Turning a WebFOCUS Report Into a Gadget

How to:

You can turn any WebFOCUS report into a gadget. Once you do that, you can place the content of the report on a dashboard that you design.

You can also configure metric and dimensional parameters (preferences) in order to pass them from a PMF dashboard to a WebFOCUS report. You can then use those parameters in sorting, filtering, and other content display activities. When you turn a WebFOCUS report into a gadget, you must identify which parameters need to be passed from the dashboard to the report.

You must also make sure that the report can detect, receive, and process those parameters. For more information on how to modify a report to handle parameters, see Mapping Parameters to an Operational Report.

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Procedure: How to Turn a WebFOCUS Report Into a Gadget
  1. In the Manage tab in PMF, click the Dashboards panel button.
  2. Click New Gadget.

    The New Gadget Class Designer panel opens.

  3. In the Class Name field, type a name for your new gadget.

    Tip: You might want to use the default title of the WebFOCUS report.

  4. From the Content Type drop-down list, click WebFOCUS report.
  5. From the Content Display drop-down list, click the name of the WebFOCUS report (the FOCEXEC) that you want to turn into a gadget.
  6. From the Groupings and Filters drop-down lists, supply values for the parameters that you would like PMF to pass to the WebFOCUS report.
  7. Click Save to save the WebFOCUS report as a gadget.

Once you have created a gadget from a WebFOCUS report, you can drop the gadget onto any dashboard. From the dashboard, you can set default preferences for the new gadget for use in the selection and display of data.

The new gadget can also participate in Broadcast, as any other gadget can. For an example that shows how to create a gadget from a WebFOCUS report and work with it on a dashboard, see Turning a WebFOCUS Report Into a Gadget.

Example: Turning the WebFOCUS Outages Report Into a Gadget

This example uses a WebFOCUS report named process_orders_outages. The report requires one parameter, a value for the Location dimension.

The report is supplied with your product software.

This example has four parts.

Create the Gadget

  1. In the Manage tab in PMF, click the Dashboards panel button.
  2. Click New Gadget.

    The New Gadget Class Designer panel opens, as shown in the following image.

    New Gadget Class Designer form

  3. In the Class Name field, type Outages in Ordering Process.

    Outages in Ordering Process is the default title of the WebFOCUS report.

  4. From the Content Type drop-down list, click WebFOCUS report.
  5. From the Content Display drop-down list, click process_orders_outages. That is the name of the WebFOCUS report (the FOCEXEC) that you want to turn into a gadget.
  6. From the first Select a filter drop-down list under Filters, click User Specified Dimension. Keep the associated default value, Required, for this filter.
  7. Click Save to save the WebFOCUS report as a gadget.

Add the Gadget to a Dashboard and Set Preferences

In this procedure, you will add the new gadget to a dashboard and set preferences for it. To implement Broadcast using the new gadget, you will add a second gadget to the dashboard. The second gadget, Utility - Dimension Tree, enables you to select a data value for Location. The selected value is broadcast to the first gadget and reflected in the report.

  1. In the Manage tab in PMF, click New under the Dashboards panel button.

    The Dashboard Designer opens.

  2. Click the Properties chevron on the right.
  3. In the Dashboard Name field, type WebFOCUS Outages as the name of the new dashboard.
  4. In the Description field, type This sample dashboard displays the Outages in Ordering Process report, which participates in Broadcast.

    The following image shows the Properties chevron, with supplied values in the Dashboard Name and Description fields.

    Properties chevron for WebFOCUS report

  5. Click the Properties chevron to close it.
  6. Click the Catalog chevron to display a list of registered gadgets.
  7. Use the scroll bar directly to the right of the Catalog chevron to locate your new gadget, Outages in Ordering Process.

    In the following image, the Outages in Ordering Process gadget is the first one in the partial list that is displayed.

    Tip: In the Catalog, a default preview is used if you do not provide a preview of your own. The following image shows the default preview for the Outages in Ordering Process gadget. For instructions on providing your own preview, see the Performance Management Framework Developer Guide.

    New gadget in Catalog chevron

  8. Drag and drop the Outages in Ordering Process gadget onto the design canvas.
  9. Move the cursor inside the title bar of the gadget. Using the move The move symbol in Dashboard Designer symbol, position the gadget in the upper left corner of the dashboard.
  10. To save the work that you have done so far on the dashboard, click Save on the ribbon.
  11. Click anywhere inside the gadget to redisplay its title bar.
  12. To confirm the default preferences for the gadget, click the Preferences button on the title bar.
  13. Under Filters on the Preferences panel, confirm that Location is selected in the field on the left.
  14. Confirm that EAST is selected in the Dtl field.
  15. On the Preferences panel, click Save.
  16. On the Catalog chevron, use the scroll bar to locate the gadget named Utility - Dimension Tree, and drag and drop that gadget onto the design canvas.
  17. Using the move symbol in the title bar, position the gadget in the upper right corner of the dashboard. You can close the Catalog chevron.
  18. To save the work that you have done so far on the dashboard, click Save on the ribbon.

    Your dashboard will look similar to the one in the following image.

    Sample dashboard with WebFOCUS report and dimensions tree

  19. Click anywhere inside the Utility - Dimension Tree gadget to redisplay its title bar.
  20. To set the default references for the Utility - Dimension Tree gadget, click the Preferences button on the title bar.
  21. Under Filters on the Preferences panel, confirm that Location is selected in the field on the left.
  22. From the Dtl drop-down list on the right, click Select a Filter. With this setting, the Utility - Dimension Tree gadget will display all possible values from which the user can choose at run time.
  23. On the Preferences panel, click Save.

Configure the Gadget for Broadcast

  1. With your two gadgets positioned on the dashboard, click the Broadcast chevron.
  2. Since you want to broadcast the value of a dimension (Location), click Dimensions only from the Broadcast drop-down list.
  3. With the Broadcast chevron still open, click the Outages in Ordering Process gadget on the design canvas.

    The gadget is highlighted to indicate that it participates in Broadcast.

    Do not highlight the Utility - Dimension Tree gadget for Broadcast. That utility gadget is designed to work correctly with the report.

  4. Click Set on the Broadcast chevron to close the chevron and save the Broadcast properties.

    The following image shows the Broadcast chevron with the specified property, Dimensions only. On the design canvas, the Outages in Ordering Process gadget is highlighted.

    Sample dashboard with Broadcast chevron

  5. On the ribbon, click Save to save the dashboard.

Preview the Live Dashboard

  1. On the ribbon, click Live.
  2. In the Dimensions tree, expand the Location node, as shown in the following image.

    Expanding the Location node in the dimensions tree

  3. In the Dimensions tree, click the MIDWEST node to select it.

    The Outages in Order Processing report is automatically refreshed. PMF replaces the data values for the EAST (the default setting) with the data values for the MIDWEST (the Broadcast setting).

    In the following image, MIDWEST was selected in the Dimensions tree, and is reflected in the report.

    Broadcasting a value for location

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