1. 2.

Introduction to Cognos ReportNet Architecture

3.
4. 5.

Installation and Configuration

Framework Manager Query Studio

6.
7. 8.

Report Studio Basics

Report Studio Advanced SDK

9.

Administration

10. Security

Cognos ReportNet - FastTrack

Agenda

Query model basic structure Advanced topics

Query Model Structure

The new query model is intended to support both RDBMS and OLAP data Terminology reflects this Three sections or elements

Tabular element Cube element Summary element

Tabular Element
Defines the basic data stream for the query A simple, SQL like, homogenous data Details stream

Each row contains the same type of data Grouped Aggregates like an RDBMS table Database rows or grouped aggregate data like a SQL query

Tabular Element

May be one of:

Tabular Model Tabular Set - union, intersect, minus Tabular SQL - edited SQL Tabular Reference - reuse an existing tabular element in the same report

Tabular Model

Model query items

Properties

Auto group and summarize Generated SQL

Show only the SQL for this portion of the query

Contents

Data items

Model Query items Calculations Detail or summary

Filters

Child queries - advanced topic

Auto Group and Summarize

Defaults to Yes

Facts are aggregated Non-facts are grouped

Set to no for a detail query

Data Items

SQL project list

select Product line, Product type, Revenue Non-fact

Model query items

Not aggregated (default) Aggregated as per Framework Manager model rules (default)

Fact

May customize aggregation at any time as required Authored in the report

Calculations

One or more Conditions ANDed together Before aggregation

Filters

Detail row level Equivalent to SQL where clause Applied to grouped aggregate level data Equivalent to SQL having clause Used with parameters Condition is removed from query if no parameter supplied Used in conjunction with prompting and SDK/URLs

After aggregation

Optional

Workshop 7-1

Query Model

Cube Element

Defines groups on top of the tabular data stream

Allows for aggregates at more groups

Imagine a complex, heterogeneous data set like a grouped list report with totals in the footings Each row contains different data based on its group location in the data.

Cube Element

Dimensions

Define group levels on top of those found in the Tabular Model Non-grouped Typically aggregated items Filters against aggregates for a dimension The Tabular Element defining the basic data stream

Facts

Filters

Tabular Data

Dimensions

Define group levels on top of those found in the Tabular Model Required to add additional grouped aggregates Defines levels Levels require keys Levels may have non-key items also (attributes)

Dimensions

Single Dimension Example:

Grouped List report Two grouped items:

Product line Product type

One Dimension Two Levels

Key items

Dimensions

Two Dimension Example

Crosstab report Two grouped items

Product line Order method

Two Dimensions One Level in each

Key items

Facts

Define aggregations on top of those defined in the Tabular Element at group (levels) defined in the cube. Example Grouped List report

Product line, Product type, Revenue Totals for Product line and Report (overall total) are defined by the fact Revenue

No need to specify the groups, ReportNet figures that out You specify aggregation type only

Workshop 7-2

Cube Element

Summary Element

Maps cube items to a crosstab or chart

Row and column edges

Not visible in the Report Studio user interface

Report Studio manages it for you

Part of the XML report specification

Advanced Topics

Tabular Sets Child Tabular Elements

Both queries must contain the same number of columns. The column data types must be compatible:

Tabular Sets

Numeric types (integer, float, double, decimal) can combined String types (char, varChar, longVarChar) can be combined Binary types (binary and varBinary) can be combined

Tabular Sets

Workshop 7-3

Tabular Sets

Child Tabular Elements

Used to create queries equivalent to SQL

Sub-queries Derived tables

Sub-Queries

Used to filter a set of data based on the existence of a matching value in another set of data

Select From Where Column in (select from where )

Sub-Queries

Start with a Tabular Model Add a Child Tabular Element

Tabular Tabular Tabular Tabular

Model Set SQL Reference

Define a filter on the parent Tabular Model

Column in [Child Tabular Element].[Column]

Derived Table Queries

Used to create virtual tables to be joined to produce a complex result

Select From (select from where ) T1, (select from where ) T2 Where T1.<column> = T1.<column>

Derived Table Queries

Start with a Tabular Model Add 2 or more Child Tabular Elements

Tabular Tabular Tabular Tabular

Model Set SQL Reference

Define a filter on the parent Tabular Model

[Child1].[Column] = [Child2].[Column]

Workshop 7-4

Child Tabular Elements

Tabular Element Does Not Define SQL

The SQL generated for a query is a result of the query including the cube and summary elements. The SQL generated for a specific tabular element is created in isolation from the remainder of the query.

STOP! Dont look at that query!

Most tabular element capabilities are exposed in layout Not Auto group and summarize and Generated SQL Everything else is

Filters in filter dialog Aggregates on data item property

Dont be too fast to dive into the query, you unfairly emphasize complexity to a user Sell what can be done through the layout to maximize simplicity

Style

Conditional Reporting

Change the formatting (font, color, etc.) Ex. highlight good in green and bad in red Change the format of date, currency, etc. Especially by locale Especially multilingual text Include/exclude layout components using a Conditional Block List A set of layout objects to display when a given

Data formatting

Text

Layout

Conditional Reporting

Variables Boolean

Ex. First Quarter: month <= 6 Returns Yes/No

Locale

Returns the content locale Locales defined by ReportNet Returns a string expression Used where there are more than two possible results

String

Conditional Reporting

Set properties by value

Select value using the condition explorer Set the style or text properties

Workshop 7-5

Conditional Reporting

More Layout Objects

Create Section

User interface shortcut to:

Create master-detail queries Create a list in a list

More Layout Objects

Repeater frames

Rectangular frame which repeats with a row or grouped item Can repeat across and down Ex. Mailing labels, etc.

More Layout Objects

HTML

Anything the browser will execute Links, images, multimedia, JavaScript Ex. <img src="http://localhost/crn/crq/images/prog ress.gif"> Not rendered in PDF

Because only the browser can execute HTML

More Layout Objects

Hyperlinks Create an HTML hyperlink in the report Render in both HTML and PDF Requires a slight HTML knowledge

Two parts to a hyperlink:

<a href="www.cognos.com">Cognos Corporate Web Site</a> Link: Bold text is URL to link to (href) Label: Underlined text gets displayed on web page (on report) (text)

More Layout Objects

Hyperlinks cont Two parts (just like HTML)

Link (href) Label (text) Static Query expression Report expression

Both parts can be