, in the Hierarchies drop-down list, select a hierarchy.

    If a message is displayed asking if you want to use read only mode or edit mode, select Edit and click OK to open the schema editor in edit mode so that you can make changes to the hierarchy.

    • If you are only given the option of using read only mode, this means another user is modifying the project's schema. You cannot use edit mode until the other user is finished with their changes and the schema is unlocked.

    For information on how you can use read only mode and edit mode for various schema editors, see Using read only or edit mode for schema editors.

  1. Right-click the attribute to set as an entry point, and select Set As Entry Point. The attribute is marked with a green check mark to denote that it is an entry point.

    To remove an entry point from an attribute, right-click an attribute and select Remove Entry Point.

  2. In the Hierarchy Editor or Architect, click Save and Close to save your changes and return to Developer.
  3. From the Schema menu, select Update Schema.