Adding a link to a document

Prerequisites

The source document and any target reports/documents must be created. The source document must contain the object to link from.
If the target report/document contains prompts, you must know what types of prompts the targets require and how they will be answered by the link (or by the user). For details on each prompt answer method, see Specifying how prompts are answered in the target.
If you want to pass selector values from the source document to the target document, both the source and the target must contain the same selector. This means that either both documents must contain a selector with the same name (such as Region Selector), or both documents must contain a selector that uses the same source object (such as Region).
If you are linking from an object on a Grid/Graph, the Grid/Graph must be displayed as a grid.

To add a link to a document

In MicroStrategy Web, open the document in Design Mode.
Open the Link Editor in one of the following ways, depending on what type of object you intend to create the link in:

To create a link from a text field, button, or image, right-click the object and select Edit Links. You can create links to reports, documents, and web pages from text fields, images, and buttons.
To create a link from an object on a Grid/Graph or widget, right-click the attribute or metric header in the Grid/Graph and select Edit Links.
- To link from a Grid/Graph, you can create links on attributes, hierarchies, metrics, and object prompts.
- To link from a widget, you can create links on attributes.
- You can create links to reports and documents from Grid/Graph objects and widgets.

If other links already exist on this document, click the New icon to create a new link.
Type a name for the link in the URL display text field. Since the name appears in the link, it should be descriptive and informative to help users identify the target of the link.

To define the link

Perform the appropriate steps below, depending on whether you are linking to a web page or to a report/document.

To link to a web page:

If you intend the document to be viewed by users in PDF View in MicroStrategy Developer, use a hyperlink instead of a link. For steps, see Defining hyperlinks in documents.

Select Navigate to this URL. This option is available only if you selected to create a link from a text field or image.
Type the target URL in the field below Navigate to this URL.

To link to a report or document:

Select Run this report or document.
Click the browse button (...) below Run this report or document to find and select the target report or document.

To apply prompt answers to target reports that contain prompts

The box below Run this report or document contains a list of any prompts included in the target report/document. Select a target prompt from the box.
Select a prompt answer method from the drop-down list. For examples of each prompt answer method, see Specifying how prompts are answered in the target.

Answer with the same prompt from the source: Select this option if you want to use the same prompt answers for both the source report and the target report/document. This option requires that both the source and target documents use the same prompt.
Prompt user: Select this option if you want the user to type prompt answers after he clicks the link to run the target report/document.
Answer with an empty answer: Select this option if you want to ignore the prompt in the target report/document. The prompt is not answered. This option requires that the prompt in the target is not required. If the prompt in the target is required, the user is prompted to provide an answer.
Use default answer: Select this option if you want the prompt in the target to use the default answer defined by the prompt's designer. This option requires that a default answer is defined for the prompt in the target.
Answer dynamically: Select this option if you want to answer the prompt using the object selected in the source. This option is only available for attribute element prompts and value prompts.
Answer using current unit: Select this option if you want to answer the prompt using the object selected in the source. This option is only available for hierarchy prompts.
Answer using all valid units: Select this option if you want to answer the prompt in the target with any object to the left of or above the object that the user selects in the source document. This method passes all pertinent selections in the source, rather than just the selection made for the link. This option is available only for hierarchy prompts.

For each prompt in the target report/document, repeat the step above.

To specify the prompt answer method for prompts not in the list

Any other prompts are those prompts that are not in the target report/document when you are creating the link. For example, these prompts can include prompts added to the target later. By default, the Prompt user answer method is selected for these prompts, but you can change the method. To do this, select Any other prompts in the list.
Select a prompt answer method from the list; these are the only methods available for the Any other prompts option. For examples of each answer method, see Specifying prompt answers for any other prompts not listed .

Answer with the same prompt from the source
Prompt user (default)
Answer with an empty answer
Use default answer

To apply selector values to a target document that contains selectors

Choose a selector value method from the Pass all selector values drop-down list. For an example of passing selector values, see Passing selector values from the source to the target.

To match selector values by the selector's source attribute (that is, the object displayed in the selector), select Match Selectors by Source Attribute.
To match selector values by the name of the selector, select Match Selectors by Control Name.

The option Match Selectors By Control Name requires the ID form of the source attribute in both the source document and target document to have the same number and type of base forms.

For example: Let's refer to the source attribute of a selector (S1) in a document (D1) as A. A's ID form contains two base forms: The first form is referred to as AF1 with data type = Text and the second form if referred to as AF2 with data type = Number. Now let's refer to the source attribute of a selector (S2) in a document (D2) as B. B's ID form contains two base forms: the first form is referred to as BF1 with data type = Text and the second form is referred to as BF2 with data type = Number. In this case, when selectors S1 and S2 have the same name, the setting "pass selection by control name" will pass the selection from S1 to S2.

To check the number and type of base forms of an attribute, edit the attribute in Developer. The Attribute Editor appears. The number and type are compared according to the sequence (index) of the base forms defined in the source attribute of the selectors in document one and document two.

To define additional links and determine link behavior

Repeat the steps above if you want to create additional links. You can create multiple links on the same object.
Select the Open in new window check box to have the target report/document open in a new window. This allows the target and the source documents to be visible simultaneously. If this check box is cleared, the target report/document or web page opens and replaces the source document.
If the object has more than one link, select the link that you want to make the default link, and click the Set as Default icon . For details on setting a default link, see Multiple links on the same object.
Click OK to return to the source document and to save your link.