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3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
Archive-name: databases/bus-objects-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1996/06/26
URL: http://www.upenn.edu/da/bo/busob-faq.html
BUSINESSOBJECTS FAQ
This document was last changed June 26, 1996. Copyright 1995, 1996,
by Stephen W. Thompson. Provided that no modification is made in the
text and that this paragraph is retained, this document may be
reproduced; the only exception is that employees of BusinessObjects
must request permission for any reproduction.
_________________________________________________________________
FAQ Contents
User Issues
Manager Issues
The Questions
F1.01
What recent changes have been made to this list?
F1.02
Who contributed to this FAQ?
USER ISSUES
Business Objects Overview
U0.01
Could you briefly explain what BusinessObjects is?
U0.02
What are some resources to learn about BusinessObjects?
Installation on Windows
U1.01
How much space does Business Objects require on the hard drive?
U1.02
Why would a message about the environment variable CONFIG being
incorrectly set arise during installation?
U1.03
How do I test if a connection problem with Business Objects is
with BusOb itself or with SQL*Net instead?
U1.04
What type of configuration problems have you seen that prevent
NETTEST.EXE from being successful (that is, SQL*Net is
unhappy)?
U1.05
What type of configuration problems have you seen that prevent
Business Objects from working?
U1.06
Will Business Objects work on Windows 95?
U1.07
What is the latest patch to Windows, and which do I have?
Installation on Macintoshes
U2.01
Why when I try to open a universe for the first time do I get
the error "SYS-0331: Error Retrieving Parameters"?
U2.02
Does installation need to be done using the installation disks,
or can the files simply be copied?
Access
U3.01
(PENN SPECIFIC) Why am I having problems getting into Business
Objects with my password?
U3.02
Can I get rid of old universes by deleting directories/folders?
U3.03
What are some possible approaches to solving connection
problems?
Performance
U4.01
Why is Mac performance so poor?
U4.02
Why does canceling a query sometimes work and sometimes hang my
machine?
User Interface
U5.01
How can one retrieve queries from the repository?
U5.02
How does one find templates that are in the repository, or even
find the command to import them?
U5.03
How can a Mac user close one universe and open another
universe, short of quitting and restarting BusOb?
U5.04
How can I get labels to print 3-up (in three columns)?
U5.05
When creating conditions based on queries (rather than
Constant, Variable or Object), which queries does BusOb display
as candidate subqueries?
For example, if the condition is on SSN, are queries displayed
in the dialog box only if their result object is SSN?
U5.06
How can I query for records based on lists of id's that I have
from other data sources? Say I have a file of SSN's to look up?
U5.07
How can I get better control of how my headers and footers
appear? I want top-of-page headers related to some objects,
beginning-of-break footers related to others, and sometimes
text that accompanies each occurrence of an object.
U5.08
Why do some help screens describe features I can't locate, such
as the "complex query" button mentioned under "outer joins"?
U5.09
How can I have a query use an outer join?
U5.10
How do I input the pipe or or-bar character?
Training
U6.01
How is the training provided by Business Objects?
U6.02
How is training provided by others?
Upcoming Versions
U7.01
What can we expect from BusOb v4.0 (codenamed Mercury)?
U7.02
What are new features that we BusOb users and managers wish
would be added to the tool?
MANAGER ISSUES
M1.01
What are some approaches to resolving loops in the joins?
M1.02
How can I have a context with no joins?
M1.03
Why can't I add new objects?
M1.04
Are there any "gotchas" with using the Advanced Login Strategy
for managing security?
M1.05
What do I do if I lose my manager password?
M1.06
How can I programmatically modify object names?
M1.07
How can I modify the MANAGERx universe to allow reporting on
aliases?
M1.08
How can I find the metamodel? for the repository files?
The Answers
960501 Revamped the HTML formatting so the FAQ looks better and
is easier to use interactively.
F1.02
Who contributed to this FAQ?
USER ISSUES
Business Objects Overview
U0.01
Could you briefly explain what Business Objects is?
U0.02
What are some resources to learn about Business Objects?
Installation on Windows
U1.01
How much space does Business Objects require on the hard drive?
For version 3.1.1E I estimate about 6.5 Mb. Of course, once you
start downloading Universe definitions and doing reports, that
could grow enormously. Use the Query, Document and Template
management menus to delete work once you're done with it in
order to save disk space.
U1.02
Why would a message about the environment variable CONFIG being
incorrectly set arise during installation?
U1.03
How do I test if a connection problem with Business Objects is
with BusOb itself or with SQL*Net instead?
U1.04
What type of configuration problems have you seen that prevent
NETTEST.EXE from being successful (that is, SQL*Net is
unhappy)?
U1.05
What type of configuration problems have you seen that prevent
Business Objects from working?
U1.06
Will Business Objects work on Windows 95?
- ...\ORAWIN\BIN:
COREWIN.DLL 833856 bytes
CORE3WIN.DLL 245136 bytes
MSOCKLIB.DLL 42208 bytes
MWINSOCK.DLL 7104 bytes
ORA71WIN.DLL 321968 bytes
ORA7WIN.DLL 272448 bytes
SQLTNS.DLL 4848 bytes
SQLTNS1.DLL 198080 bytes
NL.DLL 137888 bytes
NLS23WIN.DLL 749312 bytes
NS.DLL 173600 bytes
NT.DLL 26288 bytes
NTT.DLL 42096 bytes
I don't enclose the file date because this may vary (Oracle
doesn't have the same versions in the USA and in Europe).
U1.07
What is the latest patch to Windows, and which do I have?
Installation on Macintoshes
U2.01
Why when I try to open a universe for the first time do I get
the error "SYS-0331: Error Retrieving Parameters"?
U2.02
Does installation need to be done using the installation disks,
or can the files simply be copied?
For Oracle users, you then need to re-set the "home" directory
for Oracle (using the "Set Oracle Home" application in the
Oracle Applications folder), and everything works OK.
Access
U3.01
(PENN SPECIFIC) Why am I having problems getting into Business
Objects with my password?
U3.02
Can I get rid of old universes by deleting directories/folders?
Yes. From either Windows or Mac, delete the contents of the
appropriate directories as you would any other directory or
folder. For a universe called FRED, there is a directory/folder
called DEF/FRED containing the "definition" of the FRED
universe to Business Objects and STORAGE/FRED containing the
queries and results of queries that you have run against FRED.
Deleting the STORAGE/FRED directory will delete all queries
you've done again FRED, also.
U3.03
What are some possible approaches to solving connection
problems?
Performance
U4.01
Why is Mac performance so poor?
U4.02
Why does canceling a query sometimes work and sometimes hang my
machine?
User Interface
U5.01
How can one retrieve queries from the repository?
U5.02
How do you find templates that are in the repository, or even
find the command to import them?
U5.03
How can a Mac user close one universe and open another
universe, short of quitting and restarting BusOb?
U5.04
How can I get labels to print 3-up (in three columns)?
First, stack the lines of the label. Delete the column labels,
then stack the lines by dragging and dropping name, then
street1, then street2, etc. Create a variable ("Tools" menu)
which concatenates city, state, zip and country with blanks and
commas as needed into one string, and insert that variable
*instead of* the individual components. If street2 is often
blank, you might create two other variables: one which returns
street2 is non-blank, otherwise cityStateZip; and another which
returns cityStateZip if street2 is non-blank, otherwise blank.
U5.05
When creating conditions based on queries (rather than
Constant, Variable or Object), which queries does BusOb display
as candidate subqueries? For example, if the condition is on
SSN, are queries displayed in the dialog box only if their
result object is SSN?
U5.06
How can I query for records based on lists of id's that I have
from other data sources? Say I have a file of SSN's to look up?
The idea is to create an "in list" condition, then coerce your
file to show up when you click the "List of Values" button
instead of querying the database. (A disaster for something
like SSN!)
The two gotchas are knowing what .ASC file to manipulate and
using the correct field delimeter. Identifying the .ASC file
name is easy when the BusOb manager has given all users access
to the MANAGERx universe. This universe holds data *about* the
other universes, listing class names, Select SQL strings,
object names, and, helpful in the current situation, the List
of Values Name. (Care should be taken when exporting this
universe, since it contains an object for "User Password".
Rather than exporting the generic MANAGERO universe for Oracle,
at Penn we have duplicated that universe and then removed the
password object (and named it UNIVRSES). Then it's usable by
all, and a query for Class Name, Object Name and List of Value
Name for the universe in question will show you the .ASC file
to use. The delimiter, which can be difficult to create, is
best copied from an existing query and pasted into the new
file.
Each line of the .ASC file will look like this (for SSN's):
123456789|
Make all lines the same line length; crashes have been seen
when variable-length lines are not padded prior to the pipe
character. A few lines for a variable-length object might
appear like this:
POTATO |
CARROT |
ONION |
RUTABAGA |
U5.07
How can I get better control of how my headers and footers
appear? I want top-of-page headers related to some objects,
beginning-of-break footers related to others, and sometimes
text that accompanies each occurrence of an object.
There are two kinds of headers and footers. We'll call them
document headers/footers and break headers/footers. (These are
my terms.)
But first you need to be sure you have these headers and
footers populated with text or variables, or else nothing will
show up because there was nothing TO show up! (Did you follow
that?)
+---------
| hg
| +-------
| | h1
| | +-----
| | | h2
| | |
G 1 2 Object names appear here
| | |
| | | f2
| | +-----
| | f1
| +-------
| fg
+---------
U5.08
Why do some help screens describe features I can't locate, such
as the "complex query" button mentioned under "outer joins"?
SADLY, the help for the User version of BusOb is the same help
as for the Manager version, and it doesn't indicate which help
is for which version. The "complex query" button that is
mentioned is only available to Managers, for use when creating
automatic joins between tables, not to users, unfortunately.
(Already called in as an enhancement request.)
U5.09
How can I have a query use an outer join?
You have to modify the SQL (with "Generate SQL" and "View SQL"
from the File menu). There is no way to do so from the "Modify
Query" screen.
U5.10
How do I input the pipe or or-bar character?
On DOS platforms, use the DOS editor to edit the .SQL or .ASC
file. Go to the spot where you want the delimiter. Press and
hold down the Alt key while using the *numeric key pad* to type
179 and then release the Alt key. *Do not* use the number keys
that are above the letter keys.
Training
U6.01
How is the training provided by Business Objects?
The only reports I am aware of currently are for the 1-day user
training. Based on two reports only, this training has not been
praised. Ours, for instance, had complaints of quick movement
thru slides despite students not having understood the material
and inexperienced teachers.
U6.02
How is the training provided by others?
Upcoming Versions
U7.01
What can we expect from BubOb v4.0 (codenamed Mercury)?
U7.02
What are new features that we BusOb users and managers wish
would be added to the tool?
MANAGER ISSUES
M1.01
What are some approaches to resolving loops in the joins?
Create a join from one table to the same table, specify complex
join, then type in "1=1". This places a harmless condition on a
table. Then, create a new context for which only that 1=1 join
is selected. The only joins, then, will be user-created joins
by means of conditions. We have found some situations where
experienced users needed a clean slate environment to
experiment with new joins.
M1.03
Why can't I add new objects?
M1.04
Are there any "gotchas" with using the Advanced Login Strategy
for managing security?
The Advanced Login Strategy allows the BusOb user to use their
RDBMS userid and password to login to BusOb. The BusOb userid
must match the RDBMS userid. The password, however, may be any
value, since the strategy ignores the BusOb password entirely.
All security restrictions are imposed by the RDBMS itself.
Advanced Login is activated by installing a replacement .BUR
for LIBRARY/DEFAULT.BUR, available from BusOb.
At least one site (U. Penn.) has successfully tested .BUR files
both for Windows 3.1 and Macintosh platforms.
M1.05
What do I do if I lose my manager password?
M1.06
How can I programmatically modify object names?
While the details of this task will vary based on your RDBMS,
modifying several features of a universe consists of UPDATE sql
commands sent to the RDBMS. First, Export the universe to be
sure the "freshest" version is reflected in the repository. The
repository tables are nicely normalized, so changing OBJ_NAME,
for instance, from the OBJECTS table changes the object in the
particular table while keeping integrity.
For example, SQL might appear as follows:
M1.07
How can I modify the MANAGERx universe to allow reporting on
aliases?
+ BO_ALIAS (table)
+ TABLES2 (alias for TABLES table)
+ TABLES.UNI_ID = BO_ALIAS.UNI_ID (+) AND TABLES.TAB_ID =
BO_ALIAS.ALI_ID (+)
+ BO_ALIAS.UNI_ID = TABLES2.UNI_ID (+) AND BO_ALIAS.TAB_ID =
TABLES2.TAB_ID (+)
M1.08
How can I find the metamodel for the repository files?
_________________________________________________________________