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Filter Connection Quick Reference

Connections are used to pass values between Web Parts in a SharePoint BI or PerformancePoint dashboard.  They allow content displayed within different Web Parts on a page to be coordinated and synchronized.  This is central functionality in PerformancePoint as you might imagine.

Connections…

A connection is made between a provider Web Part and a consumer Web Part.

The Web Part that sends a value is called a provider.  Provider Web Parts will have one or more begin-points.  A begin-point is a source of values of a given type that can be supplied by the provider.

The Web Part that receives a value is called a consumer.  Consumer Web Parts will have one or more end-points.  An end-point is a destination for values of a given type that can be used in some way by the consumer Web Part.

A connection is made between a provider begin-point and a consumer end-point.  A given Web Part can be either a consumer or provider, or both.  Circular connections are prohibited.

Begin-points

The following is a list of begin-points available in PPS filters or scorecards.

Begin-point

Emits/Sends

Member Unique Name

A fully qualified member name. In many cases this is an Analysis Services Member name. This can also be a member set expression or calculated member expression.

Example: [customer].[customer].&[23043]

Member Display Name (caption)

The display value associated with the member. This is the value you see when the member is displayed in a report or scorecard.

Time Formula

PerformancePoint time intelligence formula

Example: month:month-5

Date Time

As the name suggests, a date time value

Property Value

The value of a custom property (scorecard only)

Cell Context

An XML blob containing all the data and contextual information associated with a scorecard cell. (scorecard only)

Begin-point to report mapping

The following shows which begin-point can be used when connecting to PPS reports.

Capture

End-points

The following table is a list of end-points available in PPS reports.

End-point

Receives

Column

Member Unique Name

Row

Member Unique Name

Page / Background

Member Unique Name

Hierarchy

Member Unique Name

Named parameter

Potentially any value. Usually a member unique name, display name or text value

Formula

PerformancePoint time intelligence formula

Example: month:month-11

Date Time

A date time value. Scorecard only.

This is used in PPS to set the current date for time intelligence.

Context

Cell Context (scorecard only)

 

Filters

 

Tabular Filter

The Tabular Filter can be thought of as the catch all.  It emits a particular cell value from a tabular data source.  This value can be a member, caption, number, or text value.  It is a good filter to keep in mind when you need to work with multiple data sources or complex set expressions in MDX

Begin-point

Multi-value

Connection Formula

End-points

Column

yes

no

Any (depends upon the content of the column cell)

 

MDX Filter

The MDX filter allows you enter an MDX set expression.  Since this filter requires an MDX statement it works with Analysis Services data sources only.

Begin-point

Multi-value

Connection Formula

End-points

Member Unique Name

yes

yes

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

Display Name (caption)

yes

yes

Text and Members when connection formula is used

 

Member Selection Filter

The member selection filter allows can send member values from an Analysis Services or tabular data source to a report or scorecard.

Begin-point

Multi-value

Connection Formula

End-points

Member Unique Name

yes

yes

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

Display Name (caption)

yes

yes*

Text and Members when connection formula is used

* Analysis Services data sources only.

Time Intelligence Filter

The standard time intelligence (TI) filter allows users to enter one or more TI Formula expressions.  The formula can can be evaluated by the filter for any of the data sources mapped in the filter.  The filter can also send the formula as is.  This is useful for reports like the scorecard that can evaluate TI formula internally.

Begin-point

Begin-point

Multi-value

Connection Formula

End-points

Member Unique Name

 

yes

yes

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

Display Name (caption)

 

yes

no

Text and Members when connection formula is used

Time Intelligence Formula

 

no

no

Formula

Data Source (Multiple by name)

Member Unique Name

yes

yes

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

 

Display Name (caption)

yes

no

Text and Members when connection formula is used

 

Time Intelligence Calendar Filter

The time intelligence calendar filter allows users to choose a date.  The supplied date will be used when evaluating the TI formula.  Unlike other filters, Connection formula is required for this filter.  The user must enter a TI formula expression when the connection is created or the filter will not work properly.  As with the standard TI filter, one or more data sources can be used.  The Member Unique Name and Display Name begin-points will be replicated for each mapped data source.

Begin-point

Begin-point

Multi-value

Connection Formula

End-points

Member Unique Name

Uses default data source

 

yes

required*

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

Display Name (caption)

Uses default data source

 

yes

no

Text and Members when connection formula is used

Time Intelligence Formula

 

no

required*

Formula

Date-time

 

no

no

DateTime (scorecards only)

Data Source (Multiple by name)

Member Unique Name

yes

required*

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

 

Display Name (caption)

yes

required*

Text and Members when connection formula is used

* Time Intelligence must be entered in the filter connection formula dialog for this filter to work.

Scorecard

The scorecard is the only report type Web Part available in PerformancePoint that can both send and receive filter values.  The filter values are emitted either when the scorecard is rendered or when a scorecard cell is clicked.

Begin-point

Begin-point

Multi-value

Connection Formula

End-points

Row Member

Member Unique Name

no

yes

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

 

Display Name (caption)

no

yes

Text and Members when connection formula is used

Column Member

Member Unique Name

no

yes

Members: Column Member, Row Member, Page, Hierarchy, Parameter

 

Display Name (caption)

no

yes

Text and Members when connection formula is used

Cell Context

 

no

no

Context (KPI Details report only)

Name

 

no

no

Text

Description

 

no

no

Text

Property Value

 

no

no

Text

 

About the Author: Stephen Handy is a Program Manager on the PerformancePoint Services SharePoint BI team.

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    June 09, 2010
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