Work with Variables in SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer Version 1.00 May 2006

Transcription

1 How-to Guide SAP NetWeaver 04s How To Work with Variables in SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer Version 1.00 May 2006 Applicable Releases: SAP NetWeaver 04s SPS07 or greater

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3 1 Scenario You have an SAP BI query with variables, and you'd like to be able to model an interactive, analytical application in SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer using this query as a data service. You'd like to model an input form for the variables to allow users to be able to enter values at runtime on the portal before executing the query. If, in fact, you have a mandatory variable, you need to model an input form or the query will fail to execute at runtime on the portal. 2 Introduction This document provides detailed instructions on how to model an application that provides an input form for entering variable values at runtime. We demonstrate what the variables input form looks like when the query is executed in BEx Analyzer, then we model the input form in Visual Composer. We further enhance the input form with value help, which allows the user to easily create advanced variable selections without having to know the correct syntax. We demonstrate two different kinds of value help for these purposes, then we deploy the model and interact with it on the portal. Using advanced modeling techniques, we then demonstrate how you can reduce the number of forms your users need to access by chaining input fields together. 2.1 Prerequisites All you need to model this scenario is delivered in SAP NetWeaver 2004s SP Stack 07 or greater. In particular: SAP BI system, defined with the SAP BI Connector in the Portal System Landscape This includes SAP BW 3.5 systems SP15 or greater, or SAP NetWeaver 2004s BI systems. SAP BI query in this system defined with one or more variables SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer Note: Queries with mandatory variables are not supported by BI XMLA connections, so if you have created an SAP BI system on the portal using the BI XMLA Connector, you won't be able to use the BI Integration Wizard or MDX Editor, for example, with queries with mandatory variables. To fully leverage BI query capabilities, however, this document relies on an SAP BI system created with the SAP BI Connector

4 2.2 For More Information For more information about SAP BI variables, see the online documentation at: SAP NetWeaver SAP NetWeaver 2004s SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability Information Integration by Key Capability Business Intelligence BI Suite: Business Explorer Query Design: BEx Query Designer Reusable Query Components Variables For more information about modeling applications in Visual Composer, see the SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer Modeler's Guide and the SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer Reference Guide

5 3 The Step By Step Solution To model an application using variables in Visual Composer, we perform these steps: 1. Model the basic elements: data service, input form, and table. 2. Explore the different kinds of variable "display areas" and required syntax. Considering the variables functionality when the query is executed in BEx Analyzer, add value help to the input form, which automatically generates valid values and selection syntax. 3. Deploy the model and interact with the application in the portal. 4. Model advanced input fields, to reduce the number of forms at runtime. 3.1 Model the Basic Elements In this step, we create data service, input form, and table that form the foundation of the application. We also restrict the number of fields displayed on the input form. 1. Launch Visual Composer in the portal to which your SAP BI system is connected. 2. Open an existing model in which to model your application, or create a new one. 3. Navigate into an existing iview or create a new one and navigate into it. From the Find Data Services task panel, select the SAP BI system in which your query is located, and find the query that contains the variables. In this example, we're using the Order and Sales Values query (technical name 0D_SD_C03_Q009), delivered with SAP Demo content, which has several optional variables defined. Any variables saved in an SAP BI query display in the Variables folder in the InfoObject tree. Optional variables appear with an icon with a green equals sign; mandatory variables display a red equals sign

6 4. Drag the query to the Visual Composer storyboard. 5. Drag from the data service's Variables port and choose Add Input Form. 6. Drag from the data service's Output port and choose Add Table View, and select the fields you want to display in the table. 7. Double-click the Variables Form, and in the Field section of the Configure Element task panel, select the variables for which you want to provide input when the query is executed at runtime on the portal, keeping the SUBMIT button also selected. Save your model. In this example, we are going to provide input fields for two of the query's variables. Note: If you have mandatory variables, you must keep these on the form. At this point, your model is functionally complete, and you could deploy it to the portal, enter values in the variable fields, and execute the query. However, you need to enter the proper values and selection syntax in each of the input fields. This is what we discuss in the next section

7 3.2 Add Value Help to the Input Form In this step, we first explore the different types of "display areas" of BI system variables and the syntax that is required by each in an input field in Visual Composer, then we take a look at what the variable selection dialog boxes look like when a query is executed in BEx Analyzer. Finally, we implement value help dialog boxes in Visual Composer that not only allow us to choose valid variable values, but also provide the correct selection syntax Variable Selection Types and Syntax In the query's definition, you can configure SAP BI characteristic value variables that allow you to provide different kinds of selections. For example, you can configure a variable to select single values, multiple values, or a range of values. These are called "display areas" of variables in SAP BI, and each requires a specific type of syntax in an input field in Visual Composer. The following table lists the display areas for variables in BI, the corresponding value help type in Visual Composer, and the syntax required by Visual Composer in the input field by each. Note that with variables, you must pass the Key (External Display) (*_ext_key) value of the characteristic to the field. "Value" in the syntax column refers to this value: BI Variable Selection Type (Display Area) Single Value Multiple Single Values Interval Selection Option Visual Composer Value Help Type Single Selection Multiple Selection Interval Selection Selection Options Input Field Syntax Examples [Value] 1612 (the single value 1612) [Value1];[Value2];[Value3] 1612; (1612 and 1614) [Value(Start)]:[Value(End)] 07/2004:12/2004 (the range from 07/2004 to [Value]:[Value(End - optional)]:operator:i (Includes) or E (Excludes) 12/2004) 1592::EQ:I;1612:1614:BT:I (include the single value 1592 and the range from 1612 to 1614) Available Operators: EQ -- Equal to GE -- Greater than or equal to GT -- Greater than 1614::GE:I;6512::EQ:E (include all values greater than or equal to 1614 except 6512) 1552::LT:I;4000::GT:I (all values less than 1552 and greater than 4000) LE -- Less than or equal to LT -- Less than BT -- Between - 5 -

8 Note: SAP BI precalculated value set variables are not supported in Visual Composer Variable Selection in BEx Analyzer When you execute a query in BEx Analyzer, the input form provided to enter variable values might look something like this (SAP NetWeaver 2004s): Here's an example of the dialog box that helps you configure selections (in this case, a range for the Calendar Month/Year variable): - 6 -

9 3.2.3 Adding Value Help We'll now model similar functionality using value help in Visual Composer. Remember that adding value help to the input form will not only help to select the right value to pass along to the form, but will create the syntax for each variable selection type for you. We demonstrate two different kinds of value help for these purposes. 8. In Visual Composer, on the Layout board, right-click the input field for one of the variables (Sales Organization) and choose Add Value Help from the context menu

10 9. On the Add Value Help for Selected Input Field screen, notice that Visual Composer recommends the type of value help to use. For variables, you must accept the recommended type, which corresponds with the display area configured in the variable itself. For our example, this is Selection options for the Sales Organization variable, and Interval selection for the Calendar Year/Month variable. 10. On the Select Data Service screen, browse to and select the characteristic that will provide the list of valid variable values. 11. Use the Get data from drop-down list in the Properties section to specify to retrieve all valid values present in the master data table (as opposed to all values in the dimension table)

11 12. On the Specify Data Service Runtime Parameters screen, leave the Input values as they are by default. 13. In the Output section, select all formats of the output fields in the Output Fields table, so in the resultant value help dialog box you will see, for example, how the Key and Key (External Display) values differ. The Key field is the value that is actually passed on to the input form. The Key and Key (External Display) values are usually the same, but when they differ (such as is usually the case for time characteristics), you need to use the Key (External Display) value as input for a variable. Accordingly, select Key (External Display) from this drop-down list. 14. Click Finish to exit the wizard and generate the value help. 15. Repeat from Step 8 to define value help for the Calendar Month/Year field.. Once you have completed the wizard screens, you return the Layout board, where you can see that a Value Help button has been added next to each input field where you have configured it. 16. On the Layout board, edit the display of field labels and clean up the layout of the buttons, form, and table as desired. 17. Save the model

12 3.3 Deploy and Interact 18. Go to the Deploy to Portal task panel, and click Deploy to deploy the model to the portal in Adobe Flash format. 19. Click Run [iview name] to view the iview in runtime on the portal. 20. When the iview appears on the portal, you see the input form, value help buttons, and table. The query is waiting for you to select variable values before it executes:

13 21. Click the Value Help button for the Sales Organization field. The dialog box for selection options value help looks like this: From the Options drop-down list, select the option you wish to configure: Equal to Greater than or equal to Greater than Less than or equal to Less than Between You can specify that values should be excluded with the Exclude value checkbox. 22. Use the Value Help buttons to select values for fields as appropriate, which evokes the value help dialog box:

14 23. Build as many types of selections as you like and transfer them to the selection using the Add button. Notice that the value help formula updates as you build your selection:

15 24. When you are done, click Done to exit the dialog box and transfer the value to the input field on the form: Notice that in addition to providing you the proper Key (External Display) values for the input field, Visual Composer value help has automatically generated the proper selection syntax for your field. 25. Select and configure value help for additional variables as desired. If you have mandatory variables, you must configure values for these before you submit the query. In the dialog box for interval selection value help (for the Calendar Month/Year variable), you specify start and end points of the interval by selecting values and pressing the Add button:

16 26. When you are done, click Done to exit the value help dialog box and transfer the selected values to the input field. 27. Click Submit to execute the query with the variable values you configured and retrieve the result for display in the table: 3.4 Model Advanced Input Fields In this step, we demonstrate advanced field modeling to reduce the number of dialog boxes the user needs to process when executing the query on the portal. Note that to enter these variable values, the user has to select the value help button on the input form, and then interact with multiple dialog boxes and controls, then return to the input form and finally submit the values to be executed in the query. We can streamline the number of dialog boxes and controls with which the user must interact by concatenating fields and configuring different controls

17 In this example, the Calendar Month/Year variable is an interval variable, which uses the following syntax: [Value(Start)]:[Value(End)] To prevent users from having to access any dialog boxes to configure the proper values, we split this variable's input field into two fields (From and To), provide the proper field values using drop-down lists, and concatenate these together in a formula for the Calendar Month/Year variable. 28. On the Layout board, select the Calendar Month/Year field and delete it by clicking the Remove (-) button in the Field section of the Configure Element task panel. 29. Select the field's Value Help button and click the Remove button to delete it as well. 30. Click the Add (+) button to define a new field. 31. Select the Drop-down List control type, Text data type, and enter From as the field name. 32. Repeat steps 30 and 31 to create a second field, entering To as the field name

18 33. Double-click the From field to access the Control Properties dialog box. 34. On the Entry List tab, choose the Dynamic radio button. 35. In the Find Data Service dialog box, select the appropriate system and query, and navigate to select the Calendar Year/Month characteristic. 36. Select INPUT from the Input port drop-down list. 37. Select OUTPUT from the Output port drop-down list. 38. Click OK

19 39. Back on the Entry List tab, configure the following Assigned Values for the Input and Output ports: Input Field Calendar_Year/Month Output Field VALUE Output Field TEXT 40. On the Display tab, in the Appearance section, enter Cal. Month/Year From in the Label field. 41. Select Long label from the Label position drop-down list. 42. Repeat from step 33 to configure the entry list and display of the To field. For this field, enter Cal. Month/Year To as the field label. 43. Close the Control Properties dialog box

20 On the Layout tab, your variables form now looks something like this: 44. On the Design tab, select the unused Value Help for Calendar_Month_Year popup signal, and delete it. This cleans up the popup signal as well as the iview that represented the value help we're not using anymore. 45. Click to select the submit line that connects the Variables Form and the query data service. Now we define the formula that concatenates the From and To fields for the Calendar Month/Year variable input. 46. In the Configure Element task panel, select Enter formula in the Assigned Value column next to the Calendar_Month_Year input field

21 47. In the Assign Value dialog box, enter the following ':' This corresponds to the interval selection syntax required by this variable: [Value(Start)]:[Value(End)] 48. Check to make sure the formula is valid, and click OK to exit the dialog box. 49. Save the model and deploy it to the portal. In the application in runtime on the portal, you can still use value help to construct the Sales Organization variable value, but the Calendar Month/Year variable input has been streamlined:

22 Simply select from the From and To drop-down lists to define the Calendar Month/Year interval: By concatenating fields and configuring a drop-down list, the same query result is achieved with far fewer clicks and without a dialog box for the interval variable. Your end-users also don't need to know about the interval syntax, since that syntax is included in the concatenated formula:

23 Tips: Disable the Sales Organization field. This makes the field inactive to manual input, requiring end-users to use value help in order to generate the proper syntax, which also prevents users from entering incorrect syntax and values. Set the Calendar Month/Year fields to Required. This way, end-users will be required to fill in both fields, and not just one or the other, which would generate incorrect syntax values

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