Join Control

An area of the screen belonging to the InfoSet Builder. The InfoProviders that are included in the join are displayed in the join control.

In the join control, you define the join conditions. There must be valid join conditions before the system is able to activate the InfoSet. For more information see Defining Join Conditions.

The first time you call the InfoSet Builder you can choose between two display modes:

network (DataFlowControl) or tree (TreeControl). While the network display is clearer, the tree display can be read by the ScreenReader and is more suitable for visually-impaired users. You can change this setting at any time by choosing Settings Display . Changes take effect the next time you call the InfoSet Builder.

To edit two InfoProviders from one InfoSet, you can call a separate join control. For more information, see Editing InfoProviders in the Join Control.

Structure

The same functions are available in both display modes. However, the network display is more commonly used, as it gives a clearer overview. This is why the differences between the tree display and the network display are only briefly addressed here. After this section, only the network display will be described.

Special Features of the Tree Display

The InfoProvider is displayed in a tree structure in the join control. The (Time-Dependency Deactivated) symbol indicates the option of a time dependency. An existing left outer join is indicated using the flag . You can display a join in the right-hand side of the screen by double-clicking an InfoObject. You can set the join condition with the Selection indicator.

Displaying an InfoProvider in the Join Control

InfoProviders are displayed as a table in the join control. A symbol in the header indicates that an InfoProvider is time-dependent. The inactive version of this symbol indicates the option of a time dependency.

Depending on the type of InfoProvider, the following information is displayed in the rows of the table:

for DataStore objects and InfoCubes: each with a field (key or data field), for InfoCubes there is also a dimension row
for InfoObjects: the InfoObject itself, if appropriate, a compound characteristics or an attribute

Note

Since InfoObjects are used to define the fields for DataStore objects, InfoCubes and the attributes of InfoObjects, each row ends with an InfoObject, except for InfoCubes that also have dimension rows.

End of the note.

InfoObjects are described as follows in the columns of the table:

Column	What You Need to Know
Use Field	Field selection for an InfoSet: If there is an indicator in this checkbox, the indicated field or attribute of an InfoProvider is released for use in reporting. This means that it is available in the BEx Query Designer to be used for defining queries. The indicator is set by default. You can restrict the number of available fields or attributes from an InfoProvider by removing this indicator. Note If an InfoObject has the property "exclusive attribute", the checkbox for selecting this field object in the join control is not ready for input. This is because the respective characteristic can only be used as a display attribute for another characteristic. This restriction does not apply to indicators. In the BEx Query Designer, these display attributes are not available for the query definition in the InfoProvider directory tree (see Defining a New Query). End of the note. Note In order to include these field objects in queries, you must deactivate the Attribute Only property in InfoObject maintenance. (See Tab Page: General) This may influence the performance of database access. End of the note.
Key Field, Additional Field, Dimension	The () designates A key field for DataStore objects For InfoObjects, the InfoObject itself or a compound characteristic The () symbol means additional attributes, for time-dependent InfoObjects For the start of a valid time interval (Valid from) For the end of a valid time interval (Valid to) And for all InfoProviders Key dates The () designates For InfoCubes: a dimension
Technical name
Object type (represented by the corresponding symbol)	Examples: ( Characteristic ) (Key figure) (Unit) (Time characteristic)
Description	Long text description
Key Date	This column is only filled for D type (date) fields or attributes of an InfoProvider, and for time characteristics, from which a key date is derived (0CALWEEK, 0CALMONTH, 0CALQUARTER, 0CALYEAR, 0FISCPER, 0FISCYEAR). If the indicator is set in this checkbox, the InfoObject is used as a temporal operand. The indicator is set to empty by default. If it is set and a key date can be derived, the additional fields mentioned above are added to the InfoProvider. See Temporal Joins.

The following functions are available from the context menu of a table entry:

Define Time-Dependency
This enables you to define valid time intervals. The appropriate characteristics are offered to you using input help. For more information, see Temporal Joins.
Request Status
This function is only available for InfoCubes. For more information, see Special Features of InfoCubes in InfoSets.
Delete Object
Choose this function to delete an object from the join control.
Left Outer Join or Inner Join
For more information on the left outer join operator, see Defining Join Conditions.
Select All Fields
If you choose this option, all fields or attributes of an InfoProvider are released for reporting. The indicators are respectively set in the Use Field column.
Deselect All Fields
If you choose this option, all indicators are removed from the Use Field column.

Displaying Join Conditions in the Join Control

A join condition is displayed as a line that connects exactly one InfoObject within a row from one object, with exactly one InfoObject within a row from another object.

For more information see Defining Join Conditions.

Navigating in the Join Control

Location of the individual objects

The system inserts each object from a fixed, predetermined default size into the join control.

Note Note

If you want to insert a new object next to a specific table, select the table you want. The system inserts the new object at the same level, to the right of the selected table.

If no table is selected, the system inserts the new object at the same level, to the right of the table furthest away on the right.

You are able to position each DataStore object and each InfoObject freely in the join control. Position the cursor over the header of the object, press the left mouse-button, and keeping the button pressed down, drag the object to its new position.

The positioning of the individual objects within the join control does not affect the processing of the join.

End of the note.

Size of the individual objects

Each time you click the Zoom in (Zoom in) icon, the view is enlarged by 10%.

Each time you click the (Zoom out) icon, the view is reduced by 10%.

The ( Auto-Arrange) function automatically arranges the objects to provide an overview.

Navigator

You click the (Hide/Display Navigator) to access the navigation help.

This function is also available from the context menu of the join control.

Recommendation

The navigator is particularly useful if not all the objects are visible at the same time.

End of the recommendation.

If you want to change the section of the screen that is displayed, you move the red frame in the navigator.
If you want to change the size of the objects, you adjust the dimensions of the frame itself:
Reducing the frame has the same effect as the zoom-in function.

Enlarging the frame has the same effect as the zoom-out function.

Note Note

You can also choose the functions Zoom in, Zoom out and Show/Hide Navigator in the context menu of the join control.

End of the note.

Changing Descriptions

The descriptive texts that are used in the metadata repository for the InfoProviders and their attributes are also used in the join control.

If you use InfoProviders or InfoObjects more than once as attributes in the join, it helps if you change the descriptive texts for the purposes of the InfoSet. This enables you to identify the individual objects more easily.

Choose (Change Description). An overview of all the texts is displayed beneath the join control. You are able to change each of these texts.

The following functions are available:

Function	What You Need to Know
(All Objects)	A selection of the texts for a single InfoProvider in the join all the objects in the join
(Transfer)	Transfers the texts in the display to the join control.
(Get All Original Texts)	Undoes the changes made to the texts. If you click (Transfer) at this stage, the system re-inserts the descriptions from the metadata repository.

Delete

Select one or more objects that you want to delete from the join and choose Delete (Delete).

Saving a Join as a .jpg File

Choose (Save as jpg) to save your join definition as a graphic, in jpeg format, on a PC.

Print

Choose Print (Print) to print a copy of your join definition.

(Show/Hide Technical Names)

You can use this function to show alias names for fields and tables / InfoProviders. These alias names are necessary in InfoSets, for example, to be able to map self joins. Field alias names start with F and are followed by a five digit number starting with 1. The names are numbered sequentially. Table aliases start with T followed by a number starting with 1. These are also numbered sequentially. In both cases, the maximum number possible is 99999.