Using Variables in the BEx Analyzer 

Use

You can use variables to fill single components of a query or an entire query with values when you display it in the BEx Analyzer. Variables act as placeholders for characteristic values, hierarchies, hierarchy nodes, texts, and formula elements, and can be processed in many different ways. There are variables with automatic substitution, substitution from authorizations, and input-ready variables.

For more information, see Variables.

Filling Variables with Values

When a query or workbook is processed, the variables are filled with values from the following sources:

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       1.      If you have saved a variant with the Use as Default Variant indicator for the current object (query or workbook), the values of this variant are used.

More information: Saving Query Variants

       2.      If the Process Variables of Refresh indicator is selected, the values saved in the workbook are selected for the variables in the characteristic restrictions of the query.

If the Restore Initial Query View on Refresh indicator is not selected for the data provider, the navigational state is taken from the workbook and the values saved in the workbook are selected for the variables in the default values of the query.

More information: Workbook Settings

       3.      Personalized values of variables

More information: Personalizing Variables

       4.      Default values of variables

More information: Default Values

The sources listed first take precedence over subsequent sources. For example, if the Process Variables on Refresh indicator is selected and there are personalized values for the variables, the values saved in the workbook, and not the default values, are used.

Specifying Variable Values in the Variable Dialog

Depending on the settings that you selected for the workbook, the variable dialog is automatically displayed or the query or workbook is executed straight away.

Function	Display of Variable Dialog
Opening a query directly	The variable dialog is always displayed if the query contains input-ready variables.
Opening a workbook for which the Refresh Workbook on Open indicator is not set	When you update the workbook, the system checks whether it contains mandatory variables for which no values are available. If no values are available, the variable dialog is displayed; if values are available, the workbook is displayed straight away. You can, however, manually change the variable values by choosing Change Variable Values to call the variable dialog. For more information, see Changing Variable Values.
Opening a workbook for which the Refresh Workbook on Open indicator is set	The variable dialog is always displayed if the query contains input-ready variables. If values are already saved for the workbook, these are displayed as predefined settings in the variable dialog. You can accept or change these values.

 

You can also save a variant for a query. This is a query for which you have already selected and saved variable values. When you next open the workbook, you can call the variant. You can change the variable values for the variant in the variable dialog; you can also create multiple variants with different variable values for a query. If the workbook contains multiple queries, the variants are created for the workbook.

For more information, see Saving Query Variants.