sap business objects dashboard builder content linking

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© 2010 SAP AG 1

SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard

Builder Content Linking

Applies to:

SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.1, SAP BusinessObjects Edge BI 3.1, and Crystal Reports Server 2008 v1

Summary

This paper contains two quick tutorials how to link between two Dashboard Design analytics, and how to link between Dashboard Design analytics and Web Intelligence/Crystal Reports, using the Dashboard Builder content linking feature.

Author: Fritz Feltus

Company: SAP

Created on: 17 August 2010

Author Bio

Fritz works as a Presales Consultant in the EMEA region, focusing on Business Intelligence solutions.

SAP BusinessObjects Dashboard Builder Content Linking


© 2010 SAP AG 2

Table of Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 3

SWF to SWF (Content Linking between two or more Dashboard Design analytics) ......................................... 3

Create the Provider Analytic ........................................................................................................................... 3

Create the Consumer Analytic ........................................................................................................................ 5

Create dashboard with Content Linking .......................................................................................................... 6

SWF (Dashboard Design) to Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence .................................................................. 7

Create the Provider Analytic ........................................................................................................................... 7

Create the Target Report ................................................................................................................................ 8 Crystal Reports ............................................................................................................................................................ 8

Web Intelligence .......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Create Dashboard with Content Linking ......................................................................................................... 9

Related Content ................................................................................................................................................ 11

Copyright........................................................................................................................................................... 12



© 2010 SAP AG 3

Introduction

In SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.1, SAP BusinessObjects Edge BI 3.1 and SAP Crystal Reports Server 2008 v1, the new Interportlet Communication (IPC) feature in Dashboard Builder allows the transfer of information between distinct analytics. Now you can pass parameters from a Dashboard Design (previously known as Xcelsius) analytic to Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence, and also between two or more Dashboard Design analytics.

Using the Dashboard Builder framework, this paper contains two simple tutorials how to link between:

Two Dashboard Design analytics

Dashboard Design and Web Intelligence/Crystal Reports

SWF to SWF (Content Linking between two or more Dashboard Design analytics)

A Dashboard Design analytic when used as a source document has to be configured with a Portal Provider Connection. The target analytic has to be configured with the Portal Consumer Connection.

We will send parameter data between two analytics with the use of a simple example: sending information from a radio button selector in one analytic to populate a label component in another.

Create the Provider Analytic

1. Create a radio button component in Dashboard Design. Enter some sample data in rows A1-A3 as below. Designate the location for the selected item (the B1 cell in the example).

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© 2010 SAP AG 4

2. Click the Fit canvas to components icon in the toolbar.

3. Create a new Portal Data connection in the Data Manager. Choose Provider as connection type.

Enter a name (e.g. “Sample”) for Range Name. Choose Cell for Range Type. Choose B1 as the range.

4. In the Usage tab for the Provider Connection, choose the B1 cell for the Trigger Cell option. Select

the When Value Changes option as well.

5. Save the XLF file and export the SWF file as “Provider” to a folder on your BusinessObjects platform.

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Create the Consumer Analytic

1. Drag a Label component on to the blank canvas and designate the A1 cell as the input area for the

component (Link to cell). Then fit canvas to components.

2. In Data Manager, create a consumer “Portal Data” connection. Enter the same name as before for

Range Name (e.g. “Sample”), Range Type “Cell”, and choose “A1” as range.

3. Save the file. Export the SWF as Consumer to your BusinessObjects platform.

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Create dashboard with Content Linking

1. Log on to InfoView. Create a new Corporate Dashboard. Drag the Provider and Consumer analytics

onto the dashboard.

2. Activate Content Linking. Choose the Provider analytic as the Source Analytics. Choose Consumer as the Target Analytics.

3. Save the dashboard. Test the content linking by choosing values in the radio buttons. The chosen

department is displayed in the Consumer analytic.

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SWF (Dashboard Design) to Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence

A Dashboard Design analytic used as a source document for Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence has to be configured with the FS Command connectivity. The parameters are then assembled in an OpenDocument URL by the Dashboard Builder framework. For more information about the OpenDocument syntax, please refer to Viewing Reports and Documents using URLs.

The connectivity between Dashboard Design and Crystal Reports and Web Intelligence is particularly interesting when summary data is displayed in the dashboard analytic, and a facility is provided for analyzing related details in a separate report.

Create the Provider Analytic

1. Open the provider analytic created in the SWF to SWF tutorial above.

2. Add a new FS Command connection using the Data Manager. Enter a name for the connection, “queryparams”, for Command (required). Choose cell B2 for the parameter input.

3. In the FS Command Usage tab, choose cell B2 as the trigger cell, “When Value Changes”.

4. A single parameter is sent to a target Webi or Crystal report. The parameter name will be “Department”. Adhering to the OpenDocument syntax (as mentioned in the introduction), the parameter name will be lsSDepartment. Create a formula in cell B2 which concatenates the value from B1 with “&lsSDepartment=” as follows: ="&lsSDepartment="&B1

http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/boexir31/en/xi3-1_url_reporting_opendocument_en.pdf

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5. Save the analytic back to the BusinessObjects platform.

Create the Target Report

Using either Web Intelligence or Crystal Reports, create a report which receives a parameter called Department and displays the input back to the user.

Crystal Reports

1. In Crystal Reports, create a blank report and create a static parameter called Department.

2. Drag the parameter onto the report to display the user input.

3. Save the Crystal Report to the BusinessObjects platform.

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Web Intelligence

1. In Web Intelligence, create a new document with a prompt called “Department”.

2. Display the prompt on the report in a blank cell using the UserResponse() function.

3. Save the Webi report to the BusinessObjects platform.

Create Dashboard with Content Linking

1. Log on to InfoView. Create a new Corporate Dashboard. Drag your Provider and Consumer

analytics onto the dashboard.

2. Activate Content Linking. Choose the Provider analytic as the Source Analytics, and Consumer Webi, Crystal and DD analytics as the Target Analytics.

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3. Save the dashboard. Exit edit mode. Test the content linking by choosing values in the radio buttons. The chosen department is displayed in the Consumer analytic.



© 2010 SAP AG 11

Related Content

OpenDocument User Guide

Dashboard Builder User Guide

http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/boexir31/en/xi3-1_url_reporting_opendocument_en.pdf

http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/boexir31SP3/en/xi31_sp3_dashboard_user_en.pdf

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© 2010 SAP AG 12

Copyright

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