SAP Analytics Cloud - Story Filter, Page Filter, Chart Filter, Table Filter, .....(all about filtering - Part 1)

[IngoH]

In case you have been using SAP Analytics Cloud, you probably have noticed and most likely even used some of the available options for filtering your data.

SAP Analytics Cloud has the option to define:

• Story Filter


• Page Filter


• Filter for specific charts / tables

 

In case you are using SAP Analytics Cloud in combination with SAP BW live data, then on top of the filter options in your story, you also have the ability to define BEx Variables for filtering already in the BEx query and in case of SAP HANA as datasource you have similar options available.

And last but not least, you also have the functionality of Linked Analysis, which generates filter values based on the user interaction.

It is important to understand the different options that are available to the Story Designer and Story consumer and how those different options will be applied to your data set and how your different visualizations - such as charts and tables - are impacted by the different type of filter.

So in the next few days I will try to outline the different filter scenarios and provide examples for a few combinations of those different filter, so that you can understand how those filters will be applied.

Now lets take a look at what options we have in SAP Analytics Cloud itself.

 

Story Filter

The first option for filtering in SAP Analytics Cloud is a Story Filter.



You can simply click on the Filter icon in the Tools toolbar and select the dimension for filtering and the dimension name and the filtered values will be shown in form of a filter line (see above).

A story filter will impact all the elements in your story across all the pages.

 

Page Filter

You can then use the Story Filter and turn the Story Filter into a Page Filter (or you create a new Page Filter).



After you turned your Story Filter into a Page Filter, you can also resize the filter to your needs and based on the given space, the filter will adapt the layout.



As indicated by the name, the Page Filter will only impact elements on the given page and not the complete story (assuming there are multiple pages).

In addition you have the option to decide, which of the visualizations should be impacted by the Page Filter.

Another option to create page filters is to simply use the option to create new Input Controls.

 

Filter on a chart / table level

The third option for filtering is to create / change the filter values directly in a particular visualization - in this example the chart.

In this example we have a chart which shows the Margin by Sales Manager and we select the first Sales Manager from the chart.



After we filtered the chart, the chosen values are shown in the chart title and the user can then simply click on the filter...



... and then open the list of available values and set the new filter values.



In addition to the option to define a Story Filter, or a Page Filter, or a Filter for one specific visualization (Widget / Component filter), you can also use Linked Analysis to generate filter values with a simple navigation done by your users, such as using a selection in the Table to filter a chart.

 

So we clarified what kind of filter / variables we have available in SAP Analytics Cloud. In the next steps, we will take a look at the different filter options and how those different options are being applied to your data.

In addition we will look at combinations of filter types and review scenarios where the story designer is using several different filter types in a single story and how the different filter options relate to each other.

 

[cristina_talmaciu]

Hi,

I have a question related to how to filter the year in a story. In order to get a better performance, is it recommended to have a variable in  the query or an input control with single selection? Is the same for SAC? I am not sure if in case we have the input control all the data are read and after that the filter is applied (so in this case it would take longer) or the input control is applied from the beginning before at the moment of the execution of the query.

 

Thank you!

[IngoH]

Hello Cristina,

 

there are a few differences between the variable and an Input control / Story filter.

 

The variable allows you to also use the EXIT variable type, so that you can use the time period or year or month, ... based on the output of the EXIT even without any input needed from the end user.

The story filter  also has those option to filter for example the data based on the "current month" (just as an example) as a predefined period.

So the option in regards to filter something like the current year or current quarter are there in the query with a variable as well as in the story filter.

Also in terms of the performance you should experience very similar performance.

Regards

Ingo

[former_member624647]

Hi Ingo

 

The story is built on Live SAP HANA connection on a model created on CDS view.

I have applied Filters from the designer builder on a Bar chart in a Story as shown below.

I wanted the the user not be able to cancel the filter on the chart , as highlighted on red box below.



This is possible by hiding Chart details from Show/Hide option? But is there another way to hide the pre-defined filters from designer builder settings.

 

Regards

[IngoH]

Hello Hemant,

 

the ability to have filters - for example a story filter - and then configure it so that the user can not change it - that should be possible. When you create the filter, did you see the option to allow the viewer to modify the filter ?

Thanks

Ingo Hilgefort, SAP

[former_member658853]

Hello

How can I create a filter by numbers? For example, I want to see in the table rows for which the salary dimension is from 100 to 500?

I work with model on live data SAP HANA



Regards

[harpreetchatha]

Is theere any option, so viwer are not able to see if fitler is applied or not. I don't want my user to see what filter is applied from my end.

[former_member561142]

Hi Ingo Hilgefort,

Is there any option to paste from clipboard in Story filters. Like, instead of selecting one check box, i have few values from my excel or SAP to paste for the values available in story filters. this will reduce manual selection and save time.

Please let me know if there is any such provision. i am not finding when i explored options.

Thanks and Regards,

Naresh.

 

 

[sameer_mehta]

Is there a way to apply a Story filter in Application designer?

[IngoH]

In Application Designer you can create your own filter - like a listbox - and apply the filter to the data sources that you would it to be applied to.

Regards

Ingo Hilgefort

[phulwin_]

Hi Ingo,

May I know if there is any way to clear multiple story filters with one click in SAP Analytics Cloud?

Thank you.

[IngoH]

Hello Phu,

right now there is a "reset" option for the viewer of the story. Its part of the File menu area in the toolbar when viewing the story.

That will reset the story to how it was when the user opened it.

Regards

Ingo

[phulwin_]

Thanks Ingo,

This was helpful!

Cheers.

Phu Lwin

[former_member730918]

I created a widget/chart filter but the values from it are displayed only if I clicked on the filter link.

is there a way to expand the filter to always show the values that the user can select?

I allowed the user to modify/ delete the filer already, but that did not help...

I am using SAC live connection product.

Thanks!

 

[SF_Reporting]

Dear Ingo,

We have a case where we have different BW models with Live connection with Links for filters. Including the Dimension "Profit Center" which is a hierarchy in the models.

Unfortunately SAC shows errors in the area where the Links are done and matched, saying: sac warning: blending is not supported between the linked dimensions. This link can only be used for filtering or sometimes saying that the dimension is not existing in the model.

Unfortunately when applying the Story Filer on that dimension the components in the story are not really filtered.

I red SAC has limitations when linking Hierarchy Dimensions, but I dont find any documentation related. Could you please provide your opinion on this and the best approach to go forward? 😃

 

Thanks a lot and BR,

Araceli

[thayumanavan]

Hi @ingo.hilgefort

I have a Model variable from bex query to select the number of weeks for order quantity. we are able to consume that variable in the story filter, but I want to use that variable as an input control. Is there any way we can consume the model variable in the input control.

Regards,
Thayu.