Working with the BEx Query Designer 

General Concepts

The BEx Query Designer is structured according to the following concepts, which allow flexibility and ease of operation while you are working with it.

Error Handling, Correction Help, Messages and Warnings

Error handling in the Query Designer allows you to create and edit objects without disrupting your individual workflow. The Query Designer informs you of errors by displaying incorrect or incomplete objects underlined in red.  However, your work will not be disrupted by error messages that are shown as dialogs. The error messages appear in the Messages screen area instead. Warnings and information are also displayed here.

Correction help is available in several places:

·        In the context menu of the incorrect objects underlined in red

·        In the context menu of the error message in the Messages screen area

·        In the menu bar of the Query Designer within the Help menu

·        In the Tasks screen area

With the Explain These Errors menu option, the text for the error message is displayed in the Documents screen area. With the Jump to Error menu option, you return to the incorrect object. The menu option Correct These Errors provides the context-sensitive correction options available in the current situation.

Tasks

In the Tasks screen area, the Query Designer provides various context-sensitive editing options for the current situation. These functions are available from the context menu or the menu bar. The Tasks area is intended for users that rarely work with the Query Designer and do not have much experience. The tasks offered facilitate searching for the suitable functions. Correction help for incorrect objects and further explanation is provided in the tasks.

Working with Unfinished Objects

You can define new objects (formulas, selections, restricted and calculated key figures, exception cells, variables, conditions or exceptions) wherever you need these objects. The object (without a definition) is created and receives a standard name. You can change the name directly at the object. The object can be used in other objects without a definition and you can decide whether you want to define it immediately or later. To remind you to define the object, a message appears in the Messages screen area.

Automatic Generation of Technical Names

When you create reusable objects (variables, restricted key figures or calculated key figures) the system automatically generates technical names for them. You can change the technical name of one of these objects until it is saved in the associated property dialog. Once you have saved, you can no longer change the technical name. The generation rule is (VAR/RKF/CKF)_<date><time>, for example RKF_20050818122045. As long as you have not saved and the generated technical name has no  been changed, a warning appears that you should rename the technical name as required.

Automatic generation of technical names ensure that the objects are unique immediately and allows you to work with unfinished objects.

Simultaneous Editing of Multiple Objects

You can edit several values at the same time. The objects should all be of the same type so that all of the options are available to you that are available when working with the individual objects. For example, if a function is not allowed for all of the selected objects, the function is not displayed.

The functions Edit and New for selections, formulas, variables, restricted or calculated key figures do not allow simultaneous editing of multiple objects. The input field Technical Name is also hidden when the properties of multiple objects are edited simultaneously. Because the technical name must always be unique, the Query Designer does not permit simultaneous editing.

For Drag&Drop operations with multiple objects it responds as if Drag&Drop were being performed for all objects that are allowed for this operation. The Drag&Drop operation is not executed on those objects that may not be dragged to the selected location.

If you want to delete multiple objects simultaneously, the Query Designer proceeds as in Drag&Drop operations. All objects that can be deleted are deleted. Objects that may not be deleted (for example, reusable objects that are part of other queries) are not deleted. The associated information is displayed in the Messages screen area.

Reusable Properties

In the properties of the query components, you see whether the setting has been defined locally at the object or at the object that depends on it. You can decide whether you want to use a local setting or the default value. When you use the default value, the local object references the default value. Referencing to another object allows you to only edit the referenced object (that is, the default value), when making settings. In all other objects that use the default value, the change is visible automatically.

Concrete Procedures

Proceed As Follows to Create a Query:

By clicking on the plus or minus symbol of the directories you can expand or collapse the directories. You can, for example, display the list of all of the key figures in the InfoProvider by expanding the key figure node in the InfoProvider tree.

Using Drag&Drop or the temporary storage location (Ctrl C – Ctrl V), you can drag characteristics, key figures and reusable objects from the InfoProvider into the directories of the Query Designer (Filter, Rows, Columns, Free Characteristics).

Using the secondary mouse button you call all the functions that are available in the current context menu. First select the required query component and then choose a menu option from the context menu.

When you double-click on an element of the Query Designer, you call the standard function for this element. You also get to the standard function from the context menu. It is displayed in bold there. If, for example, you double-click on a characteristic, the dialog box for restricting the characteristic appears. If you double-click on a calculated key figure, for example, then the Change Calculated Key Figure dialog box, in which you can make changes, appears.

You can cut objects and paste them in another location. With the Edit menu or in the context menu of an object, you use the Cut function. Now the object will not be deleted immediately at this location. Instead it remains displayed  Once you use the Paste function at a new location (available in the context menu or in the Edit menu), the object disappears from the old location and appears at the new location. This ensures that the object is not removed when the Cut function is used if you forget to insert it at another position. If you forget to insert the object and cut and paste another object instead, the clipboard with the previously cut object is not overwritten. The previously cut object gets its normal display back and stays in the old location.

Remove or Delete

If you want to remove objects from the query, in the object context menu, choose Remove. If you want to delete a reusable object, then choose Delete from the context menu. Deletion means that the object is deleted in the BI server and is no longer available in a query. Removing means that the object is removed locally from the query, and continues to be available in other queries as long as it is a reusable object.

Edit Text Directly at the Object

When a new object is created, it is displayed with a standard name. If you click on the standard text, the cursor appears directly on the standard text of the object and you can overwrite it.