Doubts:

Page 197
Concept of Default measure

Cognos 8.3
Cube Reporting

 Customizing the source tree

In Package tree settings option there are two choices
a) Members-oriented tree
b) Custom tree

 Member is Time (year1, year2 etc.)

Inserting single member: Time

Insert Children: year1, year2 etc.
Insert Member with Children: Time as well as year1, year2 etc.

 You can create models from reports and other data that conform to the xmldata.xsd schema.
This is useful if you want to use a report as a data source for another report, or if you use a
database that cannot be read by Framework Manager. In this case, export the data from the
data source to an XML file, in conformance with the xmldata schema, and then open the XML
file in Framework Manager.
You cannot produce the following in XML format:
● Maps
● Charts that do not have at least one category or series
● Reports that have more than one query defined in the report, unless the additional queries
are used for prompts.

The Software Development Kit

This is useful if, for example, you want to make the same modification in many reports. Rather than
opening each report in Report Studio and making the change, you can automate the process using
the SDK, thereby saving you time.

Example - Create a Discontinuous Crosstab

You are a report author at The Great Outdoors Company, which sells sporting equipment. You
are requested to create a report showing sales for each product line by quarter and by order
method.
Since the report will have columns with data from different dimensions, you create a discontinuous
crosstab report. Discontinuous crosstabs are also known as disconnected or disjoint
crosstabs, or
crosstabs with unrelated columns.
Steps
1. In the Cognos Connection Welcome page, click the Public Folders link.
2. Click the GO Data Warehouse (query) link, click the Launch link in the upper right corner of
the page, and then click Report Studio.
3. In the Welcome dialog box, click Create a new report or template.
4. In the New dialog box, click Crosstab and click OK.
5. In the Insertable Objects pane, on the Source tab , drag the following data items to the
crosstab:
● Product line from Product to Rows
● Order method from Order Method to Columns
● Revenue from Sales fact to Measures
6. Pause the pointer over the query explorer button and click Query1.
7. On the Toolbox tab, drag Data Item to the Data Items pane.
The Data Item Expression dialog box appears.
8. In the Expression Definition box, type the following and click OK:
[Employee summary (query)].[Employee by region].[Region]
9. In the Properties pane, double-click the Name property, rename the data item Region, and
press
the Enter key.
10. Pause the pointer over the page explorer button and click Page1.
11. On the Source Tab, drag Region to the left of Order method.
Tip: Ensure that the pointer is directly beside Order method before you drop Region. Otherwise,
Region may appear as a nested row instead of a column.

Types of Chart:

1. Column
2. Bar
3. Progressive
4. Pareto(A stacked column chart combined with a line)
5. Line
6. Pie, Donut
7. Area
8. Combination(plots multiple measures using two or more area, column or line charts)
9. Scatter, Bubble, Point
10. Radar, Polar
11. Gauge
12. Metrics Range

In a chart the default colors are listed in a particular order so to change their order in
the properties pane go to the palette option under the color and background heading.

MAPS

Map Manager
To edit the maps or create additional maps. To import maps and update labels for maps in Report
Studio.

A map in Cognos 8 consists of a collection of layers. Each layer contains different information and
acts like a transparency that is placed on top of the map. Each layer adds more information to the
map. For example a map of the world may contain information related to countries on one layer
and information related to cities on another level.

The three layers are:

Region
Point
Display
Additional Maps

Additional maps are available from the Cognos Global Customer Services Web site. Much of the
mapping data on the Web site is derived from MapInfo Corporation, the Cognos preferred provider
for location intelligence. MapInfo provides a wide variety of global data including
● detailed accurate roads
● political, postal, and census boundaries
● industry-specific data, such as communication system boundaries, insurance risk related data,
and business prospect data

Insertable objects pane:

 • Text Item:

Adds a text item in which you can write text.

• Block:

Adds an empty block, a container in which you can insert other objects. This is useful for
controlling where objects appear.
Tip: You can use blocks to add space between objects. However, empty blocks are not
rendered. You must insert an object or specify the height and width.

• Table:

Adds a table, a container in which you can insert other objects. This is useful for
controlling where objects appear.

• Field Set:

Adds an empty block that has a caption. This is similar to the Block object, but with a
caption.
 • Calculated Member:
• Calculated Measure:
• Intersection (Tuple):

When working with dimensional data, an intersection, also known as a tuple, is useful for
obtaining
a value from the combination of two or more members that you specify. Each member must be
from a different dimension.
• Query Calculation:

To create a calculation that will be applied to the data.

• Layout Calculation:

To create a calculation in the layout that contains run-time information, such as current date,
current time, and user name
• Image:

To insert an image.
• Crosstab Space:
Inserts an empty cell on a crosstab edge. Allows for the insertion of non-data cells on an edge.
Blank cells appear for the edge when the report is run.
Insert this object when a crosstab edge does not produce useful data and you want blanks to
appear in the cells instead.
• Crosstab Space (with fact cells):

Inserts an empty cell on a crosstab edge. Allows for the insertion of non-data cells on an
edge. The contents of the fact cells for the edge are rendered when a measure is added or the
default measure is specified.
● If the crosstab space is nested, the scope of the fact cells is
the scope of the item that is at the level before the space.
● If the crosstab space is not nested and there are no items
nested below it, the scope of the fact cells is the default
measure.
• List:

To create a list report.

• Crosstab:

To create a Crosstab report.

• Chart:

To create a Chart report.

• Map:

To create Map report.

• Repeater table:
• Repeater:
• Singleton:
 You can insert a single data item anywhere in your report using the singleton object. The
singleton object retrieves only the first row value for that query. Inserting a single data item is
useful when you want to show a value that is independent from the rest of the values in the report
or when you want to insert some boilerplate text, such as a company name and address. For
example, you can add the total revenue value in the header of each page in a report
• Conditional Blocks:
• HTML Item:
• Rich Text Item:
• Hyperlink:
• Hyperlink Button:
• Date:
It gives the current date.

• Time:
It gives the current time.

• As of Time Expression:

Show data for a specific time period to associate a report with a business time period rather
than the execution time. For example, you have a monthly report that you run at the beginning of
each month, and you want the last business day of the previous month to appear rather than the
day on which you run the report.

You can add expression in the Expression definition box.

ReportDate (): Returns the current date.

AsOfDate (): Returns the date value of the As Of Time expression, if it is defined. Otherwise,
AsOfDate returns the report execution date.
AsOfTime (): Returns the time value of the As Of Time expression, if it is defined. Otherwise,
AsOfTime returns the report execution time.

You can drag a function that returns a constant from the Constants folder in the Functions tab.
You can then change the constant to the value that you want to use

• Page Number:

Shows the page number.

• Row Number:

Displays the row no.

• Layout Component Reference:
• Metric Studio Diagram:
• Table of Contents:

 A table of contents is useful for reports that include sectioned items, grouped items,
or multiple pages in the layout. The report output indicates page numbers and
allows for easy navigation.

 Table of contents entries are logical markers placed anywhere in a report. For
example, you can place entries at the top of a page or in a list group header to mark
 each grouped data value. Although table of contents entries are visible in Report
Studio, they cannot be seen when a report is run.

 A table of contents works only for reports produced in PDF and non-interactive HTML
format.

 In HTML format, they work best when viewing saved report outputs, as the entire
report appears in a single HTML page. When reports are run interactively, more than
one HTML page may be generated, and a table of contents works only if the target
exists in the page currently being viewed

 Drag the Table of Contents object to the location you want, which can be anywhere in
the report a table of contents placeholder appears.

• Table of Contents Entry:

 You must first create a table of contents before adding entries in the report. All entries
must be inserted after the table of contents in the report layout

• Bookmark:

Bottom (this is a text item in which drill through properties needs to be inserted)

The list report

This is the bookmark where the user will reach when he clicks on Bottom

• Text Box Prompt:

Retrieves data based on a value that you type. Use this control when users know exactly
what value they want to enter, such as a name or account number.

• Value Prompt:

Retrieves data based on values that you select from a list. Use this control to show the list
of possible values from which users can choose.
Note: The maximum number of items that can appear in a list is 5000.
• Select & Search Prompt:

Use this control instead of a value prompt if the list of values is very long, which can slow
down performance.
Tip: Users have the option of performing a case sensitive or case insensitive search. A case
sensitive search is faster, while a case sensitive search usually returns more values(in the
properties pane there is one option called “case insensitive”)

There are four search conditions:

 Starts with any of these keywords
 Starts with the first keyword and contains all of the remaining keywords
 Contains any of these keywords
 Contains all of these keywords

• Date & Time Prompt:

 Retrieves data based on a date and time that you select.
Use this control when you are filtering a datetime or timestamp column. This control is
useful for specifying ranges. For example, you can retrieve all orders received from
Monday at 12:00 a.m. to Friday at 5:00 p.m (in the properties pane select the “Range”
option as ‘yes’)

Options like “earliest date” and “latest date” also appear when you run the report.
In properties pane “Hide Adornments” option is there make it ‘yes’ if you want to
remove * on req. prompts and -> on type in prompts.

• Date Prompt:

Use this control when you are filtering a date column. With this control, users can retrieve
data for a specific day, a set of days, or a range of days.
• Time Prompt:

Use this control to restrict a report to a particular time or time range. For example, you
can use this control to see how many orders are received after business hours. You can then use
this information to
determine the number of staff needed to work after hours.

In the properties pane there are options like “Display seconds”, “Display milliseconds”
and “clock mode” (specifies whether the arms of the clock move)as live and static.

• Interval Prompt:

Retrieves data based on a time interval that you specify. Use this control to retrieve data
that is related to the passage of time. For example, you can use this control to retrieve a list of
products that were returned 30 or more days after they were purchased.

By default it asks for Days, Hours and Minutes

• Tree Prompt:

Retrieves data based on values you select from a list. Values are organized hierarchically.
This control is useful when you are working with dimensional data sources. Data is shown from the
top of a dimension hierarchy to the most detailed member, and users can choose the level of detail
they want to view in the report.
• Generated Prompt:

Selects a prompt control based on the data type of the data item. This control acts like a
placeholder. When you run the report, the control is replaced by the appropriate prompt control.
For example, if you are prompting date values, the control is replaced by a date & time prompt.
• Prompt Button:

Specify What Appears for a Data Container that

Contains No
Data
You can specify what appears for a data container when there is no data available. For example,
you can have text appear that states that there is no data available for a list object in a report. This
can be done for lists, crosstabs, charts, maps, repeaters, repeater tables, and table of contents
objects.
Steps
1. Click a data container.
2. In the Properties pane, click the select ancestor button and click the data container type.
For example, if the data container is a list, click List.
3. Set the No Data Contents property to Yes.
Two tabs appear at the top of the data container.
4. Click the no data contents tab there you have a no data handler .
5. In the Insertable Objects pane, on the Toolbox tab, insert the objects that you want to appear
when there is no data available

Report Studio provides several ways to create prompts. You can

● define prompts using context filters
● use the Build Prompt Page tool
● build your own prompt and prompt page
● create a parameter to produce a prompt
● insert prompts directly into the report page

Context filter

• When working with dimensional data, you can use context filters, also known as slicer filters,
to quickly focus your report on a particular view of the data.

• For example, you create a crosstab with accounts in the rows, years in the columns, and
expenses as the measure. To change the context to Asia, you drag Asia from the source tree
to the Context filter section of the overview area. The crosstab then shows only the values
for Asia. Changing context changes the values that appear. It does not limit or change the
items in the rows or columns

• The data items that are used as the context filter appear in the report header when you run
the report.
.
• You can create multiple context filters or slicers if you want to filter across two or more
dimensions You cannot create multiple context filters against the same dimension.
• If you want to use a calculation or expression to define a slicer, create a slicer member set
using the
query explorer. A slicer member set is an expression that returns a set of members from
the same
dimension. For example, you can define a slicer member set that filters for the top 5
products with
the greatest revenue.

• Slicer filters are different from other filters. When you filter data, members that do not meet
the filter criteria are removed from the report. A slicer does not remove members from a
report. Instead, their values are removed, and you see blank cells. For example, if you have
a crosstab with Years and Quarters as rows and Revenue as columns and you define a slicer
member set that consists of the first two quarters in 2006, you get the following result
When you do generate sql/mdx while working with the cubes then MDX is generated.
Below given is a sample MDX(multidimensional expression) code:

SELECT {[Gender]..[@MEMBER].[1]} DIMENSION PROPERTIES PARENT_LEVEL,

CHILDREN_CARDINALITY ON AXIS(0) FROM [HI ACSC Cube]