Slicers are used to filter queries using hierarchy elements from the data model. Slicer settings allow you to change the way the slicer is visualized, the way it operates and how it's styled.
Slicer Settings Panel
Configure the slicer preferences from the Slicer Settings panel. Start by clicking the slicer's context menu and select Settings:
The Slicer Settings panel will open along the bottom of the canvas. The panel features 5 tabs along the left; each tab exposes options relating to various slicer settings.
Type
The Type settings let you change the slicer's title and type.
- Title: edit the slicer title.
- Type: select a slicer type from the drop-down menu.
- Data Source: the Data Source panel displays the data source metadata, including the data source, database, data model, and the hierarchy used in the filter.
Load Time
The load time settings determine which of the slicer's elements will be automatically loaded when the report is opened.
Initial Selection Mechanism
The initial selection mechanism determines which slice will be automatically loaded when the user opens the report.
- Saved Selection by Name: select the initial slicer selection by name; this slicer will be selected by default whenever the report is opened.
- Saved Selection by Position: select the initial slicer selection by position; this slicer will be selected by default whenever the report is opened. This is useful if the slicer is based on a custom calculation that shows, for example, the top 10 products. You might want to automatically load the top selling product. In this case, the slicer position needs to be saved.
- First Member: automatically select the first member in the slicer whenever the report is opened.
- Last Member: automatically select the last member in the slicer whenever the report is opened.
Subsequent Selection Options
Subsequent selection options determine whether or not the user's slicer selection will be saved. If so, these selections will override the given 'initial selection mechanism'.
Remember user's last selection
Enable this option to save the current user's saved slicer selection. Each time the user saves the report, the currently selected slice will be saved, and that slice will automatically be loaded when the report is next opened by that user.
If this option is not enabled, the given 'initial selection mechanism' will be loaded every time the user opens the report.
Apply to slicer if cascaded
Select this option if the given slicer is being cascaded to. For instance, if you've configured a cascading slicer that cascades from Country down to State, check this option for the State slicer to apply the given slice value modes to State.
In this scenario, if Last Member is set as the load mode, then the last member in the state slicer will automatically be selected whenever a country is selected from the parent slicer. Then, when United States is selected from the country slicer, Wyoming will automatically be selected form the state slicer; when Australia is selected, Victoria will automatically be selected from the state slicer.
Slicer Elements Limit
Set the maximum number of slicer elements to include in the slicer. The limit set here cannot exceed the limit set from the user defaults.
Search Type
Set the search type; this will be applied to any slicer type that supports search (drop down, text box, and tree):
- Contains
- Not Contains
- Starts With
- Ends With
- Exact
Other Options
From the Other Options tab, you can disable and enable the filter button, background chips, and auto run for the slicer.
Disabling
The slicer features a filter button next to its context menu. This button is used to enable and disable the filter as needed. The filter is enabled by default, meaning that whenever the report is opened in Discover or Present, it's automatically filtered.
The default filter behavior can be disabled (meaning that by default, the visual will not be filtered unless the user enables the filter), or the filter button can be hidden entirely.
Hide Disable Button
Hide the disable button so that users cannot disable the slicer.
Disable
Change the default slicer behavior to disabled. When the report is opened in Discover Present, it won't be filtered unless the user enables the slicer by clicking its filter button or making a slicer selection.
Filtering can also be enabled or disabled from the slicer itself, by toggling the funnel icon.
Background Chip
Enable Background Chip
Select this option to enable background filtering for single elements. Click here to learn more.
Auto Run
Enable or disable auto run for this slicer:
- When enabled, the query runs automatically whenever a slice is selected.
- When disabled, the query is not run when a slice is selected; instead, you'll run the query manually by clicking Run Query (top-left) or F2.
For more information about Auto Run, see Running Queries.
Predefined Slicer
Enable predefined slicers to set slicer selections before the query is loaded, whether it's in Discovery, Present, or Publish.
Non Empty Filter
Go to the Non Empty Filter to hide empties from the slicer.
Hide Empty Hierarchy Members
Hide any members from the slicer if they don't have any value for the given measure.
Use Default Measure
By default, the option is selected when you enable Hide Empty Hierarchy Members. This means that hierarchy members with no values in the data model's default measure will be hidden from the slicer.
To hide empty hierarchy members using a different measure, deselect Use Default Measure. This will expose a Measures tree, from which you can choose the required measure.
Filter Drop Zone
The slicer type can also be changed by dragging the slicer chip over the filters heading in the drop zone. This will open the slicer types menu. The slicer chip can then be dropped onto the required slicer type.
You can also disable or enable the background chip by clicking the Filters zone context menu:
- Click here to learn more about the Filters drop zone.
Global Use
- When the data discovery is added to a presentation or publication, the slicer settings configured in Discover are automatically passed to the discovery in Present or Publish, regardless of whether on not the slicers have been added in Present or Publish.
- For instance, say the slicer load mode was set to 'Saved Selection by Name', and the last saved selection was Accessories. The data discovery is then added to a publication; by default, it is filtered by Accessories, even though the slicer has not been added. This is reflected in the breadcrumb trail.
- If the slicer is added to the presentation, it can be used as normal in runtime. Its advanced settings can be changed from Present and Publish. If the slicer's settings are configured in Present or Publish, those settings will override those set from Discover.
- If you don't want any slice to automatically be passed to the data discovery in Present or Publish, disable the slicer from Discover before saving the report.