Running a Calculation Script using a MaxL Script

Transcription

1 Well, now that you know how to code a basic Essbase Command Script, we will describe the various methods for executing it. They are as follows: Chapter 5 1. EssCmd Drag and Drop: Your client software should have come with a file called Esscmd.exe. If you have this file, it will be located wherever your Essbase client software was installed. On a Windows machine, the path is typically C:\Hyperion\AnalyticServices\bin. All you need to do is create a desktop shortcut to this executable file, then drag any EssCmd.scr file onto the shortcut and the script will execute. If you do not have the EssCmd.exe file on your machine, you can always get it from the *\Essbase\Bin folder on your Essbase analytic server. 2. DOS Command Line: All you need to do is navigate to the DOS command prompt from your desktop. Then, type in a typical command line action at the command prompt. This will tell Windows to run the EssCmd.exe with the Gross Stock EssCmd script: "esscmd.exe EssCmd.scr" 3. Shell Command in Code: You can easily use the Shell function in code to run your EssCmd Essbase Command Scripts. The Shell function can be used in languages like Microsoft Visual Basic or Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications to name a few: Shell "esscmd.exe EssCmd.scr", vbnormalfocus If you register the EssCmd.exe on your PC, like you would register any DLL using the regsvr32 function, you will be able to call the EssCmd.exe in a command line or shell command without having to include the entire path in the command. This is particularly useful to know because the EssCmd.exe itself only accepts paths with a length of upto 128 characters. Running a Calculation Script using a MaxL Script Here we have another command scripting facility for you to use to automate functionality in Essbase. The MaxL command script operates in much the same way as the EssCmd script, although MaxL is supposed to be a much easier and more efficient scripting language. While the EssCmd scripting language has been around since the earliest versions of Essbase, the MaxL scripting language was introduced in Essbase version 7.x. [ 205 ]

2 Calculating your Essbase Cube Running a calculation script using MaxL can be accomplished in three different ways. The first method is through the EAS tool, from the MaxL Script Editor. The second method is from the DOS command prompt, or command line execution. The third method is to use the Shell command from a coding language like Microsoft Visual Basic or Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications. While we will explain how to use MaxL in-depth in a later chapter, we will give you a basic explanation here. The code for a basic MaxL command script to run a calculation looks like the following: login 'UserID' 'Password' on 'ServerName'; execute calculation 'ESSCAR'.'ESSCAR'.'GRSSTK'; This code, when run from MaxL, will login to the Essbase server and then execute the GRSSTK.csc against the ESSCAR application/esscar database. To create a MaxL script file object, simply open the MaxL Script Editor in the EAS tool by clicking the EDITORS menu pick, then clicking on MaxL Script Editor. The MaxL Script Editor is shown as follows: [ 206 ]

3 Chapter 5 After you enter the appropriate commands to execute your database calculation script, you can save the MaxL script by clicking File Save and giving a name to your file object. Just like with the Calculation Script Editor, the default location the EAS saves your MaxL file to is the Analytic Server Application Database folder. Consequently, this is where the MaxL function will look for the file when you call it. The MaxL command script file object is saved with an.mxl extension. Now that you know how to code a basic MaxL Command Script, we will describe the various methods for executing it: Through the EAS Tool: Just like executing a calculation script from the EAS tool, you have virtually identical options for executing a MaxL script through the EAS tool when the MaxL script editor is open. i) Click the menu pick MAXL and then click Execute to run the MaxL script currently open in the editor. ii) Click on the button on the EAS toolbar that has the small downward pointing arrow. iii) Press the F5 function key on your keyboard. DOS Command Line: All you need to do is navigate to the DOS command prompt from your desktop. The next step is to type in a typical command line action at the command prompt. This will tell windows to run the essmsh.exe with the Gross Stock MaxL script: "essmsh.exe MaxL.mxl" Shell Command in Code: You can easily use the Shell function in code to run your EssCmd. The Shell function can be used in languages like Microsoft Visual Basic or Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications to name a few. Shell "essmsh.exe MaxL.mxl", vbnormalfocus If you register the essmsh.exe on your PC, like you would register any DLL using the regsvr32 function, you will be able to call the essmsh.exe in a command line or shell command without having to include the entire path in the command. This is particularly useful to know because the essmsh.exe itself only accepts paths with a length of upto 128 characters. [ 207 ]

4 Calculating your Essbase Cube Running a Calculation Script using the Essbase API The Essbase API is a comprehensive set of tools that allow you, the Essbase programmer/database administrator, to automate many Essbase tasks and functions through code in several popular languages. For the sake of consistency, our examples in this book will mainly focus on the use of Microsoft Visual Basic, or COM+, in a Microsoft Windows environment. The following is an example of the code required to execute the GRSSTK.csc database calculation script using a call to the Essbase API from Microsoft Visual Basic. In your program, your typical Essbase calculation call would be in a sub-routine like the following: Declare Function EsbCalc Lib "ESBAPIN" (ByVal hctx As Long, ByVal Calculate As Integer, ByVal Script As String) As Long Sub ESB_Calc () Dim sts As Long 'Essbase process return code Dim Script As String 'Variable to hold calc script Dim Calculate As Integer '1 = Yes, 0 = No Dim ProcState As ESB_PROCSTATE_T ' Test if calc still running Script = "CALC ALL;" 'Calculation script passed as a string up to '64 KB in length Calculate = ESB_YES 'Set API calc function to Yes meaning to 'Execute the calc script sts = EsbCalc (hctx, Calculate, Script) 'Actual call to the 'calculation function sts = EsbGetProcessState (hctx, ProcState) 'Test the process 'state Do Until ProcState.State = ESB_STATE_DONE sts = EsbGetProcessState (hctx, ProcState) Loop 'Perform this loop until the calc script has completed End Sub What you see here is a basic VB sub-routine. We will explain it using the Essbase API in greater detail later in this book, but to demonstrate the many ways to execute a database calculation script it is necessary to go over this briefly: [ 208 ]

5 Chapter 5 You will notice how the first task performed is to declare the API function in the program. Next, the variables are dimensioned. Set the Script variable to contain the actual calculation script. To simplify matters, you can use the program to open your existing calculation script and read it into the Script variable. A maximum length of 64KB is allowed. Set the Calculate variable to Yes, which for this command means to actually calculate the data. Setting this variable to No would have Essbase validate the calc script instead. Execute the EsbCalc function passing it the hctx variable (context variable explained later), the Calculate variable, and the Script variable. At the same time placing the Essbase process return code into the sts variable. Finally, perform a loop that checks the state of the process until the calculation script process has completed. This loop will hold up further program executions until the calculation script has completed. The benefit of this is that another routine in your program will not inadvertently grab data that has not been calculated yet. Running a Calculation Script from Microsoft Excel Yes, after all that, there are still a couple of ways to execute a calculation script against your Essbase database! Of course you would have had to assume that since Microsoft Excel is the natural front end for an Essbase database, that there would be a way to fire off a calculation script from it. Well, honestly, there are a couple ways you can do it. [ 209 ]