Exploring Query Properties

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Work with query properties

The Query Panel

The default Query Panel display consists of the following panels:

  • Toolbar
  • Data Outline
  • Result Objects
  • Query Filters
  • Data Preview

The Query Panel: Query Properties

The Query Properties contains the following options:

OptionSelect to
Limits - Max rows retrievedSelect a maximum numbers of rows for retrieval. If you use this option, you also need to set a maximum number of rows to be retrieved.
Limits - Max retrieval timeSet a time limit, in seconds, after which the data retrieval process stops.
Sample - Sample result setReturn a sample result set. To use fixed sampling, click Fixed. Sampling is not available in BEx queries. The Fixed option is visible, but not activated if this option is not supported by your data source.
Data - RefreshableAllow the refresh a specific query.
Data - Retrieve duplicate rowsInclude duplicate rows. In a database, the same data may be repeated over many rows. You can choose to have these repeated rows returned in a query, or to have only unique rows returned. This option is not available in BEx queries, or if it is not supported by the underlying database.
Data - Retrieve empty rowsInclude empty rows in the result.
Data - Delete trailing blanksDelete trailing blanks from data providers' values.
Enable query strippingAllow the application to remove objects from queries if they're not used in the report.
Context - Reset contexts on refreshReset the contexts when refreshing the document or query. If you use this option, you need to select a context when you refresh a query.
Security - Allow other users to edit all queriesAllow users with query editing rights to edit queries you have created.

Contexts in a Query

A context is a defined group of objects that share a common business purpose.

This business purpose is usually the type of information that these related objects represent. For example, a sales context is a grouping of all the objects that can be used to create sales queries. A reservations context is a grouping of all the objects that can be used in reservation queries. Contexts are defined in the universe by the universe designer.

You can combine any objects within the same context to create a query. You can also combine objects in different contexts. If you use an object that is common to multiple contexts in a query and it is not possible to determine the best context that fits all the other objects in the query, you are prompted to choose the context to apply.

When you create a query or refresh a document, you may be asked to choose a context before the query can run. Contexts are set up in a universe to avoid ambiguous queries.

You need to choose a context each time you run the query if the Reset contexts on refresh query property is selected in the query properties. You will also need to choose a contexts if you select the Clear contexts option in the query properties.

If prompts have been set for the document, then the Prompts dialog box appears. Otherwise the document content reflects the context you have selected.

You can refresh contexts every time you refresh a query in the query panel.

The Script Viewer

When you build a query, Web Intelligence automatically generates appropriate script (such as SQL) to retrieve the data from the relevant database. You can view and edit this SQL, and copy it to another application if you have the rights to do so.

If in the query panel you modify the script and you remove an object and add a different object to the Results Object pane, the script is regenerated.

Create a Query and Choose a Context

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