Precalculating and Broadcasting Queries, Query Views, Web Templates and Reports

Use

You can precalculate queries, query views, Web templates, and reports in various formats or create online links for these BEx objects. You can broadcast the information by e-mail, to the portal, or to a printer.

Procedure

  1. For precalculation and distribution, choose:
    • For queries
      • Query → Publish → BEx Broadcaster in BEx Query Designer
    • For query views
      • The Send button in BEx Web Analyzer.

        The Broadcasting Wizard appears.

    • For Web templates
      • Web Template → Publish → BEx Broadcasterin Web Application Designer
    • For reports
      • Report → Publish → BEx Broadcasterin Report Designer

    You can also call BEx Broadcaster from other areas and select the BEx object you want to broadcast:

    1. Under Settings for Object Type, chooseQuery, Query View, Web Template, or Report.
    2. Choose Open.
    3. Select the required BEx object.
    4. Choose Apply.

    More information:Calling BEx Broadcaster

  2. Choose Create New Setting.

If you want to work with the Broadcasting Wizard choose Create New Setting with Wizard. This provides step-by-step instructions for creating the broadcast setting.

  1. Enter a description for the broadcast setting.
  2. Choose the required distribution type:
    • Broadcast by E-Mail
    • Broadcast to Portal
    • Broadcast to Printer

    You can find out more about the setting options in the various tab pages under

    Broadcasting BEX Objects by E-Mail

    Broadcasting BEX Objects to the Portal

    Printing BEx Objects

  3. Select the required output format:
    • MHTML

      The system creates an MHTML file. All components of the HTML page (HTML, style sheet and pictures for example) are in one file. Use this output format when you want to generate one individual document and broadcast it by e-mail or to the portal. Recipients cannot navigate in the generated file.

    • HTML

      The components of the HTML page are generated by the system in individual files. Use this output format if you want to generate multiple documents with various filter settings from the same BEx object. Recipients can navigate between different filter views for the BEx object (Query, Query View, Report, or Web Template).

    • XML (MS Excel)

      The system generates an XML file that contains the results and displays them in a data table.

    • Online Link to Current Data

      The system generates a URL to the current navigational state of the BEx object (Query, Query View, Web Template,or Report). The recipients can call the BEx object and navigate in it.

    • PDF

      The system generates a static PDF file.

    • Print Format (PS or PCL)

      The document is generated in the suitable format for the output device: PostScript (PS) or Printer Control Language (PCL).

  4. If you want to broadcast the precalculated document as a ZIP file, select ZIP File.
  5. If you selected a particular file format (HTML, PDF, PS, or PCL, for example) as the output format, you can make various settings on the General Precalculationtab page.

    If you have selected an online link as the output format, you can use the setting options on the General Link Generation tab page.

    More information:Making General Settings for Precalculation and Creating Links

  6. If you selected PDF as the output format, you can make the settings for the print version on the Layout and Header/Footer tab pages.

    More information:Creating Print Versions of BEx Applications

  7. If you want to create several documents with different filter settings from the same query or Web application, choose the Filter Navigation tab page and make the required settings.

    More information:Specifying Filter Navigation

  8. Check your settings if required and choose Save.
  9. Enter a technical name for the broadcast setting and choose Transfer (Apply).

    The new setting appears in the overview in the upper screen area in BEx Broadcaster.

  10. Execute the broadcasting setting or schedule it:
    • If you want to distribute the broadcast setting for the query or Web application immediately, choose Execute.

      A new browser window appears displaying the processing status of the broadcast setting. If you want to close the window, choose Cancel.

    • If you want to distribute the broadcast setting for the query or Web application at a specific time or when data is changed, choose Schedule.

      More information:Scheduling Broadcast Settings

Result

You have generated a query, query view, report, or Web application in accordance with the selected settings as an online link or as a precalculated file, and distributed it.

If you have precalculated and distributed a query, it is displayed as a table with a filter area (depending on the filters selected). From a technical viewpoint, the query is embedded in the Standard Web Template for Query Precalculation(0QUERY_TEMPLATE_BROADCASTING70).

If you have generated a report as a precalculated document, the Standard Web Template for Report Precalculation (0REPORT_TEMPLATE_BROADCASTING) is used; this template contains the Report Web item. Your system administrator makes the settings for the standard Web template in Customizing. Your system administrator can also specify another Web template, for example, one containing your company logo, as the Standard Web Template for Query Precalculation or as the Standard Web Template for Report Precalculation.

The broadcast setting is listed in the upper screen area in BEx Broadcaster. This is where all broadcast settings that were created for this query or Web application are displayed.

If you want to edit or delete the broadcast setting, choose Edit orDelete in the context menu for the setting in question.