Add levels to the grid in Flexible Variance mode (nest view)
- Denise McGettigan
The Nest view feature in Flexible Variance mode is similar to the Nest feature in the other Analytics modes you might be familiar with. However, it’s in a different location and behaves slightly differently, as outlined below.
Use the Nest view feature to add dimensions as levels in the grid. This alternative view makes the data easier to interpret, as you can review the contribution of different items within the overall results. It also allows you to create reports in which you define the hierarchy of the displayed data.
The great thing about this feature is that the Nest view box and its contents behave just like any other dimension. You can quickly switch between a dimension view or your nested view without having to add the dimensions each time.
In the nest view, the data is initially displayed at the highest level and you can then expand that level to view the lower level of detail. In the Nest view box, a blue bar on a dimension indicates the data for that level is currently visible in the grid. So, for example, before you expand a level, you’ll only see the data in the top-level dimension. When you expand one row, a partial blue bar displays on the corresponding dimension, indicating that some of that data is visible in the grid, as illustrated in the image below.
When in the nest view, the grid changes appearance slightly to allow for expand/collapse movement, but the usual tools and functions remain available. For example, you can change the mode, period, and other items in the grid, and sort the data.
Filter the dimension list
The filter above the dimension list lets you quickly find a particular dimension, which is useful when there are many in the list. Start typing the name of a dimension you're interested in, and the list is instantly filtered to show only the dimensions containing those letters.
Create a nested view
Drag and drop at least two dimensions (maximum of six) into the box. The grid will update automatically. You can then expand the levels to view the lower-level data:
Click the Expand/Collapse All button in the top left of the grid to expand/collapse all rows to the next level, then click it again to expand/collapse all rows to the subsequent level and so on.
Click the Expand/Collapse button of a particular row to expand that level.
Watch this screen recording for a demonstration:
Change your nested view
Add, remove, or reorder dimensions to customize your nest view. The order in which the dimensions are displayed in the Nest view box determines how the levels are organized in the grid.
To reorder the levels, click the Move button on a dimension in the box, then drag it above or below the other dimension(s) to the new position.
To add another level, drag another dimension into the Nest view box. You can have a maximum of six dimension levels.
To remove a level, click the X button on the dimension in the Nest view box.
Watch this screen recording for a demonstration:
Change the properties in the nest view
Properties (information) for the selected dimensions are displayed as columns in the grid. By default, the Code and Name property columns display. You can't turn off the Code property because it’s required to link the nested rows together correctly. However, you can turn on/off other properties to determine the information that is displayed in the grid.
Resize columns
You can change the width and position of most* of the columns in the nested grid to get view all the important information in the optimal position. Hover over the column header to display the blue line and resize icon, then click and drag that icon to resize the column. The new column size persists after you refresh the data.
* Currently, the Code and Name columns are a fixed width.
Focus on a row
You can focus on one or more top-level dimension row(s) to filter the other top-level dimensions from the grid.
See Filter data in flexible Variance mode.
Exit out of the nested grid
There’s no need to exit you of the nested grid, as you can click another dimension to return to the summary level data. You can leave the Nest view box and its contents as it is. It behaves just like any other dimension, so you can quickly switch between a dimension view or your nested view without having to add the dimensions each time.