Monday, June 29, 2009

Same page navigation drills using drill in place, iframes and embedded content in section

In this lession I'll cover same page navigation drills between two reports (not two dashboard pages), and I'll show how to implement this by using different methods and what are disadvantages and advantages of each of them. We want to stay in the focus of the first report (same page navigation) when we call the second report, for all cases.

We'll use reports:





On the PROD_CATEGORY (Navigate) column (Report23) we set value interaction to navigate to Report 24:



On the PROD_CATEGORY (Dimension drill) column (Report23) we set dimension level drill down:



GO URL to Report 24 column on Report23:



Current iframe column:



GO URL to Report 23 column on Report24:



Here we try to turn back dashboard prompt presentation variable from the first focus (when we choose it for the Report23) for returning back from Report24 to Report23 because we don't want to reset previous filter (but this don't work for navigation between two reports on the same page, it works only for navigation between two dashboard pages)

Report navigation inside iframe

We build iframe for Report23 and show it as narrative view in the dashboard.



Column is described above (Current iframe). With this, we have ensured ourself that everything is staying in the same focus (same page).

We test it:



If we navigate from all three columns we stayed in the same page (same focus. same window) and that is right. But here is the problem if we go to Report24 (from the first or the third column) and try to return back with GO URL to Report 23 column on Report24 we cannot set the previous filter in Report23 with presentation variable that we choosed. Report24 cannot see it. So if we go to that link, we get all records:



Drill in place inside a section

This only works for dimension level attributes drills and it has the same dashboard page focus. Otherwise it opens new window and loses focus.



Embedded content in section

Everything works fine, focus is always in the same dashboard page when we navigate using all methods except we cannot use dashboard prompts, neither presentation variables in reports that are inside embedded content. We didn't use drill in place option in the section.



GO URL in embedded content properties:

http://localhost:9704/analytics/saw.dll?GO&nquser=Administrator&path=/shared/Development/Report%2023&Action=Navigate