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Data Assist provides access to the Synonym Editor, which is an environment for managing and editing synonyms.
Metadata is data about data. Metadata describes the characteristics of your data sources and provides the information needed to access those data sources. This insulates you from the need to know how to optimally access the data, so that you can concentrate on using the data for reporting, charting, visualizations, and applications. Examples of metadata components are data type, data location, and data content and information about how to connect to it. Metadata can be generated whenever data is created, acquired, added to, deleted from, or updated in any data source within an enterprise.
The smallest meaningful element of data in a data source is referred to as a column (for relational data sources) or a field (for non-relational data sources). Column and field are used interchangeably throughout this content. Every column or field has several characteristics, such as the data type (character, date, integer, or some other type) and length or scale. Field characteristics can also include output display options, such as comma inclusion, currency symbol, date display, and so on. For consistency, all fields should be included in the metadata, so all users get the same view of the data. However, you can create a logical view of the data in which only a subset of the fields are available.
Certain fields in a data source may have a one-to-one relationship with each other and describe a group of related characteristics. For example, each unique ID number represents only one employee. These fields can be grouped together into a segment or, in relational terms, a table. You can relate segments to each other by creating a multi-segment data source or by joining segments together. Segments are the building blocks of larger data structures.
Fields can be categorized as measures (facts), dimensions, hierarchy levels, or attributes.
A measure or fact is a numeric value, such as Gross Profit or Cost of Goods Sold, that you may want to aggregate. All numeric values that can logically be summed can be categorized as measures. Numeric fields that cannot be summed, such as product number and order ID, are not categorized as measures. Instead, they may be used in the same way as dimension fields to analyze measures. It is up to you to understand your data and determine whether each numeric field should be summed.
A dimension is a way to categorize data or sort output. You can use a dimension to analyze and compare measures. Generally, dimension fields are alphanumeric fields such as product. Certain dimension fields can be organized into hierarchies to define the relationships between the fields in the hierarchies and provide the information needed for the AUTODRILL feature. For example, a Geography hierarchy can contain the Continent, Country, State, and City fields. On report output, with AUTODRILL turned on, links will be provided on report or chart output that let you drill down the hierarchy levels to more detailed reports or charts. You can also define dimension fields that are not part of a dimension hierarchy.
An attribute is a field or collection of fields that add additional information about a dimension.
Using the Business View feature, you can create a view of the data that represents its business use by creating virtual segments called folders and adding fields to the folders. You can reuse fields in multiple folders. You can then categorize those folders and fields as measures (facts), dimensions, hierarchy levels, or attributes. Only the folder structure, not the real segments will be visible in the WebFOCUS tools and be available for use in requests.
When WebFOCUS accesses data, it needs to know how to interpret the data that it finds. A Master File, which is the primary component of metadata, is a map of the segments in the data source and all of the fields in each segment. The Master File also identifies the name of the data source and the type of data source it is.
For some types of data sources, the Master File is supplemented by an Access File. An Access File includes additional information that completes the description of the data source. For example, it includes the full data source name and location. You require one Master File and, for some data sources, one Access File to describe a data source. These metadata files (Master File and Access File) are referred to as a synonym.
Synonyms are stored separately, apart from the associated data source. WebFOCUS uses a synonym to interpret a data source as follows:
The data source content is interpreted based on the information in the Master File and, if applicable, the Access File.
With the appropriate WebFOCUS Data Adapters configured, you can access data from many different sources, including the following:
Every adapter is specifically designed for the data source that it accesses, and, as a result, is able to translate between SQL or WebFOCUS and the data management language (DML) of the data source. The adapter manages the communication between the data interface and the data source and returns either answer sets or messages to the requestor. Adapters provide solutions to product variations, including product differences in syntax, functionality, schema, data types, catalogs, data representations, message processing, and answer set retrieval. It is the adapter that manages the synonym creation process.
The parameters required to configure supported adapters and to create synonyms for the corresponding data sources are described in detail in the Adapter Administration manual.
Synonyms are useful because they insulate client applications from changes to the location and identity of a request. You can move or rename a request without modifying the client applications that use it. You need to make only one change, redefining the request synonym on the server. Synonyms provide support for the extended metadata features of the server, such as virtual fields and security mechanisms. Creating a synonym generates a Master File and an Access File.
Often, a synonym already exists on the server, and reporting can begin at once. However, if the synonym you require does not exist on the server, an authorized server or application administrator can create it directly using the Web Console, the Data Management Console (DMC), or the Metadata canvas in App Studio.
Although, you can use Data Assist to create a new synonym, the situations in which you need to do this are extremely rare. The Web Console, DMC, and Metadata Canvas provide automatic and error-free synonym creation tools.
Once you have generated a synonym, you can report against the synonym. In many instances, the configured adapter and the generated synonym are all you need to access your data and create reports and graphs.
However, you may wish to enhance the synonym in order to implement particular capabilities that are supported in the WebFOCUS data description language. To do this, you can use Data Assist or the Metadata canvas.
The following are some of the attributes you might want to add to the synonym to enhance your data access and reporting capabilities. You can:
You open a synonym in the Synonym Editor by:
The synonym opens in the Synonym Editor, as shown in the following image of a Cluster Business View open in the Synonym Editor.
The Join Editor is open showing the joins included in the cluster, with an Applications pane you can use to add tables to the cluster.
The Output pane is open to show sample data.
Note that each data item has an icon that indicates the data type of that item. For information about:
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The Synonym Editor user interface consists of a ribbon and frames used for viewing and enhancing a synonym. You can open multiple synonyms in the Synonym Editor.
The number of frames you actually see when you open a synonym depends on the environment from which you are accessing the Synonym Editor and the characteristics of the synonym you open.
The Synonym Editor Ribbon is shown in the following image. The buttons that display depend on the environment from which you opened the synonym.
File Menu
Provides the following options.
Enables you to create a new Cluster Business View, Connect to Data, Custom Copy, or Flow.
Opens a list of files currently open in the Synonym Editor and lets you select one to switch to.
Reopens the saved version of the synonym.
Saves the file in the tab that currently has the focus.
Saves the files open in all tabs.
Opens the Save As dialog box to save the current file.
Closes the file that currently has the focus. If you have made changes and have not saved the file, a Close dialog box opens asking if you want to save changes.
Exits without saving the changes to any open synonym.
Closes Data Assist. If you reopen Data Assist, the tabs from the previous session will be intact.
Related Menu
Provides the following options.
This option will only be available if the current tab is for a cluster synonym. It provides a list of the synonyms referenced by the cluster. Select one or more to open them in new tabs.
Opens a Custom Copy window in a new tab.
Opens a Data Assist query tool for cubes.
Undoes the most recent actions. You can set the number of undo actions supported using the Options menu. The default number of undo actions is 50.
Redoes the most recent actions. You can set the number of redo actions supported using the Options menu. The default number of redo actions is 50.
Advanced Options Menu
Provides the following options.
Opens the Advanced Options dialog box for setting the following preferences.
Includes the following options.
Includes the following options.
Includes the following options.
Includes the following options.
Opens the DBA dialog box for adding security rules to the synonym. For more information, see Adding Data Source Security (DBA).
Provides the following options.
Does not show sample output.
Creates a tab in the output window with a sample of the current data. On is the default value.
Can be Off or On. On shows sample values in the Table/Columns and Business View panes. Off does not show sample data values in the Tables/Columns and Business View panes. On is the default value.
Lets you generate a sample data report of the current synonym in the output pane.
Provides the following options.
Opens a text view of the Master File in the Output pane.
Opens a text view of the Access File in the Output pane.
Displays a report about the segments and fields in the Master File.
Opens the layout window.
Clears the history of undo actions.
Help Menu
The Help menu (? icon) on the right of the ribbon provides the following options.
Opens the Web Console help page.
Provides a tutorial for using Upload/Connect to Data and Business View +.
Displays version information.
Opens a window that shows supported browsers and browser versions.
Opens a list of new feature manuals in PDF format for the various 77 server releases.
Opens the Release Notes report for this version of the server.
Opens installation and adapter prerequisites help files.
Enables you to open the Information Builders license terms or third party licenses, if any.
The sidebar has the following button.
Opens the Table/Column pane, which shows the physical view of the segments and fields. This pane is hidden, by default.
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The Synonym Editor frames that you see by default depend on the environment from which you are opening a synonym and the characteristics of the synonym. The frames available in Synonym Editor are:
Each frame has a menu bar that offers options specific to that frame as well as options that are common to multiple frames.
The following menu bar options are common to multiple frames.
After implementing a search, a cancel (undo) button becomes available to delete the search term.
In addition, there are common right-click menu options for fields in the Table/Column, Business View, and Output panes. Some of the options that show up are dependent on the data type of the field. For more information, see Right-Click Options for Fields in the Table/Column, Business View, and Output Panes.
The Table/Column frame displays the physical characteristics of the underlying data sources represented in the synonym. You can use options on the menu bar, or use the context sensitive right-click menu options, to make changes to the physical synonym.
The Table/Column frame is shown in the following image.
The icon next to each column identifies the data type of the column.
The menu bar at the top of the pane has the following options.
Lists the segments and fields in the synonym with their data types and two data values. This is the default display.
Displays the segments (tables) and their relationships in the form of a tree.
Opens a frame that displays the Join Editor. You can edit the joins using menus and options at the top of the pane or right-click options. For more information, see Creating a Join.
Opens a dialog box for selecting the metadata attributes and number of field values to display.
Resets the pane to the default view.
Options When Right-Clicking the Synonym Name
Properties. Opens a dialog box for editing the following properties. Click Apply when you have finished editing the properties.
identifies the type of data source being accessed. This cannot be changed in this dialog box.
Specifies a FOCEXEC to be run prior to any request that references the synonym.
Defines the default century for handling cross-century dates. Cannot be changed in this dialog box.
Defines the year threshold for handling cross-century dates. Cannot be chnaged in this dialog box.
Provides a description.
Can be one of the following values. Switching the value can invalidate field references in a request.
Can be one of the following values.
New Variable. Opens a dialog box for referencing a global or system variable in the synonym. Click Apply after entering or selecting values for the following properties.
Enter the name of a global or system variable to be referenced in the synonym.
Is descriptive text to replace the variable name in the prompt.
Enter a default value for the variable.
Select one of the following options.
Select Type. Select Single selection, if the user can only select one value from the list, or Multiple selection, if the user can multi-select values from the list.
Values. Enter the list of values, enclosed in single quotation marks, and separated by the OR operator.
Select Type. Select Single selection, if the user can only select one value from the list, or Multiple selection, if the user can multi-select values from the list.
Caption/Value Pairs. Enter the list of captions and values, in the following form.
(<'cap1', 'val1'>,<'cap2', 'val2'>)
Select Type. Select Single selection, if the user can only select one value from the list, or Multiple selection, if the user can multi-select values from the list.
Lookup Synonym. Enter the name of the synonym for the data source that contains the field values that will comprise the generated list of values, or click the ellipsis (...) to navigate to the synonym.
Lookup Field. Select the name of the field that contains the acceptable values for the generated list.
Lookup Display Field. Select the name of the field that contains the values to be displayed on the generated list.
Select Type. Select Single selection, if the user can only select one value from the list, or Multiple selection, if the user can multi-select values from the list.
Lookup Procedure. Enter the name of the procedure that contains the field values that will comprise the generated list of values, or click the ellipsis (...) to navigate to the procedure.
Lookup Procedure Parameters. Enter any parameters needed for running the procedure.
Lookup Field. Select the name of the field that contains the acceptable values for the generated list.
Lookup Display Field. Select the name of the field that contains the values to be displayed on the generated list.
Select this option to enclose the string in single quotation marks.
Select from Integer, Character (fixed), or Decimal. Additional fields open to specify the length of the format and, for Decimal, the number of decimal places.
New Expression. Click Advanced Define to create a virtual field or Advanced Compute to create a calculated value. For information about creating expressions, see Using the Expression Calculator.
Data Profiling. Click Statistics, Count, or Key Analysis. For more information about data profiling reports, see Using Data Assist.
Sample Data. Click this option to generate sample data with the current version of the synonym.
Impact Analysis. Click this option to generate a report on where this synonym is used.
The Business View (BV) frame shows the logical view of the synonym. You can drag fields from the Table/Column frame, use options on the menu bar, or use the context sensitive right-click menu options to make changes to the nodes or folders.
If you open an existing synonym, and it has a BV, that BV will be shown. If the synonym does not have an existing BV, th BV is not built, and just the top node is shown.
If you do not open an existing synonym, the icons at the top of the BV frame control what is generated:
If an existing synonym from a prior release has a BV structure, for upward compatibility it is still supported. However, it limits you to working with folders in the BV frame and requires procedures that use this synonym to use folder.field references instead of segment.field references.
The Business View frame is shown in the following image.
Note: if you need to drag a field to a location below the visible area of the screen, the frame will automatically scroll as you drag, so you can drop the field where you need to place it.
The menu bar at the top of the frame provides the following options. Note that certain options only appear when the view supports them.
Lists the folders and fields in the view with their data types and two data values. This is the default display.
Displays the folders and their relationships in the form of a tree.
Displays the modeling view of the synonym, a pictorial view of the filters, join, and variables.
Opens a dialog box for selecting the metadata attributes and number of field values to display.
Resets the frame to the default view.
If you right-click the cluster synonym name and click Manage Folders, you can create a new folder.
The Filters/Groups frame shows filters and groups defined in the synonym when you create a new filter of edit an existing one.
Each filter or group added is displayed in its own card (vertically tiled frame) within the Filters/Groups frame.
The Filters/Groups frame is shown in the following image.
Each group card has an expand button on the menu bar, which expands the Filters/Groups frame. Once the frame is expanded, a Restore button appears for collapsing the frame.
The filter options menu provides the following options.
Provides the following options for displaying and selecting the filter values.
Generates a dropdown list for filter values. When expanded, a check list of values.
Lists the field values with a check box next to each, and a scroll bar, if needed to scroll through the values. This is the default display option for filters on alphanumeric and integer fields.
Available for filters on non-integer numeric fields only. Displays a bar with two sliders for selecting From and To values. When you move the sliders, a Reset button displays that resets the range to the entire range of values. This is the default display option for filters on non-integer numeric fields.
Adds a text box in which to enter a character string or pattern that uses the wildcard characters supported with the LIKE operator. A percent symbol (%) in the pattern means that any number of characters in that position matches the pattern (added automatically at the end of the character string you enter). An underscore character (_) means that a single character in that position matches the pattern. A plus sign on the menu bar enables you to add additional values, and a check mark enables you to apply the filter.
Shows two lists, one with available values and one with selected values. To add values to the Selected Values list, you can right-click a value or multi-selected values (if Multiple Values is enabled) and choose Select. You can also double-click a value or drag values. To remove values from the Selected Values list, you can right-click a value or multi-selected values and choose Unselect. You can also double-click a value or drag values.
Once you have added a value to the Selected Values list, an Unselect all button appears to make it easy to remove all selections.
Enables multiple selections. This is the default selection option.
Disables multiple selections.
Displays a one-column list of values. This is the default display.
Enables you to drop a field that contains a caption (description) for each filter value in a second column.
Provides the following operators for the filter.
Selects fields with values equal to a filter value. This is the default operator for alphanumeric and integer fields.
Selects fields with values not equal to any filter value.
Selects fields with values less than the filter value.
Selects fields with values greater than the filter value.
Selects fields with values less than or equal to the filter value.
Selects fields with values greater than or equal to the filter value.
Selects fields whose values match a pattern. This operator is available for alphanumeric fields where the display is a text box.
Selects fields whose values fall within a range. This operator is available for numeric fields. This is the default operator for non-integer numeric fields.
Supported for filters on alphanumeric fields. It lists all defined variables for selection and includes the default option to prompt for actual data.
Supported for filters on alphanumeric fields. Provides the following options.
Shows null values on the list of selection values.
Does not show null values on the list of selection values. This is the default option.
Supported for a check box filter that uses the EQ or NE relation and has a limited number of values. Converts the filter to a global variable expression that improves performance.
Enables you to create a DB_INFILE expression that checks each value against values that exist in another file.
Provides the following options.
Updates the filter as soon as you select a value. This is the default update option.
Does not update the filter until you click the Apply Filter button, which displays on the menu bar when you select this option.
Moves selected values to the top of the list. This is the default option.
Does not move selected values to the top of the list.
Deletes the filter from the synonym and the Filters/Groups frame.
Opens a dialog box showing filter properties in which you can change the title for the filter that appears on output.
Group Menu
The down arrow (menu) for a group provides the following options.
Provides the following options for displaying groups.
Shows two lists, one with input values and one with selected values. To add values to the Selected Values list, you can right-click a value or multi-selected values and choose Select. You can also double-click a value or drag values. To remove values from the Selected Values list, you can right-click a value or multi-selected values and choose Unselect. You can also double-click a value or drag values. If you right-click in the Input Values list and select Make a new group, the new group will be added in the Selected Values list. The added groups are named based on the values selected and contain the values selected.
Shows a list of values, initially in one default group. Right-click menu options let you create a new group, copy and paste values, ungroup values, and edit the group name, and recreate groups based on like-sounding values.
Adds all shown ungrouped values to a new group.
Creates a new group with no values in it.
Uses the Metaphone encoding algorithm to group alphanumeric values by pronunciation.
Uses the Soundex encoding algorithm to group alphanumeric values by pronunciation.
Removes all groups except the default group.
Opens the Edit properties dialog box. You can change the overall group name, title, and default value.
Removes the group from the frame, but leaves it in the synonym. To reopen the group in the Filters/Groups frame, right-click the group in the synonym and select Edit Grouping.
The Output pane shows the results of changes to a synonym or view, sample data output, and output of sample data, impact analysis, and data profiling reports and charts.
Each new output can be added on a new tab in the Output pane or replace the existing tab, depending on your preferences. The following image shows the output pane with multiple tabs. If there are too many tabs to display in the window, left/right arrows (< >) display for scrolling.
The menu bar at the top of the pane provides the following options.
Doubles the number of rows used for sample and changed data display.
The View menu (down arrow) provides the following options.
Opens a dialog box for selecting the metadata attributes and number of field values to display.
Resets the pane to the default view.
On each tab, each column title has a menu (opened using the down arrow) that has the same options as the right-click menu for the field in the Table/Column and Business View panes. For information, see Right-Click Options for Fields in the Table/Column, Business View, and Output Panes.
In addition, if you click a column heading, the sort order for that tab toggles between sort ascending, sort descending, and original order of the column in which you clicked.
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You can enhance a synonym by:
Note: When you enhance a synonym, in most cases you can use the Business View frame to create the enhancement. However, since this frame gives you a logical view of the synonym, it does not give you full access to the features that are added. For example, you can hide a virtual field or calculated value so that it does not appear in the Business View, but that will not delete it from the synonym. To have full view of and access to synonym components, you must open the Table/Column frame, if it is not already open. To open the Table/Column frame, click Table/Column on the sidebar. This frame represents the physical view of the synonym and provides full access to all of its components.
The Business View frame defines folders that function as segments to provide a view of the synonym and to define the accessible fields and their relationships. Folder relationships are the same as segment relationships, with parent folders, child folders, and sibling folders.
You can assign a DV role to a folder or field by right-clicking the folder or field and selecting a DV role, as shown in the following image.
You can explicitly assign a DV role to a folder or field, or have it automatically inherit its role from its parent. If you explicitly assign a DV role, that role moves with the object if you drag it to another location within the structure. If you do not explicitly assign a DV role, the role changes as you move the object under a new parent, except if you drop it onto a field with the Drill Level role. If dropped onto a Drill Level field, the moved field inherits the Drill Level role.
The following DV roles can be assigned.
A folder can be assigned the role Dimension.
A field can be assigned the role Dimension (Standalone) or Dimension (Drill Level). When it is assigned the role Dimension (Drill Level), it will become part of a hierarchy where the levels depend on the order of the fields in the folder. Then, when AUTODRILL is turned on, automatic drill-downs will be created on the report or chart output.
For a folder assigned the DV role Dimension or a field assigned the DV role Dimension (Standalone), the following attribute is added to the folder or field declaration in the synonym.
DV_ROLE=DIMENSION
For a field assigned the DV role Dimension (Drill Level), the following attribute is added to the field declaration in the synonym.
DV_ROLE=LEVEL
A folder can contain only one drill level hierarchy. However, you can use the same fields in multiple hierarchies by placing each hierarchy in a separate folder. A folder with a drill level hierarchy is not limited to just the hierarchy. It can contain other fields with different DV_ROLEs, although this is not recommended.
For a folder or field assigned the DV role Measure, the following attribute is added to the folder or field declaration in the synonym.
DV_ROLE=MEASURE
For a folder or field assigned the DV role Attribute, the following attribute is added to the folder or field declaration in the synonym.
DV_ROLE=ATTRIBUTE
Note: When a folder is inserted as a child of a field, the attribute PARENT_FIELD describes this relationship. By default, such a folder and its fields will be assumed to have the Attribute role.
The following declarations show sample folder and field definitions. Note that the declaration for each field in a folder specifies the real segment it actually belongs to.
The DV_ROLE for the PRODUCT folder is DIMENSION. The DV_ROLE for the PRODUCT_CATEGORY field is LEVEL.
FOLDER=PRODUCT, PARENT=DIMENSIONS, DV_ROLE=DIMENSION, DESCRIPTION='Product', $ FIELDNAME=PRODUCT_CATEGORY, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DV_ROLE=LEVEL, $ FIELDNAME=PRODUCT_SUBCATEG, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DV_ROLE=LEVEL, $ FIELDNAME=MODEL, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DV_ROLE=LEVEL, $
A virtual field can be used in a request as though it is a real data source field. The calculation that determines the value of a virtual field is performed on each retrieved record that passes any screening conditions on real fields. The result of the expression is treated as though it were a real field stored in the data source. A virtual field defined in a synonym is available whenever the data source is used for reporting.
A calculated value is a temporary field that is evaluated after all the data that meets the selection criteria is retrieved, sorted, and summed.
Right-click a field, point to New Expression, and click:
The Apply a Function dialog box opens, as shown in the following image.
When you have entered the required information, click OK. For more information, see Using Data Assist.
The Advanced Expression calculator opens, as shown in the following image.
By default, the post-aggregation check box is not selected. This creates a DEFINE. If you click the check box, you will create a COMPUTE.
Create the Expression and click OK.
For more information about creating an expression see Using the Expression Calculator.
A calculated value is a temporary field that is evaluated after all the data that meets the selection criteria is retrieved, sorted, and summed.
The Add Summary expression calculator opens, as shown in the following image.
For more information about creating an expression see Using the Expression Calculator.
When you generate a virtual field or calculated value, the Expression Calculator opens with buttons and fields that contain all of the elements needed for generating any type of WebFOCUS expression.
The expression calculator is used for defining virtual fields (DEFINE) and creating calculated summary values (COMPUTE).
To open the Expression Calculator, right-click a field, point to New Expression, and click Advanced Expression on the context menu. The Expression Calculator is shown in the following image.
Top Pane Options
Enter a name for the virtual field or calculated value in the Name text box, or accept the default.
Add a title in the Title text box or leave the field blank. The title will be used as the column heading on reports, if you enter one. If you do not, the field name will be used.
Enter a format in the Format text box, accept the default (A20), click Refresh to recalculate the format, or click the ellipsis (...) to open the Properties dialog box.
You must make sure the format supports the expression you will be creating.
The Properties dialog box is shown in the following image, with Numeric selected from the Type drop-down list.
The following is the list of data types.
Data Type |
Default Usage Format |
---|---|
Character |
A20V |
Integer |
I4 |
Numeric |
D12.2 |
Date |
YYMD (order of components depends on the Locale settings) |
Date and Time |
HYYMDS (order of components depends on the Locale settings) |
Character (Fixed) |
A20 |
Text |
TX256 |
Decimal |
P8.2 |
Time |
HHIS |
Hexadecimal |
U20 |
Binary Large Object |
BLOB |
The display options applicable to the selected data type display. As you select options, the Usage format at the top of the window changes to show the selected options. For more information, see the Describing Data With WebFOCUS Language manual.
View Options
The left pane of the Expression Calculator provides the following options.
Note: To be recognized as a procedure that contains user functions, any .fex file that contains user functions (DEFINE FUNCTIONs) must have the following syntax at the beginning.
-*DM_JOB_TYPE=512
Expression Pane Options
In the Expression pane, you can enter an expression in the text box or double-click fields from the metadata pane and use the calculator buttons to create the expression. For more information about expressions and operators, see the Creating Reports With WebFOCUS Language manual. The buttons are:
Undoes successive actions.
Redoes successive actions.
Clears the expression.
Moves the buttons to the bottom of the pane, and changes to Show buttons on top.
When you have finished creating the expression, click OK to add the virtual field or calculated value to the metadata.
You can define global variables in a Master File, filter, or expression and use them to parameterize certain attributes in the Master File and its corresponding Access File. You can also add certain system variables to a synonym.
To insert a global variable:
The Properties window opens, as shown in the following image.
You can select from the following General options:
Enter a list of values enclosed in single quotation marks and separated by the logical operator OR.
Enter a list of pairs, each pair containing the actual value and the caption to appear separated by commas. The list must be enclosed in parentheses. Each entry must be enclosed in single quotation marks and each pair must separated by commas.
You can also enter or select the following Advanced properties for the variable.
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A join describes a relationship between multiple synonyms based on a condition. The condition may be equality between fields in the synonyms or the result of an expression that relates fields in the synonyms. For more information about joins in a synonym, see the Describing Data With WebFOCUS Language manual.
To create a new cluster synonym, from the Applications page either right-click an application, point to New, and click Cluster Business View, or click New on the ribbon, then Cluster Business View. To edit an existing join, open an existing synonym in Data Assist.
The Join Editor opens in a frame, by default, as shown in the following image for an existing synonym..
If you are creating a new cluster synonym, you can double-click or drag synonyms from the Data frame tree into the Join Editor.
You can also make the following edits from the Join Editor menu bar:
Sets the following join defaults.
Click OK to save your defaults.
The View options for Data Steward Mode are:
The View options for Analyst Mode are:
Displays the joins in either Data Steward Mode (the default) or Analyst Mode. In Analyst mode, the synonyms are represented by an icon, and each join is represented by a container that displays the type of join. In Data Steward mode, each synonym is represented by a cube that you can double-click or set the View option to Expand All in order to display field names, and each join is represented by a vector between the joined synonyms.
Deletes all joins.
You can insert a child or a root in Data Steward mode. You can add a join in Analyst mode (provides the same options as Insert Child in Data Steward mode).
Select a synonym to insert as a child by selecting the check box to the right of the synonym name.
Use the Filtering check boxes to help with selection. You can filter the synonym selections using one or more of the following filtering options:
The View menu enables you to view the synonyms as icons or view the details. You can also use it to choose columns and reset the view to the default view.
The Find icon (magnifying glass) opens a search box.
Click OK when you are finished.
Select a synonym to insert as a root by selecting the check box to the right of the synonym name in the More pane.
Use the Filtering menu select one of the following filtering options:
Click OK when you are finished.
You can edit the join by right-clicking a synonym icon or connector line.
From a synonym icon, select from the following options.
For more information about editing a parent link, see Editing a Parent Link.
From a connector line, click one of the following options:
For more information about editing a parent link, see Editing a Parent Link.
The Edit Parent Link dialog box in the Web Console is shown in the following image.
The left frame displays the join conditions and editing options. The right pane has tabs for sample data reports and join profiling reports and charts.
Configure Join Options.
Click Join Type to select one of the following join types:
Click Multiple. to make the join a one-to-many join.
In the DMC, you can also click the Add New Row button () to add a new row in the Join Condition section of the editor and add a new expression to the join condition.
The View menu provides the following options.
Click the host or target field to select a different field. Click the pencil icon to open a double list for selecting both.
Click the down arrow next to the relation to change the relational operator.
Click the plus sign (+) under the host field to add a new join condition.
Click Expression to add an expression using the Expression Calculator.
Click Clear All to clear all conditions.
Click Suggestions to open a pane with potential join conditions. Clicking the plus sign (+) next to a condition adds it to the join. Clicking Suggestions again closes the pane.
Click Clear All (X) to remove all of the join conditions.
On the Sample Data tab:
The DBA facility lets you define restrictions and access rights for users.
The DBA window opens, as shown in the following image.
You can rename the passwords and add and change access rights using right-click options. You can undo actions using the Undo link on the menu bar. Once you have created DBA attributes, you can delete the DBA section of the Master File by Clicking Remove DBA on the menu bar.
A Rename dialog box opens.
Enter the new password and click OK.
A new user node is added to the DBA Statements pane.
The access right is added under the user password. You can then restrict those rights to specific segments, fields, or field values.
A field restriction placeholder is added under the access right.
The placeholder is replaced by the field.
A value restriction placeholder is added under the access right.
The placeholder is replaced by the field, with a default expression. A Restrictions dialog box opens for you to create the expression that will identify the restricted values, as shown in the following image.
For a non-integer numeric field, a text box opens in which you can enter values. Using the menu on the top right of the Restrictions pane, you can change the display to a slider or a check list. For alphanumeric or integer fields, the default display is the check list. You can multi-select values for the EQ and NE relations. If your display option is a text box, you can click the Add Value (+) button on the menu bar to add another text box. To delete a value, click the Delete Value (-) button on the left of the text box that contains the value you want to delete.
By default, the EQ (equal to) relation is used, so the restriction is in effect for field values equal to the values you enter or select. To change the relation, point to Relation on the menu and select one of the following relational operators.
Once you have created an expression, additional options become available on the menu bar. You can update the expression using the Apply button.
A segment restriction placeholder is added under the access right.
The placeholder is replaced by the segment.
A Noprint restriction placeholder is added under the access right.
The placeholder is replaced by the field.
In order to access the synonym, a user must issue a SET PASS command and enter one of the user passwords. This command can be issued in any supported profile or in a procedure.
You can pivot columns that represent identical data or groups of such columns to display them as rows. This is useful when you want to access their values as one field. For example, if a spreadsheet has a column for each year, you may want to create a row containing all of the years for reporting.
The spreadsheet pivot_demo.xlsx is created as part of the WebFOCUS Retail tutorial and can be uploaded to demonstrate this feature.
The Pivot dialog box opens, as shown in the following image.
If you select Repeating group of columns, some of the information you need to enter changes.
The data is pivoted using an occurs attribute. The following image shows the synonym and its output pane after pivoting the years from 1960 to 2012.
In the original synonym, each year was a column, but in the pivoted synonym, each year is a row.
Data Assist is an environment for managing and editing Synonyms. The number and types of changes you can make to synonyms has been greatly expanded.
You can rename a field by right-clicking the field and clicking Rename on the context menu. In the Business View frame, you can assign a DV role by right-clicking a field, pointing to DV Role, and clicking a role. Also in the Business View frame, you can right-click a field, point to Manage Folders, and click New Folder or Create Parent Folder.
You can also right-click a field to insert one of the following.
You can open the Filters/Groups pane to create a filter for the field that will select only values satisfying the filter expression. For more information, see Filters/Groups Pane.
The Apply a Function dialog box opens, as shown in the following image.
The recommended categories of functions display in the left frame. By default, these are functions that apply to the selected field and you can use in a DEFINE virtual field. You can control which categories of functions are displayed using the post-aggregation check box to show functions that are applied after aggregation is performed. This will create a COMPUTE calculated value. The Advanced options menu (down arrow) also affects the categories of functions displayed. You can click the following options:
Click the function you want to apply. A dialog box opens in the right frame for entering or selecting function properties and parameters, as shown in the following image.
When you have entered the required information, click OK. The virtual field is added to the synonym.
Advanced Expression. Opens the expression calculator, described in Using the Expression Calculator.
For more information about the Filters/Groups pane, see Filters/Groups Pane.
To open the Filters/Groups pane to edit the grouping, you can right-click the virtual field and select Edit.
To open the expression calculator for more advanced editing, right-click the virtual field and select Edit (Advanced).
For example, upload the file sales_orders_misspelled_cities.csv that is in the Uploads folder of the WebFOCUS Retail application.
Right-click the City field in the Geography dimension, point to New Expression, then Groups, and click Phonetic Grouping. The group will initially open in the Filters/Groups pane with the data values grouped based on the default phonetic algorithm for your operating environment, as shown in the following image.
Each group contains different spellings of city names that would be pronounced the same way based on the phonetic algorithm used. If you do not agree with a grouping, you can edit it. Any data value that could not be placed in a group based on the phonetic algorithm is placed in a group called (Ungrouped Values). You can move those values into another group, if necessary.
A virtual field is created with an expression that causes all of the values within each group to be uploaded with the correct spelling, as shown in the following image.
You can upload both the CITY and CITY_GROUP fields, or hide the CITY field and rename CITY_GROUP to CITY so that the CITY field has the corrected data values.
The options on the group menu specific to phonetic grouping are:
For information about other options for groups, see Filters/Groups Pane.
The default number of bins is 10, but you can specify a different number for equal intervals and quantiles. For equal intervals via formula, you specify the bin width.
The virtual fields created using this option can be used for sorting.
The following image shows the binning card for bins based on equal intervals.
Click Apply (check mark) to apply these bins.
The virtual field is added to the synonym.
The Menu (down arrow) has the following options:
You can right-click a field and assign it a geographic role, or change its geographic role assignment if it already has one, as shown in the following image.
To remove a geographic role, select (None).
For a field that has a geographic role assigned, you can generate a sample map by right-clicking the field and clicking Sample Map from the context menu. A sample map is shown in the following image.
You can right-click a field and select Sample Data to generate sample data for that field, as shown in the following image.
Partial Output is shown in the following image.
Data profiling provides reports and charts analyzing the values in a field or, for some reports, for a segment. For most reports, a View menu on the menu bar of the reports lets you generate a printable view of the report, and a search function lets you search for characters. Right-click a field or segment, point to Data Profiling (Combo) to get counts and a bar chart, or point to Data Profiing (Custom) to select one of the following options.
You can choose to see a bar chart of moving averages or linear regression and enter a number of values to predict beyond the end of the data values, as shown in the following image.
Right-click a field and click Impact Analysis to generate a tab in the output frame that shows where and how the field is used, including the application name where the field is referenced, the file and type of file in which it is used, and the type of procedure, context, and line number in which it is found.
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