Precalculating and Broadcasting Queries, Query Views, Web Templates, and Reports 

Use

You can precalculate queries, query views, Web templates, and reports in various formats or create online links for these BI objects. You can broadcast the information by e-mail, to the portal, or to a printer.

Procedure

       1.      For precalculation and distribution, choose:

○       For queries

■       Query → Publish → BEx Broadcaster in the BEx Query Designer

○       For query views

■       The Send button in the BEx Web Analyzer. The broadcasting wizard appears.

○       For Web templates

■       Web Template → Publish → BEx Broadcaster in the Web Application Designer

○       For reports

■       Report → Publish → BEx Broadcaster in the Report Designer

You can also call the BEx Broadcaster from other areas (see Calling the BEx Broadcaster) and select the BI object you want to broadcast:

                            a.      Under Settings for Object Type, choose Query, Query View, Web Template, or Report.

                            b.      Choose Open.

                            c.      Select the required BI object.

                            d.      Choose Transfer.

       2.      Choose Create New Setting.

If you want to work with the broadcasting wizard, which provides step-by-step instructions for creating the broadcast setting, choose Create New Setting with the Wizard.

       3.      Enter a description for the broadcast setting.

       4.      Choose the required distribution type:

○       Broadcast by E-Mail

○       Broadcast to Portal

○       Broadcast to Printer

For more information about the relevant setting options on the corresponding tab pages, see Broadcast by E-Mail, Broadcast to the Portal, and Printing.

       5.      Select the required output format:

○       MHTML

The system generates an MHTML file. All components of the HTML page (HTML, style sheet, pictures, and so on) are in one file. Use this output format when you want to generate one individual document and broadcast it by e-mail or to the portal. Recipients cannot navigate in the generated file.

This output format does not support object type Report.

○       HTML

The components of the HTML page are generated by the system in individual files. Use this output format if you want to generate multiple documents with various filter settings from the same BI object. Recipients can navigate between different filter views for the BI object (Query, Query View, Report, or Web Template).

This output format does not support object type Report.

○       XML (MS Excel)

The system generates an XML file that contains the results and displays them in a data table.

■       This output format supports object types Query and Query View only.

■       The XML file cannot be edited in the BEx Analyzer.

○       Online Link to Current Data

The system generates a URL to the current navigational state of the BI object (Query, Query View, Web Template, or Report). The recipients can call the BI object and navigate further within it.

○       PDF

The system generates a static PDF file.

○       Print Format (PS or PCL)

The document is generated in the suitable format for the output device: PostScript (PS) or Printer Control Language (PCL).

The BEx Broadcaster allows you to select from the output formats available for the distribution type you selected.

The Print Format (PS or PCL) output format is printer-specific and is therefore only available with distribution type Broadcast to Printer. The Portable Document Format (PDF) output format is also available for this distribution type.

       6.      If you want to broadcast the precalculated document as a ZIP file, select ZIP File.

If you have chosen HTML as the output format and want to broadcast the document by e-mail, you have to create the document as a ZIP file.

       7.      If you selected a particular file format (HTML, PDF, PS, or PCL, for example) as the output format, you can make various settings on the General Precalculation tab page.

If you selected an online link as the output format, the setting options on the General Link Generation tab page are available.

For more information about the different settings options, see General Settings for Precalculation and the Creation of Links.

       8.      If you selected PDF as the output format, you can make the settings for the print version on the Layout and Header/Footer tab pages. More information: Creation of Print Versions of BI Applications

       9.      If you want to generate several documents with different filter settings from the same query or Web application, choose the Filter Navigation tab page and make the required settings. More information: Filter Navigation

   10.      Check your settings if required and choose Save.

   11.      Enter a technical name for the broadcast setting and choose Transfer. The new setting appears in the overview in the upper area of the BEx Broadcaster.

   12.      If you want to distribute the broadcast setting for the query or Web application immediately, choose Execute. A new browser window appears that displays the processing status of the broadcast setting. If you want to close the window, choose Cancel.

If you want to distribute the broadcast setting for the query or Web application at a specific time or when data is changed, choose Schedule. For more information about scheduling broadcast settings, see Scheduling Broadcast Settings.

Result

You have generated a query, query view, report, or Web application in accordance with the selected settings as an online link or as a precalculated file, and distributed it.

If you have precalculated and distributed a query, it is displayed as a table with a filter area (according to the filters selected). From a technical viewpoint, the query is embedded in the Standard Web Template for Query Precalculation (0QUERY_TEMPLATE_BROADCASTING70).

If you have generated a report as a precalculated document, the Standard Web Template for Report Precalculation (0REPORT_TEMPLATE_BROADCASTING) is used; this template contains the Report Web item. You make the setting for the standard Web templates in Customizing under SAP Reference IMG → SAP NetWeaver → Business Intelligence → Settings for Reporting and Analysis →BEx Web →Set Standard Web Templates.You can also specify another Web template, for example, one containing your company logo, as the Standard Web Template for Query Precalculation or as the Standard Web Template for Report Precalculation.

The broadcast setting is listed in the upper area of the BEx Broadcaster screen. This is where all broadcast settings that were created for this query or Web application are displayed. If you want to edit or delete the broadcast setting, choose Edit or Delete in the context menu of the setting.