Analysis & Reporting: BEx Web Applications 

Use

BEx Web Applications are Web-based applications from the Business Explorer for data analysis, reporting and analytical applications on the Web.

Prerequisites

You have formatted your data in the BEx Web Application Designer using Web items (table, filter, chart, map, document, and so on) and can now access them on the intranet or using an Enterprise Portal.

Features

You can use various navigation functions to change the view of data displayed in a Web application to suit your needs. Different navigation functions are available, depending on the Web items that have been included in the Web application. Each navigation function is characterized by a symbol. Use the  icon to expand the Web item, and the  icon to collapse the item. There is also a context menu for the Web items Navigation Block, Table, Chart, List of Exceptions, List of Conditions, and Label that you can call up by clicking with the right mouse button on a cell text (characteristic, characteristic value, structural component, description of an exception, description of a condition). For more information, see Context Menu Functions.

Using the Web items Single Document and List of Documents, you can add documents containing additional information and comments for the business data. For more information, see Using Documents in Web Applications.

When you analyze business data on a map using the Map Web item, you have several navigation options within the map as well as various interaction options with other Web items in your Web application. For more information, see Navigating in Maps

You use the Ad-hoc Query Designer Web item to create and change your Web applications directly on an ad-hoc basis. You can find more information under Functions of the Ad-hoc Query Designer.

Using the Query View Selection Web item, you can navigate comfortably between different queries and query views. In this way, you can switch from a data provider (query or query view) and its graphical presentation (as a table, for example) to another data provider that is perhaps presented in a different way (in a chart, for example). For more information, see Query View Selection

With the Object Catalog for the Web Application Web item, you can request information on the current Web template properties, the data providers and the Web items used in the Web template in the form of XML. The Data Provider Information Web item enables XML generation of query results and of the navigational state of query. Both Web items are not presented graphically, but instead are used for the corresponding XML generation in the source text of the Web application. You can find additional information under Object Catalog of the Web Application and Data Provider - Information.

With the Web Template Web Item, you can easily manage consistent sections in your Web applications centrally in a Web template and can integrate them into any Web template as needed. In this way, you can define a header or footer section with the corporate logo and heading as a Web template and can isnert this Web template into your Web applications as a Web item. For more information, see Web Template.

The Web item Key Figure Overview is used to provide you with a selection of important business key figures from the Strategic Enterprise Management (SAP SEM) components. The key figures are displayed together with the key date for which each key figure is valid.  You can find further information under Key Figure Overview.

You can also use data mining methods in Web applications to predict customer behavior or to divide customers into three classes according to sales (A, B and C). For more information, see What If Prediction and ABC Classification.

Using a variable screen, you can fill variables with values when you display the Web application in the Web browser. You can personalize the values for the individual components of the Web application or for the entire Web application. For more information on settings in the Web Applications Designer that affect the display of the variables screen and the on the functions of the variables screen, see Using Variables in Web Applications.

Queries that you display on an ad-hoc basis on the Web from the BEx Analyzer, the Query Designer, the Web Application Designer or the Ad-hoc Query Designer are displayed in a standard Web template. In the standard Web template, you can navigate using the filter and the context menu. You can also use the most common functions from a view-oriented tab page. You can find more information under Standard Web Template for Ad-hoc Analysis.

The BEx Web Analyzer provides you with a standalone, comfortable Web application for data analysis that you can call using an URL or as an iView in the Enterprise Portal.  You can open a query or a query view in the Web Analyzer or you can define a new query. You can switch from the tabular to the graphic view using the tab pages, or you can request information from selected data providers and you can call the BEx Broadcaster. For more information, see BEx Web Analyzer.

You can make your Web applications accessible to physically impaired users can access them. For more information, see Accessibility in Web Applications.

Not only can you use Web applications or mobile applications online for analysis and reporting, you can also use them offline. The system generates the HTML pages in the Reporting Agent at a predefined time. You can then use the BEx Download Scheduler (a wizard that takes you through the download process step-by-step) to download the precalculated  HTML pages from the BW server onto your desktop PC or to schedule the download for a later time. You can now use precalculated Web applications offline and transfer them to a PDA device. You can find more information under Offline Scenario.