Formatting selectors

When you insert a selector into a Report Services (RS) document or dashboard, its formatting is determined by the control default for selectors. Each control type (text field, selector, panel stack, and so on) has a control default, which contains a full set of formatting properties to specify the default format. For more information on control defaults, including how to apply them and how to change them, see Formatting controls using control defaults.

Formatting the selector container vs. title bar

A selector can have a title bar, which displays above the selector items. For instructions to display the title bar, and an example, see Displaying title bars in selectors. You can format the container (which displays the selector items) differently than the title bar. For example, if you apply a background color to the container of a selector, the title bar is not displayed in that color. For an example of a selector with a title bar, see Displaying title bars in selectors.

The following table lists the various formatting options available for a container and for a title bar.

Object	Formatting Option
Selector container	Alignment (horizontal and vertical)
	Background, including: Transparency Gradient colors Selection color (background color for cells selected by a selector)
	Border
	Effects, including: 3D borders Drop shadow
	Font
Selector title bar	Alignment and padding
	Background, including: Transparency Gradient colors
	Border
	Font

Deciding which interface to use to format selectors

The Property List is the easiest interface to use, as it contains most of the options of the other interfaces on the same screen as the Layout area. The Property List allows you to format the selector container but not the title bar, while the Format Objects allows you to format both the container and the title bar.

You can change the formatting and other properties of selectors as described below:

• To change most options for a selector (size, properties specific to selectors such as action type and targets, and container formatting), use the Property List. You can also specify whether the width of the selector items (for example, the check boxes or buttons in the selector) is fixed or proportional. You cannot format the title bar. A procedure is included below; see To format a selector.

• To format the title bar, use the Format Objects dialog box. For instructions, see Formatting title bars of selectors.

• To quickly set basic borders for the container, use either the Formatting toolbar or the right-click menu. For procedures, see Applying basic borders to selector containers.

• To quickly choose a single color for the background of the container, use either the Formatting toolbar or the right-click menu. For procedures, see Formatting single-color backgrounds of selector containers.

• To use more complex backgrounds, such as gradient (two-color) and transparent backgrounds for the container and title bar, use the Format Objects dialog box. You can also define the background color for items selected in the Drop-down, Listbox, and Link Bar selectors. For procedures, see Formatting the backgrounds of selectors.

• To quickly set the font color of the selector items, use either the Formatting toolbar or the right-click menu. For procedures, see Formatting the font color of selector items.

• To change layout properties (such as position, selector size, and item size), you can use the Property List or the Properties dialog box. You can also set properties specific to selectors, such as action type and targets. You can also specify whether the width of the selector items (for example, the check boxes or buttons in the selector) is fixed or proportional. The main difference between the interfaces is that formatting options are available in the Property List but not in the Properties dialog box.

  A procedure for using the Property List is included below; see To format a selector. For a procedure using the Properties dialog box, see Specifying selector properties using the Properties dialog box.

• To change the alignment, font, border, and color options, including gradient colors (two-color combinations), use the Format Objects dialog box. You can select 3D borders and drop shadows, as well as gradient colors for the background, with this interface. You can format both the container and the title bar with the Format Objects dialog box. For a procedure, see Formatting selectors using the Format Objects dialog box.

• To format the text of the selector items, use the Format Objects dialog box. Options include font type, color, and size. For a procedure, see Formatting the text of selector items. (To format the font color only, use the Formatting toolbar or the right-click menu. For procedures, see Formatting the font color of selector items.)

For comprehensive formatting, the Property List is the easiest to use, as it contains most of the options of the other interfaces on the same screen as the Layout area. To format the title bar, use the Format Objects dialog box.

See Useful formatting suggestions for selectors for descriptions of formatting options and ways they can enhance your selectors.

Prerequisite

This procedure assumes you have added a selector to the document. For instructions, see Inserting selectors into documents.

To format a selector

This procedure uses the Property List to format a selector, because it contains all of the options of the other interfaces, and it is displayed on the same screen as the Layout area. The Property List allows you to define properties such as size, action type, and text alignment.

1. Open a document in the Document Editor. (How?)

2. If the Property List pane is not displayed, click Property List at the bottom of the panel on the left. If the panel is not displayed at all, select Property List from the View menu.

3. Choose the selector to be formatted.

4. You can change the Name, which identifies the selector.

5. To make the selector appear three-dimensional, like a button, apply a 3D effect:

   • Change 3D effect to either Sunken (to inset the selector, like a pushed button) or Raised (to outset the selector, like a button).

   • Type the thickness of the 3D line, measured in points, in 3D weight.

   The 3D effect border takes precedence over any existing border. If you later disable the 3D effect, the original border settings are automatically restored.

6. To change the background color, click the ... button in the Backcolor field. The Color dialog box opens. Select the new color and click OK.

7. Change the Backstyle property to specify whether the background is:

   • Transparent, which allows you to see what is behind the selector.

   • Opaque, which covers what is behind the text field. It also allows the fill color of the selector to be seen.

   • Gradient, which blends two colors together. For more information, see Steps to apply gradient colors.

8. To define the style and color of the borders:

   • Click the … button in the Border field. The Border tab of the Format Objects dialog box opens.

   • See Steps to format borders for further instructions.

9. To "float" the selector on top of the background, apply a drop shadow:

   • Set Drop shadow to True.

   • Type the offset of the drop shadow, in points, in Drop shadow depth.

10. To change how the font is displayed (such as color and size), click the … button in the Font field. The Font tab of the Format Objects dialog box opens.

11. To change the color of the font, select a new Forecolor, using the Color dialog box. This can also be set in the Font property.

12. To apply gradient colors, which blend two colors to create a gradual color change in the background, see Steps to apply gradient colors.

13. To display a pop-up tooltip, type the text in Tooltip.

14. To hide the selector in PDF view, set Visible to False.

    The selector is still displayed in Design View.

    Modifying these properties changes more than the format or style of the selector; it can actually change how the selector works. All the properties are listed below, with a brief description; not all properties are displayed for all action types or styles.

15. Change the selector type by changing the Action type. The types are Select Elements, Select Metrics, and Select Panels. For more information on action types, see Defining selectors.

16. By default, the All item in selectors is displayed as (All), but you can replace the text of the item. The All item allows a user to display all the attribute elements or metrics in the target. Type the new text in the Alias for All field. For more information on the (All) option, see Disabling multiple selections in selectors.

17. To specify whether the user can choose multiple items (for example, buttons or check boxes) in the selector, set Allow multiple selections to True (can choose multiple items) or False (can choose only a single item). For more information, see Allowing multiple selections and autosubmission.

18. To determine how the target displays when no data exists, use the Auto pick property. The selector that you want to be automatically updated must be on a panel. The selector that will update the first selector must target the panel stack. For an example, see Determining how the target of a selector displays when no data exists.

19. To display a message that no data is returned, set Auto pick to False.

20. To display an item, setAuto picktoTrue.

21. To determine whether a selector item can be selected if the user hovers the cursor over it without clicking, set the Change selection on mouseover property. By default, the user must select an item to change the target of the selector. To change this behavior, set Change selection on mouseover to True.

    The mouseover property is available only for the List Box style when Flash view is enabled.

22. To change how the selector is displayed, specify a new DHTML style. Options include Button Bar, Check Boxes, and Listbox. For a full list of the styles, see Defining selectors.

23. To specify how the selector is displayed in Flash Mode in MicroStrategy Web if it is an interactive Flash-only selector, use the Flash Style property. The options are listed below:

    • Automatic: The default, which uses the DHTML style for Flash Mode.

    • Fish Eye Selector: An interactive style of selector that is displayed only in Flash Mode. It magnifies an item when a user hovers the cursor over it. This style of selector is useful because it allows a user to choose from a large list of elements without having to see all of the elements displayed simultaneously. Any item that a user hovers over or selects remains magnified, while the remaining items are minimized and hidden from view.

    • Since a Fish Eye Selector is displayed only in Flash Mode, determine how the selector is displayed in non-Flash modes by specifying a DHTML style.

    • For more information about creating a Fish Eye Selector, see Creating Fish Eye Selectors.

24. By default, Make all items the same width is set to False, which means that the width of each item (for example, each button) is proportional to the length of the text inside the item. This allows the complete text of each item to be displayed, with little wasted space. To use the same width for all the items, select True. For more information, see Specifying proportional or fixed width for selector items.

25. Specify the Orientation as Horizontal (the selector is displayed on a single line from left to right) or Vertical (displayed in a single column).

    Orientation is displayed for Slider, Radio Buttons, Check Boxes, and Button Bar only.

26. To specify whether the selector shows the All item, which displays all the attribute elements or metrics in the target, set Show option All to True (All item is displayed) or False (All item is not displayed). For more information, see Disabling simultaneous display of all items in a selector.

    Show option All is not displayed if Action Type is set to Select Panel, or if DHTML style is set to Slider and Multiselect is set to True.

27. The selector displays the attribute elements of the attribute selected in the Source field. To change it, select a new Source from the drop-down list, which contains all of the attributes in all of the datasets in the document.

    Source is displayed only if Action Type is set to Attribute Element.

28. To modify the target(s) of the selector (the target of a selector is the object that changes its display based on the user's input):

    • Click the button next to Targets. The Selector tab of the Properties dialog box opens.

    • To add a new target, select it in the Available targets list, which displays the Grid/Graphs and panel stacks on the document. Click > to add it to the Selectedtargets list.

    • The object type(s) listed depend on the selected Action Type. For example, panel stacks are listed when the Action Type is Select Panel.

    • To remove a target, select it in the Selected Targets list and click < to move it to the Available targets list.

    • Click OK to return to the document.

29. The left margin is the distance between the left edge of the selector and the left border of the section. Type a new number in the Left property.

30. The top margin is the distance between the top edge of the selector and the top of the section. Type a new number in the Top property.

31. To change the height of the selector, type the new number in the Height property.

32. To determine whether the height is dynamic or static, set the Height mode. The options are described below:

    • Fixed: The height does not change from the size set in the Height property.

    • Fit to contents: The height expands to the height of the control. This mode is ignored in Design View.

33. To change the width of the selector, type the new number in the Width property.

34. To determine how the item text is aligned horizontally within the control boundaries, set Horizontal alignment to Left, Center, or Right.

35. To determine how the item text is aligned vertically within the control boundaries, set Vertical alignment to Top, Bottom, or Center.

36. To display a title bar above the selector, set Show title bar to True.

37. Type the text to display in the title bar in theTitleproperty.

    If you leave this field blank, the selector's Name is displayed, unless the selector's Action Type is defined as Select attribute element. In that case, the Source of the target (such as Region) is displayed.

38. To change the height of the title bar, type the new number in the Title heightproperty.