Is Parent Boolean

Blake_R

Hi,

 

Is there anyway to have a boolean formatted line item = True if it is a parent line item?

 

Example:

Line Item A

- Applies to: L1

- Format: Boolean

- Summary: Formula

 

L2 is the parent list to L1

 

How can I get only the parent checked as true?

 

JaredDolich

@Blake_R 

Excellent question. I struggled with that until I read @Mark_W_Shemaria best practice article on filtering.

https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Best-Practices/Calculating-Levels-in-a-Hierarchy-for-Dashboard-Filtering/ta-p/33567

 

The short answer is to use the summary column, set your Boolean to "formula". But you still have to do a few more things to control it if it's true or false.

You also need to generate a line item using subsidiary views to create a condition where you can check what hierarchy level you are on.

 

@Mark_W_Shemaria inspired me with his article to solve a dynamic ranking problem. I had to use Booleans that traversed the entire hierarchy similar to what your asking.

Here's an example:

Pay particular attention to the month, quarter, and half value line items.

Also, note the formula is a ratio - this is how you will set the Boolean by checking the value of these line items on the normal view (not subsidiary).

Blake_R

Thanks @JaredDolich for sending me that link!

 

Its one crazy workaround but it sure did work. Was able to do exactly what I wanted to. 

 

Thanks again!

nathan_rudman

Usually to detect the level we use booleans and summary = none 

you'll have detector line item = TRUE summary none on the lowest level of the list so the parent is uncheck.

now when you have that line item and if you need to uncheck the parent on a formula line item you can do:

IF detector = TRUE THEN your formula ELSE FALSE (because itis the parent)

No need for ratio here, we use the ratio to detect the level of the list we are on.

 

@JaredDolich I think what you are showing is too complex

ps: if I may, usually the L1 is the parent and L2,3,4 are the children

Blake_R

@nathan_rudman ,

 

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not sure this gets me where I need to be. You are correct, I miss spoke on which list would be the parent, L1 to L2, but I think you get the picture.

 

I do in fact need to identify in one list, lets say L4, each level of the hierarchy within that list. The Boolean was just as example of what my real goal is. I am importing data into 4 separate line items, each one applied to a level in a hierarchy. 

L4, L3, L2, L1.

 

I need to combine all the line items into one line item that is applied to L4, using summary as Formula, I need to say if item is L4 then pull from the L4 line item, else if item is L3 then pull the L3 line item, and so on.

 

I had a hard time trying to get my example written down with it not confusing anyone, so I went with the boolean example instead. I may have still only confused you on what it is I'm actually trying to do, but Jared's approach worked for me. Maybe there is another way that might be quicker but for now its all I got.

 

Thank you both for your thoughts on this! It's definitely expanding my knowledge.