Topics: |
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.
Topics: |
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 Plus (BV+) 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. For information about BV+, see Business View Plus (BV+).
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.
Topics: |
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 can access Data Assist by:
A dialog box opens for selecting an application and a synonym to open.
The synonym opens in Data Assist.
Topics: |
The Data Assist user interface consists of a ribbon and up to four types of panes used for viewing and editing a synonym. You can open multiple synonyms in Data Assist. Each will have its own tab on the Data Assist page.
The number of panes you actually see when you open a synonym depends on the environment from which you are accessing Data Assist and the characteristics of the synonym you open.
The Data Assist Ribbon is divided into sections, as shown in the following image. The sections that display depend on the environment from which you opened the synonym.
File Section
The File section provides the following options.
Provides the following file handling options.
Enables you to create a new Custom Copy, Upload Data, or Synonym.
Opens a list of files currently open in Data Assist tabs and lets you select one to switch to.
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 Data Assist without saving any changes.
Closes Data Assist. If you reopen Data Assist, the tabs from the previous session will be intact.
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.
Help Section
The Help section provides the following options.
Provides the following options.
Opens the Session Log window.
Deletes all lines from the Session Log.
Opens a text view of the Master File in the Output pane.
Opens a text view of the Access File in the Output pane.
Provides two options, Upload Data and Business View Plus (BV+) tutorials. The selected tutorial will open in new window.
Opens help about the wizards (Upload and SQL) and Data Assist.
Undo/Redo Section
The Undo/Redo section provides the following options.
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.
Metadata Section
The Metadata section provides the following options.
Opens the Add Detail dialog box with an expression editor for creating a virtual field. For more information, see Creating a Virtual Field.
Opens the Add Summary dialog box with an expression editor for creating a calculated summary value. For more information, see Creating a Calculated Value.
Opens a Properties dialog box to add a new global variable to the Variables list in the synonym. The new variable is added to the Tables/Columns pane. For more information, see Adding a Global Variable to a Synonym.
Opens the modeling (pictorial) view of the Master File showing the joins in effect. Enables you to edit the joins and create new cluster synonyms. For more information, see Creating a Join.
Opens the DBA dialog box for adding security rules to the synonym. For more information, see Adding Data Source Security (DBA).
Opens a Pivot Columns to Rows dialog box that lets you select columns to display as rows and to define their properties. For more information, see Pivoting Columns.
Sample Data Section
The Sample Data section provides the following options.
Provides the following autorun options.
Can be Off or On. On creates a tab in the output window with a sample of the current data. Off does not show sample output. 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.
Options Section
The Options section provides the following options.
The View menu provides the following options.
Returns the Data Assist page to its default view.
Lets you choose whether to show metadata as columns in the Table/Column and Business View panes, or to just show the tree in the panes and show the metadata as tooltips when the mouse hovers over a field.
Lets you choose whether to tile the Table/Column and Business View panes horizontally or vertically and whether to show or hide the Table/Column pane.
Lets you show or hide the Business View pane.
Lets you show or hide the Filters/Groups pane.
Lets you hide the output pane or show it pane floating (as a separate window on top of the Data Assist page), docked (as a pane in the Data Assist page), or maximized (as a full window).
Lets you select whether to create tabs in the output pane for each change or to shown only the latest output.
Provides the following options.
Opens an Options dialog box for setting the following preferences.
Includes the following options.
Includes the following options.
Includes the following options.
Includes the following options.
Reference: |
The Data Assist panes that you see by default depend on the environment from which you are opening a synonym and the characteristics of the synonym. The panes available in Data Assist are:
Each pane has a menu bar that offers options specific to that pane as well as options that are common to multiple panes.
The following image shows the four panes available in Data Assist.
The following menu bar options are common to multiple panes.
When checked searches for the term in the case in which it is entered.
When selected, searches for any text object that contains the search term.
When selected, searches for any text object that starts with the search term.
When selected, searches for any text object that ends with the search term.
When checked, shows only the matched items in the window after the search. This is checked by default.
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 pane displays the physical characteristics of the underlying data sources represented in the synonym. You can use options on the ribbon, or use the context sensitive right-click menu options to make changes to the physical synonym.
The Table/Column pane is shown in the following image.
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.
Displays the modeling view of the synonym, with the Application Tree in the left pane and a pictorial view of the joined tables on the right. You can edit the joins using this display option. For more information, see How to Create or Edit a Join.
Expands the tree.
Collapses the tree.
Opens a dialog box for selecting the metadata attributes and number of field values to display.
Resets the pane to the default view.
The Business View pane shows the logical view using folders that has been created in the synonym to create a view (BV+) of the data and lets you add new folders or edit or delete existing folders. You can drag fields from the Table/Column pane. use options on the ribbon, or use the context sensitive right-click menu options to make changes to the folders. For information about BV+, see Business View Plus (BV+).
The Business View pane is shown in the following image.
The menu bar at the top of the pane 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 BV+, a pictorial view of the filters, join, and variables.
Expands all folders.
Collapses all folders.
Opens a dialog box for selecting the fields.
Resets the pane to the default view.
Enables BV Namespace Off mode. New folders cannot be added to the view, you are limited to adding new DV structures in the synonym.
Enables BV Namespace On mode. You can create a BV+ view of the synonym, adding new folders to the view and assign DV roles.
For information about BV+, see Business View Plus (BV+).
The Filters/Groups pane shows filters and groups defined in the synonym.
Each filter or group added is displayed in its own card (vertically tiled pane) within the Filters/Groups pane.
The Filters/Groups pane is shown in the following image.
The menu bar at the top of the pane has the following options.
Common Menu Bar Options
Every card in the Filters Groups pane has the following options.
Moves the card up in the pane. This option is only available if the card is not the top card in the pane.
Moves the card down in the pane. This option is only available if the card is not the bottom card in the pane.
Each group card has an expand button on the menu bar, which expands the Filters/Groups pane. Once the pane is expanded, a Restore button appears for collapsing the pane.
Filter Menu
The down arrow (menu) for a filter 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.
Opens a text box in which you can enter a value.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Removes the filter from the pane, but leaves it in the synonym. To reopen the filter in the Filters/Groups pane, right-click the filter in the synonym and select Edit.
Deletes the filter from the synonym and the Filters/Groups pane.
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.
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 pane, but leaves it in the synonym. To reopen the group in the Filters/Groups pane, 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 two 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.
Displays the output with grid lines separating rows and columns.
Displays the output without grid lines.
Opens the output in a browser.
For certain types of reports, opens a check list for selecting the columns to display.
Resets the output to its default view.
Each tab has a right-click menu with the following options:
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, the following options are specific to the Output pane.
Topics: |
You can enhance a synonym by:
Note: When you enhance a synonym, in most cases you can use the Business View pane to create the enhancement. However, since this pane gives you a logical view of the synonym, it does not give you full access to the features that are added. To have full view of and access to synonym components, you must open the Table/Column pane, if it is not already open. To open the Table/Column pane, click Table/Column Pane on the View menu in the Options group on the ribbon. This pane represents the physical view of the synonym and provides full access to all of its components.
Topics: |
Business View Plus (BV+) combines the power and capabilities of Business View (BV) and Dimension View (DV) into one feature that allows a customized view of the data source and enables the use of joins, measures, hierarchies, attributes, expressions, and filters. This allows for robust report, chart, document, and visualization development using a customized logical view of a data source.
A traditional Business View offered users a customized logical view of a data source by grouping related items into folders that reflect business logic for an application, rather than the physical position of items in the data source. However, the fields in these folders did not have any indication of their roles in a request.
A traditional Dimension View, on the other hand, categorized fields on the basis of their roles in a request. Measures were placed in measure groups, hierarchies were organized within dimensions, levels were organized within hierarchies, and attributes were organized within levels. Then, when a field was double-clicked in InfoAssist+ or dragged onto the report or chart canvas in App Studio, it was added as a sort field or aggregation field depending on its placement in the Dimension View structure. Dimension Views, however, offered no ability to create a custom logical view of the data source.
BV+ combines Business Views and Dimension Views by enabling you to group fields into folders and, for each field, assign a role that indicates its role in a request. The syntax is clear and simple, and it provides all of the functions of both traditional Business Views and Dimension Views. In addition, BV+ gives you total flexibility in creating folders anywhere in the structure, and in reusing fields in multiple folders.
For example, if you assign the role DIMENSION to a field, it will automatically be added to the By field container for reports and the horizontal axis for charts if you double-click or drag the field onto the report or chart canvas. If you assign the role Drill Level to successive fields in a folder and turn AUTODRILL on, automatic drilldowns will be generated from the top level to the bottom level on the generated output.
You can create or edit a synonym to use BV+ in the Reporting Server Web Console, the Data Management Console, or the App Studio Metadata Canvas.
Reference: |
When you upload a file or create or open a synonym in the Reporting Server Web Console or Data Management Console, the synonym opens in one of two modes for creating a BV+ structure, BV_NAMESPACE=OFF mode or BV_NAMESPACE=ON mode. The mode in which the synonym opens determines the types of BV+ structures you can add to your synonym. It also controls the type of field name qualifiers that will be used, after the synonym is saved, when you create a request using the WebFOCUS tools.
You can set your Web Console preferences to open Data Assist, the wizards, the DMC, and the App Studio Metadata Canvas in your preferred BV Namespace mode by going to the Workspace tab, clicking FOCUS Sets and Info, clicking Settings for Web Console Preferences, and setting the parameter AUTO_BV_NAMESPACE to OFF (the default if you install a new server) or ON. If the synonym already contains a DV or BV structure, the presence of this existing structure will override your setting with BV_NAMESPACE=OFF or BV_NAMESPACE=ON, respectively.
If you create a new synonym, or open an existing synonym that has no DV or BV, it will respect the setting you set in the Web Console. When you upload a file, the synonym has no existing DV or BV structure, so it respects the mode you set in the Web Console.
BV_NAMESPACE=OFF mode uses physical segment names to qualify field references in reports. If you open an existing synonym that has a DV, it will open in this mode, regardless of the setting you configured. In this mode, you can only add nodes that conform to the DV structure. That is, you can add new measure groups and dimensions under the existing measure group and dimension structure.
The following describes the structures and actions available in new or existing synonyms in BV_NAMESPACE=OFF mode:
These nodes are based on a DV structure, and any edits you make to the synonym in this pane using BV_NAMESPACE=OFF mode must adhere to this structure. The right-click menu options provide only the structures available for a DV. You can insert a new measure group under the Measure Group node or a new dimension folder under the Dimensions node, but you cannot create a new node in the synonym. In a measure group folder, you can only place measures. In a dimensions folder, you can only place dimensions. Under a dimension, you can only add hierarchies, and under a hierarchy field, you can only add attributes.
BV_NAMESPACE=ON mode uses logical folder names to qualify field references in reports. If you open an existing synonym that has a BV, it will open in this mode, regardless of the setting you configured. In this mode, you can create your own logical view of the synonym. You are free to add new folders and assign DV roles to fields and folders.
The exception to this is the Upload Wizard. When a file is selected in the wizard, the business view default structure that is automatically populated is based on the three DV nodes. For BV_NAMESPACE=ON, you will be able to insert new folders anywhere in the structure. You are not limited to the three default node.
The following describes the structures and actions available in new or existing synonyms in BV_NAMESPACE=ON mode:
The right-click menu options provide all BV+ options.
In BV+, you define folders, which 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.
While you have total flexibility defining a structure using any fields from your data source, when you issue a report request against the synonym, the retrieval path for the data must conform to any constraints imposed by your DBMS entity diagrams and by the rules of WebFOCUS retrieval.
Only the folders will be displayed in the WebFOCUS tools, not the real segments, and only the fields within the folder structure will be accessible for reporting.
You can assign a DV role to a folder or field by right-clicking the folder or field and selecting a DV role. The following image shows the right-click options for a folder.
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 BV+ 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. The following image shows the choices for DV role when you right-click a dimension field.
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.
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 BV+ folder and field definitions. Note that the declaration for each field in a BV+ folder specifies the real segment it actually belongs to.
Sample Dimension Folder Declaration
The DV_ROLE for the PRODUCT_CATEGORY folder is DIMENSION.
FOLDER=PRODUCT_CATEGORY, PARENT=FOLDER1, DV_ROLE=DIMENSION, DESCRIPTION='Product and Vendor', $
Sample Attributes Folder Declared as a Child of a Field
The ATTRIBUTES1 folder has the DV_ROLE ATTRIBUTE. Its parent folder is PRODUCT_CATEGORY, and its parent field is MODEL.
FOLDER=ATTRIBUTES1, PARENT=PRODUCT_CATEGORY, PARENT_FIELD=MODEL, DV_ROLE=ATTRIBUTE, DESCRIPTION='Model Details', $
Sample BV+ Level Hierarchy and Standalone Dimension
The PRODUCT_CATEGORY folder has a hierarchy defined consisting of the PRODUCT_CATEGORY, PRODUCT_SUBCATEG, BRAND, and MODEL fields. The field VENDOR_NAME is a standalone dimension field.
FOLDER=PRODUCT_CATEGORY, PARENT=FOLDER1, DV_ROLE=DIMENSION, DESCRIPTION='Product and Vendor', $ FIELDNAME=PRODUCT_CATEGORY, ALIAS=PRODUCT_CATEGORY, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DESCRIPTION='Product Category', DV_ROLE=LEVEL, $ FIELDNAME=PRODUCT_SUBCATEG, ALIAS=PRODUCT_SUBCATEG, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DESCRIPTION='Product Subcategory', DV_ROLE=LEVEL, $ FIELDNAME=BRAND, ALIAS=BRAND, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DESCRIPTION='Product Brand', DV_ROLE=LEVEL, $ FIELDNAME=MODEL, ALIAS=MODEL, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DESCRIPTION='Product Model', DV_ROLE=LEVEL, $ FIELDNAME=VENDOR_NAME, ALIAS=VENDOR_NAME, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_VENDOR, DESCRIPTION='Vendor Name', DV_ROLE=DIMENSION, $
Sample Measure Field
The PRODUCT_COST field has been assigned the DV_ROLE MEASURE.
FIELDNAME=PRODUCT_COST, ALIAS=PRODUCT_COST, BELONGS_TO_SEGMENT=WF_RETAIL_PRODUCT, DESCRIPTION='Product Cost', DV_ROLE=MEASURE, $
How to: |
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.
The Add Detail expression calculator opens, as shown in the following image.
For more information about creating an expression see Using the Expression Calculator.
How to: |
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.
How to: |
When you generate a virtual field or calculated value, the Expression Calculator opens with buttons 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).
The expression calculator opens, as shown in the following image.
Note that if you clicked Define, the title in the expression calculator window says Add Detail (Define). If you clicked Compute, it says Add Summary (Compute).
The default format is A20. You must make sure the format supports the expression you will be creating.
Select one of the following.
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
The default view is to show the columns. You can expand or collapse the tree and select the columns to show. You can also reset the view to its default.
In addition, you can search for a metadata element using the binocular search function. Clicking the binoculars opens a text box for entering a search term and navigation buttons for searching backward and forward.
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:
You can clear the current expression by clicking the Clear (X) button.
The virtual field or calculated summary field is added to the list of fields in the Metadata pane.
How to: |
You can define global variables in a Master File 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.
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.
How to: |
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.
The Join Editor opens, as shown in the following image for an existing synonym..
If you are creating a new cluster synonym, the right pane will be empty and you can double-click or drag synonyms into it.
The Insert Root window opens, as shown in the following image.
Select a synonym to insert as a root.
You can also drag a synonym from the tree, and set up the join manually.
The Insert Child window opens, as shown in the following image.
Select a synonym to insert as a child.
You can also drag a synonym from the tree, and set up the join manually.
Use the Filtering menu to help with selection.
Select from the following options.
To test your changes, click Test.
When you are finished, click OK or Cancel to cancel.
You can also make the following edits:
You can collapse all of the synonyms so that the fields do not show. You can expand all of the synonyms, you can expand the synonym boxes to full size, set them to standard size (to show four fields at a time), or customize which dimensions are set to standard or full size. You can select Auto Arrange to automatically arrange the synonyms.
Click Options to set join defaults. The options are:
Click OK to save your defaults.
How to: |
The DBA facility lets you define restrictions and access rights for users.
The DBA window opens, as shown in the following image.
A DBA section is added to the synonym, as shown in the following image.
The Initialize DBA selection is replaced by a Remove DBA selection.
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.
A Rename dialog box opens.
Enter the new password and click OK.
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, as shown in the following image.
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, Advanced options become available on the menu. You can update the expression immediately (the default) or use an Apply button. For check lists you can move selected values to the top (the default) or leave them where they are.
A segment restriction placeholder is added under the access right.
The placeholder is replaced by the segment, as shown in the following image.
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.
How to: |
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, as shown in the following image.
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.
Other synonym enhancements are available for fields in the Table/Column, Business View, and Output panes, by right-clicking a field. Some of the right-click menu options that are available depend on the data type of the field.
Right-click a field to insert one of the following.
Point to a type of function and select one of the functions from the list that appears, as shown in the following image.
Selecting Advanced Function opens the expression calculator, described in Using the Expression Calculator.
Once you select a function, a dialog box opens where you can enter any necessary parameters and enter a name and title for the virtual field, as shown in the following image.
When you are finished entering parameters, click OK.
The virtual field is added to the synonym, as shown in the following image.
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 Insert, and select 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.
The virtual field is added to the synonym, as shown in the following image.
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, as 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 binocular search function lets you search for characters. Right-click a field or segment, point to Data Profiling, and select one of the following options.
WebFOCUS | |
Feedback |