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Procedure documentationDesigning Composite Views Using BI Data Services Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

This documentation describes how to design a composite view using BI data services.

Procedure

Building a Composite View using BI Data Services for Reading Data

  1. Open a new model, for example by choosing   Model   New...   in the main tool bar.

  2. Select the model type Composite View, enter a name for your model and assign it to the corresponding components.

  3. Select a BI data source and add it to your model. To search for a BI data source, you have the following options:

    • Search for a BI data source in the search task panel.

      Select a BI object from the result list and drag it to the Design board. A data service icon is created on the Design board. You can open the Query or Master Data wizard to configure the data source using the main tool bar or the context menu for the data service.

      For more information, see Search Task Panel for BI Data Services in the Visual Composer Reference Guide.

    • Choose   BI Services   Query Wizard   in the main tool bar to search and configure a BI data source in the Query or Master Data wizard. A data service icon is created on the Design board.

      For more information, see BI Services Dialog Boxes in the Visual Composer Reference Guide.

  4. Define the data flow.

    The FILTER and VARIABLE input ports are normally connected to a form view, which enables you to enter values for filters and variables. The DATA output port can be connected to a table view or chart view to display the data. The INFO output port can be connected as a form view.

    To add a view element to your model, select the Compose task panel and drag the corresponding view element to the Design Board. Then connect the views with the input and output ports.

    More information:Structure of a BI Data Service.

  5. Define the data.

    Select Define Data... in the context menu for the data service. In the dialog box, define the fields that should be displayed on the UI at runtime. For performance reasons, we recommend restricting your models to 10,000 data rows / 100.000 data cells.

  6. Define the layout.

    Go from the Design board to the Layout board. On the Layout board, you can lay out the UI of the model as the user should see it at runtime. For example, you can enter names for your model's tabs, arrange the table columns and make configuration settings for the various elements (table, buttons, columns etc.) in your model in the Configure task panel.

    For more information about the Configure task panel options, see Configure Task Panel in the Visual Composer Reference Guide.

    Note Note

    If you want to generate an automatic value help for input fields, you need to enter the source field from where the metadata will be taken in the Metadata field in the Configure Input Field task panel.

    End of the note.

  7. Deploy the model in the Deploy task panel.

    Once a model has been deployed, it is available in the Portal Content Directory (PCD) in the Visual Composer node.

    More information: Compiling and Deploying Models.

  8. Modify the display at runtime with SAP List Viewer.

    Select the settings icon to change the display at runtime. You can change the following settings:

    • Hide or show columns

    • Sort or filter the list

    • Add a calculation

    • Personalize settings

      Note Note

      Note that BI queries and query views in SAP List Viewer (ALV) are not displayed in the same way as in BEx Analyzer or BEx Web. For example:

      • All query structures are displayed in the columns.

      • The definitions of totals rows are not copied; these need to be defined in ALV.

      • Exceptions cannot be displayed.

      End of the note.

Example

Filtering a BI Data Service with the Results from Another BI Data Service

  1. Display the results of the first query in a table view.

  2. In the configuration for the table view, check whether the Selectable property is set to True.

  3. Connect this table view to the FILTER input port of another BI data service.

  4. Define the assignment for this connector. For example, assign the Product field from the input port filter to the Product_Display_Key field of the output port table.

    Note Note

    Note that the syntax works for filters with key values (_Display_Key), but not with texts (_Text). For more information about the syntax for filters, see Structure of a BI Data Service.

    End of the note.
Using a BI Data Service in the Definition for Dynamic Entry Lists

You can also use BI data services in the definition of dynamic entry lists for dropdown list boxes and combo boxes by filling the lists dynamically with BI master data or with the result of another query.