Shared elements help you create documents more easily by letting you save report elements in the repository.
You can save report elements as shared elements, so other designers can use them in their own documents.
When you insert a shared element into a document, the system creates a link between the shared element and the document. When you open the document, you can use this link to check if a newer version of the shared element is available. If needed, you can update the shared element in your document to match the latest version.
Create a Shared Element
You can save any report element as a shared element. When you save a shared element, all items needed to create the report element are also saved.
These include:
- The report element and its properties, such as type and description.
- Any objects and variables used by the report element.
- The queries used by these objects and variables.
- The data sources for these queries.
- The format defined for the report element, including labels, colors, charts, and their properties.
To create a shared element, you must be in Design mode.
Insert a Shared Element
To use a shared element in a document, you must be in Design mode.
When you insert a shared element, its full content—including the report element, queries, data sources, variables, and format—is copied into the document. A link to the source shared element is also created.
The Shared Elements tab in the Main panel lists all shared elements linked to the document. This tab also lists every occurrence of each shared element in the document.
Update a Shared Element
When you open the document, Web Intelligence checks if the version of the shared element in your document matches the version in the SAP BI Platform Repository. If the versions are different, the system shows an icon next to the shared element’s name.
To update the copied content in your document with the latest shared element from the SAP BI Platform Repository, select Update from the shared element’s context menu.
To update all shared elements in your document, click the Update button in the Shared Elements tab.
Unlink a Shared Element
To unlink a shared element from a document, you remove the link between the shared element and the document.
When you unlink a document in the Main panel, the application removes all instances of the shared element from that document.
Let's Summarize What You've Learned
- Shared elements allow you to save and reuse report components across multiple documents.
- Creating a shared element saves the report element, its properties, queries, data sources, and formatting.
- Inserting a shared element copies its content into a document and creates a link for future updates.
- You can update or unlink shared elements to manage changes and maintain document consistency.