Design Mode 

Use

In BEx Analyzer’s design mode, you design the interface for your query applications. A query itself, essentially a complex select statement, is an abstract object without visualization. Once you embed it into an Excel workbook and enter design mode, you add its visualization by designing its interface.

In design mode, your workbook appears as a collection of design items represented by their respective icons. Once you switch to analysis mode, the results of your query appear according to how you have configured these design items. Thus, with design items you create an interface that dictates how you will analyze and navigate the results in analysis mode.

Results of the query are displayed in the analysis grid design item, in which you also navigate and analyze the query’s results, with the assistance of the navigation pane design item. Further customize the interface of your query by adding and arranging design items such as dropdown boxes, radio button groups, and checkboxes with which you filter your results.

In addition, you can use the editing functions in Microsoft Excel in order to format your workbook, print results areas, insert additional worksheets, and create graphics and charts.

The workbooks you create in design mode are thus complete query or BI applications. In analysis mode, you can then save them in your favorites or in your role on the BW server for someone else to then open and work with in analysis mode. You can also save the workbook locally on your computer.

Worksheets are protected by default in design mode to prevent you from unintentionally deleting design items.

 

Activities

·        Access design mode functionality with its dedicated design toolbar or via the BEx Analyzer menu. See also: Design Functions

·        Use design items as the building blocks of your query interface. See also: Design Items

·        Configure data providers to deliver data to your design items. See also: Configuring Data Providers

·        Configure the analysis grid to fetch data via Microsoft Excel formulas, so that you can format the grid any way you wish. See also: Working in Formula Mode

·        Arrange items in your workbook, resize, and delete them. See also: Moving and Resizing Design Items, Deleting Design Items