Release 11i
Part Number A96138-01
 Contents |
 Index |
| Oracle Financial Analyzer User's Guide Release 11i Part Number A96138-01 |
|
This chapter introduces Financial Analyzer's data loader feature and provides reference material and examples to help you create your own data loader programs.
Individuals who create and run a data loader program for loading data into Financial Analyzer should read this chapter.
This chapter includes the following topics:
The data loader feature uses Oracle Express Administrator to create programs that load information and data into your personal and shared databases.
You can define programs that perform the following tasks:
You follow these general steps to create a data loader program.
For more information about creating data loader programs, search for the following topic in the Financial Analyzer Help system: "Creating a Data Loader."
When you create a data loader program to load values into dimensions, hierarchies, attributes, or financial data items, your program must populate the Express database and metadata objects that are related to each type of Financial Analyzer structure.
Note: All dimensions, hierarchies, attributes, and financial data items must be defined using the Financial Analyzer user interface. You cannot use the data loader feature to create these structures.
When you create Financial Analyzer dimensions, attributes, and financial data items, they are stored in your database as Express objects. When you create a data loader program, you must specify the Express object or objects that will store the information you are loading. The Oracle Express Administrator Database Browser displays the Express database and metadata objects that are related to the Financial Analyzer structures in your personal database.
The following topics provide information about the Express objects that are associated with each type of Financial Analyzer structure and show an example of how each would appear in the Database Browser.
A Financial Analyzer dimension is stored as an Express dimension. This object stores values that you load into the dimension.
You can view a list of all of the dimensions in your personal database by clicking on the Expand icon next to the Dimension label in the Database Browser. The object name and description for each dimension appear in the Browser window.
Example: The Express dimension object for a sample dimension called Example would appear as follows.
Note: When you create a dimension in Financial Analyzer, a set of Express metadata objects is defined in addition to the Express dimension object. These metadata objects must also be populated when you load dimension values into a dimension. If you fail to populate the dimension metadata objects, you will not be able to appropriately work with or view data associated with the dimension's values. The metadata objects that you must populate are discussed later in this topic.
A Financial Analyzer attribute is stored as an Express relation.
You can view a list of all of the relations in your personal database by clicking on the Expand icon next to the Relation label in the Database Browser. The object name (which is created by the system) and description for each relation appear in the Browser window.
Example: The Express relation for a sample attribute called Example Attribute 1 would appear as follows.
Note: You can load information into one-to-many attributes only. You cannot use the data loader feature to load information into many-to-many attributes.
A Financial Analyzer financial data item is stored as either an Express variable or formula.
Note: You can load data into an Express variable but you cannot load data into a formula.
You can view a list of all of the variables in your personal database by clicking on the Expand icon next to the Variable label in the Database Browser. The object name and description for each variable appear in the Browser window.
Example: The Express variable for a sample financial data item called Example FDI 1 would appear as follows.
When you create a dimension, a set of dimension metadata objects is also created. These objects are displayed when you click on the Expand icon next to a dimension in the Express Administrator Database Browser. They store information related to the dimension's values.
For a sample dimension called Example, the Oracle Express Administrator Database Browser would display the complete set of metadata objects as follows.
The following topics provide information about each dimension metadata object.
Dimension value names that you load are stored in an Express variable. The variable name is composed of the dimension's object prefix followed by the suffix .desc.
Example: The dimension value name variable for the Example dimension would be called Example.desc.
Row labels for the dimension values that you load are stored in an Express variable. The variable name is composed of the dimension's object prefix followed by the suffix .lbl.row.
Example: The row label variable for the Example dimension would be called Example.lbl.row.
Column labels for the dimension values that you load are stored in an Express variable. The variable name is composed of the dimension's object prefix followed by the suffix .lbl.col.
Example: The column label variable for the Example dimension would be called Example.lbl.col.
The dimension value relationships that make up a hierarchy are stored in a type of Express relation, called a self-relation. In a self-relation the values of a dimension are related to other values of the same dimension. The relation name is composed of a prefix of Fmshrel followed by the dimension's object prefix.
Example: The self-relation for a hierarchy based on the Example dimension would be called Fmshrel.example.
When you create the first hierarchy based on a particular dimension, an Express hierarchy dimension is defined for the dimension. The values of the hierarchy dimension are the internal system names of all hierarchies that are based on the dimension. The dimension name is composed of a prefix of Fmshdim followed by the dimension's object prefix.
Note: This object is not used in the creation of data loader programs.
Example: The hierarchy dimension associated with the Example dimension would be called Fmshdim.example.
It is important that you check your data files to be sure that they adhere to the following guidelines. These guidelines ensure that you will be able to appropriately view and work with your financial data after you have loaded it.
Note: You can use the Replace option in the Field Modifications box of the appropriate Properties dialog box to replace non-alpha characters that are present in your data files.
Note: You can use the Replace option in the Field Modifications box of the appropriate Properties dialog box to replace illegal characters that are present in your data files with legal ones.
` (single quotation mark)
~ (tilde)
! (exclamation point)
@ ("at" sign)
# (pound sign)
$ (dollar sign)
% (percent sign)
^ (caret)
& (ampersand)
* (asterisk)
( (left parenthesis)
) (right parenthesis)
- (dash)
= (equal sign)
+ (plus sign)
\ (back slash)
| (vertical bar)
[ (left bracket)
] (right bracket)
{ (left brace)
} (right brace)
; (semicolon)
: (colon)
" (double quotation marks)
, (comma)
< (left angle bracket)
> (right angle bracket)
/ (forward slash)
? (question mark)
Note: In order to fix this type of problem, you must edit the data file and modify any dimension values that exceed the specified length, or you must delete the dimension and redefine it with a column width that will accommodate the length of your dimension values.
Note: The Uppercase option is preselected in the Field Modifications box in the appropriate dialog boxes so that you always load dimension values in uppercase letters.
Note: If your data file references values of the Time or Yr dimensions, be sure that you select the Match the dimension value option in the Dimension Properties dialog box so that you do not overwrite any values of those dimensions.
Note: You must manually edit the data file to correct this type of problem.
In some cases you have to edit your data file to correct problems; in other cases you can set up your data loader program to correct problems as you load the data in the file.
This topic contains two sample data files, one that loads information into Express database and metadata objects, and one that loads financial data into a financial data item. Both files have fixed-length fields.
In this example, the data file loads values into the Express database and metadata objects associated with the Organization dimension. The Oracle Express Administrator Database Browser displays information for the Express dimension objects and for the Express variable that stores the Actual financial data item.
Note: These are the objects that you drag from the Database Browser window to the Express Object column in the Import Text Dialog box when you create the data loader program for this sample data file.
The following is the name and description of the dimension into which dimension values will be loaded.
The following is the dimension value name variable into which dimension value names will be loaded.
The following is the row label variable into which dimension value row labels will be loaded.
The following is the column label variable into which dimension value column labels will be loaded.
The following is the self-relation into which the parent and child relationships between values of the Org dimension, which create the structure of a hierarchy, will be loaded.
The following is the name and description of the relation into which the one-to-many relationships between values of the Org dimension and another Financial Analyzer dimension, which create the structure of an attribute, will be loaded.
The following is the sample data file.
In this example, the data file references the values in the Express database associated with the Organization, Line, Product, and Time dimensions. It then loads financial data into a financial data item called Actuals.
Note: These are the objects that you drag from the Database Browser window to the Express Object column in the Import Text dialog box when you create the data loader program for this sample data file.
The Oracle Express Administrator Database Browser displays information for the Express dimension objects and for the Express variable that stores the Actuals financial data item.
The following is the object name and description of the Organization dimension, which is referenced when data is loaded into the Actuals financial data item.
The following is the object name and description of the Line dimension, which is referenced when data is loaded into the Actuals financial data item.
The following is the object name and description of the Product dimension, which is referenced when data is loaded into the Actuals financial data item.
The following is the object name and description of the Time dimension, which is referenced when data is loaded into the Actuals financial data item.
The following is the object name and description of the Actuals variable, into which financial data for the Actuals financial data item will be loaded.
The following is the sample data file.
|
 Copyright © 1996, 2002 Oracle Corporation. All Rights Reserved. |
|