Adding Dimension Comments to a Table

You can view and create dimension comments that record textual descriptions of dimension member combinations in a table.

Prerequisites

To set or change the comment thread limit for your model, go to Start of the navigation path System Next navigation step Administration System Configuration End of the navigation path , and update the value for Limit of comment threads per Model.

Context

You can leave dimension comments on dimension member combinations from any type of acquired model.

Note

You can't add dimension comments to table cells from blended models or live data models.

You can’t add dimension comments to a table in a section.

You can’t add dimension comments to a table in a digital boardroom presentation.

Note

Dimension comments are only supported on tables with the option of Optimized Presentation enabled.

To view the existing comments, add a new comment, and delete any comment, you would need the following permissions.

You should have Read, Create, and Delete permissions for the object-type Comment in the tenant.
You should have Add Comment, View Comment, and Delete Comment permissions on the model to comment on dimension member combinations.
You should have Add Comment, View Comment, and Delete Comment permissions on the story.

Note

If any one permission is missing in the combination, then you won't be able to perform the relevant action.

When you work on dimension comments, the dimension comment context is taken into account. It refers to all the dimensions defined in the dimension comment formula, which are specified either in the row axis or in a filter. When you add or remove dimensions, the existing dimension comments will still be visible if their own contexts have not changed.

Example

First scenario: the dimension comment in the first screenshot is created with a Product filter on Athletic Shirts.

Second scenario: Product has been added to the visible dimension without a filter.

The context of the dimension comment remains the same for both scenarios, therefore the same dimension comment is visible.

Note

Role-based data security and data access control are not taken into account when it comes to dimension comments as these comments are irrelevant to fact data.

Note

If the account dimension is defined in the dimension comment formula, you can add dimension comments on accounts and calculated accounts (accounts with formulas) defined in the Modeler. These calculated accounts can also include variables, which can be of number and dimension types. Note that the context of such comments does not include the specific filters on dimensions or variables used to create such a calculated account, but includes its ID.

Note

Dimension comments will be shown for each member of dimensions which are in the row axis but not defined in the dimension comment formula.

Example

Since dimension Product is in the row axis but not defined in the dimension comment formula, dimension comments are shown for each member of this dimension, with comment cells sharing the same context showing the same dimension comment.

If multiple cells are pasted to these comment cells, the last pasted cell will prevail and its value will be shown in all these target comment cells.

The data cells highlighted in the previous example are pasted to dimension comment cells, and “51,282.05” is shown as the dimension comment for all cells.

Note

Hierarchy is not taken into account for dimension comments. For example, a dimension comment on a parent member will always be shown regardless of which child members are selected, because child members are not stored as dimension comment context for the parent member. Besides, dimension comments won’t change after hierarchy is switched.

Procedure

Select a member cell of a dimension specified in the column axis.
Right-click the cell, select Add Calculation, and then select Dimension Comment.
A dimension comment column is displayed as the first column to the right of dimensions in the row axis.
To edit the dimension comment formula, select the dimension comment column header cell and make sure Formula Bar from the tool bar is selected.
Dimensions in the row axis are filled in the formula by default, and you can modify the dimensions in the formula based on your needs.
Double-click a dimension comment cell and then edit it just like the way you edit data cells.

Note

Different from data cells, there is no background color indicating value change for dimension comment cells.

Note

The maximum number of characters in a dimension comment cell is 255.

Note

As opposed to comments made on data points, you can delete dimension comments by using a keyboard shortcut, or just entering/pasting empty value.

Note

Editing dimension comments from the formula bar is not supported.
Copy and paste dimension comments.
You can copy and paste dimension comments within the same table, across tables within the same story, from tables in another story, and from external sources like a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Note
- Pasted dimension comments will overwrite existing ones.
- Copying and pasting empty strings will delete existing dimension comments.
- When copying and pasting formatted text to dimension comment cells, the source format will be lost.
- When copying and pasting a dimension comment cell to a custom cell, cell reference will not be created and the custom cell is set to read-only.
- After pasting a dimension comment, arrow keys may not work anymore. You can click on the table to get them working again.
- When the version dimension is defined in the dimension comment formula, copying a version will also copy the dimension comments added for this version if Include all comments is selected. When the version dimension is not defined in the dimension comment formula, the same dimension comments are visible for any version but copying a version won’t be able to copy the dimension comments.

Results

Your dimension comments are created.

Next Steps

You can export a story as a PDF, PPTX or Google Slides file, and existing dimension comments in the visible parts of the story tables will also be exported.

You can also export a table with all its dimension comments as a CSV or XLSX file. Note that you need to set Scope to Point of view.

Note

What you should know about dimension comments:

Measures and cross calculations can’t be defined in the dimension comment formula.
Dimension attributes can’t be defined in the dimension comment formula and hence are not included in the context for dimension comments. If there are dimension attributes in the table axis or attribute-based filters, and the corresponding dimension is used in the dimension comment formula, the dimension has to be put in the row to make dimension comments work.
Dimension comments are not supported when linked dimensions are used in the dimension comment formula and these dimensions are not in the row.
Dimension comments are not supported when dimensions defined in the dimension comment formula are used in complex advanced filters.
Dimension comments are not supported on parent nodes of non-time dimensions with level-based hierarchies.
If multiple parent-child hierarchies are used in multiple filters of a dimension, dimension comments are not supported on its members.
When a dimension of parent-child hierarchy in the row is defined in the dimension comment formula, and flat presentation and one hierarchy are used in two or more filters of this dimension, dimension comments are not supported on members in flat presentation of this dimension if these members are parent nodes in the other hierarchy.
If you have a property of a user-managed time dimension with semantic type of Others and use it as a level in a time hierarchy, dimension comments are not supported when the hierarchy is adopted.
Dimension comments made on members in a hierarchy based on fiscal year are not shown for their corresponding members when you switch to a hierarchy based on calendar year, and vice versa.
Dimension comments are not supported when you set a filter using member navigation and the filtered dimension is defined in the dimension comment formula. For example, in an optimized design experience story or in view mode of an optimized view mode story, a dynamic range filter is set on a user-managed time dimension defined in the dimension comment formula. If a story in the non-optimized (classic) experience that includes such a filter is converted to one in the optimized story experience, dimension comments will also become unavailable.