Date Period Analysis

The period analysis tool allows end-users the ability to quickly choose from a list of pre-set date values to filter reports. Common values include dates such as 'today', 'yesterday', and 'this week' to more complicated date ranges such as 'last month to date' and 'last fiscal quarter'. Additionally, end-users are given the ability to easily compare two different date ranges against each other.

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Comparing Dates
Web Parameters
Additional Notes

Getting Started

When a true date field is selected as a record selection, specific date related relationships become available. To allow the end-user to perform runtime period analysis, select 'Period Analysis' as the relation.

At runtime, the end-user is given full command of filtering and/or comparing dates.

The most basic use of this tool is to simply filter the data based on a common date. Aside from the manual date selection of 'Equal to' or 'In the range', the relation dropdown has many built-in options for common date values.

Comparing Dates

Comparison options include Prior Period, Prior Year, and Custom Range (a fourth option called Prior Year Adjusted can be added by following these instructions here). If a user has selected data from this month, and chooses to compare to the previous period, all numeric fields will display two columns. One column contains the data for this month (current period) and the other column will hold data for last month (prior period). The same can be expected for previous year and a custom range.

URL Web Parameters

Like all other report prompt options, the period analysis tool can be passed to the report via URL parameters. This becomes especially relevant when using reports in the messaging and scheduled task utility as well as using reports in dashboard.

• compareOn: Set the option to compare against.

  Available values: period, custom, year, prior-adjusted

• rls_RXXX: Set the date relationship value.

  Available values:
  EQ: equal to
  RG: in the range
  GE: Greater than or equal to
  GT: Greater than
  LE: Less than or equal to
  LT: Less than
  D1: is today
  D2: is yesterday
  W1: is this week
  W2: is this week to date
  W3: is last week
  W4: is last week-to-date
  M1: is this month
  M2: is this month-to-date
  M3: is last month
  M4: is last month-to-date
  Q1: is this (fiscal) quarter
  Q5: is this quarter
  Q2: is this (fiscal) quarter-to-date
  Q6: is this quarter-to-date
  Q3: is last (fiscal) quarter
  Q7: is last quarter
  Q4: is last (fiscal) quarter-to-date
  Q8: is last quarter-to-date
  Y1: is this (fiscal) year
  Z1: is this year
  Y2: is this (fiscal) year-to-date
  Z2: is this year-to-date
  Y3: is last (fiscal) year
  Z3: is last year
  Y4: is last (fiscal) year-to-date
  Z4: is last year-to-date

• RXXX: Set the manual date value if the relationship above does not set the date already.

  Available values: Any valid date value. Note: If the relationship is set to RG, two RXXX values will be needed.

• compVal1/compVal2: Applicable and required only if using a custom comparison. Set the custom date range values for the start date (compVal1) and end date (compVal2).

  Available values: Any valid date values.

• Examples:

  compareOn=period&rls_R001=D1

  Display data from today compared to yesterday.

  compareOn=period&rls_R001=RG&R001=01/15/2018&R001=01/18/2018

  Display data from a date range of 01/15/2018 – 01/18/2018 compared to 01/11/2018 – 01/14/2018.

  compareOn=year&rls_R001=Y1

  Display data from this year compared to last year.

  compareOn=year&rls_R001=RG&R001=01/15/2018&R001=01/18/2018

  Display data from a date range of 01/15/2018 – 01/18/2018 compared to 01/15/2017 – 01/18/2017.

  compareOn=custom&rls_R001=M2&compVal1=01/20/2018&compVal2=01/26/2018

  Display data from this month-to-date compared to 01/20/2018 – 01/26/2018.

Additional Notes

• The heading text representing the (Current) and (Prior) columns may be changed from Admin Menu -> Edit Dictionary Files -> Servlet Properties. Find the options for 'Prior period column label' and 'Current period column label'. Recompile your application (you do not need to overwrite the HTML) to see the change.
• Fiscal dates are determined from the 'fiscal_month' setting in the mrcjava/WEB-INF/classes/mrc_runtime.properties file found on the m-Power server (i.e. fiscal_month=5). Tomcat needs to be restarted after the file change. This file will need to be promoted to production as well.
• This feature only supports true date fields. If wanting to use a datetime field, you will need to have a calculation created to convert the datetime to a date only field. For example; MSSQL database: CONVERT(DATE, [FIELD_HERE]). Use the new calculation as the record selection field.
• Period Analysis is supported in the following templates: Web 2.0 Report, Web 2.0 Report with Graph, OLAP Pivot Table, and the Interactive Report.