Presentation Variable in OBIEE

A Presentation Variable is a variable which can be created as part of creation of dashboard prompts. Dashboard prompts must be either Column Prompt or Variable Prompt.

• Column prompt : A presentation variable created as part of a column prompt is associated with a column, and the values that it can take come from the column values.

To create a presentation variable as part of a column prompt, in the "New Prompt dialog" (or Edit Prompt dialog), you have to select Presentation Variable in the Set a variable field & then enter a name

for the variable in the Variable Name field.

• Variable prompt : A presentation variable created as part of a variable prompt is not associated with any column, and you define the values that it can take.

To create a presentation variable as part of a variable prompt, in the "New Prompt dialog" (or Edit Prompt dialog), you have to select Presentation Variable in the Prompt for field and then enter a name for the variable in the Variable Name field.

The value of a presentation variable is populated by the column or variable prompt with which it was created. That is, each time a user selects a value in the column or variable prompt, the value of the presentation variable is set to the value that the user selects.

Syntax for Referencing Presentation Variable

For displaying presentation variables, we should use either

“@{variables.VariableName}[Format]{DefaultValue}”

Format and DefaultValue are optional

Format is useful to format the data for e.g., for Date, format can be MM/DD/YYYY. Note: Default Value is not formatted.

“@{scope.variables['VariableName']}”

Scope should be used if you create variables with same name.

Scope can be analyses, dashboard etc.

Order of precedence is analyses, dashboard pages, dashboards.

For using presentation variables in expression, we should use

“@{“VariableName”}{DefaultValue}” Default value is optional.