KB12450: How to create an attribute that masks data elements in MicroStrategy Developer (formerly Desktop)

In certain circumstances, administrators may want to mask the data that users are able to see when executing reports. Follow the steps below to mask data elements in Strategy Developer (the Strategy Tutorial project is used in this example):
 

• Select the attribute to be masked. 'Customer Birthdate' is used in this example.
• Create a new attribute that maps to the same column as the original attribute.
• Use an ApplySimple statement that masks the data contained in the columns when the data is 'not null' as shown below:
  

• Validate the expression before saving and closing.
• Save and close the attribute, naming it accordingly. For this example, the attribute was named 'Customer Birth Date Masked'.
• Create an object prompt that prompts the user on the unmasked and the masked attributes, as shown below:
  

• Create a report that contains the desired information, including the object prompt in the template as if it were an attribute, as shown below:
  

• Execute the report, choosing the masked version of the attribute. Notice that the values for the attribute display only as '-' as shown below:
  

NOTE: This example was performed pointing to a metadata and warehouse housed in SQL Server. The syntax will vary depending on the environment.
 
Mapping two attributes to the same column may present some issues if both attributes are present on the same report. In this situation, it is recommended that aliases be used to avoid attribute-role conflicts.