Canvas: Standard filter behavior instead of variables
Canvas is a great approach to build reports state-of-the-art without the need of spreadsheet logic.
However, there are some things, that are inherited from the Excel/spreadsheet logic, that make things only complicated. Such as variables. If I build a report, why do I have to define a variable?
With a combobox in the report, 99% of the times, I want everything to be filtered on a dimension element. So why don't make this the standard and filter everything, that is in the combobox. You can still leave options for the rest 1%, but a variable is not the intuitive way to go. This is no standard procedure in any other (BI) software.
To be clear: I don't propose to abandon variables completely. I rather would like to not be forced to use them most of the time.
ADMIN RESPONSE
Jun 14, 2024
Thank you for your great idea. While we cannot commit to a specific target version, we will consider adding it to our future internal backlog. If you can add further information about the context of this feature, please add it here so we can evaluate it more fully.
The variable allows us to preselect values. That means: as a user I choose year 2025 in a report and it will be preselected in other reports. I do not have to select 2025 in each report again. Variables allow us to preselect some comboboxes before opening reports for e.g. the current year or a specific planning version. It gives us flexibility. Another example: in a report in which I copy data from one version to another I would have 2 comboboxes: the source version (Actual) and target version (Budget). I would have 1 dimension (Version), but 2 variables with the values: Actual and Budget. I do not see the use case that variables will not be needed anymore.
The variable allows us to preselect values. That means: as a user I choose year 2025 in a report and it will be preselected in other reports. I do not have to select 2025 in each report again.
Variables allow us to preselect some comboboxes before opening reports for e.g. the current year or a specific planning version. It gives us flexibility.
Another example: in a report in which I copy data from one version to another I would have 2 comboboxes: the source version (Actual) and target version (Budget). I would have 1 dimension (Version), but 2 variables with the values: Actual and Budget.
I do not see the use case that variables will not be needed anymore.