Create a Subset of Categories

You can define subsets of categories in PowerPlay Web Explorer based on specified criteria. When you create custom subsets of your data, you can isolate, explore, and analyze specific elements of your data.

Subsets can be dynamic, meaning that they can be updated whenever a change in the cube data affects the categories in the subset. For example, you are a regional manager for a company that sells outdoor products. You want to analyze the sales in your region of the products that are environmentally-friendly. You create a category subset defined by search criteria that all products contain the text "Enviro". As more products are added to the cube that meet the search criteria, they are added to the subset dynamically.

You can create subsets of categories by search criteria, by measure value, or by individual category selection. You can also create a category subset for a dimension directly from the crosstab in a PowerPlay Web Explorer displayed report.

When you create a category subset by search criteria, PowerPlay Web searches the cube for all categories that meet the search criteria and returns that information.

When you create a category subset by measure value, PowerPlay Web compares measure values and returns the categories within the defined range.

When you create a category subset by individual category selection, PowerPlay Web returns the categories you selected.

The custom subset of categories must contain only categories in the same dimension. You cannot nest a subset within the dimension from which it was derived. Also, you cannot nest a subset within a subset if they are both from the same dimension.

When you create a new category subset, the subset appears in the dimension viewer.

You can create, edit, and delete category subsets only in PowerPlay Web Explorer. In PowerPlay Web Viewer, PowerPlay for Windows, and PowerPlay for Excel, you can open, but not edit, PowerPlay Web Explorer reports that include category subsets.

Steps Using Search Criteria

1. On the PowerPlay Web toolbar, click the Custom Subsets button .
2. In the Custom Subset Name box, enter a name for the category subset.

This name will appear as an alternate drill-down path in the dimension viewer.

3. In the Dimension list, select the dimension on which you want to create the category subset.
4. Click Define Rule by Search Criteria, and click Next.
5. In the Create Custom Subset by Name Search dialog box, click Add.
6. In the Search String list, click Contains, Begins with, or Ends with to define the appropriate search criteria, and then type the text you want to search for.

Tip: The search string is not case sensitive.

7. In the Choose a Starting Point for Your Search box, click the category you want to search.
8. In the Select a Scoping Option for Your Search list, choose the scope of category levels you want to search, and click OK.
9. If you want enter additional search strings, repeat steps 5-8.
10. In the Create Custom Subset by Name Search dialog box, click Next.
11. In the Result Set box, review the search results.

Tip: To remove a search result from the category subset, click the result and then click Remove. To return the search result to the category subset, click the result and click Re-enable.

Categories that are returned in the result set based on the search criteria are dynamic. If there are changes in the data source, the returned result set reflects those changes, and they are identified by a binocular icon .

12. If you want to add categories that were not returned in the result set, in the Available Categories list, select the categories and then click the Add to Custom Subset button .

These categories are static. If you modify the subset search criteria or if there are changes in the data source and a different result set is returned, these additional categories are still included in the subset and remain until you delete them.

13. Click Finish.

The PowerPlay Web Explorer report shows the category subset. In the dimension viewer, the subset appears as a new category .

Steps Using Measure Value

1. On the PowerPlay Web toolbar, click the Custom Subsets button .
2. In the Custom Subset Name box, enter a name for the category subset.

This name will appear as a new report category in the dimension viewer.

3. In the Dimension list, select the dimension on which you want to create the category subset.
4. Click Define Rule by Measure Value, and click Next.
5. In the Select the Measure on Which to Base the Rule list, select the measure you want.
6. Under Include Categories with Values Within Range click Lowest or Highest or enter a value for the lowest or highest value you want returned.
7. In the Choose a Starting Point for Your Search box, select the category you want.
8. In the Select a Scoping Option for Your Search list box, choose the scope of category levels you want to search.
9. Under Choose the Filtering That You Would Like to Apply to the Data, apply dimension filters as appropriate, and click Next.

For example, click the Years category and filter on YTD, click the Locations category and filter on Germany, and click Next.

10. In the Result Set box, review the search results.

Tip: To remove a search result from the category subset, click the result and then click Remove. To return the search result to the category subset, click the result and click Re-enable.

Categories that are returned in the result set based on a measure value are dynamic. If there are changes in the data source, the returned result set reflects those changes, and they are identified by a binocular icon .

11. If you want to add categories that were not returned in the result set, in the Available Categories list, select the categories and then click the Add to Custom Subset button .

These categories are static. If you modify the subset measure value or if there are changes in the data source and a different result set is returned, these additional categories are still included in the subset and remain until you delete them.

12. Click Finish.

The PowerPlay Web Explorer report shows the category subset. In the dimension viewer, the subset appears as a new category .

Steps Using Category Selection

1. On the PowerPlay Web toolbar, click the Custom Subsets button .
2. In the Custom Subset Name box, enter a name for the category subset.

This name will appear as a new report category in the dimension viewer.

3. In the Dimension list, select the dimension on which you want to create the category subset.
4. Click Select Categories, and click Next.
5. In the Available Categories list, expand the categories, and then select the categories you want to appear in the subset.
6. Click the Add to Custom Subset button to move the selected categories to the Result Set list.

When you create a category subset by selecting individual categories, the categories are static and remain in the subset until you delete them.

Tip: To remove a category from the Result Set list, select the category and click the Remove from Custom Subset button .

7. Click Finish.

The PowerPlay Web Explorer report shows the category subset. In the dimension viewer, the subset appears as a new category .

Steps for a Dimension in a Displayed Report

1. In the PowerPlay Web Explorer report, right-click the rows or columns you want to include in the subset, and then click Create Custom Subset.

The new custom subset appears in the report.

2. If you want to change the default category subset name, do the following:
   • In the dimension viewer, right-click the category subset.
   • Click Rename Subset.
   • In the Custom Subset Name box, type the new subset name.
   • Click Finish.

Tips:

• The rows or columns you choose to include in the subset can be from multiple levels. However, they must be from the same dimension.
• To delete a category subset, in the dimension viewer, right-click the category subset, and then click Delete Subset.

Modify a Subset of Categories

You can modify a subset of categories if the criteria you want to search for changes.

Steps

1. In the dimension viewer, right-click the category subset and then click Edit Subset.
2. In the Edit Custom Subset dialog box, edit the fields as appropriate and then click Next.
3. In the Result Set box, review the search results.
4. When you are satisfied with the search results, click Finish.