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Creating a Dashboard Prompt for Filtering Oracle BI Requests

A dashboard prompt filters the results of embedded requests to show only results that match the prompt criteria. A dashboard prompt can filter all requests embedded in a dashboard or requests on certain dashboard pages only.

You select the columns and operators for the dashboard prompt, and specify how the prompt appears on the dashboard and how users select the values. The user's selections determine the content of the reports embedded in the dashboard or dashboard page. Every column contained in the dashboard prompt must be contained, in the projection list or in the filter, in each request that you want the prompt to filter. The columns in the request must have filters set, or the filter condition has to be set to Is Prompted. Columns contained in the prompt that are not included in the request will not filter the request.

If you include multiple columns in a dashboard prompt, you can constrain users' choices for subsequent selections. For example, suppose one column filters on Region, and the next column filters on District. By clicking the Constrain check box for District, you can constrain the District column to show only districts consistent with the user's selection for Region. If the user were to choose the east region from the Region prompt, the District prompt would show districts in the east region only.

NOTE: Constrained columns will be constrained by all other columns in the prompt. For example, if the prompt contains columns Year, Region, and District, and Constrain is checked for District, the values shown in District will be limited by the values entered in Region and Year.

You can also use variables and SQL expressions to populate a dashboard prompt dynamically, allowing programmatic customizing for each user. Variables can be created in the Oracle BI Server Administration Tool and can include session variables as well as dynamic or static repository variables. For more information about variables, see Oracle Business Intelligence Server Administration Guide.

A presentation variable that is declared in a dashboard prompt can also be referenced in various areas of a report. The value entered at the dashboard prompt can then be displayed (using the presentation variable), in request results displayed in the dashboard. For more information about using variables, see the chapter about working with requests in Oracle Business Intelligence Answers, Delivers, and Interactive Dashboards User Guide.

NOTE: If you are creating variables to use with Oracle BI Publisher reports based on data from the Oracle BI Server, the variable names must match the parameter names that are included in the report.

After you create a dashboard prompt, save it in a personal folder under My Folders or in a shared folder. If you save the prompt in a personal folder, it is available for use only on your dashboard. If you save it in a shared folder, it is available for use by other users who have permission to use objects in the shared folder. After you have saved a dashboard prompt, you can add it to a dashboard.

To create a dashboard prompt in Oracle BI Answers

Click the Answers link to navigate to the start page in Oracle BI Answers, and then click the following button at the top of the selection pane:
New Dashboard Prompt...
Select the subject area that contains the column to use as the filter.
The Dashboard Prompt page appears.

NOTE: If the column is also included in a column filter prompt in an embedded request, its value must be set to a filter in the Create/Edit Filter dialog box in order for the dashboard prompt to filter the embedded request. Setting the value to Is Prompted will not prefilter the current column. All columns in a dashboard prompt must come from the same subject area, and all columns in the dashboard prompt must be included in the embedded requests that you want the dashboard prompt to filter.
In the Scope drop-down list, specify whether the dashboard prompt applies to the entire dashboard or a dashboard page.
To select a column to use as a filter in the dashboard prompt, click it in the selection pane.
You can add multiple columns to a dashboard prompt.

To remove a column from the prompt, click the Delete button for that column.

NOTE: The number of columns you include in a dashboard prompt can affect performance. For example, columns that show values in a drop-down list require a request to the Oracle BI Server to populate the list. In general, you should limit the number of columns to nine or less.
Make your selections for the following options:
1. Click the Edit Formula button to display the Edit Column Formula dialog box where you can modify the formula for the column. For more information, see Editing the Formula of a Column.
2. Select the operator to use from the Operator drop-down list.
  NOTE: If you are creating a dashboard prompt for an Oracle BI Publisher report that receives its data from an Oracle BI Server or SQL Server, the Operator must be set to "is equal to/is in."
3. Select the Control type to indicate how users will select the value for the filter.
  The choices are to select it from a calendar, a drop-down list, or a multiple list of values, or type it into an edit box.
4. If you choose a drop-down list, then, in the Show list, indicate which values you want to appear in the drop-down list.
  You can show all values or develop an SQL statement to limit the drop-down list to certain values.
5. To constrain the choices for a column depending on the selection the user makes from the previous column, click the Constrain check box.
6. In the Default to list, choose the value that you want users to see initially.
  You can show the report defaults, all choices, or a specific value. If you select a specific value, a field appears in which you can type the value.
7. In the Set Variable list, you can choose whether or not to populate a variable for the dashboard prompt using a server request variable or a presentation variable.
  Leave the field blank not to declare a variable name for this prompt.
  
  If you choose either Server or Presentation to declare a variable for this prompt, an additional field appears where you declare the variable name.
  
  NOTE: If you are creating a dashboard prompt for an Oracle BI Publisher report that receives its data from and Oracle BI Server or SQL Server, the Set Variable must be set to "Presentation."
  
  If you set a server variable it will override explicitly, the value of this variable set via the initialization block.
  
  For example, if you chose Presentation from the drop-down list, you might type myFavoriteRegion to declare this as a presentation variable. A variable declared here can be referenced in requests and iBots when viewed in a dashboard.
  
  For more information about using variables, see the chapter about working with requests in Oracle Business Intelligence Answers, Delivers, and Interactive Dashboards User Guide.
8. In the Label box, type a name to use for the filter label.
  If you leave the Label box empty, the column label is used as the filter label.
To reorder columns in the prompt, click the Order By buttons.
This controls the order in which the selections appear to users.
If you want the selected prompt and all other prompts that follow it to appear on a new line in the filter, click the box in the Group list.
To preview how the prompt will appear on the dashboard, click the preview button (if available).
NOTE: If the preview button is not available, your Oracle BI Presentation Services administrator has suppressed its display.

To save a dashboard prompt

When you are finished creating a dashboard prompt, click the Save button.
At the Choose Folder dialog box, save the dashboard prompt to a personal or a shared folder, and give the dashboard prompt a descriptive name.
You may also want to indicate in the name whether the dashboard prompt is for an entire dashboard or for a dashboard page. If you are saving a dashboard prompt for use with an Oracle BI Publisher report that receives its data from the Oracle BI Server or SQL Server, the dashboard prompt's name must match the name of the report's parameter.

NOTE: Prompts saved in personal folders are available only to you. Prompts saved in shared folders are available to other users that have permission to access the folder.
(Optional) Type a description in the Description box.
Descriptions are displayed when Oracle BI administrators use the Catalog Manager.

To edit a dashboard prompt

Click the Answers link to go to the start page in Oracle BI Answers.
Locate the dashboard prompt:
- On the Catalog tab in the selection pane, the prompt is visible in the folder in which you saved it.
- On the Dashboard tab, the prompt is visible on the dashboard or dashboard page to which you added it.
Click the dashboard prompt to edit it.
You can also edit the dashboard prompt from the Dashboard Editor.

To add a dashboard prompt to a dashboard or dashboard page

In Oracle BI Interactive Dashboards, navigate to the dashboard or the specific dashboard page to which you want to add the dashboard prompt, and then click the Dashboard Editor link.
The Dashboard Editor appears.
From the selection pane, in the Saved Content area, navigate to the folder that contains the dashboard prompt you want to add.
Drag and drop the dashboard prompt into a section in the dashboard page.
If the dashboard prompt's scope is set to Dashboard, the dashboard prompt affects every page of the dashboard, but does not appear on every dashboard page. If the dashboard prompt's scope is set to Page, the dashboard prompt affects only the pages to which you add it. If a dashboard prompt's scope is set to Dashboard, the value selected for the dashboard level prompt will override values for page level dashboard prompts.

Creating a Dashboard Prompt for Filtering Oracle BI Requests

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