What is new in SLICERBAR
Recently added to SLICERBAR:
Hierarchy Item for drill-down navigation through hierarchical data
Empty Item for cleaner spacing and layout control.
This page highlights the two newer items now available in the SLICERBAR builder. Together, they improve both usability and layout flexibility: Hierarchy Item helps users explore multi-level data structures, while Empty Item helps builders create cleaner, easier-to-read layouts.
At a glance
Item | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Hierarchy Item | Displays hierarchical data with drill-down and roll-up across multiple levels. | Makes it easier to analyse structured dimensions step by step while also showing measures in context. |
Empty Item | Acts as a placeholder between items. | Improves spacing, alignment, and overall readability in more complex SLICERBAR layouts. |
Hierarchy Item
The Hierarchy Item is a visual control designed for hierarchical data. It allows users to move through multiple levels of a dimension, expanding and collapsing levels as needed. This makes it especially useful when a flat slicer is not enough and users need to follow a natural business structure such as Region → Country → City or Category → Subcategory → Product.
In simple terms: use a Hierarchy Item when users need to navigate levels, not just select values from a single list.
What it does
Displays dimensions in a hierarchy
Supports drill-down and roll-up through multiple levels
Shows measures alongside expanded hierarchy levels
Helps users analyse detail without losing the bigger structure
Why it is useful
Better exploration: users can move from summary to detail in a guided way
Less clutter: deep structures do not need to be shown all at once
More context: measures remain visible as users expand the hierarchy
More control: builders can define sort order and the starting expansion level
Example use cases
Organisation structures such as Division → Department → Team
Geographic reporting such as Region → Country → City
Product analysis such as Category → Brand → SKU
Account structures where users need grouped financial navigation
Best practice: Start with a sensible default open level. Showing too much detail immediately can make the control harder to scan, while showing too little may hide important context.
Empty Item
The Empty Item is a simple but practical addition. It can be used as a placeholder between items in the SLICERBAR layout. Although it does not provide interactive filtering itself, it helps builders create cleaner visual structure and better spacing between controls.
Think of it as a layout spacer: it gives you more control over how items are arranged and separated.
What it does
Creates space between SLICERBAR items
Acts as a placeholder in the builder
Helps with alignment and visual separation
Why it is useful
Cleaner layouts: reduces the crowded look of tightly packed controls
Improved usability: users can scan and identify controls more easily
More flexible design: helpful when arranging grouped items, buttons, slicers, and date pickers
Typical use cases
Separating filter groups visually
Adding space between buttons and selection controls
Balancing layouts where grouped items would otherwise feel compressed
Improving navigation in larger SLICERBAR designs
Note: Empty Item is intentionally simple. Its value is in layout control rather than data interaction.
How these additions work together
These two items solve different problems, but they complement each other well. Hierarchy Item improves how users interact with complex data, while Empty Item improves how builders present and organise controls. In practice, this means you can now build SLICERBAR layouts that are both more powerful and easier to use.
Focus area | Hierarchy Item | Empty Item |
|---|---|---|
User interaction | High | Low |
Layout impact | Medium | High |
Data exploration | Strong drill-down support | Not applicable |
Best used for | Structured multi-level dimensions | Spacing and visual organisation |
Recommended usage
Use Hierarchy Item when users need to move through multiple levels of related data
Use Empty Item when the layout needs spacing, separation, or visual breathing room
Combine both in larger filter bars to make advanced layouts feel clearer and easier to navigate
Who benefits
Dashboard builders: gain more control over both interaction design and layout structure
Analysts: can navigate deeper hierarchies more naturally
End users: get cleaner, more intuitive filter experiences
Next steps
Try Hierarchy Item in views that use multi-level dimensions
Use Empty Item to improve spacing in busy SLICERBAR layouts
Review existing pages to see where these additions can simplify navigation and reduce clutter
References
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