TechEd FastTrack BusinessObjects

TechED
BusinessObjects FastTrack

CONTENTS:

BusinssObjects (including workshops)

Designer

Supervisor

Server Products: presentation and configuration

InfoView workshop

WebIntelligence workshop

Broadcast Agent Scheduler (and workshop)

Tomcat, Apache, and IIS configuration workshop

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TechEd FastTrack BusinessObjects

BusinessObjects

SETUP/INSTALLATION
Ensure that you have a valid license (*.xml) file before you proceed with product
installation.
License available at http://license.businessobjects.com for customers and
employees. Employees use their NT login ID.
Besides testing the database middleware layer, no special configuration is
necessary for desktop products. (In training, we often install server products at
the same time as desktop, we will configure them later.)

LICENSE
License available at http://license.businessobjects.com.
This .xml file is checked at install and runtime. Additional/new licenses are
installed to the same directory, with priority to the file with highest rights.
Location of license file: (avoid putting under <BO install directory>) This
registry setting provides the path to the location of the license file:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Business Objects \Suite
6.0\default\Shared\gGeneral\Directories\License

TERMINOLOGY
New Report Wizard, The universe provides the semantic layer – maps to the
Database. (There are other data providers.)
Query Panel is designed to build the (SQL) query using objects . Running this
query creates a document (.rep file) which contains at least one Report and the
data.

CLASSES (SUB-CLASSES)
Classes in the Query Panel are a means to organize objects by subject. Classes
and their subclasses are set up in the Universe.

OBJECTS: DIMENSIONS, DETAILS, MEASURES

Dimensions ( ): Static data, used for both information purposes, and to move
up/down hierarchies in drill analysis.
Details ( ): attributes of dimensions, used for informational purposes but NOT
for drill analysis.
Measures ( ): Usually numeric data which can be aggregated, i.e. data that is
semantically dynamic . Used for informational purposes and typically the subject
of drill analysis.

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BUILDING QUERIES
If the ‘Classes and Objects’ pane is selected at the bottom of the Query Panel (
), Report Objects may be inserted in the top pane. The appropriate SQL
statement is automatically and dynamically generated. Click the Run button to
run the initial query. to refresh the query and run the same SQL statement again,
click Refresh Data ( ). To return to the Query Panel, edit the query, and
change the SQL statement generated, click Edit Data Provider ( ). Reports
can also be generated using Conditions ( ), see later.

SQL GENERATION/MANIPULATION
Report designers may use the SQL button ( ) in the Query Panel to edit the
SQL statement generated using the universe metadata. To lock in custom SQL
statements, be sure to check the option.

DOCUMENT STRUCTURE: DATA PROVIDERS, REPORTS, BLOCKS, CELLS

In each document (*.rep), there are essentially two main components: data and
reports. there may be multiple data providers (results of the query, cached in the
document) from various data sources in one document, and this data may be
projected either in blocks (table, crosstab, chart) or in standalone cells. there
may be multiple blocks/cells on one report, and there may be multiple report tabs
in one document.

DATA PROVIDER OPTIONS

In the Data Manager ( ), select the desired data provider and click the
Definition tab to edit properties (name? universe? editable? refreshable?) review
execution details (date/time, # rows, duration), and perform actions (edit, delete,
refresh, purge, export).

CREATING A TABLE, CROSSTAB, CHART

Use the Insert Table ( ), Insert Crosstab ( ), and Insert Chart ( )
buttons to add blocks to the report. After clicking the button and the desired
area on the report, a wizard asks about data and layout.

USE EXISTING DATA, BUILD NEW QUERY, ACCESS NEW DATA

When using the New Report Wizard ( ) or inserting a new block on an
existing report, the wizard requests that the user specify that data to display.
options in this window may include ‘Use existing data from the document’, ‘Build
a new query on the universe currently in use’ (gray if more than one universe is
currently in use), and ‘Access new data in a different way’, which will return the
user to the Specify Data Access window. (Again , there may be multiple data
providers from various data sources in one document.)

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ADDING/EDITING CELLS, FORMATTING

Use the Insert Cell button ( ) to add standalone cells to the report. Right-
click on either standalone cells or cells in blocks and select Format Cell to
change format, alignment, font, border, and shading. to make HTML show up as
a hyperlink, be sure to check the option.

MASTER/DETAIL VS. BREAKS

Select the cell with the dimension/detail on which you would like to break any text
block, and click Insert Break ( ) to insert header/footer cells after each unique
value. Alternatively, select the cell with the dimension/detail on which you would
like to section the entire report, and click Set as Master ( ).

SORTS, FILTERS, RANKING

to change the default sort order of the data in any block (order of columns, from
left to right), select the data you would like to sort, and click Insert Sort ( ).
The drop-down arrow may be used to apply ascending, descending, or custom
sorts, and multiple sorts may be applied in sequence. to apply a filter on the data
displayed in any block, select the data on which you would like to apply the filter,
and click Insert Filter ( ). to apply a ranking on the data displayed in any
block, select the data on which you would like to apply the ranking, and click
Apply Ranking ( ).

EXERCISE 1: Best-selling lines and colours (eFashion)

VARIANCE
To insert variance ( ) or variance percentage ( ) on dimensions/details,
first select the ‘a’ value, hold down the CTRL key to select the ‘b’ value, and then
click the appropriate toolbar button. A new column is inserted with the
calculation.

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CALCULATIONS
Available calculations will vary depending on whether a dimension/detail or a
measure is selected. To apply simple calculations, first select the data on which
you would like to perform the calculation, then select the click the appropriate
toolbar button ( , , ). More calculation options are available from the
right-click pop-up menu when selecting the data.
Calculations are “ready-made” formulas.

FORMULAS VS. VARIABLES

A formula is used only in a single cell, while a variable may be reused anywhere
in the document. Variables can also be used in drilling, alerters and in the
creation of another formula.
To create a formula, select any cell and click Function Editor ( ), or type
directly in the formula toolbar. to create a variable, access the right-click pop-up
menu when selecting the cell, select Variable, and enter the variable name and
qualification on the Definition tab, in addition to the formula on the Formula tab.

OUTLINE MODE
Outline view is used to show summary values, as well as details as necessary.
Select View | Outline to display outline indicators on to the left of the report
window. Sections and breaks can be opened and closed using the arrows or
map buttons at the bottom.

GROUPING DATA
To group data in a way other than may be available in the database, click multiple
dimension values, then click Group Values ( ). A new variable is created by
default, and may be further edited under Data | Variables. This operation may be
repeated as many times as necessary.

ALERTERS
Alerters are used to alert the report user of the occurrence of certain values in
any text blocks on a report. To apply an alerter on any column/row, select the
data on which you would like to apply the alerter, and click Alerters ( ). Click
the Add b utton, enter a name and description on the Definition tab, and define the
conditions under which the alerter should display on the Conditions tab.

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EXERCISE 2: Groups and Alerters (Island Resorts)

SPECIAL FIELDS
Special fields are typical, frequently-used formulas which have been simplified for
end-user use. Either click the desired area on the report after selecting Insert |
Special Field, or click the desired cell before.

FINANCIAL BLOCK
Use Rotate Table ( ) to turn a vertically-oriented table into a horizontally-
oriented table. Horizontal bar-charts will be available from 6.5 onwards.

SLICE/DICE ANALYSIS
Use Slice and Dice ( ) to graphically rearrange data in blocks (tables,
crosstabs, and charts), and apply breaks, sections , filters, sorts, rankings, and
calculations.

REPORT CONTEXTS
When performing calculations, context (or relative placement in the block/report)
is automatically taken into consideration, but may be manipulated in the Formula
Editor to facilitate certain calculations across contexts, for example ‘=
(Sum<Revenue> In <City>) / (Sum <Revenue> In <Country>)’ for a percentage.

RUNNING CALCULATIONS
Special ‘running’ calculations, including RunningAverage, RunningCount,
RunningMin, RunningMax, Running Product, and Running Sum, and available in
the Formula Editor.

IF…THEN…ELSE…
Special conditional ‘If…Then…Else…’ functionality is available in the Formula
Editor.

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DRILL ANALYSIS, HIERARCHIES

Use Drill ( ) to move up, down and across hierarchies and dimensions. To
enable drill analysis, first use the Scope of Analysis button ( ) in the Query
Panel to include chose any desired hierarchies (and dimensions) in the query.
Drill analysis can then be performed on any block: tables, crosstabs and charts.
The universe designer defines default hierarchies, but each user can create
custom hierarchies in the document under Analysis | Hierarchies.

Note that using the Scope of Analysis causes the additional dimensions to be
included in the Select statement and in the Microcube. Drill through allows users
to drill down to data detail not already in the report, i.e. re -query the database.
Note also: Drill filters display, the drill-toolbar
Drilling requires the “Explorer” module.

EXERCISE 3: Customized Scope of Analysis (eFashion)

CONDITION OBJECTS
If the ‘Predefined Conditions’ pane is selected at the bottom of the Query Panel (
), Conditions (query restrictions) may be inserted in the bottom pane. Note
the additional Where clause by viewing the SQL statement.

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CUSTOM CONDITIONS
Custom conditions may also be built using a sequential combination of Objects,
Operators, and Operands.
Date/numeric ranges are possible using the ‘Between’ Operator.
Prompts are possible using the ‘Type a new prompt’ Operand. Multiple
conditions are possible, although care must be taken to ensure that query logic is
correct: if more than one condition exists, it may be necessary to specify an
And/Or operators; if more than two conditions exist, it may be necessary to shift
pairs of conditions left/right as appropriate.

COMBINATION QUERIES: UNION, INTERSECT, MINUS

It is possible to construct union, intersect, and minus queries using the Query
Panel, using the Combine Queries ( ) button: additional query tabs appear at
the bottom of the Query Panel. BusinessObjects allows up to eight. Ensure that
the fields in the Result Objects pane of both queries are compatible (and not
conflicting) so that they may be properly compared when the query is run .

EXERCISE 4: Combination queries: How many customers have stayed in

BB, and FR, but not yet tried HC? (Island Resorts)

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SUBQUERIES
It is possible to construct subqueries using the Query Panel using the ‘Create a
subquery’ Operand when creating a condition: additional query tabs appear at the
bottom of the Query Panel. The result of any inner (sub) queries will run first and
be used to complete the conditions in the outer (main) query. For this reason,
there can be only one field in each of the Result Objects pane of the subqueries .

EXERCISE 5: Total revenue for items on promotion (eFashion)

EXERCISE 6: Revenue for cities in states, where state sales exceeded

20,000 items.

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OTHER DATA PROVIDERS

The Query Panel and predefined universes are only used against relational
databases, but other data sources can also be access by BusinessObjects using
different interfaces. These data sources include OLAP databases, personal data
files (such as Excel, xml, etc), web pages, etc. The full list is available from the
Others drop-down list in the Specify Data Access window when creating a new
data provider. Data providers (such as a Query Panel) can be viewed, refreshed,
and possibly linked using the Data Manager ( ).

EXERCISE 7: Two data providers (same .unv file, and dimensions

automatically linked): Service revenue for July-August, and December-
January (Island Resorts, over three years).

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LINKING MULTIPLE DATA PROVIDERS

Provided that there are common dimensions in a common format, and provided
that only linked dimensions and measure objects are used in the combined block,
data in multiple data providers from various data sources may be able to be
linked together (double outer join) in one document, and displayed together in a
single block. In the Data Manager ( ), double-click on the desired dimension
in the first data provider, and click the desired dimension in the second data
provider. This can be done for any number of dimensions in each data provider,
and for any number of data providers, subject to same restrictions above. (To
remove a link, select either linked dimension, click on the Definition tab, and click
the Remove Link button.)

EXERCISE 8: Linking multiple Data Providers (.xls data source C:\<BusObj

install>\BusinessObjects Enterprise 6\demo\documents, and eFashion data
for 2003)

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EXERCISE 9: XML as a Data Provider (use catalog.xml) and save .rep as .xls

REPORT MANAGER
The Report Manager ( ) has two tabs, which provide access to both variables
and formulas in the document (Data), and navigation around the reports and
sections in the document (Map).

LISTS OF VALUES
Lists of values are used when building custom conditions and when responding
to query prompts. Stored locally as .lov , otherwise it is a Select hit on the DB.
Individual users may be able to edit, purge, and refresh their own lists. To
access, click the List of Values button under Tools | Universes.

USER OBJECTS
User objects (stored locally as a .udo) allow individual users to create their own
custom objects in the Query Panel and extend predefined universes as
necessary. To access, either use the User Objects button ( ) in the Query
Panel, or click the User Objects button under Tools | Universes.

CONDITIONAL FORMATTING
Under Format Block ( ), on the Appearance tab, use the Hide Block option to
hide a block when a certain condition is met. This is useful in a sectioned report
in which multiple blocks are placed over one another, so depending on the
formulas defined for each. Different blocks may be displayed in each section.

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STRUCTURE, ALIGNMENT
A s implified but cryptic view of the report structure (no data) is available using
Structure ( ) view. For aesthetics, some alignment options are available
under Format | Placement. Use Bring to Front and Send to Back to appropriately
overlay blocks/cells, use Alignment to line up specific blocks/cells, and use the
Snap to Grid options to auto -align blocks/cells. If desired, turn on the visual grid
using View | Grid.

HEADERS/FOOTERS, IMAGES, TEMPLATES

Margins, including header/footer areas, are visible using Page Layout ( )
view. Images (*.bmp, *.tif) files may be inserted into cells using Insert | Picture.
Templates may be saved as *.ret files (C:\<BusObj install
directory> \BusinessObjects Enterprise 6\templates), and reused.

EXPORT, SAVE AS HTML/PDF, DDE, OLE

Again, in each document (*.rep), there are essentially two main components:
data and reports.
Data (the contents of a data provider) may be exported* to local file format,
exported to database, or copied to DDE (dynamic data exchange) – this link
allows another document to be automatically updated when the data is refreshed.
Reports may be saved as HTML or PDF. Also, there is a new option which saves
both the data and the reports to *.xls files, although the data is on hidden tabs.
OLE allows Object Linking and Embedding across applications (use Insert |
Object) so that a change in one file can update in another.

Export: Do not confuse with “exporting” (publishing) a document (or universe) to the repository!

REPORT DISTRIBUTION (PUBLISH VS. SEND)

File | Save saves a document locally. File | Publish To | Corporate Documents
saves a document in the common repository. File | Send To | Mail sends a
document via email. File | Send To | Users sends a document to named
users /groups. File | Send To | Broadcast Agent sends documents for later
processing/distribution.

REPOSITORY/OFFLINE MODE
Upon login, select to work in either online (connected to repository, created by
Supervisor) or offline (disconnected) mode. Offline mode requires having made
at least one previous connection (i.e. having the .lsi file on the workstation (see
Supervisor)).
Don’t confuse with repository vs. inexistence of repository (= no prompt for a
user ID/password).

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