Setting the Locale on UNIX Systems

Localizing Oracle Business Intelligence 15-19 15.6.2 What is Lookup? Lookup is when a query joins the base table and lookup table to obtain the translated values for each row in the base table. Lookup tables might be dense and sparse in nature. A dense lookup table contains translations in all languages for every record in the base table. A sparse lookup table contains translations for only for some records in the base tables. Sometimes it is also possible that lookup tables are both dense and sparse. For example, a lookup table might contain complete translation for the Product Description field but only partial translation for the Product Category field. Dense and Sparse are types of lookup operation rather than being a table property. You configure lookup tables using the Administration Tool. 15.6.3 What is Double Column Support? Double column support is the ability to associate two columns a descriptor ID column and a descriptor column in the logical layer, and can help you to define language independent filters. When the user creates a filter based on a descriptor column, the query tool displays a list of values to the user that are selected from the descriptor column. This descriptor column technique is also useful when dealing with queries that involve LOB data types such as CLOBs and BLOBs and aggregate functions such as COUNT or SUM. Some data sources do not allow LOB columns to be used in the GROUP BY clause. So, instead of adding the LOB column to the GROUP BY, it is necessary to group by some other column that has a one-to-one relationship with the LOB column and then in join the LOB column after the aggregates have been computed.

15.6.4 Designing Translation Lookup Tables in a Multilingual Schema

There are two common techniques of designing translation lookup tables in a multilingual schema as follows: ■ Section 15.6.4.1, A Lookup Table for Each Base Table ■ Section 15.6.4.2, A Lookup Table for Each Translated Field

15.6.4.1 A Lookup Table for Each Base Table

There is often a separate lookup table for each base table. The lookup table contains a foreign key reference to records in the base table, and contains the values for each translated field in a separate column. Assuming a completely dense lookup table, the number of rows in the lookup table for a particular language equals the number of rows in the base table. The example in Figure 15–5 shows each record in the lookup table matching only one row in the base table. 15-20 System Administrators Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Figure 15–5 Lookup Table For Each Base Table

15.6.4.2 A Lookup Table for Each Translated Field

The alternative approach to having one lookup table for each base table involves a separate lookup table for each translated field, as shown in Figure 15–6 . Getting the translated value of each field requires a separate join to a lookup table. In practice there is often just one physical table that contains translations for multiple fields. When a single table contains translations for multiple fields, you must place a filter on the lookup table to restrict the data to only those values that are relevant to a particular column in the base table. Figure 15–6 Lookup Table For Each Translated Field

15.6.5 Creating Logical Lookup Tables and Logical Lookup Columns

This section describes creating logical lookup tables and lookup columns and contains the following topics: ■ Section 15.6.5.1, Creating Logical Lookup Tables ■ Section 15.6.5.2, Designating a Logical Table as a Lookup Table ■ Section 15.6.5.3, About the LOOKUP Function Syntax ■ Section 15.6.5.4, Creating Logical Lookup Columns

15.6.5.1 Creating Logical Lookup Tables

You create a logical lookup table object in the business model to define the necessary metadata for a translation lookup table. A lookup table is a logical table with a property that designates it as a lookup table, as described in Section 15.6.5.2,