Using SAP HANA Variables and Parameters in SAP BusinessObjects BI4.0

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1 Using SAP HANA Variables and Parameters in SAP BusinessObjects BI4.0 Applies to: This article applies to SAP HANA 1.0 SPS5 (with HANA Studio 1.00 revision 45) and SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.0 (any service pack for the sections related to the semantic layer), BI4.0 SP4 and later for the section related to Explorer, Crystal Reports 2011 and Analysis OLAP, Design Studio 1.0, Analysis for Office 1.3. Updates history: This document is an update released in January 2013 on the previous document released in April Main updates are related to the addition of client tools (Design Studio, Dashboards, Analysis OLAP and Analysis Office) and on the new UI of the HANA studio (as of revision 48 for this document). Summary In this document we will present how SAP HANA variables and parameters of an information model can be used in SAP BusinessObjects BI4.0 The target audience is users who have at good understanding of the SAP HANA technology and of the SAP BusinessObjects semantic layer (universes) and/or of the SAP BI client tools (Explorer, Analysis, Design Studio, Visual Intelligence). Links to the available documentation are provided at in the Related Links section. At the time of writing this document, SAP BusinessObjects BI4.0 applications supporting the SAP HANA variables and parameters are: Explorer, WebIntelligence, Crystal Reports 2011, Crystal Reports Enterprise, Dashboards, Analysis Office 1.3, Analysis OLAP, Design Studio 1.0. Additional chapters on other tools will be added when new applications will support the functionality. Due to the fast rate at which enhancements are being added in SAP HANA, this document is continuously updated. To be sure you are referring to the most up to date version review the document history and related links for the online version of this document. The HANA studio interface being in constant evolution, the UI of the applications presented here might slightly vary based on the exact release being used. Author: Pierpaolo Vezzosi Company: SAP Created on: April 18, 2012, Latest update: January 14, 2013 Author s Bio Pierpaolo Vezzosi is solution manager for business intelligence on HANA and the semantic layer. Since joining the company in 2000 he s held a variety of roles such as alliances manager, offshore manager and product manager. Pierpaolo holds a master s of science in Aeronautics and Space Engineering. He currently resides in France and works out of the SAP Labs in Paris SAP AG 1

2 Table of Contents 1. SAP HANA variables and parameters basics... 4 HANA variables and parameters... 4 HANA variables... 4 HANA parameters An example of analytical view with variables and parameters... 5 Adding an input parameter... 5 Adding a variable Using variables and parameters in client tools HANA SQL syntax for parameters and variables Information on variables and parameters in HANA Sample SQL to retrieve the variables information Variables and parameters in Explorer Defining an information space on an Analytical view with variables Using variables and parameters in a Universe Initial steps to create the universe HANA SQL syntax for parameters and variables in the universe Creating a derived table exposing parameters Creating a first version of the derived table to validate the syntax Optional: creating a list of currency values Creating a user prompt for the currency Defining the final version of the derived table Preparing a list of values and a prompt to expose the attribute variable Optional: Create the list of values Create a prompt for the filter Creating the business layer Creating the filter for the attribute variable Running a test query Publishing the universe Variables and parameters in WebIntelligence WebIntelligence query panel Variables and input parameters in Crystal Reports Enterprise Variables and parameters in Crystal Reports Creating the connection to HANA Defining the correct SQL command Build the report Modifying the parameters Adding the list of values for the parameters Variables and input parameters in Dashboards Variables and parameters in Analysis for Office edition Variables and parameters in Analysis for OLAP edition Variables and parameters in Design Studio SAP AG 2

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4 1. SAP HANA variables and parameters basics In this section we present SAP HANA basic information on variables and parameters which is of interest for a BI designer. This is not intended as a general presentation of the HANA variables and parameters technology. It is rather a simplified overview which will help BI designers. For detailed information of HANA variables and parameters we recommend reading the HANA documentation. HANA variables and parameters In SAP HANA it is possible to define the results of a query on an information model at runtime by passing values to the model. There are two kinds of input values which can be passed to a model: variables and parameters. In the SAP note ( ) you will find the formal description of the difference between variables and parameter. Both variables and parameters will appear as prompts for the user running the query (or will be automatically filled in by the application calling the HANA information model). HANA variables HANA variables are used to filter the content of an information model. They don t impact the execution workflow of the information model and are applied to a query to filter out some values. Variables can be used to filter attributes. As an example, a variable can be used to filter a result to a specific country or a specific customer. In SQL, variables are applied in the WHERE clause of the query. HANA parameters Parameters are used to manipulate the execution of the information model. Calculations performed by the model will use the parameters as input values. Examples of parameters are currencies codes or dates when exchange rates have to be calculated. Input values for Calculation views are passed as input parameters. Parameters might be compulsory for the evaluation of the information model. In SQL, parameters values are passed via the PLACEHOLDER reserved word. Input parameters are passed with an equality operator only (e.g. parameter equals something: no bigger than or smaller than kind of operators are available) 2012 SAP AG 4

5 2. An example of analytical view with variables and parameters We will use a simple analytical view as an example which will guide us for the rest of the document. This analytical view will be very simple and should be regarded as a learning sample rather than a real business case scenario. The analytical view has been built from tables coming from the Foodmart sample schema. The screenshots of the view and of the variable and parameters management have been realized with the HANA Studio release The CUSTOMERS attribute view contains information about customers of the company. We defined the last name, the customer country, city and education as attributes available at query time. The Customer_id is used as the key attribute for the join with the fact table. This view is defined on top of the Foodmart Customer table. The PRODUCTS attribute view contains information about products. We expose only the product name and brand as attributes. Product_ID is the key attribute. The fact table used here is the Sales_2006 table from Foodmart. We joined the Product_Id and the Customer_id with the attribute views and we exposed the Unit sales, Store cost and Store sales as measures. For the remaining part of the document we assume that those measures are expressed in EURO currency. Adding an input parameter We will use a couple of parameters to define a calculated measure where we can see the Store Sales in a different currency. The goal is to ask to the final user to select in which currency the data has to be displayed (assuming that it is stored in Euro) SAP AG 5

6 First, in HANA Studio we open the Analytical view, select the Semantics block create a new input parameter in the bottom right box of the screen We will call the Input Parameter VARCURRENCY and will give it a semantic type of Currency and data type of VARCHAR. Click OK to save it.. Next we define a new calculated measure which will perform the currency conversion 2012 SAP AG 6

7 This measure will be used to convert the EURO value of STORES_SALES into a currency chosen by the final user in the BI tool. To create a new calculated measure it is necessary to click on the Logical Join box on the left, select the view Calculated columns on the right pane and right click on it to define a new column 2012 SAP AG 7

8 We define a new measure called STORES_SALES_CURRENCY of numeric type. The column type has to be measure and the definition is just the STORES_SALES column SAP AG 8

9 In the Advanced tab, we set up the definition of the currency conversion. We need to set the Type to Amount with Currency then as source Currency we can select EUR from the list of values (by default we said that all sales are stored in Euro). After setting the Enable for conversion check box we associate the Target Currency with the value of the VARCURRENCY input parameter. In this example we hard code the Exchange type (EURX) and the date (today s date). In a real scenario, the exchange date should either be chosen by the final user or dynamically define at each query. It is important to keep noted somewhere the name of the variable VARCURRENCY 2012 SAP AG 9

10 Adding a variable If we want our users to filter the query based on the choice of a value of an attribute we can create an attribute filter based on a variable. In the example we will create a filter on the Education attribute. In the HANA Studio we go back to the Semantics tab and on the bottom right box we select to create a new Variable. In the variable definition page we set the name of the variable to VAR_EDUCATION. We select the Attribute field to be CUSTOMERS.EDUCATION. This field is used to retrieve the list of values for this variable. We keep the Single value setting and we add an attribute assignement to CUSTOMER.EDUCATION. The Attribute assignment list contains all the attributes which will be filtered by the value of the variable. Here we are saying that we will filter the Analytical View Education field with a value coming from a list of values taken from the Education field itself. Click OK to save the variable and the filter. We can leave the default values proposed: a new variable called VAR_EDUCATION has been created an it is associated to the Education attribute for its list of values SAP AG 10

11 Back in the Semantics view it is possible to see that a filter using the VAR_EDUCATION variable has been applied to the EDUCATION field. Now it is possible to save and validate the Analytical View. Running a data preview in the HANA Studio you will be prompted to provide values for the currency input parameter and the education variable 2012 SAP AG 11

12 3. Using variables and parameters in client tools Variables and parameters are two distinct entities only at design time. For final users, if a variable or a parameter is exposed, it will just be like a prompt which needs to be answered. In the following sections we are going to show how variables and parameters are exposed to the users and how the users will have to fill them in in all BI4.0 client tools supporting them. HANA SQL syntax for parameters and variables Usually, client tools will have to generate an SQL which retrieves the data based on the variable values. This SQL generation is, in general, invisible to the final user. The HANA engine expects to have the input parameters and attribute filter variables passed to the SQL with the following syntax: SELECT [ ] FROM <viewname> ('PLACEHOLDER' = ('$$<parameter name>$$',<parameter value>) WHERE <attribute name>=<filter value> In our example, supposing that we want to set the currency to US dollars and the Education to high school we need to provide the following syntax: SELECT [ ] FROM SALES ('PLACEHOLDER' = ('$$VARCURRENCY$$','USD') WHERE Education= high school Notice that VARCURRENCY is the name of the currency variable we defined in HANA Studio SAP AG 12

13 4. Information on variables and parameters in HANA In HANA it is possible to retrieve information on variables and parameters applied to an information model by running SQL queries on some system tables. This can be useful when you don t have an in depth knowledge on how an information model was built. The main information about variables can be found in tables under the _SYS_BI catalog. BIMC_VARIABLE is a table containing the list of variables for each information model BIMC_VARIABLE_ASSIGNMENT is a table explaining how each variable is assigned to attributes or parameters of the model. BIMC_VARIABLE_VIEW is an SQL view which summarizes the content of the two previous tables in a single view BIMC_VARIABLE_VALUE is a table containing the list of values for the variables or parameters for which a fixed list of values was defined in HANA studio. Sample SQL to retrieve the variables information Running the SQL here below will retrieve the information about variables for the view SALES found in the MyPackage catalog of _SYS_BIC: SELECT * FROM "_SYS_BI"."BIMC_VARIABLE_VIEW" WHERE CATALOG_NAME='MyPackage' and CUBE_NAME='SALES Based on our sample view, the output is the following (result split on two lines for readability): In the resultset we can see the name of the variables (Variable_name field), the attribute to filter if any (VALUE_ATTRIBUTE field), if the variable is mandatory (MANDATORY field) and if the variables goes into a Placeholder statement or in the WHERE clause (PLACEHOLDER_NAME, null in case of variable in the WHERE clause). From the example above we can see that we need to put a placeholder called $$VARCURRENCY$$ of type string after the FROM clause and we need to (optionally) filter the EDUCATION attribute in the Where clause SAP AG 13

14 5. Variables and parameters in Explorer In SAP BusinessObjects FP3 and later, Explorer can make use of variables and parameters in the definition step of the information space. The Explorer application will hide all the complexity of the variable functionality and just expose prompts to the user defining the information space. Defining an information space on an Analytical view with variables To make sure Explorer can connect to the HANA system you should publish, with the information design tool, the appropriate HANA connectivity on the BI platform server where Explorer runs. Once the connection is there, the HANA system will appear in the Explorer interface. After launching Explorer, select the Manage Spaces command on the top of the screen. You should see your HANA connection in the SAP HANA appliances list. Select the view onto which you want to run the exploration and choose to create a new information space SAP AG 14

15 Provide a name for the information space and make sure that it is visible in the home page In the Objects page, select the dimensions and measures you want to use for the exploration and then choose the Validate button to provide the information for the variables SAP AG 15

16 You will be asked to enter the information for the currency and for the education variables. The Education variable is optional, so you can fill it in or leave it empty. The definition of the information space is now complete; you can accept your choices and index it in the Manage spaces page SAP AG 16

17 Note that only the metadata information is indexed, the data will be retrieved in real-time from the HANA system : any new data record added to HANA will immediately be available in the Explorer interface. Once the indexing is completed, you can go back to the Explorer home page and refresh it. The new information space should appear in the list, select it to start exploring the data. In our example, we left the Education variable empty so we can see all education levels SAP AG 17

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19 6. Using variables and parameters in a Universe Universes are data models which are used by WebIntelligence, Crystal Reports Enterprise and Dashboards to access data sources. Information on best practices on creating a universe on SAP HANA can be found at the following link: Using the Information design tool, we will create a universe connected to the Sales sample analytical view and will then build a derived table and a filter to expose the HANA variables and parameters to the business users. In the following sections, we are not using the HANA studio anymore, we have now moved to the information design tool which is installed with the BI4.0 Clients Package. Initial steps to create the universe Viewlets on the basic steps to generate a universe (and some more details on universes on HANA) can be found at the following link: In the information design tool you need a connection to the SAP HANA system hosting the view you want to expose. On top of that connection you have to define a new data foundation. For this scenario we will use a single source data foundation. In the data foundation you will retrieve only the HANA analytical view which contains the variables. You will find the analytical view under the folder _SYS_BIC If you try to preview the data of the view you will receive an error: 2012 SAP AG 19

20 plan operation failed;currency/unit conversion error,no target unit set for conversion This is normal: the view expects a currency to be specified before its execution. HANA SQL syntax for parameters and variables in the universe As explained above, the HANA engine expects a query syntax in this format: SELECT [ ] FROM <viewname> ('PLACEHOLDER' = ('$$<parameter name>$$',<parameter value>) WHERE <attribute name>=<filter value> To provide this kind of query to HANA we will make use of two functionalities of the semantic layer: derived tables and filter objects. We will generate the PLACEHOLDER syntax with a derived table and we will use a compulsory filter to generate the correct Where statement. Creating a derived table exposing parameters Creating a first version of the derived table to validate the syntax In the data foundation you should create a new empty derived table. Note: the best practices tell us that we should decrease as much as we can the data retrieval and the workload on HANA. The definition of the derived table is a key step: instead of selecting all fields (select *) it is better to select ONLY the fields which will actually be needed afterwards. It is very simple afterwards to add new fields to the list if necessary. For this specific example we keep the select * syntax as it is easier to read (but keep in mind that it is not recommended): SELECT * FROM "_SYS_BIC"."mypackage/SALES" ('PLACEHOLDER'=('$$VARCURRENCY$$','USD')) 2012 SAP AG 20

21 Notice that here we force the display currency to be US dollars. This first version of the derived table can be used to check that the syntax is correct. In an upcoming section we will show how to use a prompt which will ask the business user to select a currency for the calculation. Click OK and now show the table values of the derived table. If the syntax is correct you should retrieve some data. Optional: creating a list of currency values For the business user it might be useful to select the needed currency from a list of values instead of typing it by hand. On the HANA system there might be the required tables to provide this list. As an example, the TCURR table contains all possible exchanges for a given exchange type (in our case EURX ) and the TCURT table contains the full name of a currency for a specific language. We could retrieve the list of possible conversions with the following SQL sentence: SELECT distinct "TCURR"."FCURR","TCURT"."LTEXT" FROM "TCURR","TCURT" WHERE "TCURR"."KURST"='EURX' and "TCURR"."FCURR"="TCURT"."WAERS" and "TCURT"."SPRAS"='E' Under the HANA System catalog find the TCURR and TCURT tables and add them to the data foundation (this is not needed but it helps the readability). Next you can create a new list of value based on custom SQL. Use the SQL editor to correctly define your list of values SAP AG 21

22 You can now check the resulting list of values by clicking on the preview button Note that the SQL presented here or the possibility to retrieve this list of values might depend on the information and tables available in your HANA system. It might not work in all situations. Creating a user prompt for the currency In the information design tool Parameters tab create a new parameter which will prompt the user to choose a currency SAP AG 22

23 Let s call this prompt Currency. Make sure you uncheck the allow multiple values checkbox as only one currency at a time can be used. Make also sure to set a default value (in this example we set it to USD). This will avoid an error message when updating the derived table. If you have created it, you can associate the Currency list of values to this prompt. Defining the final version of the derived table It is possible now to redefine the derived table to make use of the currency prompt. Edit the derived table and substitute the USD string 2012 SAP AG 23

24 Save this new definition and view the data values for the derived table. You should be prompted for the currency and the data will be retrieved. Preparing a list of values and a prompt to expose the attribute variable To expose the attribute variable filtering Education we are going to create a universe filter with an appropriate list of values SAP AG 24

25 The filter will be created in the universe business layer, for the time being, in the data foundation we will create the list of values and the prompt to be used in the filter. Optional: Create the list of values You can build a list of values to help the user choose easily the value to enter in the filter. This list of values could be built directly on the dimension tables or on the attribute view defining the dimension. It should not be defined on the analytical view as this might already be filtered by other parameters. In this example we will define the list of values based on the attribute view defining the customer attribute Education. We will call this list of values EducationLOV We can add the attribute view to the data foundation (not a necessary step but it helps readability). We can then generate a list of values based on custom SQL such as: SELECT distinct "_SYS_BIC"."MyPackage/CUSTOMERS"."EDUCATION" FROM "_SYS_BIC"."MyPackage/CUSTOMERS" 2012 SAP AG 25

26 Create a prompt for the filter From the Parameters and List of values tab it is now necessary to create a new parameter (prompt) asking for the value of Education. We will name this prompt EducationPrompt. The prompt can be filled in as described in the screenshot below. If you created it, you can associate the List of values to this prompt. Creating the business layer Now that the data foundation is complete you can create a business layer based on it. In the information design tool, create a new business layer based on the data foundation we just completed. Note: it is best practice to build the business objects manually, not letting the wizard build them automatically. Only the objects which are actually needed by the final user should be exposed. A good query will contain only the objects needed to answer a question, not all possible objects in the source. In the business layer you can drag and drop all fields of the derived table based on the HANA Sales analytical view which you will need for reporting. Define an Education dimension to see the attribute variable at work. Define a Store Sales and a Stores Sales Currency measures so to see the currency converter at work SAP AG 26

27 Make sure you turn to measure the measures you defined in the view and use the correct aggregation function. Creating the filter for the attribute variable You can now add a new filter to the business layer,let s call it EducationFilter. We can define it as a business filter which will prompt for a value for Education as in the screenshot below. If the filter was not compulsory in the HANA view, we can set the prompt as Optional SAP AG 27

28 In order to make sure that the filter will be applied (optionally) to each query, you have to check the property Use filter as mandatory in query and set the scope to Apply on universe. This is a filter for internal usage so we can set it as Hidden. It will not appear in a query panel but will be added to the query so that the final user is always prompted for a value SAP AG 28

29 Running a test query It is now possible to run a test query. From the business layer Queries tab, add a new query and select any object. You should be prompted for the currency and for the education level. If the attribute variable prompt was set as optional, try setting a value or leaving it blank. Publishing the universe The business layer can now be published as a universe on the BI platform (making sure you select a secured connection shortcut) or locally (for use with WebIntelligence rich client) 2012 SAP AG 29

30 7. Variables and parameters in WebIntelligence WebIntelligence connects to HANA via a Universe. A universe defined as the one we created above will surface the variables as any other prompt to the business user. WebIntelligence query panel In WebIntelligence create a new report on the universe containing the HANA variables. For our example, select the Store Sales, the Store Sales Currency along with some dimensions. When running the query, the user will be prompted for the variables values. Variables and parameters will appear as any other prompt of WebIntelligence. When refreshing the report it is possible to choose other values for those prompts SAP AG 30

31 8. Variables and input parameters in Crystal Reports Enterprise Crystal Reports Enterprise can connect to HANA with freehand SQL or via a Universe, in the steps below we will show a connection via the Universe defined in a previous section. After connecting to the BI platform server it is necessary to select the universe defined on top of the Analytical view The Crystal Reports Enterprise query panel will open and you can define the query 2012 SAP AG 31

32 Hitting the finish button you will be presented with the prompt page to fill in to retrieve the data After the report is generated it is possible to see the list of answered prompts. When refreshing the document it is possible to choose different values for the prompts SAP AG 32

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34 9. Variables and parameters in Crystal Reports 2011 With Crystal Reports 2011 FP3 it is possible to connect to HANA information models and make use of variables. We will create a new connection to a HANA system then write an SQL command which will retrieve data from the information model with the parameters we pass to it. Creating the connection to HANA Create a new report and in the database expert create a new connection to your HANA system. In our example we connect via the HANA ODBC driver. When connected to HANA just add a new Command Defining the correct SQL command In the command window we have to enter the correct SQL to query the HANA model by using the variables and parameters defined in it. As we said above, the HANA engine expects an SQL statement in this format: SELECT [ ] FROM <viewname> ('PLACEHOLDER' = ('$$<parameter name>$$',<parameter value>) WHERE <attribute name>=<filter value> And in our example SELECT [ ] FROM SALES ('PLACEHOLDER' = ('$$VARCURRENCY$$','<a currency identifier>') 2012 SAP AG 34

35 WHERE Education= <an education level> We will make use of the Crystal Reports parameters functionality to fill in the correct values. We will use the following statement in the command SQL: SELECT * FROM "_SYS_BIC"."<MyPackage>/SALES" ('PLACEHOLDER'=('$$VARCURRENCY$$','XXX')) WHERE Education='YYY' Then we define two parameters: MyCurrency, of type string and with default value USD MyEducation, of type string and with default value Graduate Degree. Those will substitute the XXX and YYY strings in the above command SAP AG 35

36 The final SQL will look as follows: Make sure that the two parameters are correctly wrapped between single quotes as they are strings. Now click OK to submit the first query which will build the field list. Answer the parameters with their default value 2012 SAP AG 36

37 Build the report If the SQL generated was correct you are now in the report design page and you can see the list of available fields and the two parameters we have added. Add a few fields to the report to see it working Now choose to preview the data and check that information is getting into the report SAP AG 37

38 Modifying the parameters Using the Parameters tab you can now change the values for the currency parameter and the Education attribute filter. Choose a new value then apply the changes and the report will show the newly retrieved data. For the time being you have to manually enter the parameter values, this is a complex task. We will add now the list of values which can help filling in the information. Adding the list of values for the parameters We will add the list of values as new SQL commands to the report. To do so, go back to the database expert and add a new command which we will use for the Curreny list of values. In the command SQL window select all available currency. We will select only the distinct values with the syntax SELECT distinct FCURR from SYSTEM. TCURR 2012 SAP AG 38

39 Click OK and add another command for the education level from the CUSTOMERS attribute view with a syntax like: SELECT distinct education FROM "_SYS_BIC"."<myPackage>/CUSTOMERS" Make sure that there are no links between the sources of the report 2012 SAP AG 39

40 Now, back in the report, edit the two parameters and associate to the MyCurrency parameter the Command value field FCURR and to the MyEducation parameter the command value field Education. You can define static or dynamic parameters. Static parameters will open quickly but the LOV will not be refreshed at each utilisation. Dynamic parameters will contain the latest list of values as found in the database but will require a refresh each time they are opened, with an impact on performance. In the example below, MyCurrency is defined as a static list of values 2012 SAP AG 40

41 And the (static) values are added to the list with the Append all database values command. After doing the same operation for education it is possible to refresh the report with new values chosen from a list 2012 SAP AG 41

42 After applying the new values, the report will refresh as requested SAP AG 42

43 10. Variables and input parameters in Dashboards Using Dashboards SP4 and later versions it is possible to query the universe based on the HANA view and fill in the prompt information. Previous versions of Dashboards could connect to universes based on HANA views but could not answer prompts. After creating a new empty dashboard, it is necessary to select the Query Browser pane and add a new query After connecting to the BI platform server, a list of universes will be shown and you can select the universe based on the HANA Analytical View The query panel will now open and it is possible to set the needed query 2012 SAP AG 43

44 Clicking on the Next button you will be prompted to provide the variable and input parameter values The dashboard can now be created and the results of the query can be linked to the various components. It is possible to drag and drop a prompt selector component which will enable changing the value of the variables or input parameters at dashboard runtime SAP AG 44

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46 11. Variables and parameters in Analysis for Office edition Analysis Office can directly connect to the HANA view and detect the existing variables and input parameters. Analysis Office can use a local connection or retrieve a HANA connection on the BI platform server. When retrieving from the server, you will have to select the needed connection from the list of HANA published connections (OLAP or relational) After choosing the connection it is necessary to select the Analytical view 2012 SAP AG 46

47 The system now will request filling in the prompt values The data can now be retrieved. After the data has been retrieved it is stil possible to change the values of the variables and parameters by selecting the Prompts button on the ribbon. A new query will be run on the system SAP AG 47

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49 12. Variables and parameters in Analysis for OLAP edition Analysis for OLAP can connect to HANA using OLAP connection shared in the BI platform via the CMC interface. After connecting to the server and launching the Analysis OLAP application it is possible to connect to a HANA server selecting the appropriate connection. After choosing the connection it is necessary to select the appropriate view, if this has not been already hard coded in the connection definition 2012 SAP AG 49

50 The system will now ask to provide the values for the variables and input parameters The data will now be retrieved and displayed SAP AG 50

51 To modify the values of the variables and input parameters afterwards you can just click on the Prompts button SAP AG 51

52 13. Variables and parameters in Design Studio Design Studio connects directly to a HANA view via the ODBC middleware. After setting up the HANA ODBC data source you can launch Design Studio and find the HANA database in the Design Studio Tools/Preferences/Backend Connections page If the connection doesn t appear it might be necessary to push the Reload All Connections button. When the source appears, you should go back to the main page and add a data souce connecting to your HANA database and selecting the appropriate view 2012 SAP AG 52

53 We will now build a very simple dashboard showing how to set the value for currency. There are probably other ways to achieve the same result (and a better one), the goal here is just to present a sample workflow. Right clicking on the new data source (DS_1) we can edit the intial view and at the same time build a simple crosstab containing the information In the initial view page you can select some dimensions in the rows and some measures in the columns of the crosstab. When finished click the OK + Create Crosstab button 2012 SAP AG 53

54 A crosstab will appear in the dashboard blank page as follows Notice that the crosstab is empty and it shows an error message saying that it could not find any data to display. This is correct: the analytical view has the currency compulsory parameter to receive before it can send any data. We will now add a component used to select the currency and to send the information to the dashboard. We can drag a combo box component on the canvas, then, after clicking the Items button we can add to it a few sample currencies. Make sure that the combo box Value column contains the correct currency codes SAP AG 54

55 After clicking OK we have validated the combo box. Now we can tell the system to pass the value selected in the combo box to the currency variable in a script added to the OnSelect combo box event The script will set the APPLICATION variable VARCURRENCY to the value selected in the combo box. The VARCURRENCY variable has been automatically detected by Design Studio and it can be accessed using the CTRL-Space context sensitive content assistance helper. After clicking OK the combo box is validated. It is now possible to Execute the dashboard locally for testing. Choosing a currency in the combo box will automatically refresh the display of the cross tab SAP AG 55

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57 14. Related Content Semantic Layer forum on SDN: Universe best practices on SAP HANA: Connecting BI4.0 client tools to SAP HANA: Information design tool tutorials: BI on HANA basic tutorial: SAP AG 57

58 Copyright Copyright 2012 SAP AG. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP AG. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice. Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distributors contain proprietary software compyounts of other software vendors. Microsoft, Windows, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM, DB2, DB2 Universal Database, System i, System i5, System p, System p5, System x, System z, System z10, System z9, z10, z9, iseries, pseries, xseries, zseries, eserver, z/vm, z/os, i5/os, S/390, OS/390, OS/400, AS/400, S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server, PowerVM, Power Architecture, POWER6+, POWER6, POWER5+, POWER5, POWER, OpenPower, PowerPC, BatchPipes, BladeCenter, System Storage, GPFS, HACMP, RETAIN, DB2 Connect, RACF, Redbooks, OS/2, Parallel Sysplex, MVS/ESA, AIX, Intelligent Miner, WebSphere, Netfinity, Tivoli and Informix are trademarks or registered trademarks of IBM Corporation. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, PostScript, and Reader are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. UNIX, X/Open, OSF/1, and Motif are registered trademarks of the Open Group. Citrix, ICA, Program Neighborhood, MetaFrame, WinFrame, VideoFrame, and MultiWin are trademarks or registered trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. HTML, XML, XHTML and W3C are trademarks or registered trademarks of W3C, World Wide Web Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. JavaScript is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation, used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape. SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP Business ByDesign, and other SAP products and services mentiyoud herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, and other Business Objects products and services mentiyoud herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects S.A. in the United States and in other countries. Business Objects is an SAP company. All other product and service names mentiyoud are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary. These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies ("SAP Group") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty SAP AG 58