Create parameters to support advanced interactions

The HierarchyFilter extension allows you to set values of parameters based on selections made in the HierarchyFilter extension. This way you can create advanced interactivity between the HierarchyFilter and the Tableau sheets and visualizations in your dashboard. This is not a mandatory step but optional if you want advanced interactivity where parameters can be part of your calculations to filter or focus on the selections in your HierarchyFilter.

1. Creating these parameters is bound to some simple syntax structures:For every dimension that is part of your hierarchy structure as designed in your calculated field (e.g. Category – Sub-Category – Manufacturer – Product Name), create a parameter of type string and add an identical suffix to all your parameters that are related to the HierarchyFilter. In this example, we used the suffix “Param” for all the parameters that we need for the HierarchyFilter.

2. Create two extra parameters

   1. “Label Param” of type String, this will store the label of the selected node in your HierarchyFilter

   2. “Level Param” of type Integer, will store the level in your Hierarchy of the selected node

Below are two examples of the String and Integer parameters we created.

Overview of parameters created in this example

Now we’re all set. In our example we have created the parameters as shown in the image below.

HierarchyFilter overview of parameters for example