Add Parameters to Your Data Actions and Multi Actions

Add parameters to your data actions and multi actions in SAP Analytics Cloud to prompt users for values while running the operations, and to make them easier to update and reuse.

About Parameters

A parameter replaces a numeric value, or one or more dimension members or measures in your data action or multi action.

You create a parameter within a data action or multi action, and then add it in any of the steps in that object.

When working with multi actions, you can also create a parameter from the designer panel by choosing (Available Parameters) and selecting Create Parameter from the dropdown menu.

You can set them up with fixed values or dynamic values:

Fixed values work well if you’re using the same value in many places throughout the steps and you want to be able to change the value quickly.
Dynamic values add flexibility. They let users set their own values when running the data action or multi action.

Users can also set dynamic prompt values when creating a planning trigger, an automatic data action task, a scripted data action object, an embedded data action, or a data action step in a multi action.

For data actions, prompt values can be set explicitly, or by retrieving values from the filters applied to the data.

Cross-Model Parameters

If you are creating a parameter based on a public dimension in a multi action, you can choose to make the parameter reusable in other multi action steps with models using the same public dimension. This type of parameter is called a Cross-Model Parameter. Cross-model parameters can only be reused across models and steps within the current multi action.

You can assign a value to the cross-model parameter by choosing Member Selection, Default Value, Story Filter, or Input Control. The assigned value will be used in steps across models.

Note

Formulas defined in public account dimensions can be model-specific. For more information, see the Public Account Dimensions section of Learn About Dimensions and Measurements.

Cross-model parameters for public account dimensions are model-specific and can be interpreted differently by different models. When a cross-model parameter for public account dimensions is used in different data action steps, the formula defined in the model of the corresponding data action steps will be used instead of the formula defined in the public account dimensions.

Types of Data in Parameters

Parameters can represent three types of data:

Data Type	Use Case	Procedure
Number	For example, you want to run an advanced formula calculation with different values for revenue growth rate or gross margin percent.	Add a Number Parameter
Member	For example, you want to embed your data action multiple times in a multi action, and run it on different regions or different products each time.	Add a Member Parameter
Measure (not supported for classic account models)	For example, you want to let users set the target and source currencies in a currency conversion step.	Add a Measure Parameter

Parameters must meet the requirements of the fields where you want to use them. For example, if you want to set up a parameter for the source member of a copy action, make sure you use the default model and the same dimension as the copy action, and set the cardinality to Single.

If you want to see the requirements for a field, open the select member window for it and select or hover over Parameter.

Parameters for Embedded Objects

It’s common to embed a data action within another data action or multi action. A data action can run another data action using an embedded data action step. A multi action can run another data action using a data action step.

In these cases, the container object will show the embedded object’s parameters, but the container object doesn’t inherit the parameters. You still need to set values for these parameters in the container object. To do this, specify fixed values or apply a compatible parameter from the container object.

Note that you can apply a more restrictive parameter in a container object. For example, a multi action parameter with Level set to Leaf can be applied to a data action parameter with Level set to Any.

When working with embedded measure parameters, the decimal place setting for the embedded data action or multi action must match the container object.

Add a Number Parameter

Procedure

Open a data action or multi action, then select (Show Parameters List).
Select Create Parameter.
Type an ID using letters, numbers, and underscores (_).
Select Number as the Parameter Type.
Choose your Input settings.
- Input: To set a value that can change, set Input to Dynamic. For example, you might set the value in a prompt when running the data action or multi action, in the trigger or task that runs it, or in a container multi action or data action. Otherwise, select Fixed.
- Value: Type the numeric value for the parameter.
- For dynamic parameters, type a name and description for prompts to identify the parameter in prompts, planning triggers, and other objects.
Select Done.

Add a Member Parameter

Procedure

Open a data action or multi action, then select (Show Parameters List).
Select Create Parameter.
Type an ID using letters, numbers, and underscores (_).
Select Member/Measure as the Parameter Type.

(For classic account models, and for multi actions, the option is called Member.)
Specify the properties.
- Model: Select the base model for the parameter.
  
  For example, it could be the default model for a data action, a source model from a cross-model copy step, or any model that will be involved in a multi action.
  
  Choose one of the models from the list, or choose Select other model … to pick a model that you haven't added to the multi action or data action yet.
- Measures/Dimension: Select the dimension that you want to pick values from. You can set up more than one parameter for a dimension. (For classic account models, the option is called Dimension.)
  - If you choose a public dimension when creating a parameter for multi actions, choose from the following options:
    
    Single-Model Parameter: The parameter can be reused in other steps in this multi action with the current model.
    
    Cross-Model Parameter: The parameter can be reused in other steps in this multi action with models that use the same public dimension.
- Cardinality: Select Single to allow one value, or Any to allow one or more values.
- Hierarchy: If the dimension is hierarchical, you can either specify a hierarchy from the list, or choose Any to allow selections from any hierarchy.
- Level: Choose Leaf to restrict the parameter to leaf members of the hierarchy, for example, if you want to use it as a target in a copy rule. Otherwise, choose Any.
Choose your Input settings.
- Input: To set a value that can change, set Input to Dynamic. For example, you might set the value in a prompt when running the data action or multi action, in the trigger or task that runs it, or in a container multi action or data action. Otherwise, select Fixed
- Value: Select or type the parameter value.
  
  If you're setting up a dynamic parameter, the value is optional, but you can still specify it as a default.
  
  If you set the cardinality to Any, you can select more than one value.
- For dynamic parameters, type a name and description for prompts to identify the parameter in data action triggers, data action tasks, and prompts.
Select Done.

Add a Measure Parameter

Prerequisites

The parameter needs to be based on a model with measures. For a data action, this means that the default model needs to be a model with measures.

Procedure

Open a data action or multi action, then select (Show Parameters List).
Select Create Parameter.
Type an ID using letters, numbers, and underscores (_).
Select Member/Measure as the Parameter Type.
Specify the properties.
- Model: Select the base model for the parameter.
  
  For example, it could be the default model for a data action, a source model from a cross-model copy step, or any model that will be involved in a multi action. It needs to be a model with measures.
  
  Choose one of the models from the list, or choose Select other model … to pick a model that you haven't added to the multi action yet.
- Dimension/Measures: Select Measures.
- Cardinality: Select Single to allow one measure, or Any to allow one or more measures.
- Data Type: Choose Decimal or Integer to restrict the parameter to measures with that data type. Otherwise, choose Any.
  Note
  
  If you want to use the parameter as a source or target for copying across measures, keep in mind that measures can have different data types. For example, if your data action copies a decimal measure to a measure parameter with any data type, a user might select an integer measure when running the data action. When using measure parameters for source or target members, it’s recommended to define them with specific data types to avoid this case. For details on data types, see Limits on Value Ranges and Decimal Places for Measures.
- Decimal Places: Select the number of decimal places to restrict the parameter to measures that match that number. This setting can help you make sure that a source measure isn’t copied to a target measure with fewer decimal places.
Choose your Input settings.
- Input: To set a member value that can change, set Input to Dynamic. For example, you might set the value in a prompt when running the multi action, in the trigger or task that runs it, or in a container multi action. Otherwise, select Fixed.
- Value: Select or type the measure.
  
  If you're setting up a dynamic parameter, the value is optional, but you can still specify it as a default.
  
  If you set the cardinality to Any, you can select more than one measure.
- For dynamic parameters, type a name and description for prompts to identify the parameter in data action triggers, data action tasks, and prompts.
Select Done.