BEx Query Designer

Unit 2: First Steps in the BEx Query Designer

7/17/2007

What is Business Explorer (BEx) Query Designer?

BEx Query Designer is an independent tool for defining queries that are based on a selection of characteristics and key figures (InfoObjects) or on reusable InfoProvider structures in SAP Business Information Warehouse (BW). In BEx Query Designer, you can parameterize queries by defining variables for characteristic values, hierarchies, hierarchy nodes, texts or formulas.

You can specify the selection of InfoObjects more precisely by: Restricting characteristics and key figures by characteristic values, characteristic value intervals, and hierarchy nodes Defining calculated and restricted key figures for reuse Defining structures for reuse Defining exceptions Defining conditions Defining exception cells
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Opening BEx Query Designer

From your desktop, click Start | All Programs | Business Explorer | Business Explorer (SAP BW 3.x) | Query Designer (SAP BW 3.x).

From within BEx Analyzer, click on Tools and select Query Designer from the BEx toolbar, or if you wish to modify the currently opened query, click on Change query and select Change query (global definition).

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BEx Query Designer Toolbar

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Creating a Query
To define a new query, open Query Designer and click the New Query button.

In the New Query: Select InfoProvider dialog box, select the required InfoProvider.

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Creating a Query
1. Directory tree of the selected InfoProvider All available objects (dimensions, key figures, structures) for the selected InfoProvider. 2. Columns You define the columns of your report in this area. 3. Rows You define the rows of your report in this area. 4. Free Characteristics Free characteristics are initially displayed in the navigation block when you execute the query in BEx Analyzer or on the Web. You can then integrate these characteristics through navigation steps or for selecting filter values in the report. 5. Filter These characteristics are only used as global filters on the cube data and are not displayed in the report. 6. Preview
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Creating a Query

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Creating a Query
Once you have defined a query, choose Save Query or Save Query As... Save the query to your Favorites using the IP naming convention AHQ_ + Authors Initials_ + Query Technical Name_ + Q001, Q002,

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Creating a Query
Click Display Query on the Web to execute the query in your Web browser.

If you opened the query from within Bex Analyzer, click Quit and Use Query to execute the changed query in BEx Analyzer. Slide 9

Finding a Query
From within the Open Query dialog box, click Find.
Search by query technical name, description, or both. Search only for a specific InfoProvider. Search by user and/or created/modified date.

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Changing a Query
From within Query Designer, click Open Query and choose a query to open. You will only be able to modify queries that you created using the IP naming convention AHQ_ + Authors Initials_ + Query Technical Name_ + Q001, Q002,

From within Bex Analyzer, click Change query and choose Change Query (Global Definition) to change the global query definition. Click Change query and choose Change Query (Local View) to change navigation in the Slide 11 report only.

Filtering Data in the Query Definition

You can restrict (filter) the characteristic values of a characteristic in the Rows, Columns, Free characteristics, and in the Filter. Right-click on the characteristic in the query definitions and choose Restrict.

A restriction on a free characteristic affects the entire query, even if the free characteristic is not in the drilldown.
Heads Up!

Characteristics in the global filter appear neither in the drilldown nor as free characteristics in the analysis.
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InfoProviders in SAP BW Reporting

InfoCube Central evaluation object for reports about aggregated (compressed) data. ODS Object Store consolidated and cleansed data on a detailed (atomic) level in flat database tables. Characteristic InfoObject Can have tables into which the master data information (attributes, texts, hierarchies) is loaded from the source system. Remote Cube InfoCube whose transaction data is not physically managed in SAP BW, but stored externally in the source system.

BW InfoSet Do not have a data store of their own, but instead connect flat tables using joins and, therefore, provide an additional semantic layer (reporting-relevant view) for BEx reporting.
MultiProvider Combines data from several InfoProviders and Slide 13 makes it available for use in reporting.

InfoProviders in Query Designer

InfoCube Elements

Key Figures
Calculated Key Figures Restricted Key Figures

Dimensions
Characteristics
Attributes Characteristic Value Variables Values

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InfoProviders in Query Designer

Characteristic InfoProvider and ODS Object Elements

Key Figures
Number of Records (1ROWCOUNT)

Dimensions
Characteristic InfoProviders
Attributes Key Part

ODS Objects
Data Part Key Part

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InfoProviders in Query Designer

InfoSet Elements

Key Figures
Number of Records (1ROWCOUNT)

Dimensions
Attributes Key Part MultiProvider Elements

Key Figures
Number of Records (1ROWCOUNT) (if one of the InfoProviders included already contains this key figure, for example, in ODS objects)

Dimensions
Data Package
InfoProvider (0INFOPROV)

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