Personal answers allow a user to save prompt answers for a specific prompt, and then reuse the answers on any report that the prompt is used on. Personal answers can save time, for example, when a prompt answer involves complicated metric qualifications. Create them once and reuse them whenever you run the same report, or on different reports. Personal answers also provide consistency, to ensure that the same prompt answers are used across a number of reports.
Personal answers are saved for each prompt and each user, but they can be used on different reports. Users can save prompt answers without having to save the report itself.
When you create a prompt, you can allow no, one, or multiple personal answers:
None: No personal answers can be saved. Every time a user sees the prompt, he must answer it manually (if it is required) or ignore it.
One: Only one personal answer can be saved for this report. When the prompt is used again (on this report or a different one), the personal answer is displayed. A user can keep the personal answer, or add or delete selections. He can save his changes as a new personal answer, but only one personal answer can be saved for the prompt.
Multiple: Multiple personal answers can be named and saved, allowing different answers for the same prompt. When the prompt is used again (on this report or a different one), the personal answers are available. The user can select one of them, or answer the prompt manually.
Note: Personal answers must be enabled for prompts in the Project Configuration Editor before you can allow personal answers when creating a prompt.
Examples of each option follow. While they are simple examples, they illustrate how the different types of personal answers work.
Create an attribute element list prompt (see Attribute element list prompt for instructions) on Region, and do not allow personal answers (select None for the Personal answers allowed option). Name the prompt No personal answers.
Create a report with Region, the Revenue metric, and the No personal answers prompt. Execute the report, and select Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast at the prompt. Save the report as a prompted report rather than a static one (select Prompted in the Save Options dialog box).
Re-execute the report. You are not able to select a saved personal answer from your previous report execution, but instead you must enter your prompt answers again.
Create an attribute element list prompt on Region, and allow a single personal answer. Name the prompt Single personal answer.
Create a report with Region, the Revenue metric, and the Single personal answer prompt. Execute the report and select Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast at the prompt. Click the Remember this answer check box, which saves your selections as a personal answer. Save the report as a prompted report.
Note: It is not required to save a report in order to save the personal answer. However, save the report for this example.
Re-execute the report. Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast are displayed automatically as the default answer. You can continue executing the report or change the prompt selections by add or deleting regions. Delete all the regions from the prompt answers, and replace them with Southeast, Southwest, and South. Do not clear the Remember this answer check box. These regions are now saved as the personal answer.
Re-execute the report. Southeast, Southwest, and South are displayed automatically as the default answer. Delete all the regions from the prompt answers, and replace them with just Central. Clear the Remember this answer check box. The personal answer is now cleared.
Re-execute the report. Since no personal answer exists, no prompt answers are displayed. You must enter your prompt answers manually.
Create an attribute qualification prompt on Region, and allow multiple personal answers. Create a report with Region, the Revenue metric, and the prompt that you created above. Execute the report, and select Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast at the prompt. Save the prompt answer, naming it Eastern Regions. Save the report as a prompted report.
Note: It is not required to save a report in order to save the personal answer. However, save the report for this example.
Re-execute the report. No default prompt answers are displayed, but you can select Eastern Regions, the personal answer that you created previously, from the drop-down menu. Instead, select Southeast, Southwest, and South for prompt answers. Save them as a personal answer, naming it Southern Regions. Set this personal answer as the default (select the Set as default check box).
Re-execute the report. Southeast, Southwest, and South are displayed as the default prompt answers, since they were defined as the default above. Clear the prompt answers, and replace them with Central. Do not save it as a personal answer.
Re-execute the report. Southeast, Southwest, and South are displayed as the prompt answers, since they are still the default. You can select East or South (the current selection) as personal answers.
Personal answers are saved in the My Personal Objects\My Answers\Prompt Answers folder. You can delete and rename personal answers in this folder, or when answering a prompt. You cannot edit personal answers.
Related topics