Basic Date Formatting

At the most basic level of formatting, the distinction between filters and slicers is obvious. You can use traditional controls like the checkbox or complex date slicers like the relative slicer. It enables you to specify a specific range of days, such as today or yesterday, current or previous year, etc., without having to specify a specific range of days. A similar option is available in the filter panel, which includes relative date filters. Furthermore, it appears that the advanced setting filters offer far more versatility than the original slicer. With some similarities & differences let’s find how slicer vs filter work in Power BI. 

Slicers take up an important real estate on report page, but they don’t appear to provide enough value to be chosen before filters. Even though the filtering window can cover most of our fundamental data filtering needs in visualization, there are a few instances why we might still prefer to use slicers when building reports.

Slicer synchronization

Filters can now be applied to a single visualization, all visualizations on a page, or the full report (visual level, page level, and report level filters). Slicers, in turn, allow you to pick which party reports to filter and which page is displayed to the user by utilizing the selective sync option (tab “View” -> option ” Slicers synchronization“). This gives you a lot of freedom and makes solving unique modeling challenges a breeze.

You can use this option to create a consistent history on a report with multiple tabs that we will guide the user through. For example, on the first tab, the user picks the client segment in which he is interested, then moves on to the second tab, where he examines the products, they buy and selects the product categories of value to them that have been purchased by previously defined consumers.

After deciding on the categories of interest, the user can proceed to the third screen, where he can examine allowed discounts and profit margins achieved in previously selected segments on defined products.

Visual Interactions

Users can fine-tune the impact of the slicer on other visualizations in the report using Power BI. The “Edit interaction” in “Format” can be used to control this. You may use this functionality to configure the slicer so that it doesn’t affect our selection of some items while filtering out the rest.

Slicers are the sole way to customize this visual interaction; filters cannot create the same effect. This method makes it simple to construct a mechanism that compares sales from periods 1 and 2. This is justified when the periods are tailored — for example, we wish to compare sales from the last weekend before Christmas on one screen with sales from last Thursday.

Layout and Positioning

Slicers and filters are both to be applied on data pertaining to visual, thus they have the same flexibility of movement as the other visualizations on the report. This is a huge benefit and a huge disadvantage at the same time. If the slicer and another display, such as a chart, are closely related and this layout is more logical for the user, it is sometimes important to position them close together when constructing reports.

The filter window, on the other hand, is fixed to the right side of the report workspace and cannot be moved at the moment. Furthermore, filters are only available in basic and advanced layouts, but slicers have their own set of visualization templates. They can take the form of checkboxes, a horizontal orientation bar, a list, a drop-down menu, sliders, and other elements. Slicers can also be given a name that more accurately suits the context in which they will be utilized.

For example, if the data model has a product table, we can filter by items bought, sold, in stock, or manufactured products, depending on the report. In the case of a filter window, the name from the data model will always be used.

Difference between Filter pane, Slicers & Cross Filtering

1) Cross-filtering 

Power BI’s cross-filtering feature adds interactivity to the page’s visualizations. A user’s selection from other visual triggers a response from the visual. Cross highlighting, which is accessible for a set of graphics such as bar and column charts is likely to be related. The context of the visual total is kept but semi-transparent in the event of cross highlighting. 

By using Ctrl + Click over many visuals, you may create multiple levels of cross-filtering.

Viewers can automatically apply filters to the page utilizing cross filtering without needing any external slicer visuals or the Filter Pane.

Cross-filtering, unlike slicers and filters, doesn’t really keep the selection state. The selection is lost as soon as the user clicks somewhere else, and the related filter is no longer applicable. Slicers and filters applied through the Filter Pane, unlike cross-filtering, keep their selections till the user explicitly alters the values.

In the Options tab, users can set the cross-filtering or cross highlighting experience for the report viewers globally. Users can also modify behavior per-visually by going to the Format tab of the ribbon, Edit Interactions, and changing the icons in the visual header.

2) Filter Pane

The Filter Pane in Power BI is a second way to apply filters. The Filter Pane can be extended, collapsed, or hidden depending on your preference. The width of the Filter Pane can be customized, but the location cannot. It shows on the right side of the report canvas at all times. Power BI allows users to adjust the formatting of the Filter Pane as a whole and for individual filters.

Color may play a vital role in the design of your Filter Pane. Filter Cards on the Filter Pane include a backdrop color property in addition to complementing or accenting the background of your main report. Color may vary depending on whether an individual filter is Available or Applied. When filters are applied, this distinction gives visual cues to highlight when they are applied.

Basic and Advanced Filtering options are available in the Filter pane. On the Filter Pane, you’ll notice a mix of Visual Level Filters (“Filters on this visual”), Page Level Filters (“Filters on this page”), and Report Level Filters (“Filters on all pages”), based on the context of a user’s choice and your decisions as a report author.

Unlike slicers, the Filter Pane allows you to add as many filters as you like without affecting the design of your report canvas. The Filter Pane is a great way to give users some of the extra filters they might want without clogging up the report with slicers.

3) Slicers

Slicers like cross-filtering and the Filter Pane, provide similar filtering results. As a result, using slicers implies reserving space on the page for additional visualizations. As a result, slicers must be taken into account while designing the visual style of your report canvas, and page space are limited. Slicers take up space on your report page that could be used for your main visuals.

While Microsoft chooses where the Filter Pane appears on the report canvas, you have a lot of options for where your slicers appear. A group of slicers is frequently seen at the top, left, or right of a report page. When not in use, you might want to utilize a bookmark approach to “hide” the slicers. Users must also specify whether all filters should be slicers, or whether only the most important filters should be displayed as slicers on a page, while smaller filters should be moved to the Filter Pane. Every choice has a visual impact and affects your user experience.

Slicers should be positioned in such a way that they appear natural to report viewers. However, slicer selection and placement that may be ideal for your visual design may not always be ideal for users. To deliver the optimal user experience, strike a balance between making slicers available while not detracting from the page’s core visuals.

Another choice for slicers is whether to use the core Slicer visual or one of the numerous custom visuals available from the AppSource marketplace because they are visuals. This isn’t only a matter of aesthetics or utility. One thing to keep in mind while picking a custom graphic is that, unlike the built-in slicer, it cannot extend beyond its boundaries.

Key Differences between Cross Filter, Filter & Slicers in Tabular Form

	Cross filtering	Filter Pane	Slicer
State of Selection	Temporary	Permanent	Permanent
Effect on the report page	Built-in to existing visuals	Separate panel	Additional visual(s)
Interactions	Per-visual control	Not applicable	Per-visual control
Synchronize selections on multiple pages	Not valid	Report Level Filters	Sync Slicers
Visual variety	Any visual	Not applicable	Numerous visual options
Measures can be used to filter the values that are accessible	Not valid	No	Yes
Evaluation of delay for query reduction	No	Yes, but not default option	Yes, but not default option

 

Advantages of using Slicer on a Power BI Report

1. A slicer is simple to use; they appear on the canvas.
2. Report consumers can customize the visuals by selecting what they want to see.
3. Despite the fact that slicers are limited to a single report page, you can add them to many pages and synchronize their activities. 

Advantages of using Filter on a Power BI Report

1. It has three levels of application: report, page, and visual.
2. Users can apply a filter to a single object on the page, like tables, charts, or cards.
3. It can be used inside the same report on different pages.
4. Users could use a filter to refer to objects in other reports.

Conclusion

It’s a skill to refine Power BI data outcomes. To get the most out of reports, report developers must apply their knowledge. They must employ slicers to provide the appropriate level of end-user accessibility, and they must use various filters to regulate report performance.