Creating a View Layout and Type

In Smart View, you can create an ad hoc Oracle Business Intelligence view that can be saved to the catalog and edited in BI Answers.

  To define the view layout and type:

  1. Choose a method to invoke the View Designer:

    • Right-click the Catalog Root node in the catalog tree, and then select Create New View.

    • Select the Catalog Root node in the catalog tree, and then select Create New View at the bottom of the Smart View Panel.

    • From the Oracle BI EE ribbon, click View Designer icon from the Oracle BI EE Ribbon..

      You must already be connected to a view in the catalog tree to enable the Oracle BI EE ribbon.

    The Design Layout tab of the View Designer is displayed, as shown in Figure 37, View Designer, Design Layout Tab for Pivot Table Layout.

    Figure 37. View Designer, Design Layout Tab for Pivot Table Layout

    View Designer, Design Layout tab, showing expandable subject areas in a tree structure in the left pane. The View Type and Display Style drop-down lists are at the top right. The middle section is the Page and Section edge fields where you can drop columns from the subject area. The bottom is the Row, Column, and Measures edge fields, where you can drop columns from the subject area.
  2. In View Type, select the type of view that you are creating:

    • Table

    • Pivot Table (the default)

    • Line Chart

    • Bar Chart

    • Column Chart

    • Area Chart

    • Pie Chart

    • Scatter Chart

    • Stacked Column Chart

    The selection that you make affects the options available in Display Style along with the fields in the layout area.

  3. In Display Style, select a View Type and Display Style option from Table 8.

    Display style determines how the view is inserted into Excel.

    Table 8. View Type Selected and the Display Style Available

    View Type Selected

    Display Style Available

    Table

    Excel Table

    Table

    Pivot Table (default)

    Excel Pivot Table (default)

    Pivot Table

    Line Chart

    Bar Chart

    Column Chart

    Area Chart

    Pie Chart

    Scatter Chart

    Stacked Column Chart

    Excel Chart

    Chart Image

  4. In the left pane of the View Designer, expand a subject area and the folders and columns that you want to work with.

  5. Drag columns from the expanded subject area tree and drop them in the layout area.

    The edges in the layout area vary depending on the selections that you made in the View Type, as described in Table 9.

    Table 9. View Type Selected and the Edges Available in the Layout Area of the View Designer

    View Type Selection

    Edges In Layout Area

    Table

    Page, Section, Row, Column, Measures

    Optional: In the Row edge, select the Row Grand Total check box.

    Pivot Table (default)

    Page, Section, Row, Column, Measures

    Optional: In the Row edge, select the Row Grand Total check box.

    Optional: In the Column edge, select the Column Grand Total check box.

    Line Chart

    Page, Section, Group By (X), Lines (X), Data: Lines (Y)

    Bar Chart

    Page, Section, Group By (X), Bars (X), Data: Bars (Y)

    Column Chart

    Page, Section, Group By (X), Columns (X), Data: Columns (Y)

    Area Chart

    Page, Section, Group By (X), Area (X), Data: Areas (Y)

    Pie Chart

    Page, Section, Pies, Slices, Slice Size

    Scatter Chart

    Page, Section, Group By (X), Vary by Color, Data

    Stacked Column Chart

    Page, Section, Group By (X), Bars (X), Data: Bars (Y)

  6. Optional: Perform any of these tasks, as applicable, on the columns you have dragged to edges in the View Designer:

    • To move a column between edges, drag the column from one edge and drop it on another; for example, drag a column from the Row edge and drop it on the Column edge.

    • To reposition the column within the edge, click on a column name and select the Up or Down arrow.

    • To add a subtotal to a column in an edge, click on a column and select Subtotal.

    • To add columns to filter criteria for this view, click on a column and select Add to Filter.

      The columns that you select are added to the Filter Expression area of the Define Filters tab, where you can further define them. See Defining the Filter Expression for Views in View Designer for more information.

    • To remove a column from an edge, click on the column and select Remove.

  7. Optional: If you are creating a table or pivot table view, regardless of the display style:

    • Pivot Table view: In the Row and Column edges, select or clear the Row Grand Total and Column Grand Total check boxes as you require.

    • Table view: In the Row edge, select or clear the Row Grand Total check box.

  8. To define filters, click the Filters tab and continue with Defining the Filter Expression for Views in View Designer.

    If you do not plan to define filters, click OK to insert the view into Excel.