Selecting Data by Using the Query Panel

Overview: Query Panel

In the Query panel, you can add and remove data items for your data view. To access the Query panel, click Query on the main toolbar.
The Query panel contains two panes:
Selected Items
lists the data items that are currently assigned to the information map.
Available Items
lists all of the data items that are available.
For OLAP data, two types of data items can be used in a query: hierarchy (hierarchy icon) and measure (measure icon).
For relational data, two types of data items can be used in a query: measure columns (measure column icon) and category columns (category column icon).

The Default Query

When you open an information map, the Visual Data Explorer creates a default query that contains a subset of the available data items:
  • For relational data, the default query is empty. The data viewers are empty until you add columns to the query.
  • For OLAP data, the first available hierarchy is assigned to the vertical axis (rows). The second hierarchy and the first two measures are assigned to the horizontal axis (columns).

Modifying the Query

You can modify the query by performing the following tasks:
Task
Action
Add data items.
Select a data item in the Available Items pane, and then click Add.
For OLAP data only, specify where you want the new data item to be added by selecting one of the following:
to Rows
adds the data item to the vertical axis.
to Columns
adds the data item to the horizontal axis.
to Slicer
adds the data item to the background. The data is not shown, but it can be used in filters.
Reorder data items.
Select a data item in the Selected Items pane, and then click up arrow to move the data item up, or down arrow to move the data item down.
Remove data items.
Select a data item in the Selected Items pane, and then click Remove.
When you are finished making changes to the query, click Apply to apply the query to your current view.
To cancel any query changes that have not been applied yet, click Restore.
For OLAP data, a valid query must fulfill the following requirements:
  • The query must contain at least one hierarchy and at least one measure.
  • The vertical (rows) axis and the horizontal (columns) axis must each contain at least one data item.
  • The query can only contain one hierarchy from each OLAP dimension.

Add Data Items by Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature

You can modify your query by dragging data items from the Available Items pane onto the table viewer. To place the new item to the outside of a specific heading, drag it to the outer edge of that heading. To place the new item to the inside of a specific heading, drag it to the inner edge of that heading.
For example, to add a new hierarchy as the outermost item on the vertical axis (rows), drag it from the Available Items pane to the left side of the top-level heading on the vertical axis of the table viewer.
If you drag a measure to a different axis or nesting level from the existing measures, then the measure is added to the table and all of the measures are moved to the new location.
Note: You cannot use a drag-and-drop operation to remove items from the query.