Business Objects Designer XI

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Designer Module Objectives

Designer Interface Simple Universe Creation Loops & Contexts

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What is the Designer Module ?

Graphical environment to create a Universe Semantic Layer Create and Maintain universes.
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Section A Simple Universe and Object Creation

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What is a Universe ?

Semantic Layer Information in the Universe file

Universe structure Classes and Objects

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What is a Universe ?

Universe (Semantic Layer)

Sales Stock Finance

Corporate Database / DW
Cr e a tes t

he U

nive rs e f or U

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Universe Design process

Corporate Database / DW
1. Data Analysis 2. User Requirements

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3. Design

Section A.1 Core Universe Parameters

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Before You Start!!!

Detailed plan of the information requirements A schema diagram of the relational database Understanding of the database Reporting requirement 5/17/12 confidential

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Initiating Universe Design

There are two ways to initiate Universe Design:

OR Create a new Universe from scratch:

File - New Commands:

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Steps involved in Universe Design

For a simple Universe.

Universe name and Database connection Selecting Classes and Objects Measure Objects Generate the Universe

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Steps involved in Universe Design

Integrity check detects :

Invalid syntax Loops Isolated tables Isolated joins Loops within contexts Missing or incorrect cardinalities

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The Designer Window

Quick Design Wizard Universe Parameters List Mode

Objects and Classes Window

Structure Window

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The Parameters Dialogue Box

A Universe has three core parameters

Three Core Parameters

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The Connection to the Database

u A Universe connection composed of:
n n

the middle-ware through which it is defined:

the name and type of the connection; the location of the database:

Secured

Shared Personal

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Advanced Connectivity Settings

Advanced Connectivity settings:

You can maximize the query response time by equating to the array fetch size of the Source Database

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Creating a Universe Step 0

Enter the name, description, add the connection.

Test the connection

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Creating a Universe Step 1

Opt the strategy to follow.

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Creating a Universe Step 2

Controls.

Manages the server, CPU, network resources.

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Saving a Universe

Methods to save a Universe file:

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Section A.2 Adding Tables

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The Universe Structure Window

Map the Universe to the database structure

Universe Structure Window

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Adding Tables

Click and drag Tables in to the Structure Window Click on + sign to view fields in Tables

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Section A.3 Joins in Universe Structures

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What do joins achieve in SQL?

SELECT Customer.Last_Name, Orders.Date, Orders.Amount Join FROM Customer, Orders WHERE Customer.Cust_ID=Orders.Cust_ID Cartesian Product: Restricted Result Set:

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An Equi Join

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An Outer Join

SELECT Customer.Last_Name, Orders.Date, Orders.Amount FROM Customer, Orders OuterJoin Equi Join

WHERE WHERE Customer.Cust_ID*=Orders.Cust_ID( Customer.Cust_ID=Orders.Cust_I Restricted Result Set: Outer Join Result Set: +) D

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A Theta Join

SELECT Age Group.Age_Group, Customer.Last_Name FROM Age Group, Customer

Theta Join

WHERE Customer.Age Between Age_Group.Age_Min And Age_Group.Age_Max Cartesian Product Theta Join Result Set:

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Section A.4 Creating Dimension and Detail Objects

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Dimension / Detail Relationship

Objects retrieve factual information Entity Person Dimension Objects about =entities:
e.g Name

Detail Objects e.g Address, Phone Number

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Classes and Objects Window

One Class per Object Group of Objects

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Creating a Dimension Object

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Other Object Properties

Object Qualification List of Values

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Creating a Detail Object

Click and Drag the field in to the Classes and Objects Window

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Re-qualify it as a Detail Object

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Testing Objects

Important to test a Universe at each stage Production cycle of Universe development

Test Universe Save Universe Modify Universe

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Section A.5 Measure Objects

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What is a Measure Object?

Statistical information
was earned... ...by a Product? ...in a Financial Year?

How much ...by a Sales Person?

1996
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Aggregate Functions and Group by

Rule of SQL:

Aggregate functions

Aggregate function accompanied by Group By SELECT

Group By clause contains any unaggregated fields used in the Select clause
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City.city, sum(Invoice_Line.days * Invoice_Line.nb_guests * Service.price) FROM City, Invoice_Line, Service, Customer, Sales WHERE ( City.city_id=Customer.city_id ) AND ( Customer.cust_id=Sales.cust_id ) AND ( Invoice_Line.inv_id=Sales.inv_id ) AND ( Invoice_Line.service_id=Service.service_id ) GROUP BY City.city

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Semantic Dynamism

Context of use

Question: What is the Total Revenue for eachfor each Customer? is the Total Yearly Revenue Customer? Year?

GROUP BY Customer.last_name + ', '+Customer.first_name, Format(Sales.invoice_date, Format(Sales.invoice_date, 'yyyy') '+Customer.first_name 'yyyy')

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Inferred level of aggregation... ...changes with the GROUP BY.

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Creating a Measure Object

Define them in a separate Class due to their semantically dynamic nature.

NOTE: the Aggregate function in the Measures definition will cause the appropriate GROUP BY clause to be generated by the inference engine.
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The Projection Function and LOV

The Projection Function controls the behaviour of the Measure in the Check the Qualification is set appropriately Reporting interface:
Set the function to control the behavior of the Object in the reporting interface

Disassociate Measures with LOVs

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Testing Measure Objects

Measure Objects need a more rigorous testing procedure than Dimension Objects:
GROUP BY Customer.last_name + ', '+Customer.first_name GROUP BY City.city GROUP BY City.city, Customer.last_name + ', '+Customer.first_name
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Dimensions must be Unique!!!

Dimension Objects must be defined in a way that will guarantee the uniqueness of the data they return:

NOTE: The inclusion of the unique ID guarantees the results will be displayed accurately in the reporting interface.
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Section B Designing Universe Structures to conform to SQL requirements and resolve Loops
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Section B.1 What is a Loop and how is it resolved in BusinessObjects?

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What is a Loop?

A loop is caused by a circular set of joins which defines a closed path through a set of Tables:
SELECT , FROM All Tables in Loop WHERE All Joins in Loop...

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How to deal with Loops

Three Automated routines can be used to resolve 99% of loop situations within the Universe Cardinality Detection Routine: structure window. Alias Detection

The following order must be Routine observed:

...and...

Context Detection Routine MUST BE FIRST!!!

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Section B.2 Using Aliases to Resolve a Loop?

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What is an Alias?

An Alias is a temporary name assigned to a Table, within an SQL Statement.

It can be used to resolve structural issues WHERE WHERE WHERE in a database:

AND AND AND
Resort.Country_ID= Resort_Country.Country_ID = Resort.Country_ID

AND

Country.Country_ID

AND Customer.Country_ID= Customer_Country.Country_ID AND

Customer.Country_ID = AND Country.Country_ID ...

...
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Using Automatic Alias Detection

The process of Alias detection is automated by BusinessObjects:

OR manually insert joins OR insert cardinalities

TABLE TREE The Alias Solution needed here

1
1 1

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Defining Objects from Aliases

It is essential, when Aliases are used in the Universe Structure Window, that Objects are defined from the approriate Alias:
Pointers

to:

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Section B.3 Other uses of Aliases that require manual Resolution

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Recursive Table Structures: Pigs Ears

A recursive Table structure occurs n Manually: when a Table acts as a lookup for Automatically: itself:

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Multiple Domain Lookups: the Problem

MDLs are a major problem for Designers:

Sample Data: Absences

Multiple Domain Lookup Sample Result Set

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Multi Domain Lookups: the Resolution

There is a manual solution for MDLs:

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Equi and Outer Joins: Aliases allow both

It is possible to give the User the choice of using an Equi Join or an Outer join in their queries.

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Section B.4 Using Contexts to Resolve Loops

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Database Structure: Context Situations

Certain database structures will 1 Multiple Star require the definition of contexts in Country Schemas Universe structures:

Vendor Normalised Dimensions

Time

FACT (sales)

Single Snowflake WARNING: FACT Star Schema Loop!!! Schema (reservations)

Product 1

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Context situations: Errors in SQL

A loop caused by multiple fact tables will result in incorrect results being returned from the generated SQL
FROM All Tables in LoopWHERE .All Joins in Loop

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How BusinessObjects detects Contexts

Contexts are automatically detected Sales Fact: Reservation Fact: through the table tree algorithm: OR insert
cardinality Detect Contexts

Sales 1 Context Accept suggestions

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The Incompatible Query: Multi Path SQL

Contexts are important when handling what may be termed Incompatible Queries:

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WHERE and FROM clause defined from: Invoice_Line Reservation_Line 6161 Context Context

Ambiguous Queries: Naming Contexts

It is important to name Contexts appropriately to limit the impact of the Ambiguous Query:

A Name and Description help them to make the right decision for Users create Ambiguous Queries and are asked in which their question
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Aliases in a Multi Star situation?

Normalised dimensions are not Effective Result: Two Universes amenable to loop resolutions through Aliases:
Still a Loop All Candidates for Aliases Candidates for Aliases Sales Universe
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Duplication of Objects:

Reservations Universe
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Duplication of Objects:

Section B.5 Other Uses of Contexts: Chasm Traps

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The Chasm Trap

The Chasm trap appears in the following situation:

Sales Person Start Date Salary Value 1. SELECT Sales_Person.sales_person, SELECT Sales_Person.sales_person Abscences.ABSSTART, Count(Abscences.ABSSTART), Salaries.SALARY_VALU 2.GROUP BY E Sum(Salaries.SALARY_VALUE) Sales_Person.sales_person FROM 3. Applies Aggregate Count() Sum() WHERE functions SalesGROUP BY Abscences Total Salary 4. Generates incorrect Person No. Sales_Person.sales_person results
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BusinessObjects resolves the Chasm Trap through Contexts and Multipath SQL

The BusinessObjects Resolution

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Section B.6 The Fan Trap:

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The Fan Trap

The fan trap occurs in the following situation:

SELECT days) FROM WHERE GROUP BY

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Section C Hierarchies in Universe Design

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Section C.1 What is a Hierarchy?

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What is a Hierarchy?

Level in Hierarchy:

Entities Returned:

U.K.
North South

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How to spot a Hierarchy

Less Detailed More Detailed NOTE: As each level is divided in to its components at the level below a more atomized view of any statistical information can be found.
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How to Represent a Hierarchy

Dimension Objects represent the entity levels in a hierarchy:

Measures can be analysed at each entity level Top Level

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

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Multidimensional Analysis

Drill is the central mechanism through which multidimensional Drill Down analysis can be conducted:

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Section C.2 A Simple Default Hierarchy?

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What is a Default Hierarchy?

A Default Hierarchy is visually represented to the User in the Classes and Objects Window:
Default Hierarchies are represented by the way Objects are laid out in the Classes and Objects Window of the Query Panel

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How to Create a Default Hierarchy

Dragging and Dropping fields from the Structure Window and existing objects from the Classes and Objects Window are the simplest ways to build a default hierarchy:

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Testing a Default Hierarchy

Create a Scoped Query to test out a Default hierarchys operation: from the base Dimension Object

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Section C.3 A Special Case: Time

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Why is time a Special Case?

Time is a special case because each of its levelsInvoice Date: from a single can come field in the underlying database:

01/01/1997
Month Quarter
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Year and dependant on definition...

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There are four ways to develop a Time hierarchy in BusinessObjects: n Using standard functions: Automatically:

Altering the database:

Defining a Custom function:

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Automatic Time Hierarchies

Automatic Time hierarchies are fine for testing and quick design work:

In the Classes and Objects window...

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Designer Defined Time Hierarchies

Using functions to manipulate the data returned by a Date Object improves presentation in Reports:

Copy the Object to save time

Edit the duplicate Objects definition

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DBA Defined Time Periods

Altering the database table structure gives the Designer the flexibility to provide their own definition of periods: Calendar Year: Financial Year:

Calendar Quarter 1: 1/1/94 31/3/94 Year: 1/1/94 - 31/12/94 Calendar

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Section C.4 Designer Defined Custom Hierarchies and Hierarchy Maintenance

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What is a Custom Hierarchy?

A Custom Hierarchy combines elements from default (or pure) Default Hierarchy: in to a single path of Custom Hierarchy: hierarchies analysis:

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Creating a Custom Hierarchy

Custom Hierarchies can be defined in the Hierarchies Editor:

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Custom or Default Hierarchies?

There are three options when defining a hierarchy strategy:

Only Default Only Custom Both

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An Ongoing Process
The hierarchies made available in a Universe must change to meet user requirements: Ive But I need

designed this new hierarchy for you...

this hierarchy you fool!!!

Designer Updates Universe

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Dimensional Rifts and Link Hierarchies

If a Analysts persistently meet Dimensional Rifts it is a clear Link Hierarchy: indication that a Custom hierarchy is needed:

}
No linking meta data in Universe
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Section D Distributing and Maintaining Universes

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Section D.1 Documenting a Universe

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Documenting a Universe

Documenting a Universe will save time in the future and make it easier to envisage it in its entirety:

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Printing Documentation

Printing out documentation for a n How? What? Universe is a simple process:

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Section D.2 Deploying a Universe

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The Life Cycle of a Universe

The Universe development cycle has Phase 3 several distinct phases:

Phase 4

Phase 1-2

Phase 5

Phase 7 Phase 6

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Distributing Universes

There are two major mechanisms for distributing Universe files:

File System Central Management Server (CMS) repository

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Workgroup Mode

The File System allows unsecured Universes to be distributed:

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Enterprise Mode

The BusinessObjects Central Management Server (CMS) repository allows the Universe to be distributed and secured:

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Central Management Server (CMS) repository

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Central Management Server (CMS) repository

Universe is made available to Web Intelligence users and other designers by exporting a universe to the CMS repository. When a universe is exported, the universe is:

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Section D.3 Maintaining a Universe

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Modifying the Underlying Database

The implications of modifying the underlying database for n Severe Impact: No Impact: BusinessObjects Universes varies in Renaming/Moving Database severity: Adding new Fields

Adding new Tables

Changing existing Field names Changing existing Table names Deleting Tables

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New Tables in an Existing Universe

Certain Procedures must be followed when new Tables are added to an existing Universe structure:

Add new Tables Check if it is a Multi Domain Lookup (Aliases) Insert Joins and Cardinalities
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Changes to existing Objects in a Universe have two types of impact n Impact: No Impact: on existing Documents created from Deleting and existing Object the Universe: Redefining Object SQL

Renaming an Object Copying to different Class Moving in same Class or to a different Class Adding new Objects

Deleting and recreating the Object with exactly the same Definition

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Adding New Objects

There are three main ways to add 1. new Objects to an Copy from another Universe: Create from scratch: 2. existing Universe:

3. Include User Defined Objects:

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Module Summary

Universe Design is cyclical:

Phase 3

Phase 1-2

Phase 4

Phase 5 Phase 7 Phase 6

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Functions available

DESIGNER provides a number of functions for the SQL definition of objects. By using these functions, you make the definition of objects dynamic as well as database-independent. Referred to as @ functions, these functions are as follows:

@Aggregate_Aware @Prompt : allows creation of an interactive object.

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Thank you for your time

Our promise
With utmost respect to Human Values, we promise to serve our customers with Integrity, through Innovative, Value for Money solutions, by Applying Thought, day after day

Information contained and transmitted by this presentation is proprietary to Limited and is intended for use only by the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and contains information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicablelaw.

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