1 Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence

25

1.1 Features of Web Intelligence 4.2

26

1.1.1 Core Product Functionality

27

1.1.2 Reading Mode versus Design Mode

30

1.2 Web Intelligence Clients

32

1.2.1 Web Intelligence HTML

33

1.2.2 Web Intelligence Java Applet

34

1.2.3 Web Intelligence Rich Client

34

1.2.4 Web Intelligence Interactive Viewer

35

1.3 Web Intelligence Preferences

36

1.3.1 Setting the View and Modify Selection Types

38

1.3.2 Locale When Viewing a Document

39

1.3.3 Drill Option Preferences

40

1.3.4 Saving to Microsoft Excel Priority

41

1.3.5 Document Orientation Setting

41

1.4 What’s New in Web Intelligence 4.2 SP 3 and SP 4

41

1.5 Summary

43

2 Creating New Documents and Queries

45

2.1 Creating a Web Intelligence Document from a Universe

45

2.2 The Query Panel in Web Intelligence

51

2.2.1 Creating the Query

52

2.2.2 Setting Query Properties

55

2.2.3 Previewing Data

57

2.2.4 Evaluating Generated SQL Script

59

2.2.5 Running the Query

60

2.3 Query Filters

61

2.3.1 Predefined Filters

61

2.3.2 Custom Filters

62

2.3.3 Quick Filters

65

2.3.4 Nested Conditions

66

2.4 Prompted Queries

67

2.4.1 Creating a Prompted Filter

67

2.4.2 Running the Query

69

2.4.3 Data Source Prompts

70

2.5 Saving Your Document in the BI Platform Repository

71

2.5.1 Save Document Dialog Box in Applet

72

2.5.2 Save Dialog Box in HTML

74

2.5.3 Using Refresh on Open Option

76

2.6 Other Data Sources

76

2.6.1 Excel as a Data Source

76

2.6.2 Free-Hand SQL as a Data Source

79

2.6.3 Text Files as a Data Source

83

2.6.4 Web Services as a Data Source

84

2.6.5 Analysis Views as a Data Source

87

2.7 Document Options

89

2.8 Summary

92

3 Creating a Report in Web Intelligence

95

3.1 Adding Data to Report Elements

96

3.1.1 Populating a Cross Table

97

3.1.2 Populating a Chart

99

3.2 Sections and Breaks

99

3.2.1 Setting a Section

100

3.2.2 Grouping Data with Breaks

103

3.2.3 Adding Custom Groups

104

3.3 Outline Navigation

105

3.3.1 Putting Outline into Action

106

3.3.2 Folding at Different Levels

108

3.4 Enhanced Sorting and Ranking

109

3.4.1 Sorting

110

3.4.2 Ranking

116

3.5 Conditional Formatting

118

3.6 Headers, Footers, and Background Images

122

3.7 Summary

126

4 The Web Intelligence Report Panel

129

4.1 The Web Intelligence Reporting Interface

129

4.2 Reporting Toolbars

132

4.2.1 Overview of the Function Tabs in Design Mode

133

4.2.2 Report Property Tab: File

134

4.2.3 Report Property Tab: Properties

135

4.2.4 Report Element Tab

137

4.2.5 Format (or Formatting) Tab

139

4.2.6 Data Access Tab

140

4.2.7 Analysis Tab

141

4.2.8 Page Setup Tab

142

4.3 The Side Panel

143

4.4 Report Panel

147

4.4.1 Working with Report Tabs

147

4.4.2 Formula Bar

148

4.4.3 Page Features

149

4.4.4 Status Bar

150

4.5 Report Property Categories

151

4.5.1 Report Elements

152

4.5.2 Relative Position and Object Alignment

153

4.5.3 Formatting

155

4.5.4 Data Access

156

4.5.5 Analysis

157

4.5.6 Page Setup and Layouts

158

4.6 Summary

159

5 Displaying Data with Tables

161

5.1 Using Tables

164

5.1.1 Adding Report Elements While Designing Reports

165

5.1.2 Manage Table Properties

167

5.1.3 Grouping

171

5.1.4 Freeze Header Rows and Columns

178

5.2 Table Types

180

5.2.1 Horizontal Table

180

5.2.2 Vertical Table

181

5.2.3 Cross Table

181

5.2.4 Form Table

182

5.3 Converting Table Formats and Types

183

5.4 Blank Cells, Predefined Cells, and Comment Cells

185

5.4.1 Blank Cells

185

5.4.2 Predefined Cells

186

5.4.3 Comment Cells

188

5.5 Summary

188

6 Displaying Data with Charts

191

6.1 Adding Charts to a Report

192

6.1.1 Converting Chart Types

195

6.1.2 Modifying an Existing Chart

196

6.2 Chart Types

198

6.2.1 Column Charts

198

6.2.2 Line Charts

203

6.2.3 Pie Charts

206

6.2.4 Bar Charts

208

6.2.5 Point Charts

209

6.2.6 Geographic Charts

213

6.2.7 Box Plots

215

6.2.8 Radar Charts

216

6.2.9 Map Charts

217

6.2.10 Tag Cloud

219

6.2.11 Waterfall

219

6.2.12 Gauge

222

6.2.13 Tile

223

6.3 Chart Properties

225

6.3.1 Customizing Charts

225

6.3.2 Useful Chart Properties

228

6.4 Zone Formatting

229

6.5 Custom Elements

230

6.5.1 Using a Custom Element

231

6.5.2 Custom Element Properties

233

6.6 Summary

234

7 Making an Impact with Charts

237

7.1 Properties That Enhance the Display of Data

238

7.1.1 Modifying Chart Properties

239

7.1.2 Global Configurable Options

239

7.1.3 Title Category Options

241

7.1.4 Legend Category Options

242

7.1.5 Category Axis Options

242

7.1.6 Value Axis Options

243

7.1.7 Plot Area Options

244

7.2 Hierarchical Charting with Relational Data

244

7.3 Reports Functioning as Dashboards

246

7.4 Formatting Tips

248

7.4.1 Measure Formatting

248

7.4.2 Region Color and Value Axis Stacking

249

7.5 Custom Color Enhancements

252

7.6 Summary

258

8 Report Properties, Tools, and Formatting

259

8.1 Formatting Report Properties

259

8.2 Document Summary

261

8.3 Navigation (Report) Map

265

8.4 Input Controls

266

8.4.1 Document Input Controls

270

8.4.2 Grouping Input Controls: Cascading Filters

271

8.5 Web Services Publisher

274

8.6 Available Objects (Design Mode Only)

277

8.7 Document Structures and Filters

279

8.8 Data

280

8.9 Style Sheet Modification

282

8.10 High Precision Numbers

287

8.11 Geolocalizing a Dimension

288

8.11.1 Geolocalize by Name

288

8.11.2 Geolocalize by Latitude and Longitude

293

8.12 Summary

295

9 Filtering Data in the Query Panel and Report Panel

297

9.1 Filtering in the Query Panel

298

9.1.1 Predefined Filters

298

9.1.2 User-Defined Filters

301

9.1.3 Filtering with Wild Cards

304

9.1.4 Nested Query Filters

305

9.1.5 Value(s) from List

308

9.1.6 Prompted Filters

308

9.2 Complex Filtering Options

310

9.2.1 Database Ranking

310

9.2.2 Subqueries

313

9.2.3 Dynamic Default Value for UNX Prompts

314

9.2.4 Filtering through BI Sets

317

9.3 Filtering in the Report Panel

323

9.3.1 Simple Filtering with the Filter Bar

324

9.3.2 Report Element Filters

325

9.3.3 Filtering with Input Controls

327

9.3.4 Input Control Groups

339

9.4 Conditionally Hiding Report Elements

342

9.5 Element Linking

344

9.5.1 Adding Element Linking

344

9.5.2 The Impact of Element Linking

346

9.6 Summary

350

10 Scope of Analysis and Drill Functionality

351

10.1 Setting the Scope of Analysis in the Query Panel

352

10.2 Drill-Down Setup in the Report Panel

359

10.3 Drilling on Tables

360

10.3.1 Drilling on Dimensions

361

10.3.2 Drilling on Measures

365

10.4 Drilling on Charts

366

10.4.1 Dimensions on Chart Axis

366

10.4.2 Dimensions on Legends

368

10.4.3 Measures on Chart Bars and Markers

368

10.5 Taking a Snapshot

370

10.6 Drill Options

371

10.6.1 Document Settings for Drill Functionality

371

10.6.2 User Settings for Drill Functionality

373

10.7 Summary

374

11 Using Formulas and Variables

375

11.1 Formulas and Variables

376

11.1.1 Converting In-Place Objects into Formulas

376

11.1.2 Exploring the Formula Editor

378

11.1.3 Creating Variables

381

11.2 Custom Grouping

383

11.3 Reporting Functions and Operators

386

11.3.1 Newest Functions

387

11.3.2 Aggregate Functions

388

11.3.3 Character Functions

390

11.3.4 Date and Time Functions

391

11.3.5 Document Functions

392

11.3.6 Data Provider Functions

393

11.3.7 Miscellaneous Functions

395

11.3.8 Logical Functions

397

11.3.9 Numeric Functions

397

11.3.10 Set Functions

399

11.3.11 Operators

400

11.4 Formula Syntax

404

11.4.1 Primary Formula Syntax Rules

404

11.4.2 If/Then/Else Syntax

405

11.4.3 Saving a Variable

406

11.4.4 Modifying a Variable

406

11.5 Input, Output, and Calculation Contexts

407

11.5.1 Aggregates in Context Formulas

409

11.5.2 Report Structure Operator and Keyword Combinations

412

11.5.3 Context Operators

412

11.6 References

414

11.6.1 Creating a Reference

415

11.6.2 Using a Reference

416

11.6.3 Reference Error Code

417

11.7 Summary

417

12 Advanced Query Panel Functionalities

419

12.1 Cascading and Optional Prompts

420

12.1.1 Defining a Cascading List of Values in the Universe Design Tool

420

12.1.2 Using a Cascading List of Values as a Prompted Filter

421

12.1.3 Refreshing a Report with a Prompted List of Values

423

12.1.4 Optional Prompts

424

12.2 Saving Prompts Answers in BI Variants

424

12.2.1 Creating a BI Variant

425

12.2.2 Using BI Variants

426

12.2.3 Managing BI Variants

427

12.3 Querying Multidimensional Data Sources

427

12.3.1 Multidimensional Metadata

428

12.3.2 Member Selector

430

12.3.3 Member Selector: Members Tab

432

12.3.4 Member Selector: Metadata Tab

436

12.3.5 Member Selector: Prompt Tab

437

12.3.6 Member Selector: Summary Pane

438

12.3.7 Displaying Hierarchies

439

12.4 Editing Auto-Generated SQL Scripts

440

12.5 Support of Query Stripping

442

12.6 Partial Results, Purged Data, and Cancelled Queries

444

12.6.1 Retrieving Partial Results

444

12.6.2 Purging Data

446

12.6.3 Cancelling a Query

446

12.7 Summary

447

13 Access to SAP BW and SAP HANA

449

13.1 SAP BW and SAP HANA Access Overview

449

13.1.1 SAP HANA and SAP BW

449

13.1.2 SAP HANA as a Platform

451

13.2 SAP BEx Query through Direct Access

452

13.2.1 Creating a Document in SAP BEx Direct Access

453

13.2.2 Answering SAP BEx Query Variables

456

13.3 SAP BEx Query through Multidimensional Universe

459

13.3.1 Multidimensional Universe

460

13.3.2 Creating a Document from Multidimensional Universes

460

13.3.3 Answering SAP BEx Query Variables

462

13.4 SAP BW through Relational Universe

462

13.4.1 Relational Universe in the Information Design Tool (UNX)

463

13.4.2 Relational Universe in the Universe Design Tool (UNV)

463

13.4.3 Creating a Document from a Relational Universe

464

13.5 SAP HANA Direct Access

464

13.5.1 Creating a Document in SAP HANA Direct Access

465

13.5.2 Answering SAP HANA Input Parameters and Variables

468

13.6 SAP HANA Online Mode

471

13.6.1 Creating a Document in Online Mode

472

13.6.2 Answering SAP HANA Variables and Input Parameters

474

13.6.3 Partial Result

475

13.6.4 Switching to SAP HANA Direct Access

476

13.7 SAP HANA View through Relational Universe

477

13.7.1 Relational Universe

477

13.7.2 Answering SAP HANA Variables

478

13.8 SAP HANA through Free-Hand SQL

479

13.9 Summary

479

14 Using Multiple Queries and Data Sources

481

14.1 Setting Up a Combined Query

481

14.1.1 Union

482

14.1.2 Intersection

483

14.1.3 Minus

484

14.1.4 Remove a Combined Query

484

14.2 Adding a New Query

484

14.2.1 Adding Queries and New Data Providers

484

14.2.2 Including New Result Data

488

14.2.3 Options to Display Available Objects

488

14.2.4 Adding New Data Source in SAP HANA Online Mode

490

14.3 Managing Queries

491

14.4 Running Multiple Queries

492

14.4.1 Refreshing Documents Containing Multiple Queries

492

14.4.2 Prompts

493

14.4.3 Multiple Queries Parallel Refresh

494

14.5 Merging Dimensions

494

14.5.1 Creating a Merged Dimension

495

14.5.2 Merging Geo-Localized Dimensions

500

14.5.3 Additional Options for Merged Dimensions

501

14.5.4 Modifying Merged Dimensions

504

14.6 Merging Variables

506

14.6.1 How to Merge Variables

506

14.6.2 Merging Geo-Localized Variable

507

14.7 Changing Source

507

14.7.1 Change Source Strategies

508

14.7.2 Change Source Workflow

509

14.7.3 Bulk Change Source

513

14.7.4 Change Source Excel, Text, and Free-Hand SQL

514

14.8 Summary

515

15 Adding Hyperlinks in Web Intelligence Documents

517

15.1 Linking to Document with the HTML Client

518

15.1.1 Adding a Hyperlink to a Web Intelligence Document

518

15.1.2 Setting Hyperlink Properties

521

15.1.3 Adding a Hyperlink to Prompted Documents

524

15.2 Linking to the Web Page URL

527

15.2.1 Adding Hyperlinks to Web Pages

527

15.2.2 Adding a Hyperlink to a Web Intelligence Document Using Its URL

531

15.2.3 Getting Document OpenDocument URL

534

15.2.4 Adding Hyperlinks to the SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard

535

15.3 OpenDocument Syntax

536

15.3.1 Document Identifier Parameters

536

15.3.2 Input Parameters

537

15.3.3 Output Parameters

538

15.4 Summary

540

16 Working in the BI Launch Pad

541

16.1 Navigating in BI Launch Pad

541

16.1.1 Header Panel

542

16.1.2 List Panel

549

16.1.3 Tabs

550

16.2 Setting BI Launch Pad Preferences

550

16.2.1 General Preferences

550

16.2.2 Locales and Time Zone Preferences

552

16.2.3 Changing Your Password

553

16.3 Organizing in Folders and Categories

553

16.3.1 Folders

554

16.3.2 Categories

554

16.3.3 Organizing Objects

555

16.4 Deleting Documents and the Recycle Bin

557

16.5 Viewing, Printing, and Saving Objects in BI Launch Pad

558

16.5.1 Web Intelligence Viewer Toolbar

559

16.5.2 Additional Menu Options

561

16.6 Summary

561

17 Using Web Intelligence with SAP BusinessObjects BI Workspaces

563

17.1 Introducing BI Workspaces

563

17.1.1 BI Workspaces Toolbar

564

17.1.2 BI Workspaces Module Library

567

17.1.3 Setting BI Workspaces Preferences in the BI Launch Pad

571

17.1.4 Setting Web Intelligence Preferences in the BI Launch Pad

572

17.2 Working with Modules

572

17.2.1 Text Modules

572

17.2.2 Compound Modules

574

17.3 Working with Web Intelligence Report Parts

574

17.4 Using a BI Workspace as the Default Home Tab

581

17.5 Printing BI Workspaces

583

17.6 Content Linking

584

17.7 Summary

589

18 Interaction from a User’s Perspective

591

18.1 Creating Shortcuts and Hyperlinks

591

18.1.1 Shortcuts

591

18.1.2 Hyperlinks

592

18.2 Searching within the BI Launch Pad

593

18.2.1 Running the Search

593

18.2.2 Searchable Object Types

596

18.2.3 Search Techniques

597

18.3 Sorting and Filtering Content

598

18.4 Creating Discussions

600

18.4.1 Notes

600

18.4.2 Discussion Threads

601

18.5 Commenting Documents

601

18.5.1 Adding Comments

603

18.5.2 Managing Comments

605

18.5.3 Comments Function

605

18.6 Tracking Data Changes

607

18.6.1 Setting Reference Data

608

18.6.2 Formatting Changed Data

610

18.6.3 Displaying Tracked Data

614

18.6.4 Advanced Tracking Techniques

614

18.7 Summary

615

19 Sharing Web Intelligence Content

617

19.1 Sharing Document Content through Shared Elements

617

19.1.1 Creating Shared Elements

618

19.1.2 Using Shared Elements in Web Intelligence Documents

620

19.1.3 Identifying Document Shared Elements

621

19.1.4 Updating and Unlinking Shared Elements

621

19.1.5 Managing Shared Elements

624

19.2 Using the Send Feature in BI Launch Pad

626

19.2.1 BI Platform Inbox

626

19.2.2 Email

628

19.2.3 FTP Location

629

19.2.4 File Location

630

19.2.5 Using Placeholders

631

19.3 Exporting a Web Intelligence Report

632

19.3.1 Exporting Document Data or Query Data

633

19.3.2 Exporting in Web Intelligence Applet or Rich Client

634

19.3.3 Exporting in Web Intelligence HTML

635

19.4 Scheduling a Web Intelligence Report

636

19.4.1 Scheduling in BI Launch Pad

637

19.4.2 Viewing Latest Instance

642

19.4.3 Viewing History

642

19.5 Summary

643

20 Report Scheduling and Distribution with Publications

645

20.1 Publication Roles

646

20.1.1 The SAP BusinessObjects Administrator

647

20.1.2 The Web Intelligence Report Designer

647

20.1.3 The Publication Designer

648

20.1.4 The Publication Recipient

648

20.2 Creating a Publication

648

20.2.1 Naming the Publication

649

20.2.2 Choosing the Source Documents

649

20.2.3 Choosing Enterprise Recipients

651

20.2.4 Choosing Dynamic Recipients

653

20.2.5 Setting Publication Properties

655

20.2.6 Testing the Publication

660

20.3 Mobile Publications

661

20.4 Summary

662

21 Web Intelligence Rich Client

665

21.1 How Web Intelligence Rich Client Is Different

665

21.1.1 Working in Offline Mode

668

21.1.2 Working in Connected Mode

669

21.1.3 Working in Standalone Mode

669

21.2 Data Provider Options

670

21.2.1 Import a Universe from the Repository

671

21.2.2 Query Panel in Web Intelligence Rich Client

672

21.3 Working with Web Intelligence Reports

672

21.3.1 Opening Documents from the Repository

672

21.3.2 Saving Reports Locally

673

21.3.3 Exporting Reports to Repository

676

21.3.4 Printing from Web Intelligence Rich Client

677

21.3.5 Sending Reports as Email Attachments

678

21.4 Setting Preferences in Web Intelligence Rich Client

679

21.5 Summary

680

22 Web Intelligence Interactive Viewer

681

22.1 New BI Launch Pad and Web Intelligence Interactive Viewer Overview

681

22.2 Navigating in the New BI Launch Pad

682

22.2.1 BI Launch Pad Interface

683

22.2.2 Document Contextual Menu

684

22.3 Viewing a Document

685

22.3.1 Web Intelligence Interactive Viewer Interface

686

22.3.2 The Fading Toolbar

687

22.3.3 Navigating in a Document

688

22.3.4 Expanding and Collapsing Hierarchies

689

22.3.5 Comments

689

22.3.6 Listing Document Properties

690

22.4 Refreshing a Document

690

22.4.1 Prompts

690

22.4.2 BI Variants

692

22.5 Filtering a Report

693

22.5.1 Listing Prompts Values

693

22.5.2 Document and Report Input Controls

694

22.5.3 Drill Filters

695

22.5.4 Element Linking

696

22.6 Sorting or Ranking Data in a Report

697

22.7 Scheduling a Document

700

22.8 Saving and Exporting to XLS and to PDF

703

22.9 Setting Web Intelligence Preferences

703

22.10 Logging Out

704

22.11 Summary

704

23 Connecting SAP BusinessObjects Live Office to Web Intelligence and Universes

705

23.1 Introduction to SAP BusinessObjects Live Office

705

23.1.1 Integration with Web Intelligence Documents

706

23.1.2 Live Office Ribbon Menu

707

23.1.3 Accessing the Live Office Insert Wizard

709

23.2 Creating Queries from Universes

709

23.2.1 Selecting the Universe

710

23.2.2 Creating the Query

711

23.2.3 Running the Query

712

23.2.4 Displaying the Summary

713

23.3 Retrieving Web Intelligence Content

713

23.3.1 Selecting the Web Intelligence Document

713

23.3.2 Selecting Document Content

714

23.3.3 Displaying the Summary

717

23.4 Editing Added Content

718

23.5 Setting Preferences

719

23.5.1 Application Options

719

23.5.2 Data Refresh Options

723

23.5.3 Object Properties

724

23.6 Summary

725

24 Mobile Business Intelligence

727

24.1 Introducing SAP BusinessObjects Mobile

727

24.2 Designing Reports for Mobile Viewing

728

24.2.1 Mobile Categories

731

24.2.2 Mobile versus MobileDesigned

733

24.3 Mobile-Only Analytic Types

742

24.3.1 Query and Formula Design

742

24.3.2 Creating Sparklines

745

24.3.3 Creating Bullet Graphs

748

24.3.4 Creating Micro Bar Charts

750

24.3.5 Creating Scorecards

751

24.4 Report Linking

754

24.5 Input Controls

756

24.6 Mobile Thumbnails

758

24.7 Summary

759

Appendices

761

A Converting Desktop Intelligence Reports to Web Intelligence Documents

763

A.1 Planning Your Conversion to Web Intelligence

764

A.2 Running the Report Conversion Tool

770

A.3 Desktop Intelligence Compatibility Pack

774

A.4 Summary

775

B Web Intelligence Security Rights

777

B.1 SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform Security Model

777

B.2 Web Intelligence Application Rights

778

B.3 Web Intelligence Document Rights

789

B.4 Mandatory Rights for Common Workflows

792

B.5 Security Reports

795

C The Authors

797

Index

801