MicroStrategy ONE

Types of prompts

The different types of prompts allow you to create a prompt for nearly every part of a report. Prompts can be used in many objects including reports, filters, metrics, and custom groups, but all prompts require user interaction when the report is executed.

The correct prompt type to create depends on what report objects you want users to be able to base a filter on to filter data, as described in the list below. For a reference to chose which prompt to create, to help you provide the report results that your users need, see Choosing the right prompt type, below the list.

 

  • Filter definition prompts allow users to determine how the report's data is filtered, based on one of the following objects:

  • Attributes in a hierarchy: Users can select prompt answers from one or more attribute elements from one or more attributes. The attribute elements that they select are used to filter data displayed on the report. This prompt lets you give users the largest number of attribute elements to choose from when they answer the prompt to define their filtering criteria.

    For example, on a report displaying profit forecasts, if the prompt lets users select from the Product hierarchy, one user might choose to see forecasts for certain electronic products, while another user might select different electronics products, or all media products.

  • Attribute forms: Users can select prompt answers from a list of attribute elements from a single attribute. This prompt is more restrictive than the hierarchy prompt, because the user has fewer attribute elements to select answers from.

  • Attribute element lists: Users can select prompt answers from a limited list of specific attribute elements. This prompt is the most restrictive of the filter definition prompts, because the user has the fewest number of attribute elements to select answers from.

  • Metrics: Users can define a metric qualification, which determines what data should be displayed for one or more specific metrics on the report.

  • Object prompts allow users to select which objects, such as attributes, metrics, custom groups, and so on, to include in a report. Object prompts can determine the definition of either the report template or the report filter. Users can use this prompt to add more data to a report. Users can also choose from among a selection of filters, to apply a filter that is most useful for their analysis purposes.

  • Value prompts allow users to select a single value such as a date, a specific number, or a specific text string. The value chosen by the user is compared to metric or attribute element values, and thus determines the data viewed by the user. Value prompts are used in metric qualifications. The different kinds of value prompts are:

  • Date prompt: Users enter a specific date for which to see data. This prompt is used in a filter.

  • Numeric prompt: Users enter a specific number, up to 15 digits, which is then used as part of a filter, or within a metric, to look for specific numeric data.

    If a user enters more than 15 digits for a numeric prompt, the data is converted to scientific notation. If precision is needed beyond 15 digits, you should use a Big Decimal value prompt instead.

  • Text prompt: Users enter a word or phrase, which is then used as part of a filter to look for specific data with that text.

  • Big Decimal prompt: Users can enter up to 38 digits, to search for numeric data with the Big Decimal data type assigned to it.

  • Long prompt: Users enter up to 10 digits, to search for numeric data.

    Prompts can also be used as part of a function expression, and value prompts are particularly suited to provide values for function arguments. For a description of how to use prompts in function expressions, see Using prompts for arguments.

  • Level prompts allow the user to specify the level of calculation for a metric.

  • System prompts are a special type of prompt that does not require an answer from the user. Instead, it is answered automatically by Intelligence Server. System prompts are located in the Public Objects/Prompts/System Prompts folder in MicroStrategy Developer. For information on using system prompts to use a single security filter for multiple users, refer to the System Administration Help.

    The system prompts Token 1, Token 2, Token 3, and Token 4 are provided to support using an XQuery source to authenticate users for a MicroStrategy project.

You can also create prompts for use with MicroStrategy Mobile on mobile devices. For more information on these prompts, see Prompts for mobile devices.

Choosing the right prompt type

Use the table below as a reference when choosing which prompt to create, to help you provide the reporting results that your users need.

User Needs Solutions
Restrict the amount of data displayed on a report. Filter definition prompts (prompts used on filters in a report) are more restrictive than other prompts in terms of the number of attribute elements from which a user can select prompt answers. For details on filter definition prompts, see About filter definition prompts.
Increase the amount of data displayed on a report

  • Object prompts are more inclusive in terms of the data that is displayed on the resulting report, because the user can select additional objects to include on the report. To create an object prompt, see Filtering based on metrics, attributes, or other objects: Object prompts.

  • In general, the more answers an analyst is allowed to select for a prompt, the more information is displayed on the report. The maximum number of answers a user can provide is determined by one component of all prompts, called an answer requirement. You can allow users to select more answers for a prompt by setting or changing the maximum number of answers. For details, see Answer requirements.
Answer prompts that are easier to use

  • The "Choose from an attribute element list" prompt and the object prompt are generally the simplest prompts for a user to answer. Users simply click one or more objects they want to see data for and execute the report. The user does not have to create a filtering definition as with other prompts.

  • Any prompt increases the complexity for a user when running a report. This can be alleviated by providing good descriptions for the prompts so that users are clear about the questions they are answering. For an example of an effective prompt description, see Title and instructions.
Choose a report filter from among a selection of filters Users can choose from among several existing filters to determine exactly what filter will screen the data on the report they are about to execute. To do this, create the filters you want users to be able to choose from, then create an object prompt made up of existing filters, and then place that object prompt on a report. To create an object prompt, see Filtering based on metrics, attributes, or other objects: Object prompts.
Select a prompt answer from the most up-to-date objects in the project You can use a search object in most prompts. A search object will search for and display specific objects at the moment the user accesses the report and the prompt appears. This lets users select their answers from the most up-to-date hierarchies, attributes, metrics, or other objects in the project. To do this, create a search object, then during prompt creation choose the search object rather than choosing specific attributes or other objects to prompt the user with. For steps to create a search object, see the prompt creation procedure above for the prompt type that you want to create. Steps to create a search object are within the prompt creation steps.
Restrict the number of attribute elements that users can choose from when answering a prompt

If you are creating one of the filter definition prompts, the three hierarchy/attribute prompts are designed to be increasingly restrictive in the number of objects they allow users to select answers from. These three prompts are listed below, in increasing order of restrictiveness:
Select from a reasonable subset of a long list of attributes, for example, a list of customer names.

The "Choose from an attribute element list" prompt (attribute element prompt) provides a filter option. You can use this option to create a filter that will display to users a specific list of attribute elements, based on the condition defined in the filter. For example, you create a filter to display the top 20 customers in terms of revenue or the top 10 employees in terms of sales. Place this filter in the attribute element prompt, and place the prompt on a report. For instructions to create an attribute element prompt, see "Choose from an attribute element list" prompts.

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