Parameters are an advanced feature in Pyramid that allow you to build lists of items that can be used to drive other calculations or logic. Parameter lists are built in Discover or Formulate and can be used to supply a custom list of values for your slicers to use; for example, you might create a Year slicer whose parameter list only offers years when your region was in business. This functionality allows you to select a shortened list of slicer members that are more relevant to their business than the raw data in the original hierarchy, it also prevents selection of options that are invalid or return empty results.
Note: You can also use calculations based on parameter lists; for example, by including a calculation formula and then creating interactions from the slicer to the formula and then to the visual that the calculation affects. You might do this, for example, if you want to work out the sales between the dates selected on the slicers and use those calculated values to filter the visual with the correct data.
Getting your parameter lists
To use parameter lists to supply values for your slicers, they need to have been created in Formulate or Discover with the values you require before you begin this task. If you want to use a formula that is driven by the parameter list, that also needs to be created in advance and made available for use.
- Click here for information about parameters in Formulate
- Click here for information about parameters in Discover
Configure slicers to use a parameter list
To map a slicer to a parameter:
- In the Interaction Manager, select the intersection between the slicer and the content item that it affects (green arrow below).
The Settings panel opens alongside the report items.
- From the Parameter Interactions, check that the correct parameter (blue arrow) is selected. This option is available for selection because the parameter list is associated with the target of this interaction; in this case, the discovery "Cost by Manufacturer."
It is important to notice what this configuration indicates; first, that there is a slicer on the page with the name MyCompany End; second, that the selected checkbox at the interaction of the slicer and visual (Cost by Manufacturer) indicates that the End slicer should affect the visual; and, last, that the parameter list with the name "End" that is the target of the interaction supplies the values seen in the slicer when the document is built.
Note: In the preceding example, the slicer is just like any other. It has been given a user-friendly name in its slicer settings. The slicer could contain any values but because the target analytic object contains a parameter list and the slicer and parameter list are connected in the settings, the values in the slicer are those from the parameter list.