63
Contents
About this Online Help............................................................................................................5
Chapter 1
Getting started........................................................................................................................7
Chapter 2
What is SAP BusinessObjects Explorer?..................................................................................7
2.1
What is an Information Space?.................................................................................................7
2.2
What is an Exploration view?....................................................................................................8
2.3
Starting at the Home tab..........................................................................................................9
2.4
Searching for data....................................................................................................................9
2.5
What is an analysis type?.......................................................................................................10
2.6
What is indexing?...................................................................................................................11
2.7
Can I export my exploration results?......................................................................................11
2.8
Setting up data sources for exploration................................................................................13
Chapter 3
Creating an Information Space...............................................................................................13
3.1
Supported measures and dimensions on universes................................................................16
3.1.1
Creating Information Spaces with Excel files..........................................................................17
3.1.2
Creating a calculated measure...............................................................................................18
3.1.3
Specifying measure polarity by color......................................................................................18
3.1.4
Using filters............................................................................................................................19
3.1.5
Using prompts.......................................................................................................................19
3.1.6
Using aggregated values........................................................................................................20
3.1.7
Setting up geographical location maps for analysis.................................................................21
3.1.8
Using universe object formatting............................................................................................23
3.1.9
Scheduling.............................................................................................................................24
3.1.10
Creating Exploration Views and View Sets.............................................................................27
3.2
Creating an Exploration View Set...........................................................................................28
3.2.1
Creating an Exploration View..................................................................................................28
3.2.2
Managing Information Spaces................................................................................................29
3.3
Editing an Information Space..................................................................................................29
3.3.1
Duplicating an Information Space...........................................................................................32
3.3.2
Personalizing an Information Space........................................................................................33
3.3.3
Deleting an Information Space...............................................................................................34
3.3.4
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Exploring data........................................................................................................................35
Chapter 4
Searching for information.......................................................................................................35
4.1
Search features......................................................................................................................35
4.1.1
Search results........................................................................................................................37
4.1.2
Exploring Information Spaces.................................................................................................38
4.2
Navigating through an Information Space...............................................................................39
4.2.1
Saving exploration results as a bookmark...............................................................................44
4.2.2
Exploring local Excel files........................................................................................................45
4.2.3
Data analysis features............................................................................................................45
4.3
Sorting facets........................................................................................................................45
4.3.1
Data highlighting....................................................................................................................46
4.3.2
Facet selection and filtering....................................................................................................47
4.3.3
Adding a second dimension for analysis in charts...................................................................47
4.3.4
Tooltips..................................................................................................................................49
4.3.5
Analyzing explored data..........................................................................................................49
4.4
The data table........................................................................................................................49
4.4.1
Analysis types........................................................................................................................50
4.4.2
The visualization legend..........................................................................................................53
4.4.3
Modifying the exploration layout.............................................................................................55
4.5
Modifying the layout of the exploration facets........................................................................55
4.5.1
Modifying the visualization layout...........................................................................................56
4.5.2
Exporting exploration results..................................................................................................56
4.6
Exporting exploration results to a data (.CSV) file..................................................................57
4.6.1
Exporting exploration results to an Excel file...........................................................................57
4.6.2
Exporting exploration results as an Web Intelligence query.....................................................58
4.6.3
Exporting exploration results as an image...............................................................................58
4.6.4
Accessibility..........................................................................................................................59
Chapter 5
Keyboard Access for Explorer................................................................................................59
5.1
More Information...................................................................................................................65
Appendix A
Index
67
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About this Online Help
ThisOnlineHelpisintendedforusebyanyoneinterestedinbuildingandexploringdatasets,based
oncorporatedataproviders,usingSAPBusinessObjectsExplorer.
TherearethreeuserprofilesforSAPBusinessObjectsExplorer:
• SpaceExplorer-userswhosearchacrossInformationSpaces,explorethedatatheycontainand
sometimesexportthatdatatootherapplications.
• SpaceCreator-userswhocreateInformationSpacesbasedonthedataavailablefromSAP
BusinessObjectsuniverses.
Note:
TheseusersrequireauthorizationtotheuniversesonwhichtheybuildInformationSpaces.
AuthorizationtouniversescanbesetupbyyourSAPBusinessObjectsEnterpriseadministrator.
• Administrator-ITspecialistswhosetupandmanagecorporatedeploymentsofSAPBusinessObjects
Explorer,includingassigningsecurityrightstoendusersandschedulingInformationSpacesfor
indexing,sotheycanbesearchedbytheExplorersearchengine.
Ifyourequireyourexistingprofiletobemodified,contactyourITadministrator.
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3
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30
Getting started
2.1 What is SAP BusinessObjects Explorer?
SAPBusinessObjectsExplorerisadatadiscoveryapplicationthatallowsyoutoretrieveanswersto
yourbusinessquestionsfromcorporatedataquicklyanddirectly.Throughthemeansofsearch,you
canfindrelevantdatathatisheldwithinconsistent,meaningfuldatasetsknownasInformationSpaces.
Tofindyouranswers,youcanfilteranddrillthroughInformationSpacesandviewonlythedatayou
areinterestedinviaadvancedvisualizationsorcharts.Youarethenabletoperformvisualanalysisto
attaintheinformationyouarelookingforquicklyinthemostappropriateformat.
UsingSAPBusinessObjectsExplorerinBILaunchpad,youcanlaunchtheExplorerasapplicationor
youcanopenandexploreanInformationSpacedirectlyfromtheBIlaunchpaddocumentlistonthe
Documentstab.
IfyoulaunchExplorerasapplication,youcanmanageandexploreInformationSpaces.Youcandefine
andcreatenewInformationSpacesandyoucanchangeexistingInformationSpaces.Youcanalso
scheduletheindexingforInformationSpacesandopenexistingInformationSpacesforexploration.
IfyouopenanInformationSpacefromthedocumentlist,youcanexploretheInformationSpace.
2.2 What is an Information Space?
Aninformationspaceisacollectionofobjectsthatmaptocorporatedataforaspecificbusinessoperation
oractivity,forexampleproductsales,employeeperformance,productinventory,deliverytracking,or
playerstatisticsforasportingevent.
SAPBusinessObjectsExploreruserstypeinkeywordsrelatedtoabusinessquestiontoanalyze,to
retrievetheinformationspacesthatcontaintherelevantdata.
Thedataininformationspacesisorganizedindatasetscalledfacets.Afacetisalistofvaluesavailable
foranobjectintheinformationspace.Forexample,afacetcalled"Vehicle"couldincludevaluessuch
as"Car","Bicycle","Motorbike","Truck",andothertypesofvehicles.Facetscontainthedatathatyou
areinterestedinexploringtofindvarianceandtrends.
InformationspacesarecreatedintheManagingSpacespartofExplorerbypowerusersontopof
corporatedataprovidersforexampleSAPHana,universes,BWA,andExcelspreadsheets.
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2.3 What is an Exploration view?
Anexplorationviewisasavedexplorationonaninformationspace.Explorationviewsareorganized
thematicallywithinfolderscalledexplorationviewsets.Anexplorationviewcanbeusedtoshowa
detailedanalysisonatargetedareaofthedata,forexample,anexplorationviewsetcalledRugby
WorldCup2011couldcontainexplorationviewsdealingwithspecificaspectsofthetournementsuch
asoffensivestatistics,defensivestatistics,orplayerrankingspergame.Youaccessanexploration
viewfromitsexplorationviewsetwhichislistedintheExplorerHometab.
Anexplorationviewsetcanincludeexplorationviewsfromdifferentinformationspaces,soausercan
nowhavequickaccesstopre-filteredinformationforacommoninformationthemeoverdifferentdata
sources.
Explorationviewsandviewsetsaredescribedasfollows:
Is...
This...
Asavedexplorationonaninformationspacethatcanbeusedtoexposeandexplore
aspecificpartofthedataontheinformationspace.Anexplorationviewcanonly
haveoneinformationspaceasitsdatasource.Withinanexplorationviewyoucan
editcharts,tables,andfiltersexposedbytheexplorationviewset.Theexploration
viewusuallyrepresentsaverytargetedpartoftheinformationspacethatisrelated
toaspecificbusinessquestionorinformationtheme.
Exploration
view
Acontainerforoneormoreexplorationviewsbasedoneitherthesame,ordifferent,
informationspaces.Itisthestartingpointtocreateoraddmorespecificexplorations
usingexplorationviews.Beforeyoucreateanexplorationview,youmustfirstcreate
anexplorationviewsetasaviewcontainer.Explorationviewsetsareaccessedfrom
theExplorerHometab.
Exploration
viewset
Anyvisualelementthatisusedontheinformationview,forexample,graphs,tables,
andcharts.
Viewele-
ment
Note:
InthisguideandincertainpartsoftheExploreruserinterface,thefollowingabbreviationscanbeused
forexplorationviewsandassociatedcomponents:
Abbreviated name
Full name
Viewset
Explorationview
set
View
Explorationview
Element
Viewelement
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Related Topics
•CreatingExplorationViewsandViewSets
2.4 Starting at the Home tab
TheHometabappearseachtimeyoulogintoExplorer.TheHometabisthestartingpointforperforming
keywordsearches,andexploringinformationspacesandexplorationviewsets.
TheHometabcontainsthefollowingcomponents:
Description
Home tab components
Thesearchbox,locatedatthetopofthetabistheentrypointtosearching.
Startasearchbyenteringasearchphraseintheboxandclickingthe
Searchbutton.Onceasearchhasbeencarriedoutyouaretakentothe
Searchresultstab.
Searchbox
CentralsectionofthetabthatdisplaysthelistofavailableInformation
spacesandExplorationviewsets.Clickaninformationspaceorexploration
viewsetnametolaunchtheExplorationtabandbeginexploring.
Note:
Youcanonlyseetheinformationspacesandviewsetsthatyouhavethe
rightstoaccess.Iftheinformationspaceorviewsetisstoredwithina
certainfolderwithrestrictedaccess,youmaynotbeabletoaccessit.
Informationspaceand
Explorationviewset
pane
Whenclicked,thePropertiespaneappearstotheleftoftheHometab.
ThePropertiespanelistsgeneralinformationforaselectedinformation
spaceorviewset.Dependingonwhatisselectedyouhavethefollowing
propertiesshown:
• InformationSpace:Measures,facets,andviewsetsdefinedforthe
informationspace.
• Explorationviewset:Explorationviewsdefinedintheviewset.
Showpropertiesbutton
andPropertiespane
YoubrowsetoalocalExcelfileforexploration.
Uploadaspreadsheetto
explorepane
2.5 Searching for data
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YousearchfordatabyenteringkeywordsintheSearchbox.Akeyword,orasetofkeywords,isused
inaSearchtoretrieveinformationspacesthathaverelatedcontent.
ThekeywordsyouhaveusedtoperformasearchwithintheHometabortheSearchresultstabare
usedforexplorationwiththeExploretab.Forexample,ifyousearchforProductSalesFrance2006,
withintheInformationSpace,theSalesmeasurebecomestheselectedmeasure.TheProduct,Country,
andYearfacetsarepromotedtobethemostrelevantfacetsforexploration.Additionally,youseeactual
matchingvalueshighlighted.
WithintheExploretab,thereisasearchboxthatallowsyoutoperformanothersearch,butuponthe
InformationSpaceitself.Whenyouuseakeywordorsearchphraseinthissearchboxyouaffect:
• thefacets,theyreorderaccordingtotherelevancyofyourkeywordsandthemeasuresused
• thefacetvalues,valuesarehighlighted
• thefacetname,ifamatchisfoundthenameoffacetishighlighted
• thebreakdownpane,thebreakdownvaluelistsarerearrangedaccordingtorelevance
Nowyouhaveaquickanddirectmethodofaccessingtheinformationyouarelookingfor.Forexample,
ifyouusethephrase"Salesrevenue2006"withintheSearchboxyoucandirectlyselectthevalues
youneedfromthehighlightedfacets.Thechartupdatestoyourselectionandyoucananalyzethe
valuesrapidly.
2.6 What is an analysis type?
Ananalysistypeisapredefinedmethodforanalyzingdata.Analysistypesareshownintheanalysis
bartotheleftofthevisualizationpane.Eachanalysistypeoffersvariouschartsandgraphstoview
andanalyzeyourdata.
Thefollowinganalysistypesareavailable:
Example of use
Analysis type
Comparingthesalesrevenuebetweentwocountries.
Comparison
Determinewhohadthehighestsalesaspartofatotalsalesvalue.
Percentage
Viewtherelationshipbetweenthecostandsalesrevenueofaproductoverthe
lastthreeyears.
Correlation
Analyzeatrendinsalesrevenuegrowthoverfourquartersinayear.
Trend
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