Chapter 8 [ 325 ] Oops! There is an error and it looks like we have a wrong password in there. But if there is an error message this is how you will see the error message. Now let us change the password and rerun the script. In the previous screenshot, you can now see that the script ran successfully without any error messages. In the next section let us see how we can do the same while using the EAS tool. Executing MaxL from EAS The EAS comes with plenty of tools and utilities. Believe it or not EAS also has a MaxL editor where you can type all of the MaxL statements and execute the MaxL scripts. In the EAS MaxL editor you do not need to specify the login commands as you are already logged onto the Essbase analytic server through EAS. 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 Automating your Essbase Cube [ 326 ] Here are the steps to execute MaxL from the EAS MaxL editor: 1. Within EAS, click on File | Editor | MaxL Script Editor. The MaxL script editor will be opened. 2. The import database MaxL statement should be used to load the data, as shown in the following screenshot: This is how you can execute your MaxL scripts from within EAS. In the next section we will discuss how you can make use of the powerful Essbase API to write highly functional backend programs for your Essbase applications. Essbase Application Programming Interface (API) The Essbase Application Programming Interface or API, is a programmatic interface between your client or your application server and the Essbase analytic server. The Essbase analytic server manages the transfer of data between client and analytic server or the application server and analytic server over your network. 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 8 [ 327 ] Using programs coded by you to make calls to functions within the Essbase API, data or results are returned from the Essbase servers you are connected to. The Essbase API contains much of the same functionality that the Essbase software included with your system contains. Typically you don't need to be concerned with where the physical Essbase server machine is located on the network when writing a program that uses API calls. Locating the server and transferring the data, is all handled by the API through TCP/IP connections. Installing the Essbase API The API functionality is automatically installed and available to clients and application servers from the Essbase analytic server when you install the Essbase analytic software on your server. To install the API software on a client machine, you simply need to make sure the API selection is checked during your routine installation of the Essbase add-in. If the desktop machine in question has the Essbase add-in already installed, but not the Essbase API libraries, you can perform a complete reinstallation of the Essbase add-in without harming your current add-in installation. When you get to the installation step where it asks if you want to perform a routine or custom installation, select Custom. Then, on the next screen, select only the Essbase API. For application server installation, the process for older versions would be just like the steps for a client PC for the API only. Simply perform a custom installation and select only the Essbase API for installation. Newer versions of Essbase (6.x and higher) are shipped with an Essbase Runtime Client which will install all of the required API libraries onto the target machine and support Essbase API functionality. You now have the Essbase API on all of the machines in your network and can begin programming Essbase functions from the Essbase API. What you should know to use the Essbase API As you are already aware, this entire book is intended for use by IT professionals that have at least some level of experience and understanding of database usage and programming. Basic programming knowledge and experience with object-oriented programming is required to really understand how to code effective programs that take full advantage of the Essbase API functionality. 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 Automating your Essbase Cube [ 328 ] There are three distinct sets of API programming libraries for your programming convenience. There is a full Visual Basic library of API functionality, a full C library of API functionality, and a full Java function library as well. For the sake of consistency throughout this book and the usability in Microsoft Excel VBA, we will discuss the Visual Basic or VB API library of functions. Complete documentation can be found in the online technical reference included with and accessible from the EAS tool. Oracle Essbase also supports a complete Java API framework with a vast array of predened packages and functions that allow the Essbase installation to exist on a distributed server environment that supports a full web-based application. Custom functions and controls are also supported. In order to run the Java API you need to install the Hyperion provider services. Much more information about the Java API can be found in the N-tier Application Programming Interface guide included with your Oracle Essbase installation package. Remember that COM+ objects are written in VB code, and any API functionality can be written into one as easily as into a formal Visual Basic program. The benet of COM+ objects is that their functionality can be available on a server to support client calls, as well as web-based calls. What functions are available in the Essbase API There is a vast array of functionality available in the Essbase API. In the easily available Essbase API documentation the API functions are divided into two functional group categories. The rst category is the Visual Basic Main API group of functions. These functions perform tasks that you would perform during day-to-day operations. 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 8 [ 329 ] As you can see from the previous list, the main API functions offer quite an assortment of functions that can make your life easier. There are functions for setting all kinds of application and database properties and attributes. There are functions for database maintenance and user maintenance. There are even le functions, security functions, and database object functions. There are also many database related functions. The second category of Essbase API functions is the Visual Basic Outline API group of functions. As the name suggests, this category of API functions is more specically targeted to the Essbase database outline. From the previous list you can see that the Outline API functions allows you specic Essbase database outline functionality. With the combined functionality of both API categories written into a comprehensive enough of a program that you can practically build, populate, and use an Essbase application/database without ever touching the actual EAS tool. Essbase API programming tips A good coding style to adopt when writing code in any programming language is the indented or nested coding style. This style is recommended the world over for writing easy to follow written code instructions. The indented or nested coding style allows for easier debugging and enhancing of your code, now and in the future. The nested coding style also helps ensure that you will remember to follow the opening of a function with the closing of a function. 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 . make use of the powerful Essbase API to write highly functional backend programs for your Essbase applications. Essbase Application Programming Interface (API) The Essbase Application Programming. of the Essbase add-in. If the desktop machine in question has the Essbase add-in already installed, but not the Essbase API libraries, you can perform a complete reinstallation of the Essbase. target machine and support Essbase API functionality. You now have the Essbase API on all of the machines in your network and can begin programming Essbase functions from the Essbase API. What you