After establishing the basic design of a report by selecting report groupings and data columns, you might wish to apply one or more filters to the report. Report filters allow you to view only a subset of the report data by hiding the information you do not want to see. For example, you can filter a user name report so that only the information about a particular user appears. 


Note: When you filter a report, all reported averages and totals are based solely on the data that are included in the report.


You can filter data on the following parameters:

You can apply more than one filter to a report. For example, you can add a User names filter to display statistics for a specific group of users, such as a department, and also add a Date range filter that prompts you to enter a date range when you run the report.


After you apply a filter, you can select among the following options for that filter:

 

Persistence: Determines whether default values are always used for the filter or users are able to set the filter values when they run the report. 


If you want to use the same filter values every time you run the report, enter the default values for the parameter and set the Persistence option to Save. The report will automatically run using those values without prompting the user to select a filter value. For example, if you select a User name filter and enter the user names for a certain department, only data for those users will be included every time the report is viewed.


If you want to allow the filter values to be changed each time the report is viewed, set the Persistence value to Ask. In this case, when you run a report with a Date range filter, you can enter different starting and ending dates each time you run the report.


Another option is to set the Persistence value to Ask, but also enter common default values for the filter. This combination of options allows you to quickly run a report with commonly used default values, but also provides the flexibility to enter new filter criteria if needed.


Include in report: Prints the selected filter values above the report columns, to clearly identify the range of data included in a report


Default value: Value(s) used for a filter each time the report is viewed


The values in this column change, depending on the selected parameter. For instance, the default values for a Date range filter can include a specific beginning date and a specific ending date, whereas the default value for an Outline item can be a single module, section, topic, concept, question or assessment. If the Persistence value (see above) is set to Save, the report will always use the default value(s) when it is run. If the Persistence value is set to Ask, users will be able to change the filter values each time they run the report.


To select a report filter: 

  1. In New Custom Report page, click Dropdown in the Filters column.
     
  2. Select the desired parameter.
     
  3. If desired, click Dropdown in the Persistence column.
     
  4. Select Ask to prompt the user to enter filter values or Save to save the default filter values.
     
  5. If desired, click the Include in report checkbox to display the filter values at the top of the report.
     
  6. If desired, enter default value(s) in the Default value column.
     
    You should always enter default value(s) for a filter if its Persistence value is set to Save. Otherwise, the report will, in effect, be unfiltered.
     
    If desired, you can repeat steps 1-6 in subsequent rows in the Parameters column to add additional filters to the report.

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