Using "filter widgets" and "interactive filters" in reports.

[M_Tomy]

Experts

Please tell me about the following

There are "filter widgets" and "interactive filters" as filtering functions in reports, but I am not sure how to distinguish between them.
In which case should I use them, and in which case are they not suitable?

Thank you in advance.

[Sai Shravan · Accepted solution]

Hi @M_Tomy ,

Filter widgets are simple filtering tools that can be added to a report to allow users to filter data based on pre-defined criteria. These can include checkboxes, drop-down menus, and search fields. Filter widgets are useful when the filtering criteria are well-defined and the report has a fixed set of fields that are being used to filter the data.

Interactive filters, on the other hand, provide more advanced filtering options that allow users to filter data based on any field in the report. Interactive filters are more flexible than filter widgets and can be used to create more complex and dynamic filtering criteria. They are also useful when the report has a large number of fields that could be used to filter data.

Here are some examples of when each type of filter could be useful:

Filter widgets:

• When you want to provide a set of predefined filters for your report, such as filter by date range, status, or category. These filters are fixed and cannot be modified by the end user.
• When you want to save a set of filters for future use, such as saving a report with a specific set of filter criteria that you frequently use.

Interactive filters:

• When you want to provide more flexibility to the end user in terms of filtering the report. Interactive filters allow the user to specify their own filter criteria, such as selecting a specific value from a drop-down list or entering a search term in a text box.
• When you want to allow the user to dynamically filter the report as they are viewing it, without having to refresh the entire report. Interactive filters can be set up to refresh the report data in real-time as the user changes the filter criteria.
• When you want to provide a more advanced filtering capability, such as multi-select filters or cascading filters.

It's important to note that filter widgets are not suitable when you want to provide the end user with the ability to modify the filter criteria, as they are fixed and cannot be changed. Interactive filters are more appropriate when you want to provide this flexibility to the end user. Additionally, interactive filters may not be suitable if you have a large dataset, as they can slow down the report performance if the filters are complex or if there are many of them. In this case, it may be better to use filter widgets or other means of data reduction to limit the amount of data being retrieved.

Regards,

Shravan.

Please mark this as help and correct answer, if this helps you.

[M_Tomy]

Dear Sai Shravan

Thank you very much for your kind explanation.
I now understand the scene of use.