Using Dashboard Parameters

You can use dashboard parameters when it is necessary to pass data of a certain type to a dashboard (e.g., to pass a specific value to the data source filter string or a calculated field).

The topics in this section describe how to use dashboard parameters.

• Creating Parameters
• Passing Parameter Values
• Requesting Parameter Values

 

This explains how to create a new dashboard parameter and specify its settings.

• Creating Parameters in the Dashboard Designer
• Look-Up Editor Settings

 

To create dashboard parameters in the Dashboard Designer, do the following.

• Click the Parameters button on the Ribbon's Data Source tab.

  

• In the invoked dialog, click the Add button to add a new parameter.

  

• Specify the following settings.

  Settings	Description
  Name	Specifies a parameter name.
  Value	Specifies a parameter value.
  Type	Specifies the parameter type.
  Look-Up Settings	Specifies the parameter's look-up editor settings.
  Description	Specifies the parameter's description displayed to an end-user.
  Visible	Specifies whether a parameter's editor is visible within the Dashboard Parameters dialog.

  Then, click OK, to include the created parameters in the dashboard.

 

There are three types of look-up editor settings that can be specified for a parameter. Select the required type from the LookUpSettings drop-down list.

• No Look-Up - set the Value to use a static value as a parameter.

  

• Static List - click the ellipsis button to add static values for the current dashboard parameter.

  

  In this case, the Value specifies the default parameter's value.

• Dynamic List - allows you to use a list of values from the existing data source as a parameter. You need to select the required Data Source from the list of available data sources and data members for the dashboard parameter's display name and value, respectively.

  

  In this case, the Value specifies the default parameter's value.

 

 

In this topic, you will learn how to pass parameter values to a dashboard.

 

You can filter a data source or apply filtering to a specific dashboard item according to the current parameter value using the Filter Editor.

In the Filter Editor, you can compare a field value with the following objects.

• A static value (represented by the icon). Click this button to switch to the next item mode ("another field value"), to compare the field value with another field value.
• Another field value (represented by the icon). Click this button to switch to the next item mode (parameter value), to compare the field value with a parameter value.
• A parameter value (represented by the icon). Click this button to switch back to the initial mode ("static value"), to compare the field value with a static value.

Thus, to compare a field value with a parameter value, click the button, then click the button.

 

You can use parameters when constructing expressions for calculated fields. A parameter is inserted into the expression using the Parameters. prefix.

To see a list of available parameters, click Parameters in the Expression Editor dialog.