Use Filters to Explore Your Data
When inspecting your data, filters can be used to restrict or limit data to only include information that you want to view. You can explore your data in the inspection canvas by applying one or more filters and then view the results in the visualization. See Filter Functions for a list of filtering options.
Depending upon the view chosen (Stream or Model), you can filter data by dragging fields from the Available Fields list to the Filters panel. You can also filter data directly in the visualization by drilling down or using the filter pop-up menu (keeping or excluding certain items). Only filtering selections made in the Filters panel can be edited. You can access many frequently used filter options using keyboard shortcuts.
When switching from Model View to Stream View, all selected fields and filters will be cleared.
Drill Down into Your Visualization
Drilling down is used to explore a specific dimension or measure of your data and to obtain more details on the next hierarchy levels. In Model View, you can drill down within a visualization into the hierarchies in your dataset.
When drilling-down, you automatically apply filters according to the hierarchical field structure of your data, which replaces the parent with the child in the associated drop zone (except when using the Pivot Table, where the child is added to the hierarchy). The filter used for the drill down is added to the Filters panel and the visualization is updated accordingly.
In following examples, various drill down and filtering actions are illustrated:
- To drill down into the next layer of dimensional data, you can click a data point in a visualization and then select Drill down.
- To drill down into layers of hierarchical data, you can double-click a data point, axis label, or legend. Note that in cases where more than one hierarchy is available for drill down, the first available option is automatically selected.
- When a data point has more than one dimension, you can select what dimension to drill down to from the menu.
In this example, you want to explore motorcycle sales data for the EMEA geography field to analyze the results for each country inside that territory.
- A filter to show the value that was drilled down on is added to the Filters panel. The chart updates to break down the motorcycles sales data by ‘COUNTRY’ for the 'EMEA' territory.
Keep or Exclude Selected Data in Your Visualization
In Stream or Model view, you can select data points to keep only the selected data, or to exclude that data from your visualization.
- To keep only or exclude a single data point, click the data point in your visualization. A filters pop-up menu displays.
Click the Exclude or Keep Only option. The visualization updates your view and the Filters panel displays the filtered data point.
- To keep only or exclude multiple data points, press the <CTRL> key while clicking additional data points, axis labels, or the legend in your visualization. Release the <CTRL> key to display the filters pop-up menu.
Click the Exclude or Keep Only option. The visualization updates your view and the Filters panel displays the filtered data points.
Exclude and Keep Only actions are not available for the Flat Table or the Pivot Table.
Add a Filter using the Filters Panel
In Stream View or Model View, you can drag fields from the Available Fields list into the Filters panel and then define filters.
- Drag a field into the Filters panel, and then from the interactive filters menu, make your selections to apply the filter to a visualization.
Remove a Filter from the Filters Panel
Hover over the field in the Filters panel and click the Close button (X on the top right corner).
Filter Examples
The following are examples of working with filters in Stream and Model views.
Work with Filters in Stream View
In Stream View, to apply a filter to a flat table or other visualization, drag a field from the Available Fields list to the Filters panel.
Use the Select or Exclude Filters
In Stream View, you can use the Select filter to search a list of values for a field and then choose the values to apply. Alternately, you can use the Exclude filter to search a list of values for a field and then choose values to omit.
The search method you use to find values can be performed manually from the list of available values or by using the search box to narrow the choices in longer lists. The following illustration shows the features of the Select filter:
In the table below, use the number locators in the preceding illustration to reference the features of the Select and Exclude filters.
| Key | Feature | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
Filter type | Shows the name of the current filter, for example Select or Exclude. |
 |
Left pane* |
Shows the values available for the Select or the Exclude filter, and includes:
Highlight the values that you want to use for the filtering action and then move them into the right pane. |
 |
Right pane* |
Shows the values added, which determines the filtering action of the Select or the Exclude filter, and includes:
If you have values that you do not want to use for the filtering action, highlight and then move them into the left pane. |
 |
Move icons |
Use to add or remove values from the right pane, where:
|
* Single and multi-select actions are supported: Use double-click to move single values; <CTRL + click> to highlight multiple individual values; and, <SHIFT + click> to highlight a range of values.
Select Filter Example
In this example, you want to identify the names of specific contacts in your dataset using the Select filter. From the Available Fields list, drag the ‘CONTACTLASTNAME’ field to the Filters panel.
The Filter menu automatically displays. Choosing the Select filter produces a list of contact names in the left pane.
You enter characters and character patterns in the Search box to find contact names that contain those characters in the database. The left pane displays names that result from your search. You add the names you want to use for filtering by highlighting and moving them to the right pane.
Continue searching for names and add them to the right pane. You can add up to 50 names. These names are the values that will be used for the Select filter.
Refine the list of names already chosen. Note that the Apply button is enabled when any values are ready to be used as the Select filter.
With a complete list of names, you are ready to proceed with filtering.
When the Select filter is applied, the table updates to only show the selected contact names.
Work with Filters in Model View
In Model View, drag a field from the Available Fields list to the Filters panel, define the Value, and then apply the filter to a visualization.
In this example, you want to explore motorcycle sales data for countries in the EMEA geography field. From the Available Fields panel, drag the ‘TERRITORY’ field to the Filters panel.
Drag a field to the Filters panel, and then from the interactive filters menu, make your selections to apply the filter to a visualization.
When the filter is applied, the Filter panel updates 'TERRITORY' to equal 'EMEA', and the pivot table updates to only show sales in countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Filter Options
Begin by selecting the filter from the Filters panel that you want to apply or modify then, depending on the desired action, use the keyboard shortcuts described below. Navigation moves left/right and up/down through all elements, beginning with the Value field (when present), where highlighting indicates your position within the selected filter. When sufficient information to proceed exists, the Apply button is enabled. These keyboard shortcuts apply to the following filters:
- Contains
- Does not contain
- Equals
- Does not equal
- Null
- Greater than
- Less than
| Function | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|
| Apply the filter when the Apply button is enabled | Enter |
| Forward navigation within a filter* | Tab |
| Reverse navigation within a filter* | Shift+Tab |
| Open a dropdown when highlighted | Enter |
| Upward navigation within a dropdown | Up Arrow |
| Select an option from the dropdown | Enter |
| Downward navigation within a dropdown | Down Arrow |
| Select a checkbox when highlighted | Space bar |
| Navigate through the Null filter radio buttons | Up Arrow or Down Arrow |
| Apply the highlighted Apply or Cancel button | Enter |
*OS X users: For correct Tab navigation, you must enable the full keyboard access: Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts and select All controls.