Comments on: Quick Tip: Detailing Web Intelligence Document Contents

By: Simi

Simi — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:34:59 +0000

Is there a workaround on (170+ characters) limit, especially on Document Variables. How can we print all the details without the more link.

By: Dave Rathbun

Dave Rathbun — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:06:05 +0000

Hi, thanks for your question and welcome. With Desktop Intelligence documents you can easily write a script to extract the same information. In fact, there may already be something in the “downloads” area on BOB to do the same.

By: Chaitanya

Chaitanya — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:25:15 +0000

Thanks for the tip. Is there any way we can achieve the same/similar with deski reports? I am on BOXIR 3.1 SP2

By: Dave Rathbun

Dave Rathbun — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:47:51 +0000

Hi, Rajesh, and thank you for your comments. If I cover that subject it will be in a new post, rather than as a response to a comment. Thanks.

By: Rajesh

Rajesh — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:47:23 +0000

Hi Dave,

Thanks for all your explorations. I was working around with the new concept ‘input controls’ in Webi XI R3 . I would like to know how can this be utilized to the fullest.

thanks

By: Jeff Barnes

Jeff Barnes — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:32:31 +0000

One limitation I found is if your formulas are lengthy (170+ characters) the entire formula is not displayed in the panel or in the print window. In the panel you do get a hyperlink labeled “More” which if you click on it a new window opens displaying the entire formula and you can cut and paste the entire formula from this window. This could be very tedious if you have a lot of formulas that are over the 170+ characters in length.

By: Anantha Venkataswamy

Anantha Venkataswamy — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:26:21 +0000

Excellent tip Dave. Thanks to both of you & Joe.

By: Dave Rathbun

Dave Rathbun — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:15:07 +0000

Hi, Joe, thanks for stopping by.

By: Joe Szabo

Joe Szabo — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:50:27 +0000

Very well detailed Dave, I’m pleased that you thought to take the time to share it with everyone here in such a superbly documented way! I would often dread the ‘documentation’ part of our tasks on projects and was glad to have found this trick which is not only be a ‘cool’ way to get up-to-date documentation out of our reports, but it also helps me keep a reference of some sometimes “creative syntax examples” used in report variables.
This trick allows me to easily assure my customers that the ‘report documentation’ is very accurate since it is sourced from the reports themselves. It’s sometimes been quite irritating to have created a report then have the specifications changed, only to have to go back and update the report and also (tediously) update the documentation too. This still requires a duplicate effort or step, but it is more ‘streamlined’ and accurate.
Another trick is to consider ‘what to do for documenting a universe ahead of the delivery’. Often project plans call for a mock up well before the universe (or reporting tables) are ready, which would cause me some concern until I thought to go ahead and create a blank universe with no tables or connection.
What’s the point? You can create all your classes and objects complete with descriptions and all neatly organized. Then you can save the universe as a pdf and presto, you have instant documentation for your universe. PM’s love this and so do new users who have not seen or are familiar with universes. Some of you have no doubt figured out that you can also use the universe designer tool to provide (post) documentation of your universe too.
`joe

By: DMC

DMC — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:12:37 +0000

Wow, I never knew I could do that! Once again, Dave, ya da man! This is exactly what I was looking for as I have a few hundred WEBI reports to get documented. Now if there was only a way to make the Variables in the list expand.If you have to many characters in your variable, there is a link that says “more”. Click on it and it opens a small window, but you can’t copy from it, aarrgh!@. Ah well, can’t have everything!
Thanks this saves me hours of copy/paste into a word doc!