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Background documentationLocal Cell Fixing in a Query (Front End) Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

In BEx Web applications, you can lock input-ready cells against manual changes. A more precise way of describing this would be "cell fixing". These cells fixing are managed as local settings with reference to the current result set in BI Java Web runtime.

Note Note

This function is only implemented in BI Java Web runtime, in other word in Web applications created with BEx Web Application Designer (WAD).

Planning functions and planning sequences ignore cells fixed in the Web at runtime. Fixed cells can be changed by planning functions and planning sequences however.

End of the note.

Features

Cell fixings in a query remain in effect until such time as the the user makes significant changes to the result set. The cell fixings remain in effect if the user performs any of the following activities:

  • Sort

  • Expanding or collapsing nodes in BW hierarchies

  • Changing display settings for characteristics

If the user performs one of the following activities though, the cells fixings are undone::

  • Calling the variable screen to change variable values,

  • Drilldown, removing the drilldown

  • Swapping row and column axes, swapping characteristics

  • Hierarchical axis display

  • Zero suppression

  • Setting a filter

As cell fixing is a local setting that relates to the current result set, a cell fixed at runtime in the data model of the query is not known to the system. This means that a fixed cell is not comparable to a cell protected by a data slice. For the back-end system, a fixed cell behaves like a cell has been transferred without the value being changed.

The following restrictions therefore apply:

Fixing is a local property of the cell in the current result set. If the fixed cell shares data records with other cells, the fixed property is not applied to the other cells. If two cells use the same data records for example, and one of the cells is fixed, the other cell is not fixed. This point is particularly relevant for queries where a type of “hierarchy” is created from restricted key figures, as in the following example:

Revenue Jan. is modeled as key figure Revenue, which is restricted to 1.2009 by selection of the time characteristic.

Revenue Q1 . is modeled as key figure Revenue, which is restricted to 1.2009 - 3.2009 by selection of the time characteristic.

If Revenue Jan. were fixed, and Revenue Q1 changed, the system would ignore the fixed property when distributing the value of Revenue Q1 to the various months.

Recommendation Recommendation

We therefore recommend working with BW hierarchies when using fixed cells (as you would with disaggregation). You can find out more by reading SAP Note 994853.

End of the recommendation.

Activities

You can fix a cell by choosing Lock Cell in the context menu. It is also possible to fix/unlock an entire row or column using the corresponding commands in the context menu.

As an alternative, you can use the following URL parameter to set the cell fixing function at runtime: MENU_CELL_LOCKING = X. You can either insert the parameter directly into the URL of the Web application or set it in Web Application Designer in the XMHTL view (XHTML tab).

More Information

For more information about cell fixing, see Cell Fixing and Global Cell Fixing in a Planning Application (Back End).