Slicers for a single column: do they filter this column ONLY or the whole table?

[markus_zhang]

Hi experts,

I have a parameter table like this

ActiveDays  |  AtRiskDays  |  InactiveDays

14  |  69  |  131

...  |  ...  |  ...

30 |  85  |  147

And I put each column on a separate slicer to play with. I also use three measures to fetch these three values, e.g.

_ActiveDays = SELECTEDVALUE(table[ActiveDays])

From the slicer visuals it seems that I can move them separately, i.e. I can move the first slicer to 14 and the second slicer to 85.

However I found out that this is not true! Because I have a measure to calculate # of Active members only based on the first slicer (i.e. # of active members if the threshold is 14 days, 15 days, etc.), it's kind of strange to see that this measure changes even when I move the second slicer.

To make sure of this, I drop _ActiveDays into a visual and move the second slicer only, which confirms that this measure also moves with it.

Question:

Does it mean that slicers actually filter the whole table instead of a column? Do I have to use separate tables for slicers? And most importantly why doesn't the first slicer visual move when the underlying column actually gets filtered by the second slicer?

Thanks in advance~

[AlB · Accepted solution]

Hi @markus_zhang

Answers to your questions in red:

Does it mean that slicers actually filter the whole table instead of a column?

Of course. If you filter a column in a table it will affect the whole table. What would be the point if it didn't? 

Do I have to use separate tables for slicers?

Yep

And most importantly why doesn't the first slicer visual move when the underlying column actually gets filtered by the second slicer?

In your example, the values you see in one slicer should change when you make a selection in the other slicer, since they all are on the same table. For instance, if you select 14  on the ActiveDays slicer, the slicer on AtRiskDays will only show 69 for selection. If this is not the case in your example please post the pbix

[markus_zhang]

@AlB thanks! I always thought that slicers are special and could actually filter a column, guess I was wrong.

Yeah I now have three separate tables, created as Parameter Tables (I think it's just normal table but you get helper options to enter the data), and now they are fine.

Not sure why the original slicers didn't move together, the pbix file is too large and I'll see if I can setup a dummy.