I started my foray into DS and immediately am stumped. I am ...

[robert fuschetto]

I started my foray into DS and immediately am stumped. I am pointing to a master file. A simple chart. The chart itself is not the issue but rather the Filtering. I want to filter on fields: Company and Dept. They are numerics and appear in the measures areabut they are really dimensions. How do I get them into the Dimensions area. Right now if i drag to the Filers area at the topit gives me a range I want a drop down of Companies.

[robert fuschetto]

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[Dirk Kuerbig]

Hello Robert,

WebFOCUS will automatically classify base master files by Measures and Dimensions based on field type and other smarts (like name).

To control which columns should be treated as measures and which ones as dimensions, you should create what is called a business view in the master file, basically allowing you to organize the field by the 2 major categories + if you like to, also to create a folder like navigation structure for them.

In the simplest form

 

Open the Synonym Editor

Create a default business view

Rearrange the columns the way you need them + add the folder structures

Optional: Add other features (like hierarchy definitions)

Use Designer

The numeric fields placed in the dimension area will now work as intended, instead of sliders they will default to drop down boxes

 

Here is a very simplified example, with a series of screenshots

 

 

Open Synonym Editor and find the button for the creation of a Default Business View

 

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Click this button, the default is created, in this case, I want to move the SALARY column to be a dimension (in your case it may be the opposite, a column recognized as a measure needs to be moved to be a dimension)

 

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Move the columns into the area you need them to be

 

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Save the synonym

 

 

Open Designer and use the synonym

 

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You will see 3 things

a. the measures and dimensions are now placed where you need them

b. the dimensions, in this case CUSTOMER_ID, a number that should be treated as a dimension are a mix of text and numeric fields

c. Using CUSTOMER_ID as a filter now defaults to being a drop down box

 

 

Hope this helps.

Please let me know if you need more details.

Good luck

[robert fuschetto]

This is nuts! I appreciate your time on this, perhaps I will try it but Ill wait till the software steps into the realm of its competitors where you just move the measure into the Dimensions area. Further, way does it work fine if I am connecting to a fex against the same master file in App Studio with WHERE conditions in place The tool is inconsistent.

[Manoj Chaurasia]

I dont think this is nuts.

Why would you want to show numeric values (representing companies) to a user I dont think there are many users knowing a company by its number / comp_id.

You want a dropdown box with company names (thus alphanumeric) and then it will be in the dimensions area and if you drag that to the filter area, all company names will be shown.

[robert fuschetto]

Hey Fred, Most folks want the numberHere are examples:

Company Number,

Cost Center (though on this one, yes we start to include the name because we have so many)

Period (YYMMM)

Fiscal Year,

Calendar Year,

etc.

One should not have to create a business view to do this. Other software allows you to move stuff around. Further why if I connect to an App studio fex that creates a hold file do all my parameters (numerics included) filter and chain without issue. Andno I do not want to always create an App Studio fex to create a hold file to work off of.