Strategy One

Create a Metric Qualification Prompt

A metric qualification prompt allows users to create their own instant filter for data returned for one of the metrics on the report. You create a metric qualification prompt by selecting one or more metrics. Users can define their filters based on these metrics.

The metric(s) you choose for the prompt do not have to appear on the report itself. For example, a store manager needs a report to show sales data for products whose current inventory falls below a certain count. However, the report does not necessarily need to display inventory counts for those products.

When answering the prompt, users can define their filters based on the value, rank, or percentage of the metric.

When you create a metric qualification prompt, you can decide whether users can select from a specified list of objects, or you can define a specific search that presents an up-to-date set of objects for users to choose from. Including a search object in the prompt, rather than specifying the exact object names, allows users to select from new objects that might not have been part of the project when you first created the prompt.

Create a Metric Qualification Prompt

If you want users to answer the prompt by selecting from the results of a search object, create the search object before creating the prompt.

  1. Open the Workstation window.
  2. From the File menu, select New Prompt.
  3. If you are connected to multiple environments or projects, select the environment and project to create the prompt in.

  4. From the Select the Type of Prompt to Begin drop-down list, select Metric Qualification.

  5. In the A Metric box, search for and add metrics or search objects that contain metrics. You can select a single metric or a list of metrics that the user picks from. The user creates a metric qualification based on the metric.

    • You can also drag and drop objects from the Object Browser.

    • Search objects cannot be combined with other types of objects.

  6. Edit the predefined text for the Prompt title and instructions by clicking the text. Type a new Prompt Title and Instructions in the boxes.

  7. To set minimums and/or maximums, require a prompt answer, and enable personal answers, click None next to Answer restrictions.

    • To set the minimum number of metric qualifications that can be created by the user, select the Minimum Number of Qualifications check box and type the value in the box. You can specify a minimum even if you do not specify a maximum.

    • To set the maximum number of metric qualifications that can be created by the user, select the Maximum Number of Qualifications check box and type the value in the box. You can specify a maximum even if you do not specify a minimum.

    • To require users to answer the prompt before running the report, select the Prompt Answer Required check box.

    • To determine whether users can save and reuse their prompt answers, select the Allow Personal Answers check box. Choose how many prompt answers they can save for the prompt:

      • Single Save and reuse only one prompt answer.

      • Multiple Save and reuse multiple prompt answers.

  8. If users tend to create the same qualification, define that as the default. Default answers are automatically selected and save users time.
    1. Click None next to Default Answer.
    2. In the Based On box, select one of the prompt's metrics.
    3. From the Grouped By drop-down list, select the level to calculate the metric at. The options are:

      • Default: Calculate the metric at the level of the attributes defined in the metric's level. If the metric is a compound metric or its level is set to the report level or nothing, the metric is calculated at the level of the attributes in the report.

      • Attributes in the Metric Level: Calculate the metric at the level of the attributes defined in the metric's level.

      • Attributes in Report Template: Calculate the metric at the level of the attributes in the report.

      • Select Multiple Attributes: Calculate the metric at the level of the specified attributes. Select the attributes.

    4. Select the Function to use:
      • Metric Value
      • Rank
      • Percentage
    5. In the Operator drop-down list, choose an operator such as Equals or Contains.
    6. Type a Value or create a Custom expression.
    7. Click Done.
    8. You can add another qualification to the default answer. Click New Qualification and repeat the steps above.
  9. Click Save in the upper left.

    Use the Prompt

  10. Add your metric qualification prompt to a report, filter, or custom group:
    • To let users determine the data that is included in the report, add a metric qualification prompt to the report's filter.
    • To let users determine the data to use in a filter, add a metric qualification prompt to a filter.
    • To let users determine the data to include in a custom group, add a metric qualification prompt to a custom group.