Getting the most out of the Microsoft Excel Add-in [ 270 ] Zooming in on sample data This function allows you to return only sample subsets of the actual data that a retrieve may return. The Essbase | Sample Data (Zoom In) function depends on how you have two Essbase | Options set. First, is the sampling percentage setting on the Zoom tab of the Essbase | Options screen. Whatever percentage this is set to is the amount of data which will be returned when you Zoom In using this function. How much you Zoom In is determined by the Zoom setting, also on the Zoom tab of the Essbase | Options screen. For example, if you click on a member name on your spreadsheet and then click the Sample Data (Zoom In) function, your data will be returned as follows: Let's say there are 200 children members under the member you selected for the Sample Data (Zoom In) function and your Zoom In function is set to Bottom Level, and your Sampling setting is set to 100%. This Zoom In will return all 200 children members into your spreadsheet. Let's now say that you have the Zoom In function still set to Bottom Level but this time you have the Sampling setting set to 10%. This Zoom In will only return the rst 20 children members into your spreadsheet. These 20 members are 10% of the 200 that are available. The Sample Data (Zoom In) function works very well for Zoom Ins on particularly large dimensions if you are just checking the data and do not need to see all of it. Linking objects to your data In Essbase it is possible to link an object, such as a le object, to a specic data cell in the database. This object can contain information or explanations on or about the data or it can be whatever you want it to be. The Essbase | Linked Objects… command displays the Linked Objects Browser dialog box. The Linked Objects Browser allows you to create or access linked objects and displays the objects currently linked to the data cell you have selected. 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 7 [ 271 ] You cannot create linked objects for member combinations containing attributes. Also, you cannot use the Linked Objects Browser dialog box in Free Form mode. Creating graphical data representations When you click on Essbase | Visualize & Explore… it will launch the Hyperion Visual Explorer (HVE). This option does require a separate license but is about as close to an off-the-shelf data dashboard as you can get. The HVE helps you explore and analyze data in an Essbase database. But more specically, it provides an easy to use interface for creating graphical summaries and reports of your data in a highly interactive user interface. These graphical summaries answer questions about market totals, scenario versus scenario comparisons, regional rankings, and buying trends. You can answer with visual representation, any questions there may be regarding the data stored in your company's Essbase databases. The results are high impact and impressive. The biggest difference between the Microsoft Excel add-in and HVE is the Microsoft Excel add-in uses the traditional native connection, where as the HVE uses the specialized multidimensional database query language known as MDX. We will explain MDX in greater detail in a future chapter. Best of all you will look like a hero using this tool and no one but you will know how easy it was to use. 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 Getting the most out of the Microsoft Excel Add-in [ 272 ] Using the currency conversion tool To use the Essbase | Currency Report… function you must purchase a separate license for the Essbase currency conversion tool. Unless you have extensive currency conversion needs there are ways to create nancial data without it. The Essbase | Currency Report… function enables you to perform ad hoc currency conversions during data retrieval. When you select Essbase | Currency Report… the Essbase Currency Report dialog box is displayed. If you have implemented a currency conversion application you can use the Currency Report command to dynamically perform currency retrievals and currency conversions. Custom Microsoft Excel workbook reporting The Essbase | Cascade… command allows you to replicate Microsoft Excel worksheets using member combinations. You can have retrieved data ow across multiple Microsoft Excel worksheets in the same Microsoft Excel workbook, or you can create multiple cascaded Microsoft Excel workbooks stored in different locations. When you select Essbase | Cascade… the Essbase Cascade Options dialog box is displayed. The Essbase Cascade Options dialog box has three tabs that allow you to set the formatting and storage options for the cascaded reports you will create: • Cascade Information: On this tab, you select what outline members you want to cascade on and the zoom level you wish to zoom to. • Destination Options: On this tab, you can choose where to store the newly created Microsoft Excel workbooks. 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 7 [ 273 ] There are options for either opening existing les or overwriting them with new ones. You can make your choices as to creating worksheets in a workbook or creating new workbooks themselves. Finally, there are naming options for you to take advantage of, including prex and sufx designations, to be used while naming your workbooks. • Format Options: This tab allows you to choose your workbook formatting options. 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 Getting the most out of the Microsoft Excel Add-in [ 274 ] The formatting options include choosing whether to copy the existing workbook formatting, adding custom page headers and footers, suppressing rows that don't contain data from your reports, and including a table of contents with each workbook. A nal word on the Essbase add-in After reading all of this you can see that the Essbase Add-in for Microsoft Excel is an incredibly powerful tool. The only thing more amazing than how powerful the Essbase add-in really is is how easy it is to use. Except for a few functions which require a bit of practice to become good at, every function included in the Essbase add-in is intuitive and has comprehensive help that is readily available. It's also a good idea to keep in mind that as seamless as the add-in is with Microsoft Excel, the Essbase add-in can be controlled that seamlessly using Microsoft Excel's built-in and powerful Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). You can create powerful applications quickly and easily with nothing more than a basic Essbase installation and Microsoft Excel. Using the Essbase Query Designer The EQD is a wonderful tool within a tool that allows you to set up reports and spreadsheets with the aid of an easy to use visual interface tool. Once you have a query designed just the way you want it you can save it off and use it over and over again to retrieve your data. As mentioned earlier, one huge side benet of the EQD is that when saving your custom designed query, you have the option to tell the EQD to also save the query as an Essbase report script le. Like we mentioned in the previous chapter, this option lets you utilize the powerful and easy to use data selection functionality of the EQD to create complicated and specic report scripts as well. Apart from the complicated selection criteria, you can also sort the data in either ascending or descending order, rank your data, and also lter your data based on your own needs. It is with these report scripts and a little editing that you will nd yourself in possession of complex data extraction abilities which will allow you to feed data to downstream systems efciently and reliably. Where do I nd the Essbase Query Designer The EQD can be found as a selection on the Essbase add-in menu pick that is added to the Microsoft Excel menu toolbar when you install the add-in as shown: 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 . may return. The Essbase | Sample Data (Zoom In) function depends on how you have two Essbase | Options set. First, is the sampling percentage setting on the Zoom tab of the Essbase | Options. on 5th July 20 09 8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 794 23 Download at Boykma.Com Getting the most out of the Microsoft Excel Add-in [ 272 ] Using the currency conversion tool To use the Essbase | Currency. workbooks stored in different locations. When you select Essbase | Cascade… the Essbase Cascade Options dialog box is displayed. The Essbase Cascade Options dialog box has three tabs that allow