Defining an Exception

Exceptions can be defined using one of the following methods:

·         Simple– This method is used to highlight cell values that meet a simple condition.

·         Bubble up – This method is used to look for exceptions in levels below the current level displayed in the grid. It enables you to find anomalies in the data without having to search each branch of detailed data individually.

·         Free MDX formula – With this method, an exception condition can be defined using MDX syntax.

To define an exception:

1.         From the Measures dropdown list, choose the measure for which you want to define exceptions. The current measure in the grid is selected by default.

2.         Click the Add button to open a new exception panel.

3.         In Enter Name, enter a name for the exception. In Description, enter the description that you want to appear in the tooltip for the highlighted values.

4.         From the markers dropdown, choose a marker. For example, you can use the Up Triangle to mark exceptions that are higher and the Down Triangle to mark exceptions that are lower than a specified value.

5.         Choose the color of the marker from the palette. For example, you can highlight an exception value with a red square marker.

6.         If you have selected Forecolor, you can choose a font style.

7.         To apply the exceptions to specific rows and columns, select Selected members.

Drag the relevant member(s) from the grid to the members list box. To select more than one item at a time, select them in the grid while holding the Ctrl key, and then drag them to the list.

Use the remove buttons on the right to remove a selected member or all members. Use the reordering arrows to move members up or down in the list.

8.         In Select type, choose a method and enter the definitions. See Simple Exception, Bubble Up Exception, or Free MDX Formula.

9.         Click Apply to apply the exception.

Simple Exception

Choose an operator and specify the value.

Example

In the following example, three exceptions have been defined for the Reseller Sales Amount measure:

·         Amount greater than 100,000                        Green font, bold

·         Amount between 50,000 and 100,000            Orange font, bold italic

·         Amount less than 7,000                                Red exclamation

Tooltips show either the description entered in the exception definition or the condition (if a description was not entered).

Bubble Up Exception

In this method, exceptions are highlighted when values meeting the specified condition are found in levels below the level currently displayed in the grid. This is useful for highlighting issues that may not be apparent looking only at the aggregated values.

Define a condition by choosing options in Highlight Data When and At Level, and entering relevant operators and values.

Highlight Data When

Choose one of the following conditions:

At Level

Choose the relevant dimension level.

For whom Measure.<selected measure> is

Define the measure value by choosing an operator, specifying a value or range of values.

If this is a percentage value, specify how this percentage should be calculated by choosing the appropriate option from the dropdown list:

And Count of members, Maximum of members, … is

For the conditions Count Of, Maximum Of, Minimum Of, Variance Of, Stddev Of and Sum Of, another line appears for choosing the appropriate operator and value for that condition. For example, "And count of member is=20".

Example

The bubble-up exception highlights the parent cell when a descendant meets the condition definition. Tooltips show either the description entered in the exception definition or the condition (if a description was not entered), in addition to a list of all lower level members that meet the exception condition.

Free MDX Formula

The Free MDX Formula option allows you to define an exception by entering an MDX statement in the edit box:

For further details about MDX formula, see Creating a Formula Using MDX.