How Filtering and Ranking Can Help with Analysis
SAS Web Report Studio
enables you to filter and rank the data in tables, graphs, and geographical
maps. The filters that are applied to a report are different from
the filters that are applied to an information map, table, or cube.
For more information about filters that are applied to data sources, see Overview of Section Filters.
Filters are simply a
set of rules, or conditions, that you specify to subset the data that
is displayed in a table, graph, or geographical map. The goal is to
display only the data that you need to see to perform your analysis.
For example, you might have a crosstabulation table that shows all
sales in a variety of countries for the years 2009 and 2010. Spending
is split between males and females. For a promotional mailing, you
might want to filter the table so that it only contains information
for 2009 where females spent more than $100,000.
The following display
shows an example of the Filter and Rank dialog
box when a filter has been applied to a specific geography. Notice
that the following funnel icon appears next to Geography in
the Categories list: 
. This icon tells you that a filter or rank has been
defined for that data item. If you have performed a drill or expand
operation on a data item that has masked the effect of the filter,
then this icon becomes dimmed. This tells you that the filter is defined,
but it is not currently in effect.
. This icon tells you that a filter or rank has been
defined for that data item. If you have performed a drill or expand
operation on a data item that has masked the effect of the filter,
then this icon becomes dimmed. This tells you that the filter is defined,
but it is not currently in effect.
The Browse and Search tabs
for relational data are currently used in the Filter and
Rank dialog box for list tables, crosstabulation tables,
and graphs when the data source is relational. You do not specify
an operator in this case. However, the implied operator is Equal
to. For more information,
see Browsing or Searching for Filter Values.
The Browse and Search tabs
for multidimensional data are currently used in the Filter
and Rank dialog box. They let you select filter values
for a multidimensional data item. You do not specify an operator in
this case. However, the implied operator is Equal to. For more information,
see Browsing or Searching for Filter Values.
You can apply a filter
when you are viewing a table. Select a row or a column and then right-click
and select Isolate. In the following display,
the right-click menu shows Isolate Europe for
the total sales summary for retail sales in the crosstabulation table.
After you isolate the
row or column, the Filter and Rank dialog
box shows that category as having a filter. For the preceding example,
the Geography category in the Categories
list displays with this icon: .
.
Example of the Funnel Icon Next to a Category
For crosstabulation
tables based on relational data sources, you can apply a filter value
by selecting Filter by the Column, Filter
by this Row, Rank by this Column,
or Rank by this Row.
A Crosstabulation Table with the Filter by this Column and
Rank by this Column Options
Rankings order observations
according to values of particular measure data items. In this case,
the goal is to provide a different view of the data to help you perform
your analysis. For example, a bar chart might show revenue for two
sales channels for the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. You
want to rank the chart so that it shows where the top 10% of sales
came from in each year. The ranked graph might show that the top 10%
of sales for each year came from catalog sales. Based on this information,
your company might want to expand catalog mailings.