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 Broadcaster in Web Application Designer
○ For reports
■ Report → Publish → BEx Broadcaster in Report Designer
You can also call BEx Broadcaster from other areas and select the BEx object you want to broadcast:
a. Under Settings for Object Type, choose Query, Query View, Web Template, or Report.
b. Choose Open.
c. Select the required BEx object.
d. 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.
3. Enter a description for the broadcast setting.
4. 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
5. 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.
This output format does not support object type Report.
○ 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).
This output format does not support object type Report.
○ XML (MS Excel)
The system generates an XML file that contains the results and displays them in a data table.
■ This output format supports object types Query and Query View only.
■ The XML file cannot be edited in BEx Analyzer.
○ 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.
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).
BEx Broadcaster allows you to select from the output formats available for the selected distribution type.
The Print Format (PS or PCL) output format is printer-specific and is therefore only available with distribution type Broadcast to Printer. The Portable Document Format (PDF) output format is also available for this distribution type.
6. If you want to broadcast the precalculated document as a ZIP file, select ZIP File.
If you have chosen HTML as the output format and want to broadcast the document by e-mail, you have to create the document as a ZIP file.
7. 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 Precalculation tab 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. Check your settings if required and choose Save.
11. 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.
12. 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.