Filtering a Chain of Tables by Selecting Table Rows

[WZorn]

Here is an example of what I'm trying to do:

SETUP:

I have three tables A, B and C.  Table A is very high level data. Table B is a little more specific.  Table C is very detailed data.  For this example, we could say that the data is sumarized by different geographies.  Table A is summarized by State.  Table B is summarized by County/Parish.  Table C is summarized by City.

I have set the interactions so that selecting a row in table A will filter table B but not table C.  Selecting a row in table B will affect table C but not table A.  Selecting a row in table C will not affect table A or B.

TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH:

What I'm trying to achieve is a cascading filter where the user the user is able to select a row in table A (a single state) which filters table B.  Then, select a row in table B (a single county) to filter table C (only cities in that state/county).  Tables B and C should remain filtered to the counties in the selected state and the cities in the selected county.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS:

Selecting a single row in table A filters table B correctly.  Selecting a row in table B is where things don't operate the way I want.  When the row in table B is selected, table C is filtered correctly, BUT the selected row in table A is cleared.  Now, table B shows everything again (instead of the list of counties for the originally selected state).

Has anyone tried this?

[v-yohua-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi, @WZorn 

You might want to try implementing cascading filters in your table. Cascading filters (also known as hierarchical filters) are when making a selection on the first filter causes the second filter to be limited to the values that are now relevant. This setting is often used to provide only relevant data values to the user for better performance. You can check the follwoing link:

Cascading Quick Filters in Tableau - The Information Lab

In your example, when you select a state in Table A, it should filter the counties in Table B. Then, when you select counties in Table B, you should filter the cities in Table C. However, the selections in Table B should not clear the selections in Table A.

The problem you are facing may be due to the way the interactions between tables are set up. The selection in Table B may have reset the filters in Table A in some way. Without understanding the specifics of the setup, such as the software or code you're using, it's difficult to provide a precise solution.

However, there are resources that can guide you on how to properly implement cascading filters. For example, if you're using Tableau, you can use a comprehensive tutorial. If you're using Power BI, there's also a tutorial on how to use cascading filters:

Tableau Filters - Comprehensive Tutorial including Context Filter, Cascading Filters | sqlbelle (you...

Cascading Filter in Power BI Tutorial (47/50) (youtube.com)

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Best Regards

Yongkang Hua

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[lbendlin]

 Use the filter pane rather than "selecting"  rows in the visual.