Creating custom group shortcut-to-a-report qualifications

The result set of an existing report can be used as a qualification in a custom group element. This allows you to reuse an existing report and also to further refine that qualification to create the custom group. You can use an existing report without having to recreate the report. When you use a report as a qualification, only the report's data definition is considered; any changes to the view definitions do not influence the qualification.

This type of qualification is also known as a report as filter qualification or a report qualification.

You cannot use a report containing consolidations, a report with custom groups, a Freeform SQL report, or an MDX cube report as a shortcut to a report.

The Add a Shortcut to a Report option allows you to use a report as a qualification. You can also create a report object prompt and use it in a custom group qualification. For more information refer to Report object prompts.

Shortcut-to-a-report qualifications in custom groups are the same as shortcut-to-a-report qualifications in filters.

For more information and examples of report qualifications, see the Basic Reporting Help.

Prerequisite

Your project must already contain the report that will be used as a shortcut. For instructions, see Designing a report. The report cannot contain consolidations or custom groups. It cannot be a Freeform SQL report, an MDX cube report, or a data mart report.

To create a custom group shortcut-to-a-report 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 Shortcut to a Report and click OK. The Shortcut to a Report pane opens.

5. Do one of the following to select the report:

   • Type the name of the report in the Report box and click OK.

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

   • Drag the report from the Object Browser into the Report box.

     You cannot use a report containing consolidations, a report with custom groups, a Freeform SQL report, or an MDX cube report as a shortcut to a report.

6. Click OK to close the Shortcut to a Report pane.

7. 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. These 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 Custom Group Definition pane, 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?)