Create a parameter to produce a prompt

IBM® Cognos® Analytics - Reporting can automatically generate prompted reports based on parameters you create. When you run the report, Reporting can generate a prompt page for each parameter not associated to an existing prompt page depending on whether the prompt run option is selected or not.

Note: When Reporting automatically generates a prompt, it creates filters in the query using the prompt information properties that are set in the IBM Cognos Framework Manager model. For more information about the prompt information properties, see the Framework Manager User Guide.

You can also define parameters when you want to create a drill-through report or define master detail relationships.

Procedure

  1. From the report object toolbar, click the Filters icon filter icon.
  2. On the Detail Filters tab, click the add button add icon.

    The Detail Filter dialog box appears.

  3. In the Available Components box, click the Source tab source tab, the Data Items tab data items tab, or the Parameters tab parameters tab to select the data item to use for the prompt:
    • To filter data based on data items not shown in the report, double-click a data item on the Source tab.
    • To filter data that appears in the report but not necessarily in the model, such as calculations, double-click a data item on the Data Items tab.
    • To filter data using standardized parameters that were created by your administrator, double-click a data item on the Parameters tab in the Global Parameters folder.

    The data item appears in the Expression Definition box.

  4. In the Expression Definition box, type an operator after the data item or select an operator from the Functions tab functions tab.

    The operator sets some of the default properties of the prompt. For example, if the operator is equals (=), users will be able to select only a single prompt value and the prompt's Multi-Select property is set to No.

    For more information about creating expressions, see Using relational calculations or Using Dimensional Calculations.

  5. Type a name after the operator to define the prompt parameter. A question mark must precede and follow the name.
  6. To specify whether the prompt is mandatory, in the Usage box, click Required, Optional, or Disabled.