support for bex query elements in bobj bi dec 2012.pdf

Support for BEx Query Elements in SAP

BusinessObjects BI 4 Service Pack 05

December 2012

2

This presentation and SAP’s strategy and possible future developments are subject to change and may be changed by SAP at any time for any reason without notice. This document is provided

without a warranty of any kind either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

Disclaimer

This presentation outlines our general product direction and should not be

relied on in making a purchase decision. This presentation is not subject to

your license agreement or any other agreement with SAP. SAP has no

obligation to pursue any course of business outlined in this presentation or

to develop or release any functionality mentioned in this presentation. This

presentation and SAP's strategy and possible future developments are

subject to change and may be changed by SAP at any time for any reason

without notice. This document is provided without a warranty of any kind,

either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties

of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. SAP

assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this document, except if

such damages were caused by SAP intentionally or grossly negligent.

© 2012 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

3



SAP BusinessObjects BI & SAP NetWeaver BW Supported meta-data & functionality

The following tables outline the level of support for BEx query elements and

typical BEx query functionality for all BI client tools based on SAP

BusinessObjects BI 4 Service Pack 05.

For SAP BusinessObjects Analysis, edition for Microsoft Office these slides

evaluate version 1.3 of the product.

For SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio these slides evaluate version 1.0 of

the product.


4




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

InfoProvider Dimension No No No No No No Yes No

Characteristics Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Key Figures Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Free Characteristics Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Restricted Key Figures Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Calculated Key Figures Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Display Attributes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes

Navigational Attributes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

BEx Query Filter Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Defaults (4) Yes Yes No No No No No Yes

(4) Defaults in this context refers to the Defaults area in the BEx Query Designer and not to default values for SAP variables in a BEx Query.


5




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Custom Key Figure Structure Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes

Custom Characteristic Structure Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes

Hierarchical Custom Key Figure

Structure Yes Yes No No No No No Yes

Hierarchical Custom

Characteristic Structure Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes

Selection of elements of a

custom structure in the report Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes

Support for 2 structures from

BEx Query Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes

Compounded Characteristics Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes


6




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Support for Characteristic Data

Type NUMC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes


Type CHAR Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes


Type DATS Yes Yes

Key Value as

String.

Description

Value as Date

Key Value as

String.

Description

Value as Date

Key Value as

String.

Description

Value as Date

Yes Yes Yes


Type TIMS Yes Yes

As String

Value Only

As String

Value Only

As String

Value Only Yes Yes Yes

Support for Key Figures Data

Type Amount / Quantity Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes


Type DATS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes


Type TIMS Yes Yes

As String

Value Only

As String

Value Only

As String

Value Only Yes Yes Yes

Information about configured

Filters in the BEx Query Yes No No No No No No No

BEx Text Elements Yes No No No No No No Yes


7




Variable Type

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Optional Variables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Mandatory Variables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA -

No

(only with

Default Values)

Characteristic Value Variables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Formula Variables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Hierarchy Variables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - Yes

Hierarchy Node Variables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - Yes

Hierarchy Version Variable Yes Yes No No No No - NA - Yes

Key Date Variable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Text Variables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - Yes


8




Variable Processing Type

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

User Entry / Default Value Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Replacement Path Yes Yes Yes (3) Yes (3) Yes (3) Yes - NA - Yes

Customer / SAP Exits Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Authorization Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

(3) To be able to use BEx Queries with Crystal Reports for Enterprise, Web Intelligence, and SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards the

BEx queries need to be configured to allow external access in the BEx Query Designer. For limits of BEx queries which are released

for external access please also take a look at SAP Note 820925.

In particular for the for the variable processing type Replacement Path:

Variables with replacement from query result are not supported, if the query again has variables that are ready for input.


9




Variable Presentation

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Single Value Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes (6)

Multiple Single Value Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes (6)

Interval / Range Value Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes - NA - Yes (6)

Selection Option Yes Yes Limited

Support (2)

Limited

Support (2)

Limited

Support (2) Yes - NA - Yes (6)

Selection Option Operator

Functionality (except Contains

Pattern)

Yes Yes Limited

Support (2)

Limited

Support (2)

Limited


Selection Option Operator

Functionality - Contains Pattern No No

Limited

Support (2)

Limited

Support (2)

Limited

Support (2) Yes - NA - No

Selection Option Include /

Exclude Functionality Yes Yes

Limited

Support (2)

Limited

Support (2)

Limited


PreCalculated Value Set Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes (6)

(2) Crystal Reports for Enterprise, Web Intelligence, and SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards are creating range variables for a selection

option variable from a BEx Query. In addition the option to include or exclude values and to select an operator is not supported.

(6) Design Studio 1.0 does not support the prompting.. Nevertheless designer can set the variable value per scripting.


10




Variable Functionality

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Support for manual entry of

values Yes Yes

Planned for

release 4.1

Planned for

release 4.1

Planned for

release 4.1 Yes - NA - Yes

Support for Variables in Defaults

Area of BEx Query Yes Yes No No No No - NA - Yes

Support for single Key Date

Variable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Support for multiple Key Date

Variables in single BEx Query Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Support for Hierarchy /

Hierarchy Node Variable

dependency

Yes Yes Yes Yes No No - NA - Yes

Support for cascading variables

for Compounded Characteristics Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - Yes

Support for Variable Default

Values Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes


11




Variable Functionality

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Copy / Paste variable values

from clipboard Yes No No No No No - NA -

Planned for

release 1.1

Filling variable values from

Microsoft Excel File

Planned for

release 1.4 No No No No No - NA - No

Merge / Unmerge Variables Yes Planned for

release 4.1 No Yes No No - NA -

Planned for

release 1.1

Defining Variable Sequence in

the report No No Yes

Planned for

release 4.1 No No - NA - No

Variable Sequence based on

BEx Query Designer Yes Yes Yes Yes No No - NA -

Planned for

release 1.1

Support for validating values

before executing the report Yes Yes No No No No - NA -

Planned for

release 1.1

Read Mode for list of values

(master data, InfoCube) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA -

Planned for

release 1.1


12




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design

Studio

Currency / Unit Conversion

defined in BEx Query Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

Currency / Unit Conversion

(Runtime) Yes No No No No No

Possible with

manual modeling No

Condition in Rows

(from BEx Query) Yes Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

Condition in Columns

(from BEx Query) Yes Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

Conditions for fixed set of

characteristics (from BEx Query) Yes Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

Condition for independent

characteristics (from BEx Query) Yes Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

Yes

Defining Conditions in the report Yes Yes Yes (5) Yes (5) Yes (5) No - NA - No

Exceptions (from BEx Query) Yes Planned for

release 4.1

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

- NA -

No

Not planned for

future release

Planned for

release1.1

Defining Exceptions in the report Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - - NA - No

Constant Selection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes

(5) the BI clients are able to create condition type of filters (for example, Top N) in the report but these filters are applied after the data has been retrieved

from SAP NetWeaver BW


13




Variable Type

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Cell Editor Calculation Yes Yes Limited

Support (6)

Limited

Support (6)

Limited

Support (6) No - NA - Yes

Local calculations (defined in

BEx Query) Yes Yes No No No Yes - NA - Yes

Defining Calculations in the

report (at run time) Yes Yes No Yes No Yes - NA - No

Exception Aggregation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Zero Suppression Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes

Read Mode for characteristics

(master data, InfoCube) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

(6) Crystal Reports for Enterprise, Web Intelligence, and SAP BusinessObjects Dashboards to support BEx queries with two structures

and cell definitions created with the cell editor but in cases where the cell definition combines different data types, the resulting output in

these BI clients will be a string value instead of a numeric value.


14




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Scaling Factor Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes (7)

Reverse Sign (+/-) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes (7)

Number of Decimals Yes Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

- NA - Yes (7)

Hide / Show the Element Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - NA - Yes (7)

Sort Characteristics Yes Yes No No No Yes - NA - Yes (7)

Display Options for

characteristics (Key, Key & Text,

Text)

Yes Yes

Elements can

be included as

part of the

report design

Elements can

be included as

part of the

report design

Elements can

be included as

part of the

report design

Yes - NA - Yes (7)

Result Rows (Show, Suppress) Yes Yes No No No No - NA - Yes (7)

Placement of subtotal (above /

below nodes) Yes Yes No No No No - NA - Yes (7)

(7) Design Studio: possible to define it in design time. But it‘s not possible to define/change it in ad-hoc manner in run time with Design Studio 1.0


15




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Support for Hierarchies with

Linked Nodes Yes Yes

Planned for

release 4.1

Planned for

release 4.1

Planned for

release 4.1 Yes No Yes

Support for time-dependent

Hierarchies Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Support for time-dependent

Hierarchy Structures Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Support for Hierarchies with

Temp Join Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes

Support for Hierarchy Versions

(without usage of Variables) No Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - No


16




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Hierarchical Member selection

(nodes and leafs) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes

(only as filter) Yes Yes (8)

Member Selection based on

hierarchy levels Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes (8)

Show specific Hierarchy Levels Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - Yes (8)

Skip levels of a hierarchy Yes Yes No No No No - NA - Yes (8)

Show Leaf Members only Yes Yes No No No No - NA - Yes (8)

Ranking Data along a hierarchy Yes Yes No No No No - NA - No

Exchange of hierarchies in the

BI client tool Yes Yes No No No No No No

Expand to Level Functionality

(BEx Query Designer) Yes Yes No No No No - NA - Yes (8)

Expand to Level Functionality

(Run Time) Yes Planned for 4.1 No No No No - NA - No



17




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Compact Axis in the Rows

(Display as hierarchy) Yes Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

- NA - Yes(8)

Compact Axis in the Columns

(Display as hierarchy) Yes Yes

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

No

Not planned for

future release

- NA - Yes(8)

Hierarchical Report Design Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - Yes(8)

Hierarchical charting No Yes Yes Yes Yes No - NA - No



18




BEx Query Elements

Analysis,

edition for

Microsoft

Office

Analysis,

edition for

OLAP

Crystal

Reports for

Enterprise

Web

Intelligence

Dashboards

(BISC in BIP)

Explorer

(BW

Accelerator)

Relational

Universe

(BI4 UNX)

Design Studio

Schedule a document Planned for 1.4

(BI 4.1) No Yes Yes No - NA - - NA - No

Create a Publication (=

Broadcasting)

Planned for 1.4

(BI 4.1) No Yes Yes No - NA - - NA - No

Support for Variable Variants Yes Planned for

release 4.1 No No No No - NA -

Planned for

future release

Support for Variable

Personalization

Planned for

version 1.4 No No No No No - NA -

Planned for

future release

Support for Report Report

Interface as Sender Yes

Planned for

release 4.1 Yes No Yes No - NA -

Planned for

future release

Support for Report Report

Interface as Receiver

Planned for

version 1.4 No No No No No - NA -

Planned for

future release


Thank You!

Contact information:

Ingo Hilgefort ([email protected])

Twitter: ihilgefort

Blog: www.mastering-sap-and-businessobjects.com

20



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