MicroStrategy ONE

Designating an evaluation order

The order in which data is calculated has a bearing on the results to be displayed. By using evaluation order settings, you can control the order in which consolidations, compound metrics, report limits, subtotals, and derived metrics are calculated and resolved for a given report.

A metric must have smart totals enabled for the evaluation order to affect it. Otherwise, the metric is calculated first, regardless of the evaluation order setting. Only compound metrics (metrics based on other metrics) can have smart totals enabled.

Without any user interaction, objects are calculated in the following order:

  1. Compound smart metrics

  2. Consolidations, which are evaluated by their relative position on the report template:

    • Rows, from left to right

    • Columns, from top to bottom

  3. Report limits

This is the default evaluation order, which allows you to reorder consolidations only. Disabling this setting allows you to change the evaluation order for more objects. Additionally, objects can be calculated in the dataset or in the view definition. For more information, see Evaluation Order: Dataset vs. View.

Specify the evaluation order by assigning a calculation a positive number to indicate the order in which it is to be entered. When handling calculations, MicroStrategy first performs those to which default rules of order apply, then those that have been assigned a number.

For more details and sample scenarios, refer to the Advanced Reporting Help.

The Report Data Options: Evaluation Order subcategory allows you to set the order for the following objects:

  • Compound smart metrics

  • Consolidations

  • Derived metrics

  • Report limits

  • Subtotals

To apply an evaluation order

  1. Run the report.

  2. From the Data menu, select Report Data Options. The Report Data Options dialog box opens.

    You can also set the evaluation order for a template in the Template Editor.

  3. Under Categories, expand Calculations and then select Evaluation Order. Calculations – Evaluation Order appears on the right side of the dialog box.

  4. By default, the Use default evaluation order check box is selected. To view compound metrics, report limits, subtotals, and derived metrics, clear the check box.

    If a compound metric does not have smart totals enabled, it does not appear on the evaluation order list and will be calculated first.

  5. You set the dataset evaluation order, which is the order for the entire report result, and the view evaluation order, which is the order for the particular view, in the same way:

    Click the Evaluation Order column for each object to be changed. From the drop-down list, select the number that represents the evaluation order. A "1" is evaluated first, then "2", and so on.

    View evaluation order is available only when the report's dataset and view are different, for example, when a derived metric is added or a consolidation is moved from the grid (not deleted from the report). For details, see Evaluation Order: Dataset vs. View.

  6. If the View evaluation order is available, compound metrics are evaluated there by default. To move the metric to the dataset,

    • Click Advanced. The Advanced dialog box opens.

    • Click the Metric Calculation column for the metric to be changed. From the drop-down list, select Evaluate in the dataset.

    • Click OK.

  7. To return to the default evaluation order, click Set default.

    This button is enabled only when the View evaluation order is available.

  8. Click OK. You are returned to the report.

  9. Save the report. (How?)

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