Detail level for dimension structures: Rows tab—Financial Report Writer

By default, dimension structures are expanded to show detail, such as showing the individual customers in a Customer report structure. However, you can use the Detail level options to more finely control the level of detail or to further break down the data.

In this topic, you'll find information about:

The options to show top or bottom members or expand by account group appear only for certain types of reports.

Where does the dimension detail appear?

The choices that you make for detail level determine the rows that appear in the report.

The dimension structure names and detail are displayed in a single report column, which has the type "Dimension name." By default, the "Dimension name" column is the leftmost column on the Columns tab of the report (Columns tab > Column type > Dimension name).

Report with Customers shown in rows.

Choose between details and summary

  • Details - show members: Shows individual members in the dimension structure, such as showing individual customers in a Customer structure. When you choose to show details, you also have the option to limit the number of members shown to the top or bottom based on a column of your choice.
  • Summary - hide members: Hides individual members, showing a summary amount only for the dimension structure. For hierarchical dimension structures, summary amounts are also shown for the substructures.

Show the top or bottom members only

Often, you'll want to restrict the output of a financial report to show only the top or bottom of a particular set of dimension data. For example, you might want to include the top 5 customers by revenue.

This option appears only if you are creating a report with dimension structures on rows and account groups on columns.

To show the top or bottom members only:

  1. For the Detail level, select Detail - show members and then use the Display matches dropdown menu to select whether you want to show top or bottom matches.

    By default, we use 10 as the number of matches, but you can enter any number.

  2. On the Columns tab, select the column that should be used to determine the top or bottom match.
    • You can select any Actual or Budget column on the Columns tab. For example, if you're looking for the top customers by revenue, you might want to select an Actual column for the previous month's revenue.

    • To choose the column you want to use, scroll towards the bottom of the Columns tab and select the Use for top or bottom calculation radio button.

Learn more about using top and bottom matches in financial reports.

Expand by another dimension

You can expand a dimension structure by another dimension, which adds additional rows for the selected dimension. For example, the following report includes a Customer structure that has been expanded by location (to show customer revenue by location) and a Projects structure that has been expanded by employee (to show project expenses by employee).

Report showing customer and Project structures in rows.

To expand by another dimension:

  1. Set the Detail level to either Detail - Show members or Summary - Hide members.

    This option determines whether you want to see the members of the dimension structure, such as the customers in a Direct Customers structure. Choosing Summary - Hide members would display a summary amount only for Direct Customers.

  2. Select the option to Expand by another dimension.
  3. From the Dimensions dropdown menu, select the dimension.
  4. Use the Show dropdown menu to choose how much of the dimension hierarchy to display.

Because many dimensions are hierarchical (for example, a US location might be organized by state, with additional locations in certain cities), the Show dropdown menu allows you to choose:

  • How many levels to show.
  • Whether amounts or reported individually, or with amounts "rolled up" from levels below it.

The following table describes each option, and provides examples.

Show options
Option Description

One level down, with rollup

Displays rows that contain summary amounts for one level only.

For example, suppose that you have locations in California, New York, and Florida. In addition, California has sublocations for Northern California and Southern California. In this case, the report:

  • Includes rows for California, New York, and Florida
  • Doesn't include rows for sublocations, such as particular regions (like Northern California). However, amounts from sublocations are included in the summary amounts for California, New York, and Florida.

All levels, with rollup

Displays rows that contain summary amounts for each level.

For example, suppose that your California location has sublocations by city. In this case, the report:

  • Includes rows for California and each city in California.
  • Includes amounts from each city in the amount for California.

All levels, with individual balance

Displays all levels, but with each level showing only the individual amounts assigned to that level.

For example, suppose that your California location has sublocations by city. In this case, the report:

  • Includes rows for California and each city within California.
  • Doesn't include amounts from each city in the amount for California.

In the case of expenses, for instance, the row for "California" would include only expenses attributed directly to California and would not include amounts from any city in California.

Leaf amounts, all levels

Displays only the lowest levels of the hierarchy,

For example, suppose you have a location in Arizona with no sublocations, but you also have a location in California, with sublocations in Los Angeles and San Jose. Choosing "Leaf amounts, all levels," would include rows for:

  • Arizona
  • Los Angeles
  • San Jose

In account groups, the leaf is the lowest account group level that has accounts assigned to it. For example:

Net Income (group of groups)

  • Expense is a group within Net Income that has accounts directly assigned to it. It's a leaf of Net Income.
  • Education Expense is a group within Net Income that has another group assigned to it but no accounts directly assigned. It is not a leaf of Net Income.

Revenue (group of groups)

  • Gross Sales is a group within Revenue that has accounts directly assigned to it. It's a leaf of Revenue.
  • COGS is a group within Revenue that has accounts directly assigned to it. It's a leaf of Revenue.

Leaf amounts, one level down

Displays only one level, but includes amounts from only the lowest levels.

For example, suppose you have a location in Arizona with no sublocations, but you also have a location in California, with sublocations in Los Angeles and San Jose. Choosing "Leaf amounts, one level down," would :

  • Include rows for Arizona and California.
  • But California would include only amounts from Los Angeles and San Jose.

Expand by account group

For reports that have account groups selected on the rows of the report, the Expand by another dimension option also gives you the option to expand by account group. For example, you might decide to display Revenue for a Customer structure and then expand by account group to show additional rows for Revenue: Subscriptions, Revenue: Software, and so on.

This option applies only if you chose the option to Filter by account group on rows on the Report Info tab.

To expand by account group:

  1. Set the Detail level to either Detail - Show members or Summary - Hide members.
  2. Select the option to Expand by dimension.
  3. From the Dimensions dropdown menu, select Account group.
  4. Use the Show dropdown menu to choose how much of the account group hierarchy to display.

Because many account groups are hierarchical, the Show dropdown menu allows you to choose how much of the hierarchy to show.

For the purposes of example, suppose you have the following account group:

  • Assets
    • Current Assets
      • Cash and Cash Equivalents
      • Other Current Assets
        • Accounts Payable
        • Inventory
    • Fixed Assets
Show options
Option Description

One level down

Displays summary rows for one level only. For example, suppose that you filter by Assets, as shown in the example. In this case, the report:

  • Includes rows for Current Assets and Fixed Assets
  • Doesn't include rows for subgroups, such as Cash and Cash Equivalents. However, amounts from subgroups are included in Current Assets and Fixed Assets.

All levels

Displays summary rows for all levels, using indentation to represent the hierarchy.

Leaf amounts

Displays only the end points of each branch of the hierarchy.

For example, using the same Assets account group, the report would include amounts for these groups:

  • Cash and Cash Equivalents
  • Accounts Payable
  • Inventory
  • Fixed Assets

In account groups, the leaf is the lowest account group level that has accounts assigned to it. For example:

Net Income (group of groups)

  • Expense is a group within Net Income that has accounts directly assigned to it. It's a leaf of Net Income.
  • Education Expense is a group within Net Income that has another group assigned to it but no accounts directly assigned. It is not a leaf of Net Income.

Revenue (group of groups)

  • Gross Sales is a group within Revenue that has accounts directly assigned to it. It's a leaf of Revenue.
  • COGS is a group within Revenue that has accounts directly assigned to it. It's a leaf of Revenue.