Working with Hierarchies  

Use

You can display characteristics hierarchically in the Business Explorer (in Web applications or in the BEx Analyzer). The characteristic values of a characteristic are displayed in a tree-type structure.

You can also arrange the structure components of a structure hierarchically in the Query Designer. In the Query Designer, you can specify that one or both axes (rows and columns) be displayed hierarchically.

These functions enable you to evaluate the data of a query for the individual hierarchy levels.

Integration

Hierarchies for characteristics can be loaded from the source system or created in the BI system. For more information about hierarchies, see Hierarchies.

Prerequisites

This function for displaying characteristics in a hierarchy is available if hierarchies exist for the characteristics of the query.

For the functions Structures with Hierarchical Display and Display as Hierarchy, characteristics are not required to have hierarchies.

Features

Hierarchies in Rows and Columns

You can display multiple display hierarchies in both the rows and columns, and can navigate using hierarchies.

You can distribute any number of structures, characteristics with active display hierarchies, and characteristics without active display hierarchies in the rows and columns.

The hierarchical display of the characteristic takes place step-by-step. A drilldown with the hierarchy nodes of the selected hierarchy is displayed. You can navigate to the lower hierarchy levels using a new drilldown for the hierarchy (or by choosing the hierarchy icon). Characteristic values that are not included in the hierarchy are displayed in the results area in the ‘Not assigned’ row. If a characteristic with a hierarchy is sorted according to key and name, the ‘Not assigned’ node is displayed at the end.

You can design the hierarchy display (size of the hierarchy indentation and hierarchy buttons) in the themes used by using the Workbook Settings function in the design toolbar of the BEx Analyzer. See Workbook Settings.

Using the query, you can evaluate data for the individual hierarchy levels. To display a characteristic as a hierarchy and not as a list, choose Hierarchy → Active Hierarchy in the context menu by using the secondary mouse button. You can now expand the hierarchy to the required level. Expanding a hierarchy level means that the display of the level at which the cursor is positioned is extended by one level, that is, the level is moved down one level. Conversely, the hierarchy can also be reduced by one level (compressed). In the context menu, choose Hierarchy → Expand Hierarchy ® Level. You can also expand or compress the hierarchy by choosing the hierarchy icon.

You can specify the hierarchical display of a characteristic as early as in the query definition.

                                                  i.       Select the characteristic in the Query Designer. The properties dialog box for the characteristic is displayed In the Properties screen area.

                                                ii.       On the Hierarchy tab page, select Activate Hierarchy Display.

In the Hierarchy Parameters area, you can specify under Expand to Level up to which hierarchy level the hierarchy is to be drilled down in the initial view. See Characteristic Properties.

Refreshable Expansion Levels

When you refresh a query in a BEx Analyzer workbook, the level to which the hierarchy is expanded is restored to the state from when the BEx Analyzer workbook was saved.

Structures with Hierarchical Display

In the Query Designer, you can maintain hierarchical relationships for structural components in a structure. To do this, in the context menu for the structural component, choose Paste as Child. The hierarchical relationship of the structural components is displayed in the executed query as a display hierarchy. You can also expand and collapse the nodes.

Display as Hierarchy

In the Query Designer, you can specify for each axis whether all objects on an axis (structures, characteristics with or without display hierarchies) are displayed as individual hierarchies.

In the Query Designer, move the mouse to the empty area in the Rows or Columns area. The corresponding properties dialog for the rows or columns is displayed in the Properties screen area. On the General tab page, select Active under Display As Hierarchy. Under Expand to, you can choose up to which hierarchy level the hierarchy is to drilled down in the initial view.

You can use this function to display, for example, the multiple drilldown Country, Region, Town, although no display hierarchy exists.

Another example is to display the cost center and the cost element hierarchy in one hierarchy.