Suppressing Invalid Attribute Combinations in the Grid

An invalid attribute combination is the result of an intersection of a dimension member for which:

An attribute is not assigned to the member
The assigned attribute is not within the scope of the grid query
The attribute assigned to the member is incorrect

On the grid, invalid attribute combinations are represented by #invalid. You can configure Essbase to suppress #invalid values by setting the GRIDSUPPRESSINVALID configuration setting to TRUE. Invalid attribute combinations are suppressed when the row contains all #invalid values. Valid combinations with #MISSING values are not suppressed.

This functionality applies to block storage and aggregate storage databases.

Consider the following outline:

Product (Color, Size)
   sku1 (Color: Red; Size: Small)
   sku2 (Color: Blue; Size: Small)
   sku3 (Color: Blue; Size: Medium)
Supplier
Geo (Dynamic Calc)
Customer (Dynamic Calc)
YearTime (Dynamic Calc)
Measures Accouts
Size Attribute [Type: Text]
   Small
   Medium
...Large
Color Attribute [Type: Text]
   Red
   Blue
   Green

The Size attribute dimension values are Small, Medium, and Large. The Color attribute dimension values are Red, Blue, and Green. In the Product dimension, each member is assigned a Color and Size attribute:

Member sku1 is assigned the color Red and the size Small attributes
Member sku2 is assigned the color Blue and the size Small attributes
Member sku3 is assigned the color Blue and the size Medium attributes

When drilling down on the Product, Color, and Size dimensions, all combinations—including invalid combinations—are displayed on the grid. As shown, the values in the Supplier column are either #MISSING (these are valid combinations) or #invalid (these are invalid combinations):

Table 7-9 Suppress Invalid Attribute Combinations: Grid 1

Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Supplier
Small	Red	sku1	#MISSING
Small	Red	sku2	#invalid
Small	Red	sku3	#invalid
Small	Blue	sku1	#invalid
Small	Blue	sku2	#MISSING
Small	Blue	sku3	#invalid
Small	Green	sku1	#invalid
Small	Green	sku2	#invalid
Small	Green	sku3	#invalid
Medium	Red	sku1	#invalid
Medium	Red	sku2	#invalid
Medium	Red	sku3	#invalid
Medium	Blue	sku1	#invalid
Medium	Blue	sku2	#MISSING
Medium	Blue	sku3	#invalid

When Essbase is configured to suppress invalid attribute combinations, the grid shows only valid attribute combinations, which are the combinations with a value of #MISSING, as shown:

Table 7-10 Suppress Invalid Attribute Combinations: Grid 2

Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Supplier
Small	Red	sku1	#MISSING
Small	Blue	sku2	#MISSING
Medium	Blue	sku2	#MISSING

Invalid combinations are not suppressed when there are values other than #invalid in a row. Consider this example of a grid, in which some rows have all #invalid values and some rows have #invalid and #MISSING values:

Table 7-11 Suppress Invalid Attribute Combinations: Grid 3

Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Red	Blue	Green
		Supplier	Supplier	Supplier
Small	sku1	#MISSING	#invalid	#invalid
Small	sku2	#invalid	#MISSING	#invalid
Small	sku3	#invalid	#invalid	#invalid
Medium	sku1	#invalid	#invalid	#invalid
Medium	sku2	#invalid	#invalid	#invalid
Medium	sku3	#invalid	#MISSING	#invalid
Large	sku1	#invalid	#invalid	#invalid
Large	sku2	#invalid	#invalid	#invalid
Large	sku3	#invalid	#invalid	#invalid

Essbase suppresses all of the rows that contain the #invalid value only, which leaves the rows that contain a mixture of #invalid and #MISSING values, as shown:

Table 7-12 Suppress Invalid Attribute Combinations: Grid 4

Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Red	Blue	Green
		Supplier	Supplier	Supplier
Small	sku1	#MISSING	#invalid	#invalid
Small	sku2	#invalid	#MISSING	#invalid
Medium	sku3	#invalid	#MISSING	#invalid

Consider this outline:

Year Time (Active Dynamic Time Series Members: H-T-D, Q-T-D) (Dynamic Calc)
Measures Accounts (Label Only)
Product {A, B, Caffeinated, Intro Date, Ounces, Pkg Type}
   P1 (+) {A: aa1; B: True}
   P2 (+) {B: True}
   P3 (+) {A: aa3}
   100 (+) (Alias: Colas)
   200 (+) (Alias: Root Beer)
   300 (+) (Alias: Cream Soda)
   400 (+) (Alias: Fruit Soda)
   Diet (~) (Alias: Diet Drinks)
Market {Population}
Scenario (Label Only)
Caffeinated Attribute [Type: Boolean]
Ounces Attribute [Type: Numeric]
Pkg Type Attribute [Type: Text]
Population Attribute [Type: Numeric]
Intro Date Attribute [Type: Date]
A Attribute [Type: Text]
   aa1
   aa2
   aa3
B Attribute [Type: Boolean]
   True 
   False

The A attribute dimension values are aa1, aa2, and aa3. The B attribute dimension values are True and False. In the Product dimension, the P1, P2, and P3 members are assigned one or two attributes:

Member P1 is assigned the A aa1 attribute and the B True attribute
Member P2 is assigned the B True attribute
Member P3 is asssigned the A aa3 attribute

Consider this example of a grid, in which there is only one valid attribute combination—member P1, which is assigned the A aa1 attribute. The attributes assigned to members P2 (True) and P3 (aa3) are not represented in the grid; therefore, those attribute combinations are invalid.

Table 7-13 Suppress Invalid Attribute Combinations: Grid 5

Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Market
		Year
		Measures
aa1	P1	#MISSING
aa1	P2	#invalid
aa1	P3	#invalid
aa2	P1	#invalid
aa2	P2	#invalid
aa2	P3	#invalid

When Essbase is configured to suppress invalid attribute combinations, the grid shows only the valid attribute combination for member P1:

Table 7-14 Suppress Invalid Attribute Combinations: Grid 6

Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Image of a space is used for empty thead cells	Market
		Year
		Measures
aa1	P1	#MISSING