In the Dimension Loader and Measure Loader, the Sample Data button enables you to view data from any of your source tables. Viewing source table data is useful for determining which fields to use when designing data loads for your measures and dimensions.

To view sample data, select the desired source table data from the Source Table drop-down menu, then click the Sample Data button.

Sample Data is displayed in a new browser window, as shown in the following image.

Tip: To avoid connection errors when designing a load, you can use the Sample Data button to test the selected data source to make sure it has been set up correctly.

Note: If your procedures and metadata are not located in the Mainstreet application, make sure you have added the WebFOCUS application containing them to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server APP PATH setting before you attempt a load operation. You can do this using the Web Console.

The following procedure outlines the steps required when designing a simple dimension load. For information about designing a complex dimension load when customizing the Time dimension, see Designing a Custom Time Dimension Load.

1. In the Manage tab, click the Dimensions panel button.
2. Click a dimension, for example, Organization.

   The Edit Dimension panel opens, as shown in the following image.

   

   Note: The Dimension Loader automatically loads and displays the levels defined for the metadata and checks the dimension to make sure it is correctly set up. If anything is wrong, the Load status list displays the error.

3. From the first drop-down menu, select one of the following options:
   • Harvested from Data. Choose this option to immediately start creating a structure from a preexisting data source.
   • Collected from Users. Choose this option if you want to create a structure yourself.
4. From the second drop-down menu, select a source table or Master File for the dimension.
5. In the Level Name field, type a dimension level name for each dimension you add.

   Note: To change the order of the dimension levels, place the mouse over the dimension you wish to move and use the icon to drag the dimension up or down.

6. From the drop-down menu, select Top, Field, or Define.

   Note: This field is only available if you have selected the Harvested from Data option from the first drop-down menu.

7. Do one of the following:
   • If you selected Top from the drop-down menu, in the Field box, type the name you want to display as the top-level dimension value (for example, Company-wide or All). You will most likely want to add a new level above all existing levels before using the Top option.
   • If you selected Define from the drop-down menu, type the code in the Field box. Code can span multiple lines, and this field can only display one line of code at a time.

     To view, and optionally edit, multiple lines of code displayed at the top of the Dimension Loader, click the Edit button. Click the OK button to save any changes, otherwise click the Cancel button.

   • If you selected Field from the drop-down menu, select a field from the Field drop-down menu.

   Note: Whenever you make any changes in the Dimension Loader, the changes will not be effective until you save the changes and load the dimension and any associated measures.

When you design a dimension load, the following options are available in the Dimension Loader.

1. In the Manage tab, click the Dimensions panel button.
2. Select the desired dimension.

   The Edit Dimension panel opens.

3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. Select the Dimensional Tolerances check box to activate dimensional measure tolerances for this dimension.
5. Click Save.
6. Click the Measures panel button (in either the Manage or Author tab).
7. Select the desired measure to set tolerances at different dimension levels.
8. Click the Tolerances button to open the Dimensional Tolerances panel.
9. Configure tolerances for each desired dimension level.
10. Click Save.

This functionality is only available for new dimensions created in PMF Release 5.

1. In the Manage tab, click the Dimensions panel button.
2. Select the desired dimension.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. Select the Dimensional Weighting check box to activate dimensional measure-to-objective weighting for this dimension.
5. Click Save.
6. In the Author tab, click the Objectives panel button.
7. Select the desired objective to set weights at different dimension levels.
8. Click the Adjust Measure Weights button to open the Measure Weights panel.
9. Configure weights for each desired dimension level.

   Use the sliders or type in weighting values. Weights must total exactly 100%.

10. Click Save.

1. In the Dimension Loader, click the Schedule button.

   For the dimension you selected, for example, Location, the New Schedule panel opens, as shown in the following image.

   

   Note: The New Schedule panel generates Interval, Start Date, and Start Time values based on the values you specified for the load. The schedule is active by default. You can edit these values as needed.

2. Optionally, enter a new Job Description and specify new Interval, Start Date, and Start Time values. You may be prompted for additional information, depending on the interval you select.
3. Click Save to save the new schedule.

For information on editing a saved schedule, see General Tab - Schedules.

1. On the Manage tab, click the Dimensions panel button, then click the Time Dimension. PMF displays the Edit Dimension panel for Time. The example below shows the typical configuration for Time (using Time AutoGen):

   

2. In the Month Display drop-down menu, select an option from the table list below:

   Option	Description
   Number (default)	Displays the month as (most typically) a two-digit number.
   Abbreviation After Year	Displays the month as a name, using the standard three-character abbreviation for the month (for example, Jan, Feb, Mar, and so on). Position the month name after the Year (for example, 2009/Jan, 2009/Feb, 2009/Mar, and so on). Note: If you are using PMF configured for another language other than English, the length of the Abbreviation could vary, or be the same as the full length.
   Abbreviation Before Year	Displays the month as a name, using the standard three-character abbreviation for the month (for example, Jan, Feb, Mar, and so on). Position the month name before the Year (for example, Jan/2009, Feb/2009, Mar/2009, and so on). Note: If you are using PMF configured for another language other than English, the length of the Abbreviation could vary, or be the same as the full length.
   Full Name After Year	Displays the month as a name using the long version of the name of the month (for example, January, February, March, and so on). Position the month name after the Year (for example, 2009/January, 2009/February, 2009/March, and so on). Note: If you are using PMF configured for another language, the length of the Full Name could vary, or be the same as the Abbreviation.
   Full Name Before Year	Displays the month as a name using the long version of the name of the month (for example, January, February, March, and so on). Position the month name before the Year (for example, January/2009, February/2009, March/2009, and so on). Note: If you are using PMF configured for another language, the length of the Full Name could vary, or be the same as the Abbreviation.

   Note: The position you select does not affect how the dates sort in any PMF Views or Gadgets.

3. If you are using an alternate Time Dimension layout (for example, Years/Months/Weeks, Years/Quarters/Months/Weeks), you will see another option called Month Level. For this option, tell PMF the level in the Time Dimension that represents Months, so that PMF can determine where the name or number is to be displayed.
4. Click Save, then click Load to reload your Time Dimension and populate it with display month values as you indicated in the Time Dimension configuration. Once you do this, you will see the Month Name option displayed on all PMF Views and Gadgets.

After you have configured Month Name display, Month Names display in your PMF Views and Gadgets the way you have configured them, as shown in the following examples. The following examples use the data from the PMF manufacturing demo data mart.

Rolling 5 Periods. The following is an image which displays View drilled to Month level, with the current date set to Feb 2006.

Measure Details. The following is an image which displays the Month Names of the Measure Details drill for 2005/Q1.

PMF can create a custom Time dimension from an external data source, provided that the external data source is accessible to the PMF environment and is properly configured. The WebFOCUS adapter must be set up to access the external data source before mapping the dimension.

The external data source can contain regular or irregular time data. PMF determines regularity or irregularity by inspecting the data. If the time data is regular, PMF computes the prior time periods automatically. PMF defines a prior time period as a time period with identical second and third-level values when the year (first level) is one year earlier. If the time data is irregular, you must add prior time period information to the time source. For example, if you have a custom calendar with 53 weeks, PMF cannot determine how to map a 53 week year onto the prior 52 week year, and you must define the prior time period information in the source data. If PMF determines that data is irregular and prior date information is missing, the system issues an error message.

All fields and data values must be the same length, in alpha format. For example, if the source data has single digit low values and double digit high values, the single digit values must have leading zeros to make the values equal in length.

The external data source must be a standard WebFOCUS Master File located in the WebFOCUS application path (APP PATH). The following fields must be defined in the WebFOCUS Master File for both regular and irregular Time dimensions.

For standard Time dimension data in the Y/Q/M (Year/Quarter/Month) format, PMF displays quarterly data in the format yyyyQq, where yyyy is the four digit year, and q is the actual quarter number, for example, 2006Q1. PMF displays monthly data in the format yyyy/mm, where yyyy is the four digit year, and mm is the actual month number, for example, 2006/01. Note that the letter Q in the quarterly data example, and the forward slash in the monthly data example, were assigned using the Abbr. column in the Dimension Loader for the Time dimension.

For non-standard Time dimension data, you can choose alternate abbreviations of up to 5 characters for each level, or you can leave them blank. For standard Y/Q/M time, when you are displaying information at the monthly level, there is no need to display the value of the quarter. Months 01-03 are quarter 1, months 04-06 are quarter 2, and so on. However, in other situations, the value of the second level might not be obvious. For example, if you are using 13 fiscal periods and 52 weeks in the year, it may not be obvious that week 45 is in fiscal period 12. In these situations, you have the option to always display the second level when viewing at the third-level, by selecting the check box in the Req. column for time level 2 in the Dimension Loader for the Time dimension.

If PMF determines that time level 3 has repetitive information and the combination of time level 1 and time level 3 is not unique, then time level 2 is automatically required for all views. In these situations, the Req. check box is activated by default and is not displayed in the Dimension Loader for the Time dimension.

After you create a custom calendar, the Dimensions tab of the Measure Loader displays the custom time levels you entered when you specified a custom time source. In most situations, the Measure Loader determines the time values from a custom time source, and PMF automatically calculates the measure date from the Time dimension. In the Field maps tab of the Measure Loader, the Date Mapping drop-down menu displays the correct selection automatically.