Using Report Parameters is the simplest method for adding dynamic filters or parameters to a Power BI Paginated Report. Here's how to put them into practice:
Establish Report Parameters:
You can add parameters in Power BI Report Builder that let users choose or enter filter values. To filter data by region, product category, or date range, for instance, you could create parameters.
Go to the Report Data pane, right-click on Parameters, and select Add Parameter to create a parameter. This will enable you to specify the parameters' attributes, including its data type, prompt (which users see), and available values (which can be either static or dynamic).
Configure the parameters' available values:
There are two methods to set the parameters' available values:
Static Values: Provide a predefined list of values for users to choose from, such as a fixed list of years or product categories.
Dynamic Values: Use a dataset to dynamically generate a list of available values based on your report data. For example, you can create a query that returns all regions or dates from your database and use it to populate the parameter.
Apply Parameters to Report Queries:
Once the parameters are created, you can reference them in the report’s SQL query, MDX, or DAX expressions to filter the data based on the user’s selection.
For example, in the query, you would write something like WHERE Date BETWEEN @StartDate AND @EndDate to filter data based on the user's chosen date range.
Design Interactive Filter Controls:
In the Parameter Properties window, you can set up how the user interacts with the filter. This includes options like dropdowns, text boxes, or date pickers for date parameters.
Multi-value Parameters: If you want users to select multiple values (e.g., multiple product categories), you can enable the "Allow multiple values" option for the parameter.
Parameter Visibility:
You can control when and how parameters appear in the report. For example, you can set some parameters to be hidden and automatically populated based on other parameters or default values. This can be useful for cascading filters, such as selecting a country first, which then filters the available regions.
Dynamic Default Values:
You can also set default values for parameters based on expressions or datasets. For example, you could set the default value of a Date Parameter to the current date or the start of the current quarter.
