Overview
A Filter is a standalone Lens artifact that exposes a set of selectable values backed by a Dimension. Once saved, a Filter can be applied to one or more Reports to narrow the data shown when those Reports are viewed on the Dashboard. Filters are authored in the Filter Designer inside a Workbook and live alongside Reports, Charts, Custom Scripts, and Dimensions as one of the five Lens artifact types.
Filters are reached from Lens → Design by clicking Add New and selecting the Filter option. A Datasource and a Dimension must be selected for the Filter to draw selectable values from.
Filter concepts in Lens
Lens uses the word “filter” for three related but distinct concepts. This article documents only the first.
| Filter (standalone artifact) | Lens Design → Filter | Reusable filter widget backed by a Dimension. Saved as a Workbook artifact and applied to Reports. |
| Filter widget on a Report | Report Designer → left filter pane | Per-Report filter added directly from a dataset column or Custom Script reference. |
| Dashboard Filter style | Dashboard / Report Preferences | Visual presentation of filters on the Dashboard — Classic, Pop-up, or Accordion. |
When to use it
- A reusable filter is needed that can be applied to multiple Reports rather than redefined per Report.
- A Filter should be backed by a saved Dimension hierarchy rather than a raw dataset column.
- Multiple Reports should share the same set of selectable values and the same selection behavior.
Structure
| Datasource | The connection that backs the Filter’s values. Must be selected before the Filter canvas accepts a Dimension. |
| Dimension (input) | Dropped onto the canvas to convert into a Filter widget. The Dimension’s nodes become the Filter’s selectable values. |
| Filter widget | The Filter as it appears on the canvas and, ultimately, on the Report. Carries a name, type, chart type, and icon. |
Filter edit dialog
| Filter name | Identifier for the Filter. Appears in the artifact list and in the Report Designer when applying the Filter. |
| Filter type | Selection behavior (Filter Types). |
| Filter icon | Icon shown with the Filter on the Report. |
Filter Designer toolbar
| Save | Saves the Filter. First save prompts for a name; subsequent saves persist to the same name. |
| Save As | Saves the current state under a new name. Used to fork an existing Filter before invasive changes. |
| Reset | Discards unsaved changes after a warning prompt. No per-action undo. |
| Refresh | Re-renders the canvas with the saved state. |
| Help | Opens the Datanyx online help page. |
List actions
From the Design list (reached by clicking the add icon at the bottom-right of the Design canvas and selecting Open Existing → Filter), saved Filters expose the standard artifact actions.
| Edit | Opens the Filter in the Filter Designer for changes. |
| Delete | Removes the Filter after a warning prompt and a completion confirmation. |
Key behaviors
Filter is built on a Dimension. A Filter draws its selectable values from a Dimension dropped onto the canvas. The Dimension must already exist in the Workbook. Editing the source Dimension changes the values exposed by every Filter built on it.
Saving an artifact is separate from applying it. A saved Filter exists as a Workbook artifact but doesn’t affect any Report until it is applied to one. Apply happens in the Report Designer, not in the Filter Designer.
Filter Type is behavioral. Filter Type (Multiselect, etc.) controls how values are selected; the Button / Dropdown toggle controls how the Filter renders.
Three filter concepts, one word. Lens uses “filter” for the standalone artifact (this article), the per-Report filter widget added inside the Report Designer, and the Dashboard Filter style. The three are connected — a standalone Filter is applied via the Report Designer and ultimately rendered on the Dashboard in one of the Dashboard Filter styles — but they are distinct surfaces with distinct configuration dialogs.