Chapter 3 [ 105 ] As you can see from the previous screen, you would be able to select either the SQL data source or the Data Files. If you choose to select SQL, then you will need to provide the SQL user name and SQL password. 1. We have a Microsoft Excel le as our data source so we have selected the Data les option. 2. Click on the Find Data File. Browse through the directory and select the data source le. You have the choice of a local le or a server le. 3. Click on the Find Rules File and select the rule le that you have built and saved on the server. 4. For the error le, you can give a different error le path and name, or you can use the default error le. If you think the error le already exists, please select the option Overwrite. If not, you will get an error message. 5. Click on OK. 6. Essbase will load the data per the instructions in the rules le you selected. If it is a dimension build rules le (as is this case), the outline itself will be updated. 7. The outline will be updated, saved, and restructured. The new outline is shown in the following screenshot: This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Building the Essbase Outline [ 106 ] Update using MaxL Shell In the earlier versions of Essbase, EssCmd (Essbase Command Script) was widely used as the shell script of choice. In the newer versions of Essbase, Oracle recommends using MaxL Shell scripts. Using the MaxL Shell statements, you will be able to perform most of the Essbase functions like dimension building, importing data, and calculating data. A MaxL Shell script can be executed three different ways: • Through the EAS editor • From the DOS Command Line • Shelled from within another scripting language Executing MaxL from EAS editor The steps to execute MaxL from EAS editor are: 1. Within EAS, click on File |Editor | MaxL Script Editor 2. The MaxL editor will be opened as shown in the screenshot below: • In the MaxL editor, you can write a MaxL statement and then execute it. MaxL is the multidimensional database access language for Essbase analytic services. MaxL is an easy to use interface for Essbase database administration. The IMPORT DIMENSION statement would be used to build the outline. The syntax in the example MaxL statement shows when we use a data le to update the dimension. This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Chapter 3 [ 107 ] Syntax of Import Dimension statement We will show you some actual code that can be used in the MaxL editor to execute database commands. As we will present in much greater detail later in this book, MaxL is a command-based scripting language that you can use for automating maintenance and routine tasks: IMPORT DATABASE APPLICATION NAME.DATABASE NAME DIMENSIONS FROM (input data file information) LOCAL | SERVER /* Location of the data file FILE TYPE /* Type of data source whether a Text files, Excel File, or Lotus File DATA_FILE FILE PATH ' Path of the file like c:/book/chapter3/rules/market.xls USING (Information about the Rule File) LOCAL | SERVER ' Location of the rule file RULE_FILE RULE FILE NAME ' Name of the rule file like Markt ON ERROR APPEND TO (error File information) WRITE | APPEND ERROR File name ' Path for error file ' c:/book/DimError.log The following screenshot shows the code that was entered into the EAS MaxL editor and then executed by pressing the F5 button or clicking on the MaxL | Execute button: This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Building the Essbase Outline [ 108 ] As shown in the previous screenshot, the script has executed without errors. Let's modify the script to force an error message. We have changed the reserve word database to data. This is a glaring syntax error and will immediately generate an error message as shown in the following screenshot: This script can also be saved with the extension .mxl for later use. Executing MaxL from command prompt You can use MaxL statements from the DOS command prompt as well. The essmsh.exe le is located in the $Arborpath/bin which, in our case, is C:\Oracle\AnalyticServices\bin. From the command prompt, go to this directory and enter the word ESSMSH as shown: In the EAS editor, you need not log on to the Essbase server as EAS is already connected to Essbase. When using the command prompt, you need to log in to Essbase. Using the following syntax in a MaxL statement, you log in to the Essbase server: Login 'UserID' 'Password' on 'ServerName'; This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com Chapter 3 [ 109 ] The following is an example of logging in through the command line: Now, that you are logged on to the Essbase server, you can execute any MaxL statement using the command line to update the Essbase outline. The following screenshot shows how you can achieve this. Notice how the syntax is very easy to read. Almost like a spoken sentence. Our Esscar outline is now updated with the new Market structure. Hooray! You have built your rst outline using an Essbase rules le and you have also learned how to execute the script manually and also by using MaxL to run a script that uses your load rule le. Attribute dimensions Attribute dimensions are dimensions associated with standard dimensions. Attribute dimensions are useful in describing a standard dimension member's attributes. For example, in our Esscar database, we have the Vehicles dimension. If we wanted to differentiate between a two or four door car of the same model, we could use an attribute dimension to accomplish this. We could also use an attribute dimension to track color. This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423 Download at Boykma.Com . on 5th July 20 09 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 794 23 Download at Boykma.Com Building the Essbase Outline [ 106 ] Update using MaxL Shell In the earlier versions of Essbase, EssCmd (Essbase Command. July 20 09 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 794 23 Download at Boykma.Com Chapter 3 [ 1 09 ] The following is an example of logging in through the command line: Now, that you are logged on to the Essbase. licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 20 09 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 794 23 Download at Boykma.Com Building the Essbase Outline [ 108 ] As shown in the previous screenshot,