Working with Selections of Data

As you specify which data members to include in an analysis, you create selections of data from the data source. Each selection specifies the criteria for a set of members for a particular column, such as Product or Geography. Each selection consists of one or more steps. A step is an instruction that affects the selection, such as add Product members whose values contain the text "ABC." The order in which steps are performed affects the selection of data. Each step acts incrementally on the results from previous steps, rather than acting on all the members for that column.

You can view these selection steps in the Selection Steps pane. Steps are created using the following means:

When you add a column to an analysis, a selection step is created automatically to start with all members, unless you explicitly add specific members. As you drag and drop column members in the Results tab to add to the analysis, steps are also created automatically. For example, suppose that you drag and drop the FY2007 and FY2008 members from the Year hierarchical column to a pivot table. The selection step "Add FY2007, FY2008" is created.
As you add groups and calculated items, steps are created automatically.
When you use right-click interactions (such as Add Related or Keep Only) to refine the selection of data for a particular hierarchical column or attribute column, steps are created automatically.
You can create steps directly using the Selection Steps pane, to refine the selection of data for a particular hierarchical column or attribute column. You can display the Selection Steps pane from various places including the Results tab, the Criteria tab, and some view editors.

Selection steps can be one of the following types:

Explicit list of members — A step can include a list of members for a column, such as Boston, New York, Kansas, South. For hierarchical columns, the members can be from different hierarchy levels. For attribute columns, the members can be from only that column.
Condition step — A step can specify that members are selected from a column based on a condition, which can be one of various types including based on measures or on top/bottom values. This member list is dynamic and determined at runtime.
Based on hierarchy step — A step for hierarchical columns that enables you to select the type of relationship with which to select members. You can select a family relationship (such as children of or parent of), a specific hierarchy level (for level-based hierarchies only), or a level relationship (for level-based hierarchies only).
Groups and calculated items — A step can include a group or calculated item. Groups and calculated items can be used only with Add steps; they cannot be used in Keep Only or Remove steps.