Creating Characteristics
Use
You create the characteristics Product Group, Channel and Product.
The characteristics are required to define the reference when analyzing the sales data. In this scenario, you want to see the sales for the Internet distribution channel.
You create the characteristic Product with several attributes. The attributes for a characteristic are InfoObjects that are used to structure and order the characteristic. In our scenario, the attributes Price and Currency are defined as pure display attributes that provide additional information about Product. On the other hand, you define the attribute Product Group as a navigation attribute. It can thus be used in the query like a normal characteristic and can also be used without the characteristic Product.
Procedure
...
1. In the Modeling area of the Data Warehousing Workbench, choose InfoObjects.
2. In the context menu of your InfoArea, choose Create InfoObject Catalog.
3. On the next screen, enter a technical name and a description.
4. Select Char. as InfoObject Type.
5.
Choose 
Create.
You go to the screen for InfoObject catalog editing.
6. Activate the InfoObject catalog.
The InfoObject catalog is displayed in your InfoArea. It is used to group your key characteristics.
7. Perform the following procedure for the characteristics Product Group, Channel andProduct.
a. Choose Create InfoObject... in the InfoArea of your InfoObject catalog for characteristics.
b. Enter the required data on the next screen:
Input Field |
Product Group |
Channel |
Product |
Char. |
ZD_PGROUP |
ZD_CHAN |
ZD_PROD |
Long description |
Product Group |
Channel |
Product |
c.
Choose 
Continue.
The characteristic maintenance screen appears.
d. Make the following entries on the tab page General:
Field |
Product Group |
Channel |
Product |
Data Type |
CHAR – character string |
CHAR – character string |
CHAR – character string |
Length |
6 |
5 |
10 |
Characteristic Is Document Property |
- |
Set the indicator. |
- |
The information on the tab page is as follows for the characteristic Product:
e. Go to the Master data/texts tab page.
i. Select With master data and With texts if they are not already selected.
ii. In the field below Character. is InfoProvider, enter the technical name of your InfoArea and confirm your entry.
The system sets the indicator Character. is InfoProvider.
iii. For the characteristic Product: Select the indicator Medium length text exists and deselect Short text exists.
The information on the tab page is as follows for the characteristic Product:
For the characteristic Product: Go to the tab page Attribute.
iv. Add the following InfoObjects as attributes. Note the order:
1. ZD_PRGOUP - Product Group
2. 0CURRENCY - Currency Key (the currency key is a shipped InfoObject of BI Content)
3. ZD_PRICE - Price
v.
Activate the
attribute Product Group (ZD_PRGROUP) by choosing 
Navigation Attribute On/IOff as navigation attribute.
vi. Select the key figure Texts of char. for this attribute.
f. Activate the InfoObject.
Result
You created the following characteristics for the scenario:
● Product Group (ZD_PGROUP)
● Channel (ZD_CHAN)
● Product (ZD_PROD)
These characteristics are displayed in your InfoObject catalog and can be used to define the InfoCube.
The characteristic Product contains the display attributes Price and Currency and the navigation attribute Product Group.
You will create the master data for characteristics Product Group and Channel directly in the BI system later on. You will load the master data for characteristic Product into the BI system later.
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