19 Configuring and Managing Analyses and Dashboards

19.2.1 Providing Access to Metadata Dictionary Information

When creating analyses, content designers might need more information about subject areas, folders, columns, or levels (such as relationships to other metadata objects) to guide them. You can provide content designers with this information by allowing them access to the metadata dictionary for the repository. The metadata dictionary describes the metrics that are contained within the repository and the attributes of repository objects. The metadata dictionary output is a static set of XML documents.

To provide access to metadata dictionary information:

1. Ensure that the metadata dictionary has been generated and the files have been stored in an appropriate location. For information about generating the metadata dictionary files, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Metadata Repository Builder's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition.

2. Set the DictionaryURLPrefix element within the ServerInstance element in the instanceconfig.xml file to one of the following values. The value that you specify depends on the Web servers in use.

   • The prefix for the name of the directory in which you have stored the XML files. The directory must have been specified as a shared directory for the Web server, and the Web server must be the same one that is used by Oracle BI EE.

     For example, suppose that you stored the XML files for the metadata dictionary in a directory called demo1 under the metadictionary directory. Suppose that the metadictionary directory is specified as a shared directory for the Web server, which is also used by Oracle BI EE. Then you specify the following value for the DictionaryURLPrefix element:

     <DictionaryURLPrefix>demo1/</DictionaryURLPrefix>

     See the documentation for your Web server for information on sharing directories.

   • The URL that points to the directory in which you have stored the XML files. Use a value such as this when the files for the metadata dictionary are stored in the directory structure for a Web server that is not being used by Oracle BI EE. For example:

     <DictionaryURLPrefix>http://10.10.10.10/metadictionary/demo1</DictionaryURLPrefix>

   The following shows an example setting in the instanceconfig.xml file:

   <WebConfig>
     <ServerInstance>
       <SubjectAreaMetadata>
         <DictionaryURLPrefix>demo1</DictionaryURLPrefix>
       </SubjectAreaMetadata>
     </ServerInstance>
   </WebConfig>
   

   For information about working in the Oracle BI Presentation Services configuration file (instanceconfig.xml), see Section 3.4, "Using a Text Editor to Update Oracle Business Intelligence Configuration Settings."

3. Grant the Access to Metadata Dictionary privilege to the appropriate content designers. For information about privileges, see Section C.2.3.3, "Default Oracle BI Presentation Services Privilege Assignments."

For details on how content designers can view metadata dictionary information, see Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition.

19.2.2 Supporting Nested Folders, Navigation, and Drill Down

The Oracle BI Administrator can set up subject areas in ways that assist content designers who work with analyses. Oracle Fusion Middleware Metadata Repository Builder's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition provides complete information on setting up subject areas. The following list describes the features of subject areas that assist content designers:

• To make selections easy for content designers to discern in the Subject Areas pane when creating analyses, the administrator can set up the Presentation layer in the Oracle BI Administration Tool to give the appearance of nested folders. For example, the administrator can make the Sales Facts folder appear as a subfolder in the Facts folder.

• When content designers create analyses, they can allow users to go to related analyses and content. If the Oracle BI Administrator sets up dimensions and dimensional hierarchies for the subject area, then users can drill down on data results that are presented in graphs, tables, and pivot tables to obtain more detailed information.

  There are no specific privilege settings that control access to navigation and drill down features, which are available to all users.

19.3.1 Manually Configuring for Data in Views

You can configure various options that change the processing and display of data in views, as described in the following sections:

• Section 19.3.1.1, "Manually Configuring Cube Settings for Pivot Tables and Graphs"

• Section 19.3.1.2, "Manually Configuring Settings for Data in Views"

19.3.2 Manually Configuring for Graphs and Gauges

You can configure various options that change the display of graphs, including funnel graphs, and gauges. These views types are also affected by the settings that are described in Section 19.3.1, "Manually Configuring for Data in Views."

Before you begin this procedure, ensure that you are familiar with the information in Section 3.4, "Using a Text Editor to Update Oracle Business Intelligence Configuration Settings".

To manually edit the settings that change the display of graphs and gauges:

1. Open the instanceconfig.xml file for editing, as described in Section 3.6, "Where are Configuration Files Located?"

2. Search for the Charts sections, in which you must add the elements that are described in Table 19-2.

3. Include the elements and their ancestor elements as appropriate, as shown in the following example:

   <ServerInstance>
     <Views>
       <Charts>
        <EmbedFonts>True</EmbedFonts>
        <SectionSliderDefault>5</SectionSliderDefault>
        <SectionSliderLimit>10</SectionSliderLimit>
        <DefaultImageType>png</DefaultImageType>
        <FlashCodeBase>\\CORPORATE\Download\Flash</FlashCodeBase>
        <FlashCLSID>E38CDB6E-BA6D-21CF-96B8-432553540000</FlashCLSID>
       </Charts>
     </Views>
   </ServerInstance>
   

4. Save your changes and close the file.

5. Restart Oracle Business Intelligence.

19.3.3 Manually Changing Alternating Bar Color

This section provides information on modifying message files to perform a specific task for views. For details on working with message files, including the directories that hold them, see Section 22.5, "Customizing the User Interface Using XML Message Files."

Both tables and pivot tables can have colored bars on alternating lines. Such formatting is sometimes called "green bar styling," and the default color for these alternating bars is green. For pivot tables, content designers can control formatting features when editing tables and pivot tables, including whether alternating bar color is enabled.

As the administrator, you can change the default color for alternating bars, by editing a style configuration file. To change the color, edit the views.css file in the b_mozilla_4 folder, as shown in the following list. Change the six-digit hexadecimal color value to a new color value.

• Tables use the CSS selector:

  .ECell (for even-numbered rows)

  .OCell (for odd-numbered) rows.

• Pivot tables use the CSS selector:

  .PTE (for odd-numbered rows)

The option for enabling the alternating bars is in the Edit View dialog and is labeled Enable alternating row "green bar" styling. If you change the color of the bars, then you might also want to change the label to indicate the color that you have set.

To change the label in the dialog for both the table and pivot table, open the tableviewmessages.xml file and find this entry:

WebMessageName = "kmsgTableViewEnableGreenbarReporting"

Copy the entry and the text line below it to a custom messages file in the custom messages folder, and change the text line appropriately. For example:

WebMessageName = "kmsgTableViewEnableGreenbarReporting"
<TEXT>Enable alternating row "RED bar" styling</TEXT>"

19.4.1 Manually Changing Presentation Setting Defaults

In addition to the presentation settings that you can change in Fusion Middleware Control, other settings can be changed manually. Use various elements in the instanceconfig.xml file to change these settings.

Before you begin this procedure, ensure that you are familiar with the information in Section 3.4, "Using a Text Editor to Update Oracle Business Intelligence Configuration Settings".

To manually change additional presentation setting defaults:

1. Open the instanceconfig.xml file for editing, as described in Section 3.6, "Where are Configuration Files Located?"

2. Locate the sections in which you must add the elements that are described in Table 19-3.

3. Include the elements and their ancestor elements as appropriate, as shown in the following example.

   <ServerInstance>
     <Dashboard>
       <DefaultName>Templates</DefaultName>
     </Dashboard>
     <Prompts>
         <MaxDropDownValues>50</MaxDropDownValues>
     </Prompts>
     <BriefingBook>
         <MaxFollowLinks>6</MaxFollowLinks>
     </BriefingBook>
   </ServerInstance>
   

   Note that this example does not include parameters that might exist in the file, but that are centrally managed by Fusion Middleware Control and cannot be changed manually.

4. Save your changes and close the file.

5. Restart Oracle Business Intelligence.

6. See Section 19.4.2, "Configuring Links to Dashboard Pages" for information on the Bookmarks, MaxAgeMinutes, EnableBookmarkURL, and EnablePromptedURL elements.

7. See Section 19.4.3, "Configuring an Alternate Toolbar for Oracle BI Publisher" for information on the ReportingToolbarMode element.

19.4.2 Configuring Links to Dashboard Pages

Users can create links to dashboard pages. This allows them, for example, to save a link as a bookmark or to copy and send a link to other users in e-mail. A bookmark is a hidden object in the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog (under the /system/bookmarks folder) that captures the state of a dashboard page. It is created when a user creates a bookmark link to the page. You can use the following elements to configure the creation of these links:

• EnableBookmarkURL: Use this element to specify whether to show the Create Bookmark Link option on the Page Options menu, which allows users to create bookmark links to dashboard pages:

  • True — Shows the Create Bookmark Link option. (Default)

    If drilling in an analysis that has been set to replace a dashboard with the new results (rather than show the new results directly in the dashboard), then the Create Bookmark Link is displayed as a link below the new results rather than as an option on the Page Options menu.

  • False — Does not show the Create Bookmark Link option.

• EnablePromptedURL: Use this element to specify whether to show the Create Prompted Link option on the Page Options menu, which allows users to create prompted links to dashboard pages:

  • True — Shows the Create Prompted Link option. (Default)

  • False — Does not show the Create Prompted Link option.

• MaxAgeMinutes: Use this element within the Bookmarks element to specify that bookmarks older than the specified number of minutes are removed. The default is 43200 minutes, which corresponds to 30 days.

  Note that every time a bookmark is accessed, the expiration timer is reset. This resetting means that if a bookmark is accessed frequently, it might never be removed. Setting the value to 0 means that the bookmark is saved for 0 minutes (and does not mean that it does not expire). You cannot set bookmarks to never expire. If you want bookmarks to last for a long time, then set the value to a large number of minutes and access the bookmarks within the allotted number of minutes.

The following entry is an example of these settings:

<ServerInstance>
  <Dashboard>
    <EnableBookmarkURL>true</EnableBookmarkURL>
    <EnablePromptedURL>true</EnablePromptedURL>
  </Dashboard>
  <Cache>
      <Bookmarks>
          <MaxAgeMinutes>43200</MaxAgeMinutes>
      </Bookmarks>
  </Cache>
</ServerInstance>

19.4.3 Configuring an Alternate Toolbar for Oracle BI Publisher

When you include a BI Publisher report on a dashboard, you generally allow that report to participate as a recipient of the dashboard state by passing in dashboard context to that report using core dashboard prompts. For scenarios that do not require passing of context to or from the BI Publisher report to the larger dashboard-based analytic application, you can display a variant of the default BI Publisher toolbar, which exposes the underlying parameter prompts of that BI Publisher report. Within that frame, a user can then pass in parameters to a single BI Publisher report.

This approach can be confusing to the user as any other dashboard prompts on the page do not contribute to the BI Publisher report, which also does not participate in passing context back to the rest of the application. Changes to the BI Publisher toolbar are also applied globally for all BI Publisher reports that are embedded in dashboards across the entire Presentation Services instance.

Use the ReportingToolbarMode element to affect how BI Publisher reports are embedded in Oracle BI EE. You configure the alternate BI Publisher toolbar by setting the element's value to 6. Remove the ReportingToolbarMode element to revert to the default toolbar behavior, or set it to the default value of 1.

Before you begin this procedure, ensure that you are familiar with the information in Section 3.4, "Using a Text Editor to Update Oracle Business Intelligence Configuration Settings".

To manually configure an alternate toolbar for BI Publisher:

1. Open the instanceconfig.xml file for editing, as described in Section 3.6, "Where are Configuration Files Located?"

2. Locate the AdvancedReporting section in which you must add the ReportingToolbarMode element.

3. Include the element and its ancestor elements as appropriate, as shown in the following example.

   <ServerInstance>
     <AdvancedReporting>
         <ReportingToolbarMode>6</ReportingToolbarMode>
     </AdvancedReporting>
   </ServerInstance>
   

   The following list describes the element values:

   • 1 = Does not display the toolbar.

   • 2 = Displays the URL to the report without the logo, toolbar, tabs, or navigation path.

   • 3 = Displays the URL to the report without the header or any parameter selections. Controls such as Template Selection, View, Export, and Send are still available.

   • 4 = Displays the URL to the report only. No other page information or options are displayed.

   • 6 = Displays the BI Publisher toolbar to display the parameter prompts of the BI Publisher report

4. Save your changes and close the file.

5. Restart Oracle Business Intelligence.

19.4.4 Modifying the Table of Contents for PDF Versions of Briefing Books

The PDF version of a briefing book contains a table of contents that is automatically generated. It contains an entry for each dashboard page, analysis, and report in the briefing book. See Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition for information on the table of contents.

The default template for the table of contents, toc-template.rtf, is located in the ORACLE_INSTANCE\config\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obisn directory. You can modify the toc-template.rtf file to accommodate the needs of your organization.

19.5.1 Overview of Saved Customizations in Dashboards

Saved customizations allow users to save and view later dashboard pages in their current state with their most frequently used or favorite choices for items such as filters, prompts, column sorts, drills in analyses, and section expansion and collapse. By saving customizations, users need not make these choices manually each time that they access the dashboard page.

Users and groups with the appropriate permissions and dashboard access rights can perform the following activities:

• Save various combinations of choices as saved customizations, for their personal use or use by others.

• Specify a saved customization as the default customization for a dashboard page, for their personal use or use by others.

• Switch between their saved customizations.

You can restrict this behavior in the following ways:

• Users can view only the saved customizations that are assigned to them.

• Users can save customizations for personal use only.

• Users can save customizations for personal use and for use by others.

For information about end users and saved customizations with dashboards, see Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition.

19.5.2 Administering Saved Customizations

This section describes the privileges and permissions that are required to administer saved customizations. It also describes the relevant portions of the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog that relate to storing and administering saved customizations.

19.5.3 Permission and Privilege Settings for Creating Saved Customizations

Table 19-4 describes typical user roles and specific permission settings that can be granted to users for creating saved customizations. The folder names listed in the Permission and Privilege Settings column are described in the preceding section.

19.5.4 Example Usage Scenario for Saved Customization Administration

Depending on the privileges set and the permissions granted, you can achieve various combinations of user and group rights for creating, assigning, and using saved customizations.

For example, suppose a group of power users cannot change dashboards in a production environment, but they are allowed to create saved customizations and assign them to other users as default customizations. The following permission settings for the group are required:

• Open access to the dashboard, using the Catalog page.

• Modify access to the _selections and _defaults subfolders within the dashboard folder in the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog, which you assign using the Dashboard Properties dialog in the Dashboard Builder. After selecting a page in the list in the dialog, click Specify Who Can Save Shared Customizations and Specify Who Can Assign Default Customizations.

19.6.1 Storing JavaScript Files

This section explains how to use JavaScript to check conditions and validate analyses. You write your own JavaScript programs for performing these tasks and other similar ones. Oracle BI EE does not install any JavaScript programs. As you write JavaScript programs, you can store them in the following directory:

ORACLE_INSTANCE\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obipsn\analyticsRes

To place JavaScript programs in a directory other than this one, then you can do so, if you specify the full path name in the code that calls the program. For example, you can use code such as the following:

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://example/mydir/myblocking.js" />

19.6.2 Blocking Analyses Based on Criteria

When a user attempts to execute an analysis that your code blocks, you can display an error message, and the analysis is not executed. The answerstemplates.xml file includes a message named kuiCriteriaBlockingScript that can be overridden to either define or include JavaScript that defines a validateAnalysisCriteria function. By default, this message contains a function that always returns True. It should be overridden using the procedures that are described in Section 22.4, "Customizing Language Selections and Other Components."

Answers calls your validateAnalysisCriteria function when the user tries to execute the analysis. The function can return True if the analysis is not blocked, or False, or a message if the analysis is blocked. If a message or a value other than False is returned, then the message is displayed in a popup window. In either case, the query is blocked.

The following code example shows the blocking of a query. First, place the following XML code in the answerstemplates.xml file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="QueryBlocking" table="Messages">
   <WebMessage name="kuiCriteriaBlockingScript" translate="no">
      <HTML>
         <script type="text/javascript" src="fmap:myblocking.js" />
      </HTML>
   </WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>

This XML code calls a JavaScript program called myblocking.js. Ensure that you place this file in the ORACLE_INSTANCE\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obipsn\analyticsRes directory. The following is sample code for the myblocking.js program.

// This is a blocking function. It makes sure users pick what I want them to.
function validateAnalysisCriteria(analysisXml)
{
   // Create the helper object
   var tValidator = new CriteriaValidator(analysisXml);
   // Validation Logic
   if (tValidator.getSubjectArea() != "Paint")
      return "Why don't you try Paint?";
   if (!tValidator.dependentColumnExists("Markets","Region","Markets","District"))
   {
      // If validation script notifies user, then return false
      alert("Region and District go so well together, do you think?");
      return false;
   }
   if (!tValidator.dependentColumnExists("Sales Measures","","Periods","Year"))
   return "You picked a measure so pick Year!";
   if (!tValidator.filterExists("Sales Measures","Dollars"))
   return "Maybe filter on Dollars?";
   if (!tValidator.dependentFilterExists("Markets","Market","Markets"))
   return "Since you're showing specific Markets, filter the markets.";
   var n = tValidator.filterCount("Markets","Region");
   if ((n <= 0) || (n > 3))
      return "Select 3 or fewer specific Regions";
   return true;
}

If you do not override the function using the template as described previously, or if the function returns anything other than False, then the criteria is considered to be valid and the analysis is issued. The criteria is validated using this same mechanism for preview and save operations as well.

After making this change, either stop and restart the server for Oracle BI Presentation Services, or click the Reload Files and Metadata link on the Administration page.

19.6.3 Blocking Analyses Based on Formula

Answers provides a hook that lets you incorporate a JavaScript validation function that is called from Answers when a content designer enters or modifies a column formula. If the call fails and returns a message, then Answers displays the message and cancels the operation. Additionally, helper functions are available so the query blocking function can check for filters, columns, and so on, rather than traversing the Document Object Model (DOM) manually. (The DOM is a way of describing the internal browser representation of the HTML UI page that is currently being displayed in Answers.) For more information on the helper functions, see Section 19.6.4, "Validation Helper Functions."

The criteriatemplates.xml file includes a message named kuiFormulaBlockingScript that can be overridden to include JavaScript that defines a validateAnalysisFormula function. By default, this message contains a function that always returns True.

Answers calls validateAnalysisFormula before applying changes made by the content designer. If the function returns True, then the formula is accepted. If the function returns False, then the formula is rejected. Otherwise, the return value from the function is displayed in the message area beneath the formula, as it does currently when an invalid formula is entered.

The content designer has the option to click OK to ignore the error. To display your own alert and allow the content designer to continue, your function should return True. To block the query, return False or a message. Your function should investigate the formula passed to it using a JavaScript string and regular expression techniques for validation.

The following code example shows a sample custom message.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="QueryBlocking" table="Messages">
      <WebMessage name="kuiFormulaBlockingScript" translate="no">
         <HTML>
            <script type="text/javascript" src="fmap:myblocking.js" />
         </HTML>
      </WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>

The following code example shows blocking based on the formula entered.

// This is a formula blocking function. It makes sure the user does not enter an unacceptable formula.
function validateAnalysisFormula(sFormula, sAggRule)
{
   // we do not allow the use of concat || in our formulas
   var concatRe = /\|\|/gi;
   var nConcat = sFormula.search(concatRe);
   if (nConcat >= 0)
      return "You used concatenation (character position " + nConcat + "). That is not allowed.";
   // no case statements
   var caseRe = /CASE.+END/gi;
   if (sFormula.search(caseRe) >= 0)
      return "Do not use a case statement.";
   // Check for a function syntax: aggrule(formula) aggrule should not contain a '.'
   var castRe = /^\s*\w+\s*\(.+\)\s*$/gi;
   if (sFormula.search(castRe) >= 0)
      return "Do not use a function syntax such as RANK() or SUM().";
    return true;
}

After making this change, either stop and restart the server for Oracle BI Presentation Services, or click the Reload Files and Metadata link on the Administration page.

19.6.4 Validation Helper Functions

These functions are defined within a JavaScript file named answers/queryblocking.js. Table 19-5 contains the list of helper functions and their descriptions.

19.7.1 XML Message Files for View Defaults

This section describes the XML message files to customize to override the view defaults distributed with Oracle BI Presentation Services.

For analyses, the file answerstemplates.xml includes a message named kuiCriteriaDefaultViewElementsWrapper from within kuiAnswersReportPageEditorHead. This message includes two additional messages, kuiCriteriaDefaultViewElements, in which you can define default values, and kuiCriteriaDefaultViewElementsMask, in which masks are defined. The mask XML message is protected and you cannot modify its contents.

The wrapper message adds the combined XML into a JavaScript variable, kuiDefaultViewElementsXML, that is used to apply the new default values.

For dashboards, the file dashboardtemplates.xml includes a message named kuiDashboardDefaultElementsWrapper that adds XML into a JavaScript variable named kuiDefaultDashboardElementsXML for use within the dashboard editor.

19.7.2 Examples of Customizing Default Values for Analyses and Dashboards

The following sections provide examples of customizing default values:

• Section 19.7.2.1, "Adding a Default Header or Footer to New Analyses"

• Section 19.7.2.2, "Preventing Auto-Previewing of Results"

• Section 19.7.2.3, "Setting Defaults for Analyses in the Compound Layout"

• Section 19.7.2.4, "Changing Dashboards Section Defaults"

• Section 19.7.2.5, "Specifying Dashboard Page Defaults Including Headers and Footers"

• Section 19.7.2.6, "Including Links with Analyses on Dashboards"

To cause these customizations to take effect, either stop and restart the server for Oracle BI Presentation Services, or click the Reload Files and Metadata link on the Administration page.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="Answers" table="ViewDefaults">
<WebMessage name="kuiCriteriaDefaultViewElements" translate="no"><HTML>
   <view signature="compoundView" >
      <pageProps pageSize="a4">
         <pageFooter showOnDashboard="true" show="true">
            <zone type="top"><caption>[b]Acme Confidential[/b]</caption>
            <displayFormat fontColor="#FF0000"/></zone>
         </pageFooter>
      </pageProps>
   </view>
</HTML>
</WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="Answers" table="ViewDefaults">
<WebMessage name="kuiCriteriaDefaultViewElements" translate="no"><HTML>
   <view signature="tableView" showToolBar="true" showHeading="true />
   <view signature="pivotTableView" autoPreview="false" />
   <view signature="titleView" autoPreview="false" />
   <view signature="viewSelector" autoPreview="false" />
   <view signature="htmlviewnarrativeView" autoPreview="false" />
   <view signature="tickerview" autoPreview="false" />
   <view signature="htmlview" autoPreview="false" />
</HTML>
</WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="Answers" table="ViewDefaults">
<WebMessage name="kuiCriteriaDefaultViewElements" translate="no"><HTML>
   <view signature="compoundView" >
      <cv signature="narrativeView" />
      <cv signature="dvtchart" />
   </view>
</HTML>
</WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="Answers" table="ViewDefaults">
<WebMessage name="kuiDashboardDefaultElements" translate="no"><HTML>
   <element signature="dashboardSection" drillInline="true" showHeading="true" collapsible="false" />
</HTML>
</WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="Answers" table="ViewDefaults">
<WebMessage name="kuiDashboardDefaultElements" translate="no"><HTML>
<element signature="dashboardPage" personalSelections="false">
     <pageProps orientation="portrait" printRows="all" pageSize="a4">
         <pageHeader showOnDashboard="true" show="true">
            <zone type="top"><caption>[b]Acme is Cool[/b]</caption>
            <displayFormat fontSize="9pt" hAlign="center"
fontColor="#FFFFFF" backgroundColor="#000000"/></zone>
         </pageHeader>
         <pageFooter showOnDashboard="true" show="true">
            <zone type="top"><caption>[b]CONFIDENTIAL
@{timeCreated[mm/dd/yy]}[/b]</caption>
            <displayFormat fontSize="7.5pt" hAlign="center"
fontColor="#999999" borderColor="#CC99CC" fontStyle="italic"
borderPosition="all" borderStyle="single"/></zone>
         </pageFooter>
       </pageProps>
   </element>
</HTML>
</WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
  </WebMessageTables>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web.messageSystem">
   <WebMessageTable system="Answers" table="ViewDefaults">
<WebMessage name="kuiDashboardDefaultElements" translate="no"><HTML>
   <element signature="reportView" display="embed" links="er" />
</HTML>
</WebMessage>
   </WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>

19.8.1 Write-Back Limitations

Users can write back to any data source (except for an ADF data source) that allows the execution of SQL queries from the Oracle BI Server. As you configure for write back, keep the following limitations in mind:

• Numeric columns must contain numbers only. They should not contain any data formatting characters such as dollar signs ($), pound signs or hash signs (#), percent signs (%), and so on.

• Text columns should contain string data only.

• You can use the template mechanism only with table views and only for single-value data. The template mechanism is not supported for pivot table views or any type of view or for multiple-value data.

• All values in write-back columns are editable. When displayed in non printer friendly context, editable fields are displayed as if the user has the Write Back to Database privilege. However, when a logical column is mapped to a physical column that can change, the logical column returns values for multiple level intersections. This scenario can cause problems.

• Any field in an analysis can be flagged as a write-back field, even if it is not derived from the write-back table that you created. However you cannot successfully execute the write-back operation if the table is not write-back enabled. The responsibility for correctly tagging fields lies with the content designer.

• A template can contain SQL statements other than insert and update. The write-back function passes these statements to the database. However, Oracle does not support or recommend the use of any statements other than insert or update.

• Presentation Services performs only minimal validation of data input. If the field is numeric and the user enters text data, then Presentation Services detects that and prevents the invalid data from going to the database. However, it does not detect other forms of invalid data input (values out of range, mixed text and numeric, and so on). When the user clicks the write-back button and an insert or update is executed, invalid data results in an error message from the database. The user can then correct the faulty input. Content designers can include text in the write-back analysis to aid the user, for example, "Entering mixed alphanumeric values into a numeric data field is not allowed."

• The template mechanism is not suitable for entering arbitrary new records. In other words, do not use it as a data input tool.

• Write-back analyses do not support drill-down. Because drilling down modifies the table structure, the write-back template does not work.

  Caution:

  The template mechanism takes user input and writes it directly to the database. The security of the physical database is your own responsibility. For optimum security, store write-back database tables in a unique database instance.

19.8.2 Configuring for Write Back

Complete the following steps to configure for users to write back values to the data source.

To configure for write back:

1. Create a physical table in the database that has a column for each write-back field needed. In the table create statement, make the write-back fields non-null-able.

   Note:

   For optimum security, store write-back database tables in a unique database instance.

2. Use the Oracle BI Administration Tool to configure the new table, as described in Oracle Fusion Middleware Metadata Repository Builder's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition.

3. Create a write-back template that specifies the SQL statements that are necessary to both insert and update values into the table that you created. For more information, see Section 19.8.3, "About the Write-Back Template."

4. Add the LightWriteback element in the instanceconfig.xml file, as described in Section 19.8.2.1, "Setting the LightWriteback Element."

5. In Oracle BI Presentation Services, grant the following write-back privileges to the appropriate users: Manage Write Back and Write Back to Database.

   For information, see Section C.2.3.2, "Setting Privileges in Oracle BI Presentation Services Administration."

6. Configure a write-back analysis, as described in Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition.

19.8.3 About the Write-Back Template

The write-back template is an XML-formatted file that contains SQL statements that are needed to insert and update records in the write-back table and columns that you have created. You can create multiple write-back templates, customizing each one for the fields that are used in each specific analysis. In the table view properties, you specify the name of the write-back template to use.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<WebMessageTables xmlns:sawm="com.siebel.analytics.web/message/v1">
<WebMessageTable lang="en-us" system="WriteBack" table="Messages">
   <WebMessage name="SetQuotaUseID">
      <XML>
         <writeBack connectionPool="Supplier">
            <insert>INSERT INTO regiontypequota VALUES(@{c0},@{c1},'@{c2}','@{c3}',@{c4})</insert>
            <update>UPDATE regiontypequota SET Dollars=@{c4} WHERE YR=@{c0} AND Quarter=@{c1} AND Region='@{c2}' AND ItemType='@{c3}'</update>
         </writeBack>
      </XML>
   </WebMessage>
   <WebMessage name="SetQuota">
      <XML>
         <writeBack connectionPool="Supplier">
            <insert>INSERT INTO regiontypequota VALUES(@1,@2,'@3','@4',@5)</insert>
            <update>UPDATE regiontypequota SET Dollars=@5 WHERE YR=@1 AND Quarter=@2 AND Region='@3' AND ItemType='@4'</update>
         </writeBack>
      </XML>
   </WebMessage>
</WebMessageTable>
</WebMessageTables>