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Object documentation Join Control  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Definition

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

Use

You define join conditions in the join control. 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 symbol This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Time-Dependency Deactivated indicates the option of a time dependency. An existing left outer join is indicated using the flag This graphic is explained in the accompanying text. You can display a join in the right-hand side of the screen by double-clicking on 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 This graphic is explained in the accompanying text 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 are also some dimension rows

·        for InfoObjects: The InfoObject itself, compounded 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.

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).

Note

In order to add these field objects in queries, you must deactivate the property Attribute Only in the InfoObject maintenance. (See Tab: General) This may influence the performance of database access.

Key field, additional field, dimension

The This graphic is explained in the accompanying text symbol means

·        A key field for DataStore objects

·        For InfoObjects, the InfoObject itself or a compounded characteristic

The This graphic is explained in the accompanying text 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 This graphic is explained in the accompanying text symbol means

·        For InfoCubes: a dimension

Technical name

 

Object type (represented by the corresponding symbol)

Examples:

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Characteristic

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Key Figure

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Unit

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text 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 column Use Field.

·        Deselect All Fields

If you choose this option, all indicators are removed from the column Use Field.

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

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.

Size of the individual objects

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Each time you click on the Zoom in icon, the view is enlarged by 10%.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Each time you click on the Zoom out icon, the view is reduced by 10%.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text The Auto-Arrange function automatically arranges the objects into an overview.

Navigator

You click on the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Hide/Display Navigator function 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.

·         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

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

Changing the 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 the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Change Description function. 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

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text All Objects

A selection of the texts for

·        a single InfoProvider in the join

·        all the objects in the join

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Transfer

Transfers the texts in the display to the join control.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Get All Original Texts

Undoes the changes made to the texts.

If you click on the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Transfer function 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 click on the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Delete function.

Saving a Join as a .jpg File

Choose the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Save as jpg function to save your join definition as a graphic, in the jpeg file format, on a PC.

Print

Choose the This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Print function to print a copy of your join definition.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text 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.

 

 

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