Object prompts provide users the ability to add additional objects to a report. You can let users select from almost any object available in MicroStrategy. The objects the user selects in the prompt are placed on the report. This essentially allows users to create their own reports, although you use the object prompt to control what objects they can choose to include on their reports.
For example, you can create a prompt that allows users to choose from a list of existing stand-alone filters to apply to the report. Or, you can create a prompt that displays the Day, Month, Quarter, and Year attributes to users, so the user can specify the granularity of the report. Object prompts enable you to provide versatile reports to users.
Additional examples and images of an object prompt can be found in the Answering Questions about Data chapter in the Reporting Guide.
Object prompts can be used in many places, including the following:
Object prompt containing attributes: Any place that can accept a list of attributes.
Object prompt containing metrics: Embedded in a Set qualification filter, as well as any place that accepts metrics.
When you create an object prompt, you can decide whether users can select from a specified list of MicroStrategy objects, or you can define a specific search that presents an up-to-date set of objects for users to select from. Including a search object in the object prompt, rather than specifying the exact object names, allows users to select from new objects that might not have been part of the project when you first created the prompt.
DHTML must be enabled. See Enabling DHTML in MicroStrategy Web.
If you want analysts to answer a prompt by selecting from the results of a search object, a search object must already be created.
Do one of the following:
On the MicroStrategy Web home page, click Create Prompt. The Create Prompt page opens, with a list of the types of prompts you can create. Click Object.
From any
folder page, click, the Create
Prompt icon on the menu.
To create the list of objects from which the user can select
You can only use objects of one type in an object prompt. For example, you can include metrics or attributes in a single object prompt, but not both. To prompt for multiple object types in the same report, you must create an object prompt for each object type.
Choose one of the following options:
Use a predefined list of objects: Select this option to create a list of metrics or attributes from which users can choose. Click Add, select the objects, and click OK. To remove an object, highlight it and click Remove. To remove all items, click Clear.
Use the result of a search object: If you have previously created a search object, browse to and select the search object or specify the name of the search object. A search object searches for and displays specific project objects when the user executes the report. This lets you prompt the user with the most up-to-date objects in the project.
On the General tab, specify a title and description for the prompt in the Title and Instructions fields.
To restrict the number of prompt answers
To require users to answer the prompt before running the report, specify whether the prompt requires an answer. Select the Prompt answer is required check box. If you require an answer, it is a good idea to also provide a default answer, otherwise a subscription to this report will fail.
Set the maximum and/or minimum number of prompt answers allowed, if desired. Enter these numbers in the Minimum number of answers and Maximum number of answers fields.
Determine whether users can save and reuse their prompt answers, and if so, how many prompt answers they can save for the prompt. From the Personal answers allowed drop-down list, select one of the following:
None: This setting does not allow you to save and reuse prompt answers.
Single: This setting allows you to save and reuse only one prompt answer.
Multiple: This setting allows you to save multiple prompt answers.
To specify the layout and display style of the prompt
On the Style tab, from the Display style drop-down list, specify a presentation style, such as Check box, for the prompt. This is how the prompt is displayed to the user.
To ensure that the prompt's text fields and options are a fixed size, select the Fixed textbox width and/or Fixed textbox height check boxes, and specify the size of the prompt's text fields and options in the fields.
To determine how prompt options are arranged, from the Orientation drop-down list, select Vertical or Horizontal.
To determine the number of prompt answers displayed in a row or column (depending on alignment), enter a number in the Items per column/row field.
To determine whether to allow users to use a search box to locate prompt answers, from the Show search box drop-down list select FALSE or TRUE. Searching for objects allows analysts to quickly locate specific objects to use to answer the prompt.
If you are using the Shopping Cart display style, you can select the Use folder structure check box to display the prompt choices in a folder structure. This option, available for search objects only, is useful when the same object with the same name is saved in multiple folders. Use the up and down ordering arrows to reorder prompt objects.
To allow users to navigate above the root folder when searching, select the Allow navigation above search root check box.
For an object prompt that uses a search
object and the Tree display style, the Use
folder structure check box is selected and cannot be changed. You
can select whether or not empty folders are shown in the tree when the
prompt is executed. Select or clear the Do
not show empty folders check box. Note that selecting it can impact
performance.
Note: The search object must search within subfolders. For background
information on search objects and steps to create them, see the Desktop Help.
To save the prompt
To save the prompt, select Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.
Specify a name, description, and the location in which to save the prompt and click OK.
You can now add your new prompt to a report. See Adding a prompt to a report.