Compared to using other methods to export data, using a calculation script has the following advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages
Enables exporting a subset of data
Supports multiple targets: flat files, relational databases, and binary files
Provides options for type, format, or data
As part of a calculation script, can be deployed in a batch process
Can be very fast when the dynamic calculation export option (DATAEXPORTDYNAMICCALC) is not used because DATAEXPORT directly accesses Kernel storage blocks in memory
Provides, through binary export/import, a faster way to back up and restore data because the compressed format used by binary export requires less storage for the export files
Can be used as a debug tool to trace batch calculation results by using the DATAEXPORT command before and after other calculation commands to track data changes
Disadvantages
Contains limited data formatting options compared to Report Writer formatting
Works with stored members and Dynamic Calc members only, with no support for attribute members and alias names
Not supported for aggregate storage databases
Cannot export data directly to the client
Can significantly impact performance when exporting dynamic calculation data (DATAEXPORTDYNAMICCALC) is used, unless DATAEXPORTNONEXISTINGBLOCKS is set to ON.