You can use parameters extensively across OneStream objects. This topic identifies some of the advantages of using parameters with some objects such as the following with:
Cube Views
Assign parameters to a cube view to:
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Specify and apply standard formatting to cube views and dashboards for a consistent look and feel in your reports.
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Identify the details users can access when they navigate linked cube views and dashboards to access more data. See Linked Cube Views.
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Let users refine the data to supply or retrieve in reports by prompting them to select entities, workflow profiles, views, scenarios, and more. To limit a query, refer to the parameter in the point of view, rows, or columns. This filters data in reports based on parameter selections.
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Specify the point of view to display more focused data.
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Nest parameters to use a series of parameter prompts to refine the data to use on dashboards and in reports. See Nest Parameters.
Data Adapters and Dashboard Components
Use parameters with data adapters to:
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Prompt users to select the data to retrieve and display on dashboards, so they can focus their analysis using custom intersections of some of the cube view data that populates the dashboard. For example, assign parameters to prompt for entity and year selections to a data adapter so users can visualize data by entity and year while accessing the rest of the cube view data.
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Enable dashboard actions such as custom calculations or launching another dashboard.
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Identify static values using Literal Value parameters, for dashboard content and design.
See Parameter Components in Dashboards.
Extensible Documents
Use parameters as placeholders and with substitution variables and retrieve functions to enhance extensible documents, such as Word and PowerPoint files, with dynamic selections for time period, entity, data cell value, text comments, and more. For example, insert the following parameters to prompt users to specify the years and quarter to use in a report:
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|!CurrentQtr!|
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|!ReportingYear!|
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|!ReportingYearPrior!|
You can use parameters in Microsoft text, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files. See Present Data With Extensible Documents.
Books
Use books to combine a variety of reports and files in one object for custom reporting. You can automatically generate input parameters based on book content or manually specify the required parameters. You can also use parameters in loops- sequences of variable-based instructions, to further customize the data to display. For example, a book can loop to display all base entities in a hierarchy, providing the same cube view report for each entity. Or, you could assign a parameter called ParamSalesRegions to include all sales regions in book content.
If the source objects used in a book have assigned parameters, use Change parameters to override them instead of modifying the underlying cube view or report. For example, configure a Change parameter to use the workflow time in a book instead of prompting users to specify a Time dimension member.
NOTE: Before creating books and using Change parameters, ensure that you understand the source objects, such as cube views, that generate the content to use.
