How to design Cognos interactive reports 03 - Make filters flexible

1. Check list of all posts

   Context

Filters are most used in interactive report, how to make filter flexible becomes a very useful topic. It would be perfect if we can allow business users to select filters as they want. If they don’t want to have filter, then no data should be retrieved for filters.

This document will demonstrate the idea to use prompt token to make filters flexible. Please see attached report specification for review (version 10.2 with sample Package GoSales)

2. Sample

Value prompt (pFilter1_Column), list all needed choices

List box (pFilter1_Values): populate value based on the selection of value prompt

Text box: selected value, value prompt selected value: list box selected value

This filter is used to filter crosstab data. This simple combination could represent many filters, or even unlimited filters.

3. Prompt

1. First value prompt

2. Second List box

This filter #prompt ('pFilter1_Column','token')#  makes it possible to have values depending on the selection of value prompt. Please also note that cascade source is specified for list box.

4. Query

The key to make filters flexible is to apply prompt token

#Prompt('pFilter1_Column', 'token')# in (?pFilter1_Values?)

5. Layout