Tabular Query Display 

Use

You can use all queries defined in the BEx query designer for OLAP reporting and also for Tabular Reporting.

Features

By (de)selecting the Tabular Display mode when defining a query, you can create a query for OLAP reporting or for tabular reporting. The OLAP reporting mode is the default mode; you see the row/column view. When you save the query, both display types are automatically saved in a query object in the database.

If you define the query in one mode, the system automatically generates a standard presentation for the other mode. In addition, all existing queries automatically have a default tabular display.

Queries that have two structures are only available in the multidimensional display (row/column view) and are suitable only for OLAP reporting.

Characteristics and key figures are displayed in the columns in the tabular display. Unlike with OLAP reporting, there are no free characteristics and no rows. You can use filters in the tabular display and assign characteristics, key figures and attributes freely in the columns. For example, you can put a key figure column between two characteristic columns. The column display is determined when the query is designed and cannot be altered. In tabular reporting, the interaction options are limited to reporting on filters, sorting by and navigation in hierarchies. Navigation functions that would change the geometry of the tabular list (that is the number and position of the columns), such as swapping or adding drilldowns, are not permitted in tabular reporting.

Tabular display of queries can be used for Enterprise Reporting (for example, for list-like display of material lists). With reports in Enterprise Reporting, the design of layout and styles and easy print options are important.

Switching between the two display types:

When you switch a query defined for OLAP reporting to the tabular view, all InfoObjects are moved automatically from the rows into the columns. Similarly, when you switch a query that was defined in the tabular display to a row/column view of the rows, all key figures are displayed in the columns. The filter settings remain the same in both cases.

Changes to the definition affect both display types: If you remove an InfoObject from the query definition in one mode, the change is also made in the other mode. There the InfoObject is also removed from the query.

Changes to the position of objects affect only the selected display type: If you change the position of the InfoObject in the columns in the tabular display, this does not affect the row/column view for OLAP reporting.

Activities

To switch between the modes, in the menu bar of the Query Designer, choose View ® Tabular View or Rows/Columns.