Creating Report Links :: SAS® Visual Analytics 7.4: User's Guide

Create a Link to Another Report

Note: The following steps do not apply to text objects. For more information, see Create a Link from a Text Object.

To add a link from a report object or an image to another report:

If a report object is not already selected, select the object that you want to link from.
Click the Interactions tab.
Click New, and then select Report Link. The Choose an Item window is displayed.
Select a target report, and then click OK. The Create Report Link window is displayed.
Verify the name of the target report. If you want to select a different target report, click Browse.

Note: The source and target of report link should be based on the same data source. If you have multiple data sources, you are prompted to map the data sources to create the report link. For more information, see Map Data Sources.

If the target report contains more than one section, then select the report section that you want to open first.

If you want to set values in the target report, select the Set the value for controls in the target report prompt bar option.

Note: This option sets values only on the controls that use the same data item as the source object or only on data items that filter the source object.
Click OK. The new report link is displayed on the Interactions tab in the right pane.

Double-click on an item in the report object (for example, a bar, a row in a table, a pie slice, and so on) to activate the report link. You are prompted to save changes to the report object before you can follow the link to the target report. To return to the source report object, use the button above the canvas.

Here is an example of the button that enables you to return to the source report object: the Button to Return to the Source Report Object

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Create a Link to One or More Sections in a Report

Note: The following steps do not apply to text objects. For more information, see Create a Link from a Text Object.

To add a link from a report object or an image to a specific section in the same report:

If a report object is not already selected, select the object that you want to link from.
Click the Interactions tab.
Click New, and then select Section Link. The Create Section Link window is displayed.
Select All to link to all of the sections in the report or select a specific section (or sections) in the report.

Note: The source and target of section link should be based on the same data source. If you have multiple data sources, you are prompted to map the data sources to create the section link. For more information, see Map Data Sources.

If you want to set values in the target section, select the Set the value for controls in the target section prompt bar option.

Note: This option sets values only on the controls that use the same data item as the source object or only on data items that filter the source object.
Click OK. The new section link is displayed on the Interactions tab in the right pane. If you selected multiple sections, those links are displayed on the Interactions tab.

Alternatively, you can create a section link using the interactions view.

Note: If you use a section link to navigate to another section, and then you change the value of a report prompt, the section link filter is removed.

Create a Link to One or More Info Windows in a Report

Note: The following steps do not apply to text objects. For more information, see Create a Link from a Text Object.

To add a link from a report object or image to an info window in the same report:

Click the Interactions tab.
Click New, and then select Info Window Link. The Create Info Window Link window is displayed.
Select All to link to all of the info windows in the report, or select a specific info window in the report.

Note: The source and target of the info window link should be based on the same data source. If you have multiple data sources, you are prompted to map the data sources to create the info window link. For more information, see Map Data Sources.
Click OK. The new info window link is displayed on the Interactions tab in the right pane. If you selected multiple info windows to link to, those links are displayed on the Interactions tab.

Create a Link to an External URL

You can add a link from a report object, text, or image to an external URL. The http:// part of the link is provided. The link can be relative to the current web application server. For example, you can link to a stored process, which means that you would not need to specify http://server-name:port because you are already logged on to that server.

Tip

Click the Link to Stored Process button in the Create External Link window to link to a stored process without having to enter the required link information.

Note: UTF-8 is supported for external URL links.

Note: The following steps do not apply to text objects. For more information, see Create a Link from a Text Object.

To add a link to an external URL:

Click the Interactions tab.
Click New, and then select External Link. The Create External Link window is displayed.
Enter a Label and a URL for the link.

Tip
Do not add parameters to the URL field. Click to specify additional parameters, such as a Target. These additional parameters are automatically added to the URL.
(Optional) Click Link to Stored Process. The Open window is displayed. Select a stored process, and then click Open. The Label field shows the name of the stored process, and the URL field shows the link information for the stored process.

Note: If the stored process accepts prompts, they are automatically added to the Parameters.
(Optional) Click to specify additional parameters for the link. You can specify the Format value option, a Source, and a Target. The Format value option applies only to dates and numbers. You can add multiple parameters.

For example, you might have a report for your company’s product lines. When a user views the report, you want them to be able to double-click a product line in the line chart, and then link to a Google search for that product line. In the Create External Link window for this example, you would enter http://www.google.com/search as the URL, select ProductLine as the Source, and then enter q as the Target.
Press Enter or Tab to activate the OK button. Click OK. The new external link is displayed on the Interactions tab in the right pane.

Double-click on a report object to link to the external URL.

Create a Link from a Text Object

You can add a link from text to an external URL, to another report, or to a specific section or an info window in the current report.

Note: Only static text can have links. Links are not available for dynamic text.

To add a link from a text object:

Double-click inside a text object on the canvas and enter the text.
Selecting some or all of the text, and then click in the floating toolbar. Select Hyperlink. The Link Setup window is displayed.

Tip
To change the default color of the hyperlinked text, you need to select a leading blank space and a trailing blank space around the hyperlinked text.

Tip
You can use the pop-up menu to cut, copy, and delete text. However, you have to use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+V) to paste text. Do not copy or paste text with hyperlinks. Instead, duplicate or import the text object.
Select the link Type. The options are:

External URL

The link target is an external URL. For example, you might want to link some text to your company’s web page or Twitter feed. The link can be relative to the current web application server. Enter a URL. The http:// part of the link is provided.

Report Link

The link target is another report. Enter the name of the Target report or browse to find it. If the target report has multiple sections, you can select which report section opens first.

Section Link

If your report has multiple sections, then the link target can be a section in the report. Select a Target section from the list.

Info Window Link

If your report has one or more sections and one or more info windows, then the link target can be an info window in the report. Select a Target info window from the list.
Click OK. The text that you selected is a link in the text object.