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Welcome to the Yellowfin user guide. This guide is to designed to assist you gain the

most from your Yellowfin report writer. The guide will first take you through the basics

from an overall overview, to specific instructions on how to create your reports prior

to moving to advanced features such as formatting and scheduling.

Yellowfin is an easy-to-use report writer for non-technical users, delivering drag-and-

drop simplicity for formatting and data selection. With Yellowfin, you can access

information from multiple data bases without special coding knowledge. This is easybecause you work with data in business terms that are familiar to you without the

need to understand complex technology principles.

This chapter provides you with:

1. An introduction of what you can achieve with Yellowfin.

2. Information on the major elements of Yellowfin and how they help you to

access, write and publish reports.

Yellowfin makes it easy to access data for your reports because it uses what is called

a meta-data layer that hides the technical issues of the underlying database.

Generally you do not need to know much about the meta-data layer, only that it is

there and is referred to as a VIEW (since it provides you with a view of your data).

The View is created by your Yellowfin Administrator and maps to data in your

database, using everyday business terms. This makes it easy to select the data youwant for your report through user-friendly drag and drop interface. You will learn

more about the report writer later.

Views consist of categories and items. The categories are logical groupings of items.

For example in a human resource view the category of PERSONAL DETAILS could

consist of items including last name, date of birth and gender.

When you build a report, you select items from a view, and then run a query.

Yellowfin connects to the database, and retrieves the data mapped by the items you

selected.

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Figure 1Categories and Data Items

Yellowfin is very secure. Your administrator has many options for managing security

profiles. All of the rights you have as a user are granted by your administrator. The

administrator defines:

The parts of the Yellowfin interface you can access. Your administrator can

restrict the availability of Yellowfin functionality, such as access to certain

menu commands;

The Categories and Subcategories of reports that you can access;

The views you can access for creating and editing queries;

Your ability to publish public reports; and

The data that you can access

The rights accorded to each user define the users profile. This profile-based securitysystem allows a single report to be distributed to many userswith end users having

access only to the information that they are authorised to see.

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Figure 5Report Charting

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There are a few simple ways that Yellowfin lets you find and manage your favourite

reports. These include the report list, your favourites, your inbox and the search

functionality.

The Yellowfin dashboard is your personal reporting portal. At a glance you can view

all your key reports on a single page. The dashboard allows you to switch between

tabs to view subject related reports, search your corporate repository for dashboard

enabled reports and add them to your selected tab, or access a corporate tab.

Figure 6Dashboard

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Figure 7Report List

The Report List is one of the main ways to find and run reports in Yellowfin. It shows

you all the reports that you have access to and allows you to add these documents

into your favouritesproviding you with a short cut to you most used reports.

The Report List is discussed in detail in the next chapter.

If you cannot find a report in your repository you can search for it using the report

search function. The search function is located at the top of the Report List and

Dashboard pages. To use this facility type in a key word such as drill and click GO.

1. Enter in your search keyword into the search box and hit Enter or click on .

Figure 8Report Search Box

2. A list of all reports containing the word you searched in the title, tag, or

description will be returned. Click on the report title to run the report that is

required.

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The favourites list is unique for every user. Rather than having to search for

frequently used reports user can add these to their list of favourites. This allows quick

and easy access to these as required.

To add a report to favourites select it from the report list, and click on the add to

favourites link, found on the left menu bar. This will add the report into your list on

the right hand side of the page. This link toggles between Add to Favourites and

Remove from Favourites depending on the report.

Figure 9Favourites

Once a report is in your list of favourites you can delete it at any time by clicking the

drop down menu icon and selecting delete (as seen below).

Figure 10Delete Favourite

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You will be prompted when you delete a report from your favourites. Click OK to

confirm the deletion.

Figure 11Confirm Deletion

When you delete a report from you favourites it does not delete the report from the

corporate repository. It only removes it from your list of favourites.

The inbox is used to share information between users. This can include reports and

comments about reports.

If you subscribe to a report or its comments, whenever comments are made to the

report a new comment link will appear.

Your drop down will vary based on the item type in your inbox.

Figure 12Report Drop Down Menu

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Move to Favourites Moves a report from your inbox to your favourites list.

Delete Removes the report from your inbox.

Email Enables you to email the report to users or external email

addresses.

View Opens the report.

Figure 13Comment Drop Down Menu

Delete Removes the comment from your inbox

View Opens the report.

Unsubscribe Removes your comment subscription from the report. You will not

see further comments related to this report in the future.

View Report Opens the report that the comment relates to.

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The Draft Report List displays reports currently in draft mode, with the most recent

reports at the top of the list. From here you can click on the report name to view it in

edit mode, or click on the image to delete the report.

Figure 14Draft Report List

The Recently Accessed Report List displays reports you have been working with or

viewing, with the most recent reports at the top of the list. From here you can click on

the report name to view it in edit mode, or click on the image to delete the report.

Figure 15Recently Accessed Report List

Move to Favourites Moves a report from your list to your favourites.

Delete Removes the report from your list.

Email Enables you to email the report to users or external

email addresses.

View Opens the report.

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The report list provides you with the ability to search and browse for reports. This

section covers the features of the report list page. This chapter covers:

1. Browsing reports by category, and

2. Editing, copying or deleting reports from the reports list.

The report list page provides you access to all the reports that you have available to

you. It is the main entry page for Yellowfin if you do not have access to a Yellowfin

Dashboard.

Figure 16Browsing Reports

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The Report List displays detailed information relating to the selected report, such as:

Delete (deletes the report)

Edit (allows you to edit the report, placi

it in draft mode)

Edit Metadata (allows you to edit the

name, description, category and

subcategory of the report)

Tags (displays the tags assigned to the

report for easy searching)

Display Type (report format settings

table/chart/both)

Drag and Drop Builder(report writing

method)

Active(active/draft mode)

Public Report(access settings)

Fast Run Time (Less than 1 second)(th

reports average run time)

Dashboard Enabled (can the report be

used on the dashboard?)

Linked (the report is linked to another

report)

Broadcast (reports that are marked for

broadcast to nominated users).

Add to Favourites

Copy

Information

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You can apply basic or advanced filters to your list to assist finding the report you are

searching for. The basic filter allows you to search for reports by name. The

advanced filter allows you to filter by report mode and access settings, as well as datasource and views.

Figure 17Advanced Report Search

While Folder View is selected in the top-right, the report list will be arranged in a

folder structure based on the category the report as been saved into. To browse

reports by category, simply open and close the folders by clicking on them.

You can also arrange reports in order of name, description, date modified, type,

status and run time by clicking on the column headers (this will arrange reports within

their categories).

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Figure 18Browsing By Folders

To browse all of your reports at once, click on list view on the top-right. You can now

sort all of your reports by the column headers at once.

Figure 19Browsing By List

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You are able to choose which columns you display by clicking on the Columns option

on the top-right.

Figure 20Column Selection

To assist in finding and managing access to reports, the reports are categorised into

major and minor categories. The effect of this categorisation is three fold:

1. Display & Classification: By using the folders structure a user can navigate

through the available list of reports. This assists the user to understand the

purpose of a report.

It is not possible to classify the same report into two different categories. If this is

required a report can be copied and the new report given a different category

than its original parent report.

2. Security: Report Categories and subcategories also control access to reports. It

is possible to define which specific users can read, edit or delete reports from a

selected category or subcategory.

3. Default DRAFT folders: Within your list your administrator may have setup a

default draft folder. When creating new reportsif you do not specifically save

them into a folder they will be placed in this folder. The folder is identifiable by

the draft folder icon.

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The report list displays some information about the reports.

The report nameis the title of the report and by clicking on the link the report will

open.

The descriptioncolumn provides an overall description of the report.

The run timecolumn provides an indication of the time taken for a report to run.

Depending on the complexity of a report or the amount of data that needs to be

retrieved the time taken for a report to run can vary significantly.

Icon Description

Fast Executionthe report should take less than 1 second to return a data set.

Medium Executionthe report should take between 1 and 5 seconds to return

a data set.

Slow Executionthe report takes over 5 seconds to return a data set.

Public reportsare potentially available to all users, depending on the security

level of the report category.

Private reportsare reports that you have created for your own use. These

reports will not be available to any other user.

Draft Reportsthese are reports which you are currently working on but have

not yet activated. Whether these are corporate or personal they are not

available to any other user of the system whilst in a draft state.

Public Draftsare public reports that are currently being edited by other users

generally only administrative uses will see this status of report.

Linked Reports are reports that are linked to other reports.

Broadcast Reports are reports that are marked for broadcast to nominated

users.

Table 1Icon Descriptions

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The edit report functionality allows you to make changes to existing reports and

continue to work on your draft reports.

When a report is edited it goes into a DRAFT status. This is to prevent other users

from accessing the report whilst it is being modified.

Once you have finished editing the report ensure that you save it back into its

ACTIVE status so that other users can continue to access it.

You will only be able to edit reports to which you have edit rights. Your ability to edit

reports will be based on:

1. The general report writing function. You must be able to write and edit reports.

2. Your access level to reports in a specific category. E.g. If you only have READ

access to finance reports you will not be able to edit them.

3. Your access rights to the VIEW. You must have rights to access the view so that

you can write reports.

To edit an existing report select it from your list and click the edit link. This will open

the report data page.

When a corporate report is saved the user may specify that when it is edited a copy is

to be made. The new version will have (copy) inserted after its name to assist you to

identify it.

This is done so that others users can continue to access the report even once it is in

edit modeas only the new version is in a DRAFT status. The edit version remains a

standalone copy of the original.

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Yellowfin provides you with the ability to make copies of existing reports. Through

this function you will be able to use any report in your repository as the basis for your

next report rather than starting every report from scratch.

Select the required report by clicking in the report selection checkbox and then

clicking the COPY link. This will create a copy of the report and open up the report

data page so that the user can begin to edit the report.

Similar to the edit rights discussed above you must have the appropriate accessrights to copy a report. These include:

1. The general report writing function. You must be able to write and edit reports.

2. Your access level to reports in a specific category. E.g. if you only have READ

access to finance reports you will not be able to edit them.

3. Your access rights to the VIEW. You must have rights to access the view so that

you can write reports.

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To delete a report from your repository select one or more reports using the check

box and click the delete link.

Figure 21Report Deletion

A confirmation page will open which will prompt you to confirm your intention to delete

the report(s) selected. Confirm you wish to delete the report to continue.

Figure 22Delete Confirmation

You will only be able to delete reports to which you have delete rights. Your ability to

edit reports will be based on:

1. The general report writing function. You must be able to delete reports.

2. Your access level to reports in a specific category. E.g. if you only have READ

access to finance reports you will not be able to delete them.

3. Your access rights to the VIEW. You must have rights to access the view so that

you can delete reports.

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When a report is accessed either from the Report List page or as part of a preview for

a draft report it is displayed in its output form.

This section covers some of the options you may have when running a report; such

as printing, exporting and filtering.

On the Report List page, click on the report name hyperlink of the report you wish

you view. Once clicked, the report will open in the Report Output page.

Figure 23Report View List

The report output page allows you to view the content of your report. There are a

number of additional features to assist your use of the report, such as the tool bar,report title and description and report data. Additional aspects to the page may

include Filter Prompt and Charts.

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Figure 24Report Output Page

1. The menu bar is displayed at the top of the page, and includes a

number of features such as edit, print buttons etc. These are

explained in more detail below.

2. Report Filter user prompt. The user prompt is onlydisplayed when

a report contains user prompts that require a user to enter prior to

retrieving the data from the database.

3. Report title and description is displayed at the top of the report.

4. Tabular output - this example report displays the data retrieved

from the data source in a table in which sections have been

applied.

5. Conditional Format descriptionthis is displayed if conditionalformats have been applied to your report.

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Distribute Allows you distribute a report to other users inbox

Favourites Add the report to your list of favourites

Broadcast Set up scheduled report delivery for other users of the report

Subscribe Set up scheduled report delivery for yourself

Information To find out more about the report such as a description of all

the columns used in the report (the report Meta Data) you

can use the report information link. This opens the

information popup which provides you with detailed

information about the report.

Close Closes the report.

Some reports do not run automatically and require you to refresh the data contained

in them. If your report is not refreshed automatically the data you see when you open

the report may be relatively old. The age of the data is displayed under the menu

bar.

There are three refresh options; None, Manually (allows the user to click Refresh

when they want), and Periodically (with options shown below).

Figure 26Report Refresh Options

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When a report is refreshed, and archiving is enabled, all versions are saved under the

drop down history so that different versions of the report can be viewed at any time.

1. Click on the history drop down and select the date of the report you wish to see.

2. The report will refresh and show you the version requested.

Figure 27Report History

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Using Yellowfin you can export your reports in a number of formats. These include

printing your report, exporting it into a PDF format or exporting the data into Excel /

CSV (Comma Separated Values).

This section describes each of these options in turn.

To print a report you must open the report into the Report Output page.

1. Click the Export menu and select Print.

Figure 28Print

2. When the popup opens you can view the report output and then click print again

to print.

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Figure 29Print Friendly Version

3. You may be prompted to select your printer settings. These settings are

determined by your printer and local software / hardware components. Choose

the settings that are appropriate for you, and click the print button.

1. To export a report as PDF click on the Export menu. This will open the drop

down menu and select the PDF link.

2. A PDF format popup will open allowing you to choose your preferred export

options. Select you options and click submit. This will create a PDF and prompt

you to save it to your local drive. The selected options will be saved for the

current report, and will be the default the next time you export this report to PDF.

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2. You will be prompted by to either OPEN, SAVE or CANCEL the export data.

Click the SAVE button.

3. Once you have chosen save your computer will prompt you to select a location to

save the file to. Choose an appropriate folder, and click SAVE

4. Once the download is complete you will be able to either open the file, or close

the prompt. Click CLOSE to close the prompt window and return to the data

output page.

Note:if you choose to export report which contains a chart your chart will not be

updated if you change your data in Excel. The chart will not be exported to CSV.

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Generally a report will run instantly and return a result set if no user prompts are

required. However you have the option to set the report to run only once filter values

have been provided. To do this, open the Filter Actions menu and set the Autorunreport on load option to No.

Figure 32Report Autorun Option

If you are unsure of the filter data you wish to use you can use the prompt option to

query the database for available values.

1. Click the prompt icon

A popup window will open with a list of current values from the database.

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Figure 33Prompt for Values

2. Select the value you wish, using the tick box and click the Submit button. This

will return the value to your filter display.

3. Click the GoButton to run your report with the filter.

If you do not wish to apply a filter to your report you can return all values by leaving

the values blank. The filter(s) that you choose to omit will be ignored by the query

when querying the database.

Figure 34Omit Filter Condition

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If you wish to hide the filter box from your report, click either the minimiseor the

closebutton on the filter menu bar. The filter box can always be re-displayed by

using the filter option on the report menu bar.

Figure 35Minimise Filter Display

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When a report has several user prompt filters it can be useful to provide pre-defined

filter sets, saving the user time.

Figure 36Saved Filter Sets

In order to use Saved Filter Sets you will need to do two things:

1. Enable the role permissions through Administration. There are two settings you

can enable:

a. Filter Sets: allows users to see public filter sets created by other users,

and create/delete their own private filter sets if applicable.

b. Create Public Filter Sets - allows users to create public filter sets that can

be used by other users.

Figure 37Saved Filter Sets Role Permissions

2. Enable Saved Filter Sets through the Filter Action menu on your report

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Figure 38Enable Saved Filter Sets

Once you have enabled the functionality, you will need to define your sets on each

report. To do this your report will need to be activated, and then you can follow these

steps:

1. Select the filter values you wish to use and then click on Save Filter Set.

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Figure 39Save Filter Set

2. If you have permission to save Public Filter Sets then you will be presented this

panel:

Figure 40Public Filter Sets

Here you will be asked to define the filter set as either private (only for your user

account) or public (available for all users with access to filter sets).

Then you will need to provide a descriptive name for the set. ClickAdd Setonce

complete.

If you only have permission to create Private Filter Sets then you will be

presented with this panel and will only need to provide a descriptive name.

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Figure 41Private Filter Sets

ClickAdd Setonce complete.

3. You should now have a report with filter sets as below:

Figure 42Filter Sets

When you have defined sets of filters you are ready to use them. To apply a filter set

simply click on the name of the set you want.

Figure 43Apply a Filter Set

To delete a filter set you will need to click on the image next to the name of your

chosen set. You will then be asked to confirm your decision in the following window:

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Figure 44Delete a Filter Set

Click Yes to confirm.

Note:You are only able to delete filter sets that you have permission to create. If you

only have permission to create Private sets then you will notbe able to delete Public

ones.

Saved Filter Sets should always be implemented when the report is complete. If, at

any stage, you need to edit a report that has filter sets you will need to re-add the

sets after editing is complete as they are lost when a report is placed in draft mode.

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The Yellowfin dashboard is your personal reporting portal. At a glance you can view

all your key reports on a single page. The dashboard allows you to create new tabs,

search your public repository for dashboard enabled reports and add them to your

selected tab, or access a public tab.

Figure 45Dashboard

1. Menu: links you to additional reporting functions such as Create Report, and access

Report Listyour report repository

2. Inbox: used to receive distributed reports, reports to be approved, and comments

3. Search: allows you to search reports across your repository

4. Tabs: navigate between various pages on your dashboard

5. Buttons: add, delete and edit your tabs

6. Display area (portlets): allows you to add various reports to your dashboard tab

7. Favourites: lists your favourite reports to the right of the dashboard display area

8. Draft Reports: provides access to recently edited draft reports

9. Recently Accessed Reports: lists the most recently viewed reports in a session

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Once a tab has been added to your dashboard you can continue to update and edit

them to suit your needs. The tab menu allows you to add, delete or edit tabs. By

clicking on the tab link you will have a drop down menu from which you can choose

the following options.

Figure 46Tab Options

The first tab from the left of the page is the tab that will open first when you login.

1. To move a tab location in the list, click the tab drop down menu icon.

2. Choose the direction you wish to move the tab

If you no longer wish to have a tab on your dashboard then:

1. Click the Deletelink whilst the tab you want to delete is Active

2. Confirm the deletion by clicking OK on the confirmation prompt.

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Figure 47Tab Delete Confirmation

If you wish to export all the reports on a tab to one document then:

1. Click on the Export option in the tab menu

2. Select the format you wish to export to.

Figure 48Tab Export

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When initially logging on you may not have any tabs defined to your dashboard. The

following message will be displayed.

Figure 49Add Tab

To add a new tab to you dashboard click the add tab link. This will open a drop down

menu which will present you with a list of options (these will be dealt with in more

detail later):

Standard A basic tab containing reports that may be linked by filters,

drill hierarchies, or series selection.

KPI A KPI style of tab

Pre-Built Tab Choose a pre-existing tab from your repository

Figure 50Add Tab Drop Down

Adding a new Tab to your dashboard allows you to add more reports into a related

area such as Sales, Finance or HR. You can add as many tabs to your dashboard as

you wish.

1. To add a pre-built public tab, select the Pre-built Tab option. This will display a

drop down list of possible tabs that you can add.

Note:you can only have one instance of a public tab on your dashboard.

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Figure 51Public Tab Description

2. On selecting a tab you will be presented with a description of the tab, the

intended audience and a list of all the reports that it contains. This will assist you

to determine the most appropriate tab for you.

3. Click the add link to add the tab to your dashboard.

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If the tab is active you will have to place the tab into edit mode for you to make

changes such as deleting or adding reports. When you edit a tab you will change the

status and as a result if it is a public tab no other users will have access to the tab

whilst you are editing it.

The tab edit menu allows you to determine the layout, security and in the case of

analytic dashboards the filters that link the reports together.

Figure 52Tab Edit Menu

The main sections of the edit page include:

1. Search for reports to display on the dashboard

2. The ability to activate, select the layout, set security and set the linkages between

reports.

3. Set up filters for the dashboard

4. Add Associated Reports to the tab

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1. To add a new dashboard report to your dashboard click you will need to use the

report list search panel on the left of the tab.

Figure 53Add Report Window

2. Search for the report you want to add. Note:you can use advanced search

settings to narrow down your search as available on the Report List page.

3. Once youve found the report you wish to add, drag it from the list onto a portlet.

Once the report is on your tab you can resize it or position it within a column or across

columns using drag and drop.

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Figure 54Resizing Portlet

Not all reports are appropriate to add to a dashboard, but you may want to include

them to provide supporting information for a specific tab. To do this you can use the

associated report list. Add reports to this list and they will be displayed as a link to the

report only not as a pre-run report.

Figure 55Associated Reports

When you delete a report from the dashboard it is not deleted from the repository.

The original report can still be found in your report list - you did not delete the actual

report, only the dashboard copy of it.

1. To delete a report click the delete button at the top right of the report menu.

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Figure 56Delete Dashboard Report

2. A prompt will confirm that you wish to delete the report. Click OK to delete the

report from your dashboard.

Figure 57Delete Confirmation

Once you are happy with the setup of your dashboard you should activate it by

clicking the save icon on the dashboard edit menu. This will open the save drop

down menu allowing you to set the tab name and description. Click Activate to save

your tab into read mode.

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Figure 58Tab Activation

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The report portlet menu provides you with a set of options for managing the display of

a report on your dashboard. On the report menu you will find:

1. Report Title

2. Report Menu

3. Chart/Table Toggle

4. Maximise

5. Close

Figure 59Dashboard Report Menu

Maximise The maximisefunction opens the report to its full size in the

reports preview page.

Close The close button will delete the portlet from the users

dashboard when the tab is in draft mode.

Menu Opens the drop down menu

Chart/Table

Toggle

If the report is in a chart and table format this button lets you

toggle between both views

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Click on the dropdown link to open the portlet menu. This allows you to print, export

or edit your report. The contents of the drop down menu will vary based on the nature

of the report.

Figure 60Dashboard Report Drop Down

Minimise Allows you to reduce the size of the portlet and display the title

only. (Only available when a tab is in edit modetoggles with

Restore)

View Report Open the report into the main report view page.

Print Print the report to your local printer.

Export Export the report to multiple formats including CSV, MS Excel,

PDF etc.

Reset Report If filters or drills have been applied this will return the report to its

original state.

Email Report Opens the email window and allows you to email the report directly

from within Yellowfin.

Show Filters Displays filters for the report

Information The information link opens up meta data about the report. Such as

the details of the source data and the security settings for a report.

Report URL Displays a link to access the report outside of the system.

Accessing reports this way will depend on security settings.

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There may be times when you wish to manage your dashboard by minimising the

reports that have been displayed. This provides you with more room on your

dashboard to add further reportsand maximise them as you need them.

1. To minimise a report click the portlet edit drop down and select the minimise

option. The page will refresh and the selected report will minimise. The

minimise option will now be replaced by a restore option in the drop down.

2. To expand the report back to its original size click the restore link in the drop

down menu. This will refresh the page and your report will be displayed in your

dashboard again.

The maximise option provides you with the ability to open the report in the standard

view mode instead of on your dashboard. This will also give you access to the edit

function if you wish to edit the report data rather than the dashboard properties.

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From your dashboard you can drill into more detail. There are three drill types

availablea drill through to a different report, a drill down within the same report

using a predefined hierarchy, or a drill anywhere within the same report usingdimensions selected by the user. Drill capability is indicated by hyperlinks on fields

within your report.

Drill down reports do not open a new report but drill into the detail of an existing

report. For example you may be able to drill from

Year > Month > Week

When you click on the link to the report will refresh with detail updated. For example if

your report contained Year and you clicked on 2003 the refreshed report will display

all months for 2003.

Figure 61Region Drill Down on Year

If you have drilled down multiple layers or down multiple hierarchies you may wish to

reset your report to its original state. This can be done by selecting the reset option

from the report drop down menu. As shown in the figure above. Your report is

automatically reset each time you login to Yellowfin.

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Figure 62Drill Reset

Drill Anywhere reports allow the user to select from a list of available dimension fields

to drill to. When you click on a drill enabled field, a popup list of dimensions will

appear.

Figure 63Drill Anywhere

Select the desired field and the report will be refreshed.

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Figure 64Drill Anywhere Result

Some reports that you add to you dashboard may permit you to drill through to a

different report with more detail. This will be evident from data that has a Hyperlink

on it. To view more detail click the hyperlinked data, this will open a new report with a

greater level of detail.

Figure 65Drill Through

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KPI Tabs are a unique dashboard tab which present reports to the user in the form of

KPI metrics. These assist an organisation to understand its goals and objectives

essentially, the direction in which they want the enterprise to progress. To help with

this analysis key performance indicators (KPIs) are laid down to assess the present

state of the business.

The KPI tab differs from a standard dashboard tab in that Reports are run as a

regular task against predefined targetsthe results include:

1. Current Status

2. Trend of the report over time

3. Actual versus target and variance

4. And the last relevant time period (as displayed below)

Figure 66KPI Tab

Benefits of this style of tab include:

1. Data is easy to interpretusers can quickly identify which business measures

are on target or not.

2. Multiple Metrics can be displayed on a single tab for quick access

3. Trends in the report are displayed providing users with an understanding of both

current status and direction of the data.

1. The creation of a KPI tab is similar to a standard tab. Simply click the Add Tab

link.

2. From the Type selection option, choose KPI.

3. Add reports by click the add buttonas with a standard tab.

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Note:Only KPI reports will be searchable via the add report popup. You will have to

create KPI reports through your report buildersee the appropriate section below in

this guide. You can find more information in the Dashboard Tutorial Guide.

The KPI tab structure allows you to quickly browse the status and trend of your Key

Performance Indicators.

Figure 67KPI elements

Status The status will display an icon that indicates whether or not the measure has

met your target thresholds.

Menu The menu drop down lets you manage the KPI report. You can view, printemail, and export it.

Title The title of the KPI metric. Click on the hyperlink to see detail.

Trend The trend compares the current version of the KPI report run with the

previous versions and indicates whether there has been a change in the

trend, the direction of the trend and whether the trend is good or bad.

Actual The current actual value of the metric as returned in the report.

Target The target value as set for the KPI metric

Variance The difference between the Actual and Target values.

% of

Target

A bullet chart that assists you to visualize performance and compare all

metrics on an equal basis.

Last Run The specific date for when the KPI is relevant.

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Standard Tabs can be used if you wish to create relationships between multiple

reports on a single tab. In a filtered Standard Tab you can link reports so that if you

drill down on one report the associated filters are applied to all reports on the sametab.

Figure 68Analytic Tab

The benefits of this style of tab include:

1. Data is easy to slice and diceusers can quickly drill down on multiple

dimensions and views of their data

2. Multiple related reports can be displayed on a single tab for quick access

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1. To create a standard tab simply click theAdd Tablink.

2. From the menu select Standard.

3. This will return you to the tab where you can add reports by searching for them in

the report list on the left hand side and dragging them onto portlets.

4. Once you have added all your reports you will need to link them via shared filters.

1. From the edit tab menu click the analytical set up link.

Figure 69Analytic Tab Setup Link

This will open a new page with all the reports listed as well as a panel with the

reports and their linked statusas shown below.

Figure 70Analytic Tab Linking

2. By clicking on the linked reports you will be able to see how each report is linked

to the current subject report identified in the left hand reports panel. Reports thatare not linked are highlighted in red.

3. Choose the type of linking. For example if the reports share a common drill

hierarchy choose Drill Down Field, otherwise choose filter. This will allow you to

select which fields correspond to the filters that will be applied from the report.

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Figure 71Filter Linkages

4. Click Save to continue and go through each report to set up is linkages which all

the reports on your tab.

5. Once you have set up the links between reports you will need to set up the filter

user prompts, these will be displayed on the right hand side of your analytic tab.

In the example below the filter values have been cached (set at the report level).

For more information go to the filters section of this guide.

Figure 72Filter Prompts

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Once you have linked all your reports together, you can format the way the filters are

displayed on the dashboard.

1. Click on the icon next to the filter you wish to format.

Figure 73Analytic Filters Formatting

2. From here you will be presented with a menu that allows you to change the Title,

Display Type, List Length (where applicable), and Default Value.

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Figure 74Analytic Filters Formatting Menu

3. Set the desired options and click Save to apply changes.

You are also able to reorder filters in the same way you would move reports on the

dashboard. Click the icon next to the filter you wish to move, and drag it into

position.

Filters are able to be arranged into collapsible groups when displayed on the

dashboard.

1. First, the group will need to be created. Type a name into the Add a Filter Group

area at the top of the filter panel. Click the icon to add the group.

Figure 75Create Filter Group

2. Now you will need to add filters to the group. Drag desired filters to below the

filter group name.

Figure 76Populate Filter Group

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3. Lastly, you will need to configure the display options for the group. Click on the

icon next to the filter group name.

Figure 77Grouped Filters Formatting Menu

4. From here you will be able to rename the group, choose an initial display state

(open or closed when the tab is first loaded), and delete the group.

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Standard Tabs can be used if you wish to create relationships between multiple

reports on a single tab. In a series selection Standard Tab you can link reports so

that you are viewing the same selectable metric across all linked reports.

Figure 78Series Selection Standard Tab

1. To create a standard tab, click on theAdd Tablink.

2. From the menu, select Standard.

3. This will return you to the tab where you can add reports by searching for them in

the report list on the left hand side and dragging them onto portlets.

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4. Once you have added all your reports you will need to link them via series

selection.

1. From the edit tab menu click on the Series Select link. This will open a new page

with all the series select options available.

Figure 79Series Select Link

2. Firstly, you will need to select a master report to join your other reports to. Thiswill be the report you select series on, through dashboard, so select the one that

displayed series the way you want. You will also need to select a default field

this is the series that initially selected when the tab is loaded.

Figure 80Master Chart

3. Once youve selected the master report, you will notice the other reports on the

dashboard listed directly underneath on the left.

You will need to select these one by one and link them to the master, much as

you would during the analytic setup.

You will know its selected by the blue border around it.

4. Link up matching series to the ones listed from the master report, then click Save

to complete the links.

Figure 81Series Linking

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5. You will need to link all reports that have a red border, indicating they have not

yet been linked.

6. Click on Return to Dashboard to finish the linking process.

Figure 82Return to Dashboard

7. Your reports will now be linked and series selection will be ready to use across

the tab.

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Dashboard tabs can be shared between users by setting them to public. Security can

be applied to Public tabs. If you choose to create a private tab you will not be able to

set security as you will be the only user with access to the report. However, if you

choose to create a Public Tab you will have the option to add additional security.

Note:if you create a personal tab noother users will be able to share your personal

tab.

To create a tab for sharing with other users you will need to create a public tab.

Create the tab as described above and then on the main menu select public from the

security drop down.

Note:Whilst the Public tab is in draft no other users will be able to add it to their

dashboard. When you have finalised the dashboard activate it by clicking on the

activate link.

Figure 83Public Dashboard Tab

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Security on the tab is used to set who has access to the tab system. You have two

options

Unsecure:this allows all users to access the tab

Secure: securing the tab you will control who can view or edit the tabrecord

1. To secure the tab select the secure radio button as shown in the example above.

2. This will display the security management elements on the screen. You will need

to select either a person or a group that you want to secure the tab for.

3. One the person or group is selected choose the appropriate access level. Note

at least one user must have DELETE accesselse the tab will be locked to all

users for update purposes.

Read Allows selected users to add this tab to their dashboard but not edit it.

Edit and Update Allows selected users to edit and change the dashboard

Delete Allows selected users to delete the dashboard from the corporate

repository

Figure 84Access Level

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4. Once you have select the user and access click the add button to add them to the

access list. You can add as many users or groups as users to the list as

appropriate.

Yellowfin supports dashboard collaboration by permitting public authors to distribute

pre-built tabs to individual or groups of users. Similar to the distribution of reports all

recipients must have appropriate access levels to receive reports.

Why distribute a tab? By distributing a dashboard tab you can create a single tab for

an entire department and then distribute it to all users within that department.

1. To distribute a tab click the distribute tab link in the tab menu drop down. (You

will only see this link if you are authorised to manage the corporate tab selected)

Figure 85Distribute Tab

2. You can then select if you wish to send it to a single person or to a group of

users.

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Figure 86Distribute Tab Options

3. Search for either the person or the group and click add

4. A confirmation page will confirm the tab has been delivered and you can go back

to distribute the tab to another set of users.

Note:Tabs and associated reports will only be distributed to users that have the

appropriate level of access for the report.

The remove option is different from the delete corporate tab option. The delete only

deletes the tab from your dashboard but does not affect other users. Whilst the

remove deletes tab from all users and makes it unavailable for future use.

1. To remove a corporate tab for all dashboards that it appears on select remove

from the tab drop down menu.

2. You will be prompted on a confirm page if you wish to permanently remove the

tab. If you do not wish to do so click Cancel otherwise click OK to continue.

There may be instances where a corporate tab is used to track rapidly changing data

such as call centre information, or system tracking.

Generally with dashboard reports once a tab is opened the reports displayed are

staticthey do not automatically update. However, with Yellowfin you can set up

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refresh cycles for various reports so that as long as the dashboard tab is open the

reports will continue to be updated.

1. To create a refresh cycle for a dashboard report you will need to define before

saving a report. Click on the Display menu in the report builder.

2. Click YES for the refresh dashboard option and define the number of seconds

you wish to elapse prior to a report being refreshed.

Figure 87Refresh Dashboard Report Option

3. Activate your report.

When this report is added to your dashboard it will automatically refresh based on the

seconds you have indicated.

Note:You will need to have the Refresh Dashboard Reports role permission in order

to access this option.

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The drag and drop report builder provides you with an easy to use report creation

wizard that assists to create both simple and sophisticated analytical reports. In this

section the steps required to create a basic report will be covered.

More advanced functions such as report formatting, filtering and charts will be

covered in subsequent chapters.

When you create reports you will be using the report builder wizard. The wizard takes

you through the steps to create a report. These steps will be determined by some of

the options you choose along the way. This chapter will explain some of the major

steps in the wizard. These include:

1. Selecting the source of data you wish to query

2. Choosing the fields you want to have on your report

3. Determining Filters and Sections

4. Choosing the layout of your Report

Included in the report builder are a number of sections:

1. Initialise Report:The first step in building any report is selecting the type of

report you wish to run and the data source required. Your organisation may have

many views and data sources so selecting the correct one is critical prior to

building your report.

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Figure 88Report Initialisation Page

2. Report Data:The report data section allows you to define the look and feel of

your report, including the fields to be displayed, the filters to be used, and

whether a chart or drill through should be displayed.

Select the items from the view that you wish to include in your report and drag

them into the appropriate section of the screen.

Figure 89Report Data Page

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3. Report Filters:The filters page allows you to set up conditions to return only

certain values rather than returning all the data from a selected view. For

example, you can specify customer segments for particular organisation units.

Figure 90Report Filters Page

4. Related Reports:One of the major features of Yellowfin is the ability to create

drill through reports or display associated reports on the same page. This is done

by linking reports together through related reports.

Figure 91Related Reports Page

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To create a new report click the create button located on your main navigation bar.

This will open the report initialise page and allow you to start creating a new report.

Note:Only users with CREATE access to the reporting function will be able to create

new reports.

Figure 92Creating a Report

The first step in creating a new report is the initialise report step. In this step you will

select the type of report you wish to create, how you want to write the report and to

select the source of the reports data.

Figure 93Initialisation of a Report

This question is for advanced users. If you have access to this option then you can

select either Drag and Drop, Freehand SQL or one of two alternative authoring

environmentsBIRT and Jasper Reports. For most users it is recommended that you

choose the drag and drop report creation method.

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Most importantly when creating a report you must select the data source and

individual view. At this point you are specifying the exact subject areathat you wish

to query.

Firstly you must select the data sourcethis is the database in which your data is

stored. For example a data source may be you HRIS system.

Once you have selected a source the available views for that source will be

displayed. There may be many views in the same data source. Select the view that

you wish to use.

To assist make the right selection you roll your cursor over the image to find out

more about a data source or once you have selected a view click the more

information link. Both of these will provide you with more information about either the

data source or the view.

Note:Once you select a view and continue to the next phase of report building you

cannot return to this page to change the view. This is because all the items

associated with the view will be loaded for this report.

If you use the same view on a regular basis you can set it as your default by clicking

the default view check box.

Once you have selected the view for your report click either the next button at the top

of the page or click here to continue. Both of these will take you to the Report Data

Page.

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The Report Data page is where you build, edit and view the report data definitions

used to generate Yellowfin reports. These definitions include both the queries youuse to retrieve data for your document, and the data formatting.

You can easily add data to an empty report by dragging and dropping the report items

from the available data fields list.

Figure 94Report Data Screen

1. Navigation: The process step guide provides you with a visual display of the steps

required in your report builder wizard. The number of steps displayed will vary based

on some of your selections on this screenfor example if you choose to include a

chart on the report.

2. Search: The Search box allows you to quickly find a field for your report when instead

of browsing through the categories.

3. Data Fields: The Data Fields display provides you with a list of all available items to

add to your report from the selected view. Click on the folder expand image to open

the folder and view all the items within it.

4. Calculations: You can create calculated columns that are unique for the current

report.

5. Source: The current data source and view name is displayed. Click on the viewname to view a summary of the view.

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6. Resize: Used the drag icon to resize the Data Fields panel to make it easier to read

the column names you wish to add to your report.

7. Data: The report data section is used to specify which items you wish to include in

your report. Drag an item from the report field list and into the report column.

The calculation buttons allow you to perform calculations on metrics included in your

report.

8. Filters: Filters allow you to specify which attributes should provide a filter such as

dateonly show events that have occurred today.

9. Sections: The report section area allows you to create sections in your report based

upon dimension data. An example may be that a new section is created based upon

Business Unit.

10. Report Options: The report options section provides you with advanced functions for

manipulating the output of your report. Options include: Charts, Crosstab Display,

Totals etc.

Click on the expand image to open the various sections available to you.

The data fields section on the left hand side of the Report Data page provides youwith a list of all possible items that can be used in your report and grouped into useful

categories. These items relate back to the data in the database and in some cases

have already had some manipulation occur to themthis is especially likely for metric

type items

Category:click to expand folders and display item list

Items:a list of Dimensions (yellow cubes), Metrics (blue

circles), Filters and Parameters (aqua funnels)

Hierarchy:drill down capability indicated by the join

between icons

Calculated Field:build derived attributes and calculated

fields

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The purpose of categories is to provide logical groupings of items. For example, the

Personal Details category contains items that map to data on people in the database.

A folder represents a category. Each icon within a category represents an item.

When creating a VIEW, the administrators define and categories items. The definition

of an item reveals how it can be used in analysis and reports. An item can be defined

as a dimension or a metric. Each type of item serves a different purpose:

Dimensionitems retrieve the data that will provide the basis for analysis in a

report. Dimensions typically retrieve character-type data (employee names,

company names, etc.), or dates (years, quarters, etc.)

Metricitems retrieve numeric data that is the result of calculations on data in

the database.

Metrics tend to be dynamic: the values they return depend on the dimensions

they are used with. For example, if you include Person and Age in a query,

Age per person is calculated.

Basic Metrics do not need to have an aggregate calculation (such as a SUM orAVERAGE) performed on them within a report.

Pre-Defined Filters are items where a set of conditions have been set up

when the view was created. This assists users to limit the data returned in a

query to only the expected results. For example if the filter is called United

States then only data from the united states would be included in the results.

Parameters are items which are used to capture user defined values and pass

them into calculated fields or filters. These parameters can assist in

conducting what if analysis.

A common issue when using a report writer is to understand what the fields that you

can select from actually mean in your business context.

Yellowfin makes this easy with view meta data. When your administrator creates a

view they also provide a long description for each field contained in it.

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To see the long description click the view name located at the bottom of the data

fields panel. It will open up a view popup. This popup providers you with a summary

of the view, its attributes, and the users that have access to it.

Figure 95View Information Popup

To include a field onto your report simply drag the field from the data fields panel to a

column field on your report. Click on an item in your data field list and holding down

the mouse button drag the field onto the report data section.

Your drag and drop is successful when you see the item you have selected turn

transparent and move along with your mouse pointer. The order that items appear in

the data list will determine the order of data columns in your report.

Figure 96Dragging items onto Report

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To delete an item from your report you will have to remove the object from the Report

Data Section that it is placed in.

1. Click on the item that you wish to remove

2. Once highlighted drag the object out of the edit box and off the main page data

page and let go of it.

3. The item should no longer be displayed in the report data list. The attribute is

now removed from the report.

Data validation checks are made by Yellowfin to ensure you are building your report

the way in which the administrator intended. You will be prompted if you have used

fields and filters incorrectly with the following messages:

The fields shown in this type of message must be included into the field or filter

section of the report. For example:

Figure 97Error Message

A variation of the mandatory field section validation is when a selected field in the

table is being aggregated by sum or average. Constraints can be set when this

occurs so that meaningful data is presented in the report. The validation message will

look like this:

Figure 98Validation Message

To proceed with your report you can remove the sum or average aggregation on the

selected field or drag the relevant fields indicated in the validation message into the

report.

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The fields shown in this type of message must not be included into the field or filter

section of the report when a selected field in the table is being aggregated by sum or

average. Constraints can be set when this occurs so that meaningful data is

presented in the report. The validation message will look like this:

Figure 99Validation Message

To proceed with your report you can remove the sum or average aggregation on the

selected field or remove the relevant fields indicated in the validation message out of

the report.

When a suggested field or filter occurs, a messages box will appear with the

suggestion. The user can chose to include this field or filter into the report or to ignore

the suggestion.

Figure 100Confirmation Box

When constraints are set up on a report, one of the options is to select a few fieldsfrom a table and set the constraint as one in list. This means that at least one of the

selected fields must be included in the report. When this validation message is

displayed it will show the list of all the fields where at least one must be included in

the report. To fulfil this constraint simple make sure one of these fields are included in

the report.

Figure 101Validation Message

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To change a metric aggregation, complete the following:

1. Move your cursor over the metric object in the box and click on the metric name.The item will now be highlighted.

2. Now select the aggregation type that you wish to applyyou will notice that the

icon on the left hand side of the measure object will be updated with a new icon

to indicate the aggregation applied.

Figure 103New Aggregation Applied

To remove an aggregation or advanced function from a field, do one of the following:

1. Reset the calculation by selecting the metric and clicking the clear link.

2. Remove the measure from the report entirely by dragging it out of the columns

section.

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The report options menu allows you to change the layout of your report (cross tab

with charts) and determine the way your report will behavesuch as will it contain

drill down or can it be scheduled.

Figure 104Option Menu

The main feature of the report output design options is the ability to specify how your

report will be presented. The possible options are included below:

Figure 105Display Data As

Simply click on a radio button corresponding to the display type you wish to use. The

default for Yellowfin is the table display option.

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If you choose one of the chart options the report builder wizard will have an additional

step included. This step is the chart builder page it is there that you will be able to

select the specific style and detail of your chart.

Data displayed in your reports are displayed in tables. With Yellowfin you have the

option to select what type of table you wish to use for data output. When creating a

new report the default table type is set to COLUMN.

To select a table type click on one of the table radio buttons presented in the report

options section. For example if you want to create a crosstab table, click on the

crosstab table radio button.

Figure 106Table Type Selection Box

Your Analysis options provide you with the ability to select co-display to display

multiple reports on the same output page, create drill through / down reports or add

sub-queries.

For example you may want to display data from two separate views on the same

page or drill from one report into more detailed data from a different view.

Figure 107Analysis Option Menu

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You can select to create a regular report or a KPI report. A KPI report is one that is

run on a scheduled basis and has a specified target. Yellowfin will determine how the

current value in the report compares to the target value and will determine the trendof the data.

Only KPI style reports can be added to a KPI dashboard style tab.

Figure 108Report Type Options

Use the report properties section to save the name and description of your report.

Note:these can be updated when you save your report as well.

Figure 109Properties

Giving your report a name from the Report Data page is useful if you choose to leave

your report in DRAFT. Since your report will already have a name by which you can

search.

The report data section provides you with the ability to:

1. Show duplicate records rather than distinct values

2. Limit the amount of data returned in your report. This option is especially useful if

your report contains a lot of data but you wish to pre-view it multiple times as you

are designing it.

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3. Show NULL values as zerothis is only displayed as a cross tab option. If the

cross tab contains NULL values they will be displayed as a 0. Un-tick this if you

want to show nulls or blank cells.

4. Set a default access filterso that for each person that runs a report they will

only see data relevant to them.

Figure 110Report Data

Note:when your administrator sets up a data source they may specify a default limit

for that source. For example they may specify that the maximum number of rows that

can be returned by a query is 1000 rows. You will not be able to override this default

limit.

Yellowfin automatically applies aggregations to a query. It makes the assumption

that when a user is building a report that distinct values are being requested from the

database. For example if you have 3 records with a customer name Fred Smith a

report containing first and last name will only return 1 record for Fred Smith.

However, it is possible to turn the distinct process off so that you will return 3 records

containing fed smith.

From the Report options menu select Report Data and tick the Show Duplicate

records check box.

Figure 111Duplicate Records

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KPI reports are a style of report which assists you to measure actual performance

against targets.

A KPI is usually made of:

A metric

A filter(s)

A date restriction or period

By using KPI metrics, you can track actual performance and compare it to a goal and

you can detect trends. These metrics are most commonly used in organisations as

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor critical business areas.

KPI reports are most useful if they are added to a KPI dashboard tab. See the

dashboard section of this guide for more details.

Whats the difference between a KPI report and a standard report?

A KPI report differs from a standard report in a number of waysthese include:

1. It is run periodically to detect trends and changes in data

2. It uses Conditional Formatting functionality to classify the current status of the

report

3. It can be added to a KPI dashboard tab to easily monitor critical business areas.

Note:KPI reports do not support the use of cross tabsyou can only choose the

column or row formats for your report.

From the report data page select the KPI report style.

Figure 112Selection of KPI Type

This will create a new menu tab on the report output page. From this drop down you

will be able to configure the relevant KPI options required.

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1. Select your data

The first step in creating a KPI report is selecting the data to be contained in your

report. A KPI report is not a detailed report but rather focuses on a single metric

for a single point of time. For example did I reach my sales target for last month.

Note:Only KPI reports may not work if you have multiple dimensionse.g. if

your data has sales levels for each of your sales staff.

2. Define your Conditional Formats

Next you will need to apply conditional formatting to the column which is the

subject of the KPI. Your subject column needs rules defined that specify what is

a good or poor outcome.

Note:Only Basic Rules can be used for KPI reportssee the conditional

formatting section of this guide for more details.

3. Define KPI Definition

From the Report Menu select the KPI option. From the drop down choose:

a. the metricthat you want to apply the KPI to

b. The desired trendwhat is a good trend? When the KPI value goes up

or down?

c. Set the target valuewhat is the goal of the KPI. Each metric should

have a target value. That is a value that you desire to reach. There are

two ways of setting this field. One manually where you hard code the

desired value or alternatively select from an existing field with which to

compare your actual versus desired. A good example of this might be a

planned field which compares against actual.

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Yellowfin has two basic ways of displaying the data in a report. You can display data

in tables or in charts. This chapter deals with the different types of tables, including

crosstab tables, which you can use in Yellowfin. It describes how to create tables and

how to organize the way your data is displayed in them.

Yellowfin has three types of table output options:

Column Based The most common form of table output and the default output of

reports within Yellowfin.

Row Based A variant of the standard column based table.

Crosstab A special kind of table that allows you to summarise data.

Yellowfin tables display data in either rows or in columns and have a header and

footer. Header and footer rows and columns are special rows and columns. The

header displays information about the row or column e.g. a label or the name of the

variable whose values are displayed. The footer displays calculations on the values

displayed in the columns or rows.

You can display the variable labels along the top row of the table so that you read the

data down the columns as shown below:

Figure 113Column Format Table

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A column table is a sequential, two-dimensional list. This doesnt imply that the data

in a table is simple or uncomplicated: you can present a great deal of data in a table.

The layout of columns within a table is directly related to the layout of the items withinthe columns data list. Yellowfin places the cells in the table in the same order in which

they appear in the report columns list.

Suitable forPresenting data in a tabular, two dimensional list.

Keep in mind:

1. Arrange the items in the order you want them to appear in the column list. For

example, if you want each row to have a location, headcount and basic pay, in

that order, arrange the data items in that order in the Dimensions Edit Field.

2. Whether your document includes sections or not, you always lay out the body of

the table in the Column Edit Field.

Row based tables allow you to have the variable labels displayed down the left edge

of the table so that you read the data across the rows as shown below. This table

format is typically used in financial reports or where the value of a field needs to be

highlighted. For example if the reader of the report were to focus on location then this

type of report allows them to easily view the data related to Sydney.

Figure 114Row Table Format

A Row table is similar to a Column table, but the header and information are

displayed vertically, instead of horizontally. When you set the report type to Row, the

Row Edit Field looks identical to the Dimensions Edit Field. However, when the

report is run the data will be displayed in rows rather than columns.

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Suitable forPresenting data in a vertical format.

Keep in mind:

1. Arrange the items in the order you want them to appear in the Row Edit field.

2. Whether your document includes section or not, you lay out the body of the tablein the Row Edit field.

You can create a crosstab report to present data more clearly. A crosstab report

shows a summary value at the intersection of each row and column.

Create a crosstab report by rotating the values in a list report to product column

headers. You can crosstab on more than one non-measure column to create a

nested crosstab. For example, add cities underneath the Country column headers at

the top of the report. Adding this report item will further subdivide sales by individual

cities in each country.

The example below displays the total number of products sold in each country,

broken down by product line. The values at the intersection points of rows and

columns show summarized information.

Figure 115Crosstab Table Report

Keep in mind:

1. Arrange the items in the order you want them to appear in the row and column

fields.

2. Whether your document contains sections or not, you lay out the body of the

table in the row and column dimension item fields.

3. Metric items cannot be used in the vertical or horizontal headers; they can only

be used in the body of the crosstab table.

4. You can add more than one item in the body of the crosstab table.

5. You can use more than one item in the vertical or horizontal headers.

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A basic crosstab table will have only one row dimension, one column dimension and

one measure specified.

1. Open the report data page and select the Crosstab Table option in the report

options menu. This will enable the row and column fields. The page will be

refreshed and you will see the addition of two additional fields input boxes.

Figure 116Selecting Crosstab Table

2. Drag the dimensions and metrics that you wish to display in your crosstab table.

You must have at least one dimension in each of the row and dimension fields

and at least one metric specified for the crosstab table to function.

3. Click Preview once you are happy with the data defined for your crosstab report.

This will create a report and display you data in a rows and columns intersect

method.

To create more advanced crosstab tables you can add additional metrics or

dimensions to your report data. However, consideration needs to be taken intoaccount of the complexity of the data output that is being created.

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Report filters allow you limit the amount of data that is brought back in your query to

specifically the information that you require.

You may decide that you dont want to include all the data in a document. Applying

conditions or filters to queries allows you to include only the data you need. The

following illustrations show how a condition or filter works.

Figure 119Filter data Example

Yellowfin lets you setup a variety of filters for your reports. These filters can be pre-

set so that every time a report is run, the same conditions are used; or alternately, a

user prompts can be created to allow a user to select the data filter when they run a

report.

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There are a number of filter types available when building a report. These include

pre-defined filters, user defined which includes the ability to create user prompt orparameter driven reports.

Pre-defined filters can be created to assist users with adding filters or conditions to

their reports that ensure the data they require is easy to extract.

The use of pre-defined filters is especially useful in instances where:

1. A common set of filters are used by report writerssuch as location, or business

unit; or

2. If there are particularly complex filters that can be built ahead of time and are

commonly used.

Predefined filters are indicated by the icon used in the data field list. This is indicated

by the filter icon . To include a pre-defined filter on your report select an item from

your report data menu. As shown below.

Figure 120Predefined Filter Example

You will not be able to edit the contents of the filter once it is included in your report.

If you wish to do so then creating a user defined filter as described below is required.

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If you wish to create your own filters from the data available to you in your view then

you will have to create a user defined filter.

1. The first step in adding a filter to your report is to drag either a dimension or

metric item from the data fields list into the Filters Box as seen below.

2. On the filter management page (discussed below) you will then be able to set the

values for these filters.

User prompt filters or parameter driven reports can be created by creating userdefined filters. If you do not specify particular values for the filter as discussed in

detail below then the filter will be displayed on the report as a user prompt.

Figure 121User Prompt Parameters

Parameters are a special type of field which allows you to user input into calculated

fields or have a single user prompt for multiple filters requiring the same input value.

A parameter differs from a standard filter in that the input values can be used for

calculations which permit you to do what if analysis.

For example a standard filter for Revenue would limit the result set to a specificrevenue valuee.g. Greater than $100. However, a parameter could be used to

drive a calculationMultiply current sales units by $100.

Parameter fields are defined at the view but can be applied to report calculations and

filters.

Parameter fields are indicated by the icon used in the data field list. This is indicated

by the blue filter icon .

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The access filter is a global filter applied to a report based on the user that is viewing

the report at the time. This filter allows the same report to be distributed / used by

many people but will only display data that is relevant for them.

For example an access filter may associate the user as the manager of a particular

cost centre. When that user runs the report they will only see data for the costthey

will not be able to view data for other cost centres.

Figure 122Source Filters

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1. The first step in adding a filter to your report is to drag either a dimension or

metric item from the data fields list into the Filters Box as seen below.

Once you add a field to your filters box the report wizard will include an additional

filter management step. It is on this page that you will specify all the filter values.

Figure 123Report Filters

2. You can drag as many fields as you wish to use into your filters box. Once all the

items you wish to filter on have been selected click the next button to go to the

filters management page.

3. Use the report filter page to edit and define your filters in detail. All filters added

to your report through the report data page will be displayed on this page for you

to edit.

Aggregate filters allow you to filter on aggregate values such as the sum of received

amount. For example if you filter on received amount you will be filtering on each

record, filtering on the aggregate value would filter on the total for the sum of the

region.

Aggregate filters are applied just like aggregate metrics. Select the item you wish to

filter on and choose the aggregation you wish to apply.

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Figure 124Report Filter Criteria

1. The item that has been selected on the report data page for filtering. E.g. Last

Name

2. The Operand drop down lets you select what type of filter to be used. For

example Last Name is Not Nullor Equal To.

3. The brackets allow for greater complexity in data filtering by using AND and OR

with the where clause operator.

4. The filter data displays what the filter is to be. If you have selected specific data

to filter on it will be displayed here. The defaultUSER PROMPT this allows theuser to set the filter prior to running a report. Use the Prompt icon to browse

available values.

5. This allows the user to set multiple filters and join them using AND or OR. For

example filter all People where AGE is Greater than 50 or Gender = Female.

6. The move up and down buttons allows the user to build complex bracketing

filters. The level of a statement within the bracket will affect the overall filter

statement and impact upon the data returned in the query.

7. The filter logic display allows a user to read a summary of the filter that they have

defined.

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Aggregate filters allow you to filter on aggregate values such as the sum of received

amount. For example if you filter on received amount you will be filtering on each

record, filtering on the aggregate value would filter on the total for the sum of the

region.

The filter options are available on the report preview page. You are able to set the

action and formatting options of all filters here. These will be discussed in more detail

in the filter formatting section.

Figure 125Filter Properties

In the filter options section on the report preview page you can select a filter and

customise its display and entry style settings. These will also be discussed in the filter

formatting section.

Figure 126Filter Specific Properties

When defining a filter initially you need to specify how the filter values are to beselected for example where company name is equal to or different from the values

that you want to filter on. The options within the drop down will vary based upon the

type of field that the filter is to be applied to.

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Figure 127Operand List

Possible values for the operand include:

Operand Description Type1

General Filtering

Equal to Equal to a single alphanumeric or string value

Greater than Greater than a single alphanumeric or string value Numeric

Greater than

or equal to

Greater than or equal to a single alphanumeric or

string value

Numeric

Less than Less than a single alphanumeric or string value Numeric

Less than or

equal to

Less than or equal to a single alphanumeric or string

value

Numeric

Different

from

Not equal to or different from a single alphanumeric or

string value

Between Between variable 1 and variable 2 these will need to

be legitimate parameters such as date, age etc.

N