Creating custom group metric qualifications

Metric qualifications enable you to restrict custom group elements based on the value, rank, or percentage of a metric. Metric qualifiers restrict the amount of data returned by constraining metric conditions. For example, you can create the following custom group:

• Element 1: Small distribution centers

• Qualifications: Revenue metric at Distribution Center level < 1 million

• Element 2: Large distribution centers

• Qualifications: Revenue metric at Distribution Center level > 1 million

You can qualify on a particular function for the selected metric. These functions include:

• Metric value: Specifies the value to qualify the metric on. For example, a metric value greater than or equal to 10 returns all values for that metric that are 10 or higher.

• Rank: Specifies the numeric rank of values. For example, Rank Top 40 returns the 40 highest values for the selected metric.

• Percent: Specifies the percentage of the values being ranked. For example, Percent Top 10 returns all values in the top 10% for the selected metric.

If you set the value of the operator as Metric, you create a metric-to-metric comparison qualification. This qualification allows you to dynamically compare the values of two metrics.

If you set the value of the operator as Custom, you can specify your own custom expression to qualify the function.

You can also create a prompted metric qualification, which allows you to dynamically modify the definition of a custom group at report run time.

Metric qualifications in custom groups are the same as metric qualifications in filters.

For more information and examples of metric qualifications, see the Basic Reporting Help. For an in-depth explanation of how metric qualifications work, see "An alternative explanation of metric qualification" in the Reports chapter of the Advanced Reporting Help.

The output level and break by value of a metric qualification

A metric qualification is additionally defined by the output level and the break by value. The output level specifies the level at which the metric is calculated, and break by allows you to choose the attribute level at which to restart counting rank or percent values for a metric.

To create a custom group metric qualification

1. Open the Custom Group Editor. (How?)

2. Double-click in the Custom Group Definition pane. A new custom group element is created, with the default name Custom Group Element. You can rename the custom group element headers.

3. Double-click Add Qualification in the Custom Group Definition pane. The Custom Group Options dialog box opens.

4. Select Add a Setqualification, and click OK. The Set Qualification pane opens.

5. Select Metric from the Type drop-down list.

6. Set the output level, which is the level at which the metric results are calculated. (How?)

7. Select a metric by any one of the following methods:

   • Type the name of the metric in the Metric box and click OK.

   • Click ... (the browse button) to browse for the metric. In the Open dialog box, navigate to the folder that contains the metric, select the metric, and click OK.

   • Drag the metric from the Object Browser into the Metric box.

     Once a metric is selected, the Parameters section replaces the Tip section.

8. Select the function from the Function drop-down list.

9. Select the logical operator from the Operator drop-down list.

10. Select the type of operator value to which to compare from the drop-down list below the Operator box. These types are listed below, with information on how to fill in the text box next to the drop-down list:

    • Value: Enter the value to qualify the metric on in the text box.

    • Simple Prompt: Creates a value prompt, allowing you to select a single value on which to qualify. The Prompt Generation Wizard opens. See Prompted metric qualifications for more information.

      This is the same as clicking the Simple Prompt icon at the end of the text box.

    • Metric: Creates a metric-to-metric qualification. Type a metric name in the text box or click … to browse for a metric.

    • Custom: Enter a custom expression to qualify the function in the text box.

11. If you selected Rank or Percent as the Function, you can set the Break-by function. (How?)

12. By default, existing attribute qualifications are merged into the calculation of the metric qualification. To change this, follow the steps below. For more information, see Merging attribute and metric qualifications in custom groups.

    • Click Advanced. The Advanced Options dialog box opens.

    • Clear the When resolving this qualification in a report, other qualifications will be taken into consideration and merged check box.

    • Click OK to return to the Set Qualification pane.

13. Click OK to close the Set Qualification pane.

14. Do one of the following:

    • Add more qualifications to the custom group element. Double-click in the Custom Group Definition pane to open the Custom Group Options pane again. The qualifications can be any type of qualification except banding qualifications.

      If you have multiple qualifications, you can change the operator connecting them. To do this, right-click the operator in the Filter definition area, point to Toggle operator, then select the new operator from the list.

    • Change the name of the custom group element header (recommended), if you did not do this in step 2. (How?)

    • Return to Creating custom groups to format the custom group element, set the display options, and/or add more custom group elements.

    • Save the custom group. (How?)

Related Topics

• Merging attribute and metric qualifications

• Defining output levels for custom group qualifications

• Defining break by values for custom group qualifications