Edit Desktop Intelligence

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Desktop Intelligence XI R3Date: Presenter:Mr.Suresh

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How The Course is Organized

1. Introduction to Desktop Intelligence2. Getting Started with Desktop Intelligence3. Manipulating Data using Simple Calculations, Sorts and Filters4. Simple Drilling5. Using Different Presentation Styles to View Data6. Simple Queries7. Sharing Reports with Colleagues8. End of Course Challenge

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Starting Desktop Intelligence• 2-tier Desktop Intelligence

Desktop Intelligence 3-tier mode, is the lighter version of the Desktop Intelligence in 2-tier mode. It has specific configuration where a light client version of the Desktop Intelligence report engine connect to the web server for all the middleware used for data connections. Users can access 3-tier mode via Infoview or from the start menu if they have a connection to Business Objects server.

3-tier Desktop Intelligence

A 2-tier Desktop Intelligence deployment has a specific client server configuration where the program files to run the report engine are on the same machine.

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Basic Differences

Action 2-tier Deployment 3-tier Deployment

Format a table with custom formats Yes YesApply a templates Yes YesCreate complex calculations Yes YesCreate user objects and variables Yes YesUse VBA macros and Add-ins Yes NoAccess data using free-hand SQL Yes NoAdd a different data provider Yes NoUse XML data Yes YesSend a document to users via email Yes Yes

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Logging in to Desktop IntelligenceDesktop Intelligence

Desktop Intelligence XI Release 2

1. Enter your system name in the System box

2. Enter your username and password

3. Choose your authentication mode in the Authentication list4. Click OK

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Getting Help• For general help:

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Getting Help• To read the Desktop Intelligence User’s Guide:

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Getting Help• For a quick guided tour of BusinessObjects:

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Opening a Document• To open a document held in a local or shared folder:

Click the Open button in the Report Toolbar.

demo2.rep

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Parts of the Document WindowThe Data Manager

Data in a Table Block More reports,

accessed by clicking a Report tabThe Status

Bar

Click the Data Managerbutton to hide the

Data Manager panel.

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Blocks• Data is displayed in Blocks:

Table Block

Crosstab Block

Financial Block

Chart Block

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Refreshing a Report• The last time the data was refreshed is shown in the

Status Bar:

• To refresh the data:

• When the data is refreshed, the new date is shown in the Status Bar

Click the Refresh Data button in the Standard Toolbar.

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Move the mouse pointer over the table column border.

Resizing a Column• You can use drag and drop to resize a table column:

Drag and drop the border.

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Move the mouse pointer over the table row border.

Resizing Rows• You can use drag and drop to resize table rows:


The rows are resized, but not the heading row.

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Move the mouse pointer over the table headings border.

Resizing the Heading Row• You can use drag and drop to resize the heading row:


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Specifying Row and Column Size• You can specify the size of columns and rows by using the

AutoFit feature:

Specify the width

Specify the height

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Dragging and Dropping Columns• You can move columns by dragging and dropping them:

Select the column you want to move.

Drag and drop the column.

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Changing Column Titles• You can change the titles of columns:

Double click on the title you want to change.

Type the new title.

Press the Enter key.

Store

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Applying Calculations to Columns• BusinessObjects provides many automatic

calculation functions:Move the mouse pointer over a column in a table.

Click on right mouse button.

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Adding a Sum• You can sum data in a column automatically:

Click on the Measure column you want to sum.

Click the Insert Sum button in the Report Toolbar.

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Adding a Percentage• You can add percentage data to a column automatically:

Click on the Measure column you want to add percentages to.

Click the Show as Percentage button in the Report Toolbar.

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Counting Rows of Data• Desktop Intelligence provide two functions for counting

rows of data:– Count - counts distinct values only– Count All - counts all rows in a column, including duplicates

and empty rows

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Counting Distinct Rows of Data• Use the Count function to count distinct rows:

Click on the column you want to apply the Count to.

Click the Insert Count button in the Report Toolbar.

Unique rows

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Counting All Rows of Data• Use the Count All function to count all rows:

Right click on the column you want to apply the Count All function to.

Choose Count All.

All rows

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Sorting Data• BusinessObjects lets you sort the data in columns

automatically.• There are 3 types of sort:

– Sort in ascending order - A to Z, 1 to 9, dates past to present– Sort in descending order - Z to A, 9 to 1, dates present to past– Custom sort - you can sort on multiple columns, select special

month and day sorts or design your own

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Applying a Sort• The sort options are shown in the Report Toolbar:

Click on the column you want to sort.

Click the Insert Sort button in the Report Toolbar.

Click the appropriate sort button.

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Applying a Custom Sort

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Filtering Data• BusinessObjects lets you view only the data you want to

see. Click on the column you want to filter.

Click the Insert Filter button in the Report Toolbar.

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Review• Resizing columns and rows• Moving columns• Changing table column titles• Moving tables• Moving report titles• Applying calculations• Applying sorts• Applying filters

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Drilling on Data• BusinessObjects allows you to drill to different levels

within your data.

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Using Drill ModeClick on the Drill button in the Standard Toolbar.

BusinessObjects creates a duplicate report for drilling.

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Drilling DownMove the mouse pointer over the data you want to drill down on.

Double click the left mouse button.

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Drilling Across Data

Click on the dropdown box.

Choose the data you want to drill across to.

The Drilling Toolbar

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Drilling Up DataMove the mouse pointer over the data you want to drill up on.

Double click the left mouse button.

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Review• Switching on drill mode• Drilling down• Drilling across data• Drilling up

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Using Different Presentation Styles to View Data

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Crosstab Block

Table Block

Presentation Styles• BusinessObjects has different block types that you can

use to format data in your report:

Chart Block

Financial Table

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Tables• A table is the default style for presenting data. All the

reports you have used so far in this course have been in this format.

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Financial Tables• A financial table is very like an ordinary table except that

the headings run vertically rather than horizontally.

Vertical data

Horizontal data

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Crosstabs• A crosstab looks like a spreadsheet with data in cells.

Row and column headings describe the

content of the cells

Table Crosstab

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Charts• You can also present data in a chart• BusinessObjects provides many types of chart:

– Area– Column– Line– Pie– XY (Scatter)– 3-D Area– 3-D Column– 3-D Line– 3-D Pie

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Creating TablesIn a report, click the Insert Table button in the Report Toolbar.

Click where you want the top left hand corner of the block to appear.

Select variables

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Creating a Financial TableSelect an existing table. Click the Rotate Table

button in the Report Toolbar.

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Creating Crosstabs

There are 2 ways to create a crosstab:– Turn an existing table into a crosstab– From scratch, using the Crosstab Wizard

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Creating a Crosstab from a TableSelect the column of data you want to move.

Drag and drop the data to the top right corner.

Tip: If you drop in the wrong place, you won’t get a crosstab. Don’t worry - just click the Undo button and try again.

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Creating a Crosstab using the WizardClick the Insert Crosstab button in the Report Toolbar.

Click where you want the top left hand corner of the block to appear.

Select variables

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Creating Charts

There are 2 ways to create a chart:• Turn an existing table or crosstab into a chart• From scratch, using the Chart Wizard

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Creating a Chart from a CrosstabSelect the crosstab.

Click the Chart Type button in the Report Toolbar.

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Creating a Chart using the Chart WizardClick the Insert Chart button in the Report Toolbar.

Drag out an rectangle representing the size of your chart in the report area.

Select variables

Select the chart type

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ReviewBusinessObjects has different block types that you can use to

format data in your report:

• Tables, Financial Tables, Crosstabs, Charts

• You create tables using the Table Wizard

• You create financial tables by using the Rotate button

• You create crosstabs by dragging and dropping or the Crosstab Wizard

• You create charts from tables or the Chart Wizard

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Simple Queries

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Business ObjectsDesktop Intelligence specializes in the provision of decision support systems (DSS)

– Direct access to data– Short learning curve– Secure data– User-friendly interface

QueryDatabases

Local Files

UsersAnalyze

Report

Results

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Classes, Objects, and Universes

You get information by using everyday business language:

– An Object is anything you want to see in a reportClass

UniverseObject

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Objects• There are three types of Object in a Universe:

a Dimension a Detail a Measure

…to gain more information on an entity.

…to analyze summary information.

…can be combined with a...

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The Course Universe• eFashion

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Building and Running a Query

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BusinessObjectsBusinessObjectsQueryQuery

ResultsResultsDataData ProviderProvider

ReportReport

Database(Data Source)

Query Process

CLIENT SERVER

User

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Documents

• A Document is composed of three main parts:

Data Provider1

Blocks, providing views of the Data Provider

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Report Pages3

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Data and Network Protection

• Desktop Intelligence protects users by protecting both:

– The data in the database

– The networkThe Observer

User Writes Query that returns 5000000 Rows!!!

Market Crashes

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Sharing Reports with Colleagues

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Sharing Reports• You can share your reports with colleagues by sending

them to users, or by publishing them in the repository.• When you send reports:

– They go to named users and do not remain on the repository once all the recipients have retrieved them. This is ideal for communicating information to individual people rather than to groups of users.

• When you publish reports:– They remain on the repository until the BusinessObjects

supervisor removes them. This is ideal for communicating information across an organization or enterprise.

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Sending a Report

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Sending a Report continued...

UserGroup

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Sending a Report continued...

Efashion.rep

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Publishing a Report

Efashion.rep

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Retrieving Documents

You can retrieve documents:– that have been sent to you– that have been published on the repository, for your group

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Retrieving Documents Sent to You

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Retrieving Published Documents

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Review• Sharing reports with colleagues• Sending documents• Publishing documents• Retrieving documents sent to you• Retrieving published documents

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Report Creation and Analysis

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What You Will Be Able To Do• Display the results of a simple query in a specified

presentation style• Create reports that allow for the restriction of data• Use the Slice And Dice panel• Create single, multiple, and extended scopes of analysis• Enhance the level of information presented in a report• Use the Report Manager

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Understanding Conditions• You can restrict a query so that it returns data related to

a subset of values for an object rather than all values.• Let’s examine the condition:

Store Equal to e-Fashion Austin Magnolia.

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Understanding Conditions (continued)• A condition has three elements. These are (for

example):objectoperatoroperand

Condition

Store Equal to e-Fashion Austin Magnolia

These three elements are defined as follows:

• Object : a field or column of data

• Operator : specification of the relationship between the object and the operand

• Operand : the object value to be searched for

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Types of Conditions

• There are four types of conditions that you can use in BusinessObjects:– Single- and multi-value conditions– Prompted condition– Multiple condition– Predefined condition

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Applying Single-Value Conditions

• With a single-value condition, you limit data returned from a single result object.

• For example, you need to produce a report showing Sales revenue for all stores in 1999.

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Applying Single-Value Conditions (cont.)

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Applying Multi-Value Conditions

• In the previous example, you could only select one value (a single year) for the condition. What about using several values?

• For example, you need to produce a report showing Sales revenue for the states California, Florida, and Texas.

• To select multiple values, the procedure is much the same as before, except you use a different operator.

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Applying Multi-Value Conditions (cont.)

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Applying Multi-Value Conditions (cont.)

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Applying Prompted Conditions

• When you use a prompted query condition, BusinessObjects asks you to choose which data to retrieve before running the query.

• For example, you need to produce a report showing Sales revenue for all stores based on a year that the user specifies when running the query.

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Applying Prompted Conditions (continued)

Type the question: Which year?Then press Enter or click outside this box.

Which year?

Type the year: 2000Then press Enter or click OK.

2000

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Applying Prompted Conditions (continued)

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Understanding Wildcards in Conditions

• Sometimes you may want to search for partial values.• You can search for any single character or any number of

characters. In BusinessObjects, you use the following wildcards:_ = any single character

% = any number of characters (including none)

• For example, you need to display the Sales revenue for all product categories beginning with the letter “B.”

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Understanding Wildcards in Conditions

Type the pattern: B%Then press Enter or click outside the box.

B%

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Using Relational Operators in Conditions

• Relational operators determine the type of comparison to be made between two values in conditional expressions or between a value and a set of values.

• Relational operators are usually expressed as symbols. However, in BusinessObjects they are represented as follows.

Symbol BusinessObjects Equivalent= Equal to<> Not equal to

> Greater than

>= Greater than or equal to

< Less than

<= Less than or equal to

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Using Relational Operators (continued)

• Relational operators are mostly used with numeric data and often with dates.• For example, create a query that displays a product category when its Sales revenue is over 1,000,000.

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Drag and drop to delete

Type the number: 1000000Then press Enter or click outside the box.

1000000

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Logical Operators for Multiple Conditions

• You may sometimes need to apply more than one condition (to produce a report that focuses more precisely on certain data).

• When you specify more than one condition in a query, the relationship between the conditions must use either the AND or the OR operator. These are logical operators.– AND means that both conditions must be met.

– OR means that either one of the conditions must be met.

• The following Venn diagram illustrates these points.

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Logical Operators (continued)• For example, you need to produce a report showing that

the store e-Fashion Montreal 42nd sold Accessories.

All Database Rows

Area C: Rows that meet conditions of both A as well as B. Logically: A OR B

Circle A:All rows that meet the condition …

Store = e-Fashion Montreal 42nd

Circle B:All rows that meet the condition …

(Product) Lines = Accessories

Logically:A AND B

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Logical Operators (continued)

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• Display a table showing all the Product Lines that e-Fashion Montreal 42nd sells as well as all stores that sell Accessories.

• Tip: This requires you to use the OR operator.

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Double click the AND operator to change it into an OR operator.

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• When you specify three or more conditions in a query, the structure of the logical operators assumes a processing priority. You must organize your conditions in the appropriate priority for the result you need.

• For example, view the Sales revenue for Trousers and City Trousers from the store e-Fashion Montreal 42nd.

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Double click the AND operator to change it into an OR operator.

Right click the second AND operator to display the speedmenu, then shift it right.

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Logical Operators (continued)• You need to change

the query to show the Sales revenue for all stores that sell Trousers, as well as the revenue for City Trousers only from e-Fashion Montreal 42nd.

Right click, then shift it left.

Right click, then shift it right.

Double click to change it to OR.

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Using Condition Objects

• Predefined conditions use condition objects. • You can apply one or more predefined conditions when

you build a query. • For example, display the Sales revenue by Categories for

each store and use a condition object to restrict the results to T-Shirts only.

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Using Condition Objects

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Using Condition Objects (continued)

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Using Condition Objects (continued)

• You can keep track of the data you have retrieved by displaying or printing the contents of your prompt along with the report.

• This is especially useful in reports that have no column to display the contents of the prompt (unlike this table that displays T-Shirts).

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Review• During this module, you developed skills in building more

powerful queries. These queries let you create more focused reports. You learned how to restrict data using:– Single- and multi-value conditions– Prompted conditions– Wildcards in conditions– Relational operators in conditions– Multiple conditions with logical operators– Predefined condition objects

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Exploring the Slice and Dice Panel• The Slice and Dice Panel is a pop-up window that

provides a graphical representation of the structure of the report you are working on.

• Slice-and-dice panel enables you to switch the position of data in a report.

Work with master/detail reportsDisplay and remove dataRename and reset and delete blocksTurn tables and crosstabs into charts and vice versaApply, edit and delete breaks, filters, sorts, ranking and calculations

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Exploring the Slice and Dice Panel (cont.)

a. Show/hide the available variable boxb. Apply breaks, filters, sorts, ranking and calculationsc. Report variablesd. View all variables, dimensions only, measures only, or all variables by data providere. Show masters in master/detail reports.f. Show the variables in the active table, chart or crosstab.g. Show the name and type of each block

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Understanding Aggregations

• Aggregation is a process that adjusts and displays measurable quantities at various requested levels. Only objects that measure quantities can be aggregated.

• For instance, examine the sales revenue for each store on a quarterly basis, then on a yearly basis (without the benefit of drilling).

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Applying Aggregations

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Applying Aggregations (cont.)

Drag and drop

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Viewing Data In Different Presentation Styles

• With slice and dice you can change the block style in which you view the data.

• By dragging and dropping icons in the Block Structure box of the Slice and Dice Panel, you can convert between the block types: – Tables– Charts– Crosstabs– Financial blocks

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Converting to a Crosstab

• Where you have at least two dimensions and a single measure object in a block, it is often easier to analyze the data in a crosstab.

• For example, you have a table and need to view it in a crosstab so that you can better compare sales revenue between stores and years.

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Converting to a Crosstab (cont.)

Note: To convert back to a table, drag Year back down to where it was.

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Converting to a Chart

• When you want a chart, you need at least one dimension and a single measure object in a block.

• Pie charts work better when there are only a handful of dimensions, whereas bar charts can represent more dimensions more effectively.

• For example, you have a table and need to view it in a chart presentation to visually compare revenue between years.

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Converting to a Chart (cont.)

Right click the tab.

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Applying Functions

• The Slice and Dice Panel Toolbar makes some of the core features of Desktop Intelligence easy to access.

Apply Break

Apply Filter

Apply Sort

Apply Ranking

Insert Calculation

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Sorting Data

• With slice and dice you can re-sort the rows of your data block.

• The sort function can order rows alphabetically or numerically and can be ascending or descending.

• For example, to view the stores having the lowest and highest sales revenues, you need to sort the rows by revenue.

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Sorting Data (continued)

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Sorting Data (continued)

To sort in descending order, double click the icon.

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Filtering Data

• Sometimes you may want to view only the data you need and hide the data you do not want to view.

• For example, you need to focus only on store revenue for 1999.

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Filtering Data (continued)

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Applying Calculations to Data

• You can insert calculated values into your report block. • For example, find the total revenue for the period 1999-

2001. You also need to know how many stores have reported revenue and how many rows of data are in the report.

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Applying Calculations to Data (continued)

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• To insert a calculation on a crosstab:

Double click the button.

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Applying Breaks to Data

• With slice and dice you can break your report block into logical parts; or in other words, according to selected data and values.

• This function also gives you the important feature of displaying subtotals.

• For example, show 1999 revenue subtotals for each region in a table.

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Applying Breaks to Data (continued)

Select 1999.

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Applying Breaks to Data (continued)

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Ranking Data (continued)• You may only want to show the extreme ranges of the

data (the largest numbers and the smallest numbers in a report). Like filtering, it hides the data you do not want to display.

• You can rank data contained in tables, crosstabs or master cells in master/detail reports.

• For example, you need to display a report showing the three stores with the highest sales revenue.

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Ranking Data (continued)

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Ranking Data (continued)• You need to total the revenue figures for the top three

stores of each year.

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Creating a Sectioned Report• This report is similar to the one you just made by

breaking a table, but it effects the entire report rather than the way the break function effected only a data block.

• For example, compare sales revenue figures for each store and every year in separate sections of your table.

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Creating a Sectioned Report

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Review• During this module, you learned how to use the main features of the Slice and Dice

Panel. These features included:

Aggregating values Converting blocks to different formats

Tables Crosstabs

Applying the following functions to data blocks Sorts Filters Calculations Breaks

Ranking

Charts Master/detail (sectioned)

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Drilling

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Understanding Drill Concepts• Drill mode lets you break down data and view it from different angles and at

different levels of detail to discover the driving factors behind a good or bad business result.

• The following concepts help you understand drilling:

– Hierarchies

– Drill Mode

– Scope of Analysis

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Hierarchies• Objects in a Desktop Intelligence universe are grouped in

folders and organized in a specific (hierarchical) order.• The eFashion universe uses the following hierarchies:

– Store (Region, State, City, Store name)

– Time Period (Year, Quarter, Month, Week)

– Products (Lines, Category, SKU desc, Color, Unit Price MSRP)

• The following diagram shows how the Store hierarchy is structured.

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Hierarchies (continued)

West

California Colorado

LA San Francisco Colorado Springs Denver

e-Fash. LA

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Drill Mode

• Drill hierarchies only contain dimension objects. In drill mode, you drill on dimension objects, for example from Year to Quarter to Month.

• At each level, measures such as Sales Revenue are aggregated.

• You can only drill on dimension objects, not measures (such as revenue) or details (such as a store’s postal code).

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Scope of Analysis• The scope of analysis

follows the hierarchical structure as shown in this dialog box.

• Before you can analyze data in drill mode, you must set up the scope of analysis.

• “Analysis” in this context means data at different levels of detail.

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Using Default Hierarchies

• Each class within a universe with its associated dimensions provides the default hierarchies that you use for drilling.

• Before you can drill on a hierarchy, you must first set the scope of analysis.

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Setting the Scope of Analysis

• When you define a default scope of analysis, you use objects from the same hierarchy.

• For example, analyze Sales revenue figures geographically.

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Setting the Scope of Analysis (continued)

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Double click to drill down.

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Drilling Through a Default Hierarchy• When you are drilling on a hierarchy, you may need to

drill further than the scope of analysis allows. • Rather than resetting the scope of analysis back in the

Query Panel, you can use a short cut that lets you add more drillable dimensions.

• This process of appending more dimensions “on-the-fly” is called Drilling Through.

• For instance, drill through your current table to view Store names.

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Drilling Through a Default Hierarchy (cont.)

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Drilling on a Chart

• It is just as easy to drill on a chart as on a table.• For example, you have a chart showing Sales revenue by

Region, and you need to drill on it to view more detail.

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Drilling on a Chart (continued)Right click to display speedmenu.

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Drilling on a Chart (continued)

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Drilling on Multiple Hierarchies• If a single hierarchy does not fit your analysis

requirements, then you can create a report where you can drill down on several dimensions from different hierarchies.

• You can also drill on multiple hierarchies within a crosstab or chart.

• For example, analyze your data for several dimensions that are only found in different hierarchies.

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Drilling on Multiple Hierarchies

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Drilling on Multiple Hierarchies (continued)

Note: When you drill on multiple hierarchies you can drilldown through your data in any order you like. However,when drilling back up, be sure to drill the same way youdrilled down. To help with this, right click and use thedrill speedmenu to see where to go next.

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Using Predefined Custom Hierarchies

• Predefined custom hierarchies are hierarchies that the universe designer sets up.

• These hierarchies bring together objects from different classes, which allow more specialized analysis.

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Setting the Scope of Analysis

• It is just as easy to set the scope of analysis for predefined custom hierarchies as it is for default hierarchies.

• For example, analyze your Sales revenue figures by Year, Quarter, and State.

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Extending the Scope of Analysis

• You learned how to bring in more data from the database by editing the scope of analysis.

• Extending the scope of analysis is similar, but you add several dimensions at once.

• For example, extend your analysis by drilling on City and Store name, which are not available in your current scope of analysis.

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Extending the Scope of Analysis (continued)

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Printing Drill Information

• You can print the object values that you have drilled on in your reports.

• For example, print the high-level information along with a low-level drill result.

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Printing Drill Information (continued)

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Printing Drill Information (continued)

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User-defined Custom Hierarchies• Sometimes the default order of existing hierarchies is not

right for your analysis or you need to drill on a hierarchy that has objects from different classes.

• User-defined hierarchies let you create your own hierarchies using any dimensions available in the document.

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User-defined Custom Hierarchies (cont.)

You can edit a user-defined hierarchy by:– changing the order of the dimensions it contains,

– adding dimensions to it,

– removing dimensions from it,

– renaming it, or

– deleting it.

For example, analyze revenue figures by Region, State, and Year.

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User-defined Custom Hierarchies (cont.) Double click, then

type name of hierarchy here:Time/Location(Custom)

Time/Location(Custom)

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Saving a View With Snapshot• This feature copies the current report and displays the

copy in a new tab inside the document. • This lets you keep track of your analysis steps (from

drilling).

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Saving a View With Snapshot (continued)

This is your snapshot,notice the icon.

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Review• During this module, you learned how to expand

the drill capability and concepts of drilling, hierarchies, and scope of analysis.

• The hierarchies you can drill on:– Default hierarchies

– Predefined custom hierarchies

– User-defined custom hierarchies

• The methods to drill through data.• The methods and rationale for extending the

scope of analysis.

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Report Enhancement

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Creating Variables• A variable is a formula or calculation that has a name. • Variables are usually displayed in columns alongside

corresponding data.• Variables are useful when:

– You want to use a formula repeatedly.– You want to use the same formula in different blocks and on

different report tabs within a document.– You want to process data from different databases.– You want to use variables for analysis in drill mode.

• For example, create a variable in a separate column to calculate the sales tax for each product line.

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Creating Variables (continued)

Right click the columnto display the speedmenu.

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Type the name of your variable: Sales Tax

Sales Tax

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Type the amount of your value: 17.5

17.5

Your new variable.

%

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Creating Alerters

• Use alerters to draw attention to items of data in a block. Alerters can highlight data in two ways:– By changing the format of values– By displaying a comment next to certain results

• For example, highlight (in large, bold, red letters) Sales Tax amounts over 40,000 for any product line.

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Creating Alerters (continued)

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Type the name of your alerter: Big Tax

Big Tax

Type the amount: 40000

40000

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Be sure to select the Font tab.

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Using Text Alerters

• You need to display a comment in a column to the right of Sales Tax when it exceeds 40,000 for any product line.

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Using Text Alerters (continued)

Comment

Type the name of this alerter: High Tax

High Tax

Insert another new column.

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Using Text Alerters (continued)Because we started in a blank column, this field is blank.

Select the same options as before.

High Tax

Type the words to insert into the table:High Tax

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Using Text Alerters (continued)

If you apply an alerter to a column that already has data, it will replace the data. This feature could be useful, for instance, for hiding names.

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Report Manager

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Understanding the Report Manager• The Report Manager offers a comprehensive way of

creating, opening, navigating, and manipulating reports.• From one window, you can manage all the variables in

your report, work on the structure and formatting of report components, and use the navigation view to go quickly from section to section or report to report.

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Using a New Work Flow

Right click to display speedmenu.

Start new documents from within the Report Manager:

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Using New Work Flow (continued)Create and run this query.

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Using Multiple Data SourcesThese are a few of the possible relationships

between data sources,

microcubes, and data blocks.

Data Blocks

eFashion Universe

1

2

Excel File

3

eStaff Universe

4

5

Local Data Store ReportSource

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Using Multiple Data Sources (continued)

• For example, create a report that includes a table showing total revenue per Region and another table showing total employee salary per Region.

Create the first table by standard procedure.

Then create a second table.

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• You can also use data from non-BusinessObject sources.• For example, incorporate data from a separate Excel file

Start off by creating a standard table.

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Enterprise Reporting

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What You Will Be Able To Do• Test complex queries without the need to run the query.

• Produce reports that include combined data from multiple sources.

• Build and test new queries without retrieving data from the repository.

• Include running calculations in your reports.

• Produce reports that include formatting features that others can utilize.

• Work more easily with reports that contain a lot of detailed information, using folding and the Outline View.

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Objects• There are three types of Object in a Universe:

a Dimension a Detail a Measure

…to gain more information on an entity.

…to analyze summary information.

…can be combined with a...

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Building a Query• Where do you build queries?

Shows the classes and objects in your selected universe.

Move objects here to specify the query.

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Building and Running a Query• How do you build a query?

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BusinessObjectsBusinessObjectsQueryQuery

ResultsResultsDataData ProviderProvider

ReportReport

Database(Data Source)

Query Process

CLIENT SERVERUser

What are the steps in the query process?

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The Query Results

The new block contains data based on your query.

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Documents• What are the three main parts of a document?

Data Provider1

Blocks, providing views of the Data Provider

2

Report Pages3

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Crosstab Block

Table Block

Presentation Styles• What block types can you use?

Chart Block

Financial Table

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Restricting Data• How can you restrict the data in your queries?

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Results After Restricting Data• In this example, only the sales revenue figures for

e-Fashion Austin Magnolia are displayed:

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Creating a Variable• How would you create a variable for 5% Sales Tax in the table

below?

Right click the Sales Tax column. Choose the Variables option. Add the formula: =<Sales revenue> * 5%

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Working with Data Providers

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Data Provider

• A query is a type of Data Provider. • The data provider contains the data you have chosen to retrieve

from the data source.• Using this data set we can build interactive reports.

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Types of Data Providers

• Universe• Personal Data Files• Stored Procedures• Freehand SQL• XML Data Provider• VBA Data Provider

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You can press the Esc key to stop processing.Partial results are shown by a warning triangle in the Status Bar:

Building and Editing a Query• For large reports or for testing:

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Building and Testing New Queries

• You can build and test new queries without retrieving data from the repository

• Benefits:– In the design phase you may not need to retrieve data every time you

change a query or its conditions– Especially useful if the query retrieves a lot

of data and takes a long time to run

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Click the Edit Data Provider button.

Distributing Queries without Returning Data

• You can suppress the data retrieval process when you run a query

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The data is in the data provider, but has been removed from the report. Only the column headings are displayed.

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Refreshing Data• When you’ve finished developing the query, you can populate the

table with data to see the final results:Testing with no data:

Refresh populates the report with data.

Click the Refresh button.

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Saving Structure But Not Data• After viewing the data, you can still close the document without

the data:Click the Edit Data Provider button.

When development is complete, remember to uncheck the Do Not Retrieve Data box.

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Running Calculations

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Adding a Cumulative Total• To add a variable to calculate the running total at the end of each

row:

Create a column in the table.Right click in the column and choose the Variables option.

=RunningSum(¦)=RunningSum(<Sales revenue>)

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Adding a Cumulative Total• Click OK and then Insert to display the results:

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Click on the Break button.

Adding a Break• Breaks are good for highlighting when a variable, such as Store

Name, changes:Click on the data column you want to break.

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Adding a Calculated Value• You can build your own formulas as well as using calculations

supplied by BusinessObjects

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Creating Templates and Styles

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Creating a Template• To create a template:

– Create a report– Format the layout and structure of the report– Save the report as a template

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Creating a TemplateCreate a report and format the layout and structure.

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Creating a TemplateType a name and save the report as a template.

My Template.ret

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Applying a Template• When you create a new document, you can apply predefined

formatting using a template:

Click on the New Report Wizard button.

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Applying a Template

Choose a template.

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Applying a TemplateCreate the query for the report.

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Applying a Template• The new report is formatted using a template and populated

using data return by your query:

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Styles• You can use styles to define the layout of tables, crosstabs,

breaks, sections and other report components• BusinessObjects provides a set a standard report styles• You can modify supplied styles to create your own

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Changing the Standard Report Style

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Changing the Standard Report StyleUse the tabs to change different parts of the report.

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Changing the Standard Report StyleYou can change different components in the report.

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Applying the Standard Report Style

Your existing report.

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The Standard Report Style is applied.

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Outlining and Folding Reports

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Outlining and Folding• Folding

– Allows you to build a summary (folded) report that displays only high level information

• Outlining– Views and hides selected levels of information detail in a report

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Folding a ReportA typical report with a Break on Region and a Sum on Sales revenue.

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Folding a Report

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Folding a Report

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Folding a Report

Only Region and total Sales revenue for each region.

The report is folded.

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Folding a ReportA final summary table, produced by deleting the header row and blank rows and Sum column.

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OutliningYou can use Outlining to simplify a complex report.

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Outlining

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OutliningSection breaks and break levels are shown.

Click on 2.

Buttons to select outline levels.

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Outlining

Click on 1 to display only Level 1 information.

Level 1 and 2 information is displayed.

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Outlining

Click on an arrow to re-display a section’s detail.

Only Level 1 information is displayed.

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Outlining

The section detail is expanded.

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Switching Off Outlining

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Review• Folding reports• Outlining

– Switching on Outline mode– Selecting levels of detail for display– Switching off Outline mode

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Advanced Report Building

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Changing the Orientation of Data• You can use the Slice and Dice feature to change the orientation

of rows and columns

Select the table and click on the Slice and Dice

button.

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Changing the Orientation of DataThe block structure

is shown.

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Changing the Orientation of DataDrag and drop the

objects to change the orientation.

Click the Slice and Dice button again.

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Changing the Orientation of DataThe data orientation changes.

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Adding Breaks• You can add breaks to improve the layout of data in crosstabs

Click Format, Breaks.

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Adding Breaks

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Adding BreaksThe break formats the

headers across the table columns.

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Managing Page Breaks• You can break up large reports that spread over several

pages by setting page breaks• You can continue headers and footers from page to page

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Managing Page BreaksA long table that runs onto more than one

page.

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Managing Page Breaks

Select the table.

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Page break footer before page break.

Page break header after page break.Repeat header on every page.

Show Footer.

Page break here

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Managing Page Breaks• You can add variables and formulas:

=Sum(<Sales revenue>)

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Managing Page Breaks• You can carry over subtotals in the page break header:

=RunningSum(<Sales revenue>) - Sum(<Sales revenue>)

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Managing Page Breaks• You can add a grand totals in the table footer:

=Sum(<Sales revenue>)

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Conditional Reporting• You can insert conditional statements for hiding blocks and other

report components:

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Conditional Reporting

Select the table.

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Conditional Reporting

=Sum(<Sales revenue>) < 40000000

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Conditional ReportingThe table disappears!

WHY?As the condition is TRUE, (the sum of sales revenue values is less than 40

million), the table is hidden.

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Report Manager - Map Tab• The Map tab in Report Manager allows you to work with lists of

reports and reports with multiple sections

Navigation Structure

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Report Manager - Map Tab• Navigator view

– List all the reports in a document– Shows section names of the

currently displayed report– Click on a section to move to it– You can also rename reports– Right click for context speedmenu

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Report Manager - Map Tab• Structure view

– List all components in the selected report

– Click on a component to it in thereport window

– You can drag and drop to move components

– Right click component, breaks, sort, filters, to display context speedmenu

– Hidden components are shown in italic

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Report Printing• You can display reports in Print Preview to see how they will look

when you print them• You can set up:

– Page size and orientation (portrait/landscape)– Fit to print– Margins– Page numbering– Order of printing

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Report Printing - Page Setup

Specify a percentage of normal size.Specify the number of pages.

Specify Landscape or Portrait.

Specify the paper size.

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Report Printing - Margins

Specify the margins…

… and see the effects.

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Report Printing - Page Number and Order Specify the number

of the first page……useful if you are printing part of a report.

Specify the order the pages are printed.

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