Dynamic Time Selections

Mallory Lindsey

What is the most efficient way to make a selection based on a custom time range? For example, I want to see data from the last 90 days, or the last 6 periods. 

Thanks!

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Mallory Lindsey
Business Reporting Analyst
Pepsi Bottling Ventures
United States
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Markus Seuffert

Hi Mallory

we recently tried to set up something like this ourselves, so this might help you.
We did for a dynamic month selection, where we always wanted to switch all reports to the most recent reporting month with one data entry.
So I'll refer to that example further on.

You need to create a custom cube that is dimensioned on months alone.
Then create a separate screen where you place a dataview.
This dataview should have the newly created custom cube as an info cube. Enable data entry here.
The rows should be detailed by months (use the normal time entity).
Save the screen and go to the play mode.
Enter a "1" in all month rows that you want to select on. Save the entry.

In your report go to the screen select.
Clear your existing selection of months (also delete existing pagers, selectors etc. that refer to the month).
Click on the [...] symbol in the month row.

Activate the "Enable dynamic selection" toggle and check the "Based on cube" box at the bottom.
Then select your custom cube and also check "Period <>0" (at least that works for us, you might have to play with the settings a little to find what suits you best). Hit okay and save and you should now have a selection on all months for which you entered a 1 before.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards
Markus

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Markus Seuffert
Controller
Austria
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Mallory Lindsey

Hi Markus,

Thanks so much for the suggestion. It seems ridiculous to have to create a cube just to select a custom time period. I'm shocked that this is not an available feature.

Based on your suggestion, every screen would have to have a separate layout for the user to manually enter a "1" value for every period they want to include. This means, if they want to look at the last 120 days, they have to then figure out what day was 120 days ago, then enter a "1" 120 times in that data view? Then, they have to make a dynamic selection based on this cube, which is not searchable in the cube drop-down list. 
Am I understanding your suggestion correctly?

Thanks,
Mallory

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Mallory Lindsey
Business Reporting Analyst
Pepsi Bottling Ventures
United States
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Markus Seuffert

Hi,

I'm not an expert myself, but there should be ways to quickly fill in lots of 1's in a cube (maybe with the Excel-Add, Nexel or some other data entry hacks).
Maybe this isn't even the right choice for you and you could try to solve your problem with a dynamic selection on the current date (in the same menu where you set the dynamic selection on a cube) and some offset or a certain cycle but I'm not completely proficient in that area.

I'm not completely sure what you mean by cube drop-down list, but I think it is a normal cube that can be selected and displayed in every report.

Hope you find your solution

Kind regards
Markus

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Markus Seuffert
Controller
Austria
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