Managing Oracle BI Repository Files 16-27
6.
Save and close the repository.
7.
Open a Web browser and log in to Fusion Middleware Control from the computer where the updated repository is located.
8. In the navigation tree, expand Business Intelligence and then click coreapplication
to display the Business Intelligence Overview page.
9.
Display the Repository tab of the Deployment page.
10. Click Lock and Edit Configuration.
11. Click Browse next to Repository File. Then, select the updated repository file and
click Open. 12.
Enter the new updated repository password in the Repository Password and the Confirm Password
fields. Make sure to specify the password that has been set in the repository. If the
passwords do not match, the Oracle BI Server fails to start, and an error is logged in nqserver.log.
13. Click Apply, then click Activate Changes.
14. Return to the Business Intelligence Overview page and click Restart.
See Configuring Repositories in Oracle Fusion Middleware System Administrators Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition for more information about the
repository options in Fusion Middleware Control.
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17
Using Expression Builder and Other Utilities 17-1
17
Using Expression Builder and Other Utilities
This chapter describes Expression Builder and provides instructions for creating constraints, aggregations, and other definitions within a repository. It also describes
the various utilities and wizards contained in the Administration Tool.
This chapter contains the following topics:
■
Using Expression Builder
■
Using Administration Tool Utilities
■
Using the Calculation Wizard
Using Expression Builder
You can use the Expression Builder dialogs in the Administration Tool to create constraints, aggregations, and other definitions within a repository. Expression Builder
provides automatic color highlighting and other formatting enhancements to make expressions easier to build and to read.
The expressions you create with Expression Builder are similar to expressions created with SQL. Except where noted, you can use all expressions constructed with
Expression Builder in SQL queries against the Oracle BI Server.
For information about using SQL with Expression Builder, and for information about the SQL functions supported by the Oracle BI Server, see
Appendix C, Logical SQL Reference.
This section contains the following topics:
■
About the Expression Builder Dialogs
■
About the Expression Builder Toolbar
■
About the Categories in the Category Pane
■
Setting Up an Expression
About the Expression Builder Dialogs
You can access Expression Builder from the following dialogs:
■
Logical Table Source—Content tab
■
Logical Table Source—Column Mapping tab
■
Logical Column—General tab
■
Logical Column—Aggregation tab
17-2 Metadata Repository Builders Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
■
Logical Foreign Key
■
Physical Foreign Key
■
Session Variable
■
Repository Variable Figure 17–1
shows Expression Builder.
Figure 17–1 Example Expression Builder Dialog
The dialog contains the following sections:
■
The edit pane on the right hand side of the dialog lets you edit the current expression.
■
The toolbar at the bottom of the dialog contains commonly used expression operators.
■
In the left section of the dialog:
– The top pane is the Category pane. It displays categories that are appropriate
for the dialog from which you accessed Expression Builder.
– The middle pane displays a list of available items for the category you selected
in the Category pane.
You can use the Find field below the middle pane to display specific values in the middle pane.
– The lower pane is the Building Blocks pane. It displays the individual building
blocks for the item you selected in the middle pane.
You can use the Find field below the lower pane to display specific values in the lower pane.
When creating expressions in Expression Builder, you select a category from the Category pane and values are displayed in the lower panes depending on the value
selected in the Category pane. When you type a value into a Find field, it filters out the non-matching strings and displays matching strings only. After typing search criteria
Using Expression Builder and Other Utilities 17-3
in a Find field, you can move up and down the list using the scroll bar, and use the tab key to move between the Find fields. To return to the full list of results, delete the
string from the Find field.
Note that you can only enter text in the Find field that matches the text of one of the available strings. For example, if the available string options begin with A11, A12, and
A13, the text you enter in the Find field must begin with A.
When you locate the building block you want to insert into the expression, select it and do one of the following:
■
Click the arrow button
■
Double click the item
■
Press Enter on your keyboard The building block you selected appears in the expression in the edit pane.
When you first open Expression Builder, the items are not sorted. When selected, the Sort Panes
option sorts all items in the panes. As soon as you select this option, the panes are automatically redrawn without changing the contents of the panes or your
filtering criteria.
About the Expression Builder Toolbar
The toolbar is located at the bottom of Expression Builder. Table 17–1
describes each button and its function in an expression.
Table 17–1 Expression Builder Toolbar
Operator Description
+ Plus sign for addition.
- Minus sign for subtraction.
Multiply sign for multiplication. Divide by sign for division.
|| Character string concatenation.
Open parenthesis. Close parenthesis.
Greater than sign, indicating values higher than the comparison.
Less than sign, indicating values lower than the comparison. =
Equal sign, indicating the same value. =
Less than or equal to sign, indicating values the same or lower than the comparison.
= Greater than or equal to sign, indicating values the same or
higher than the comparison. Not equal to, indicating values higher or lower, but different.
AND AND connective, indicating intersection with one or more
conditions to form a compound condition. OR
OR connective, indicating the union with one or more conditions to form a compound condition.
NOT NOT connective, indicating a condition is not met.
17-4 Metadata Repository Builders Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
About the Categories in the Category Pane
The categories that appear in the Category pane vary, depending on the dialog from which you accessed Expression Builder.
Table 17–2 describes the categories that may
appear. ,
Comma, used to separate elements in a list.
Table 17–2 Expression Builder Categories in the Category Pane
Category Name Description
Aggregate Content Contains the available aggregate functions. Aggregate sources
must use one of the functions listed here to specify the level of their content.
Time Dimensions Contains the time dimensions configured in the business model.
If no time dimensions exist in a business model, or if time dimensions are not pertinent to a particular Expression Builder,
the Time Dimensions category is not displayed.
When you select the Time Dimensions category, each configured time dimension appears in the middle pane, and
each level for the selected dimension appears in the lower pane. Logical Tables
Contains the logical tables configured in the business model. If logical tables are not pertinent to a particular Expression
Builder, the Logical Tables category is not displayed. When you select the Logical Tables category, each logical table
in the business model appears in the middle pane, and each column for the selected logical table appears in the lower pane.
Value Based Dimensions Contains the dimensions with parent-child hierarchies
configured in the business model. If no dimensions with parent-child hierarchies exist in a business model, or if
dimensions with parent-child hierarchies are not pertinent to a particular Expression Builder, the Value Based Dimensions
category is not displayed.
When you select the Value Based Dimensions category, the configured dimensions with parent-child hierarchies appear in
the middle pane. No lower pane exists for this category. Logical Levels
Contains the related logical levels. If level-based dimensions are not pertinent to a particular Expression Builder, the Logical
Levels category is not displayed. When you select the Logical Levels category, you can then select
the appropriate logical dimension level-based in the middle pane, and the level itself in the lower pane.
Physical Tables Contains the related physical tables. If physical tables are not
pertinent to a particular Expression Builder, the Physical Tables category is not displayed.
Operators Contains the available SQL logical operators.
Expressions Contains the available expressions.
Functions Contains the available functions. The functions that appear
depend on the object you selected. Constants
Contains the available constants. Types
Contains the available data types.
Table 17–1 Cont. Expression Builder Toolbar
Operator Description
Using Expression Builder and Other Utilities 17-5
Setting Up an Expression
Figure 17–2 shows the Expression Builder dialog for a derived logical column.
Figure 17–2 Expression Builder for Derived Logical Columns
To set up an expression, select Functions from the Category pane, select a function type from Functions pane, then select a function from the lower pane. Double-click the
function you want to use to paste it in the edit pane. Then, in the edit pane, click once between the parentheses of the function to select that area as the insertion point for
adding the argument of the function.
To paste a logical column at the insertion point, select Logical Tables from the Category pane, select the table you want to use in the Logical Tables pane, and then
double-click the logical column in the lower pane to paste the logical column at the insertion point as the argument of the function in the edit pane.
Figure 17–3 shows
where the expression appears in the edit pane. Repository Variables
Contains the available repository variables. If no repository variables are defined, this category does not appear.
Session Variables Contains the available system session and non-system session
variables. If no session variables are defined, this category does not appear.
Table 17–2 Cont. Expression Builder Categories in the Category Pane
Category Name Description
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Figure 17–3 Example Logical Column Function in the Editing Pane
Navigating Within Expression Builder
Use the following procedure to navigate within Expression Builder.
To navigate within Expression Builder: 1.
In the Category pane, select the appropriate category for the expression you want to build.
The available expression types for the selected category appear in the middle pane.
2. Select the appropriate item for the expression you want to build.
