Generated by Jive on 2015-07-08+02:00 1 SAP BI 4.1 SP6 - What's New in Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer The SAP BI 4.1 Support Package 6 will be released later this month. This post describes some of the enhancements and innovations this Support Package provides to Web Intelligence and the Semantic Layer. Dot / Dash Lines in Web Intelligence Charts You can set line style for Web Intelligence charts containing line, i.e. Line Charts, Line Charts With 2Y Axes, Combined Column Line Charts and Combined Column Line Charts With 2Y Axes. The possible styles you can select are dashes, dots, dashes and dots or solid. You can set this parameter in the Format Chart dialog box.
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Generated by Jive on 2015-07-08+02:001
SAP BI 4.1 SP6 - What's New in WebIntelligence and Semantic Layer
The SAP BI 4.1 Support Package 6 will be released later this month. This post describes some of the
enhancements and innovations this Support Package provides to Web Intelligence and the Semantic Layer.
Dot / Dash Lines in Web Intelligence ChartsYou can set line style for Web Intelligence charts containing line, i.e. Line Charts, Line Charts With 2Y Axes,
Combined Column Line Charts and Combined Column Line Charts With 2Y Axes.
The possible styles you can select are dashes, dots, dashes and dots or solid.
You can set this parameter in the Format Chart dialog box.
SAP BI 4.1 SP6 - What's New in Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer
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You can also select a line style for each line by individually selecting a line in the chart and right-clicking it. In
the contextual menu, select the Format Data Series command that opens a dialog box from which you can
pick the a style for this line.
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Print Settings in the Web Intelligence DHTML ClientThe Web Intelligence DTHML client Print dialog box supports new parameters for printing.
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Export Data in the Web Intelligence Rich Client and Applet InterfacesReading ModeIn the Web Intelligence Rich Client and Applet interfaces Reading mode, you can use the Export Data
functionality. This functionality was only available in Design mode until now.
Hence, even without edit rights, you can use this command to export report data to a CSV file in Reading
mode.
Improved Cancel Query FunctionalitySome data sources prevent you from canceling a query. In such cases, Web Intelligence abandons the
query and gives you back the control of your document while the abandoned refresh action still runs in the
background.
Pending abandoned refresh actions have been limited to 10 per document by default, to avoid decreasing
database performance.
If you try to cancel a refresh action beyond this limit, Web Intelligence gives you back control of your document
when at least one of the other pending refresh actions is complete or when the current query refresh action is
complete.
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Improved RelativeDate() FunctionIn the RelativeDate() function, you have more date options in your calculations. A specific additional period
parameter allows you to specify the period to add
for Year, Semester, Quarter, Month, Week, Day and Hour.
Previously, you could only add or substract a number of days from a date. To use the RelativeDate() function,
you had to convert all periods (week, month, year etc.) in days.
The new signature function is:
date RelativeDate(start_date;num;period)
where period is a value among: YearPeriod, SemesterPeriod, QuarterPeriod, MonthPeriod, WeekPeriod,
DayPeriod, HourPeriod, MinutePeriod, SecondPeriod or MillisecondPeriod.
The default value for period is DayPeriod.
Support for SAP HANA Multi-value Input ParametersWeb Intelligence supports SAP HANA multi-value input parameters, not only single-value ones.
Blocking Multidimensional Queries without Measures
On OLAP databases, the execution of queries without measures can cause OLAP servers to fail because of
Cartesian products. Universe designers can use the PREVENT_QUERY_WITHOUT_MEASURE parameter to
prevent users from executing queries without measures on OLAP databases.
This parameter can be set in the information design tool, in the universes’s business layer’sparameters. By default, it is set to No.
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[NULL_VALUE] in Lists of ValuesThe [NULL_VALUE] option allows you to select any void, or blank values existing in a list of values. This option
always appears in the report filter list of values, and can appear in a combo box, a radio button, list box, or
check box input control if the input control is set to allow selection of null values. You can hide this label in
input control.
For example, if a user wants to see customers who have not paid, [NULL_VALUE] for object“Invoice Date” results in a list showing only customers without an invoice date.
Dynamic Default Value for Universe (UNX) PromptsYou can define dynamic default values for prompts in universes created with the information design tool. These
prompts can be based on functions like CurrentDate().
When defining your prompt in the Information Design Tool, select the Set default values and Formula options.
Click the button in the text field below to open the Formula Editor, then enter and validate the formula used to
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Then type the SQL to send to the database.
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After you have confirmed your SQL, the Query Panel opens and allows you to define:• the object type of each field returned by the SQL (dimension, attribute, measure)• the object data type: string, date, number• the object aggregation function if it has been selected as a measure.• the object associated dimension if it has been selected as an attribute.
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Once you are ready to run the query, you click Run Query to send the SQL to the database.
Later on, you can click Edit SQL in the Query Panel to modify the SQL retrieving the data from the database.
Connections to Excel data sourcesIn the Web Intelligence Applet or Web Intelligence Rich Client interfaces, you can modify the Excel data source
(for documents with such an Excel data source) in the following situations:• When you upload a local Excel data source to the CMS.• When you reconnect to the Excel data source from your document at another location and on the
same CMS source.
To do so, in the Query Panel, edit the Source Path field to select the new Excel data source.
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Change SourceSome flexibility has been added to the Change Source wizard aiming at replacing the data source used by a
given document with another data source.
In addition to the check done on the object ID, it is possible to select further strategies to map objects between
the original data source and the target data source:• Object name (close or same)• Object technical name• Object path• Removal of the object
You can define not only the strategies to apply but also the order to apply them. When no target object can
be mapped to the original object through the first strategy in the list, then the next strategy is applied. The
strategies are then listed until an object is found. Ultimately, if no object can be mapped, the object is removed
from the query.
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Some additional options are also available to fine-tune object compatibility and give flexibility to map objects
based on their type or their data type.
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These strategies and options are used to compute the default mapping proposed or to find individual
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Note that the Change Source capability is still only available in the Web Intelligence Rich Client or Applet
interfaces.
Integration with SAP Live OfficeIn SAP BI 4.1 Support Package 6, Live Office now supports both relational universes created with the universe
design tool (UNV) and the information design tool (UNX):• You can create and run queries based on relational universes• You can add report parts from Web Intelligence documents based on UNV and UNX
Access to the SAP Analytics Extension Marketplace in Web IntelligenceA new icon, located at the bottom of the Web Intelligence interface on the Status bar allows you to quickly go to
the SAP Analytics Extension Marketplace (http://www.sap.com/bi-partner-extensions?product=webi).
On this market place, you can browse extensions for SAP Analytics products built by SAP Partners for SAP
products.
This button can be hidden via a customization of the Web Intelligence user interface in the Central
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Software Development Kit
To allow you to programmatically author or enforce BI resources, the SDK functional coverage was extended to
expose new capabilities:• Semantic Layer Java SDK – Support of
• custom navigation path through the class CustomNavigationPath• data foundation views and table position and properties in views through the classes
DataFoundationView and TablePosition• security profile deletion, through the detachSecurityProfile function
• Semantic Layer REST Web Service – Support of• universes created with the universe design tool• BOTH, EXCEPT and ranking operators during query creation• Get a universe list of parameters (aka prompts).
• Web Intelligence REST Web Service – Support of• new mapping strategies and options in addition to the “change source” introduced
earlier• New parameters exposed for charts, table layout properties, universe metadata and parameters
(aka prompts)• document input controls previously described. You can create and edit them, move a report input
control into a document input control or vice-versa.• inserting or removing a column of a table• merging or splitting cells• returning a report last page• deleting a Microsoft Excel file from the CMS repository• searching resources of the CMS repository• updating connections and SQL for Free-Hand SQL data providers
Some samples are also provided for Web Intelligence REST Web Service.
There are many innovations and new capabilities underway for SAP BusinesssObjects BI 4.2 aswell. So stay tuned, you’ll hear from us soon again.