Creating Business Views

How to:

Reference:

By defining a Business View of a Master File, you are creating an alternative view of the Master File and can limit the fields available or create a subset of fields from the original Master File. Fields can be grouped into meaningful folders and field names, titles, and descriptions can be customized for each Business View. The Business View points to its underlying Master File, and all of the actual field and security information comes from the original Master File when the Business View is used in WebFOCUS tools (such as Joins and Defines) and in reports.

Fields in a Business View are organized into folders. Each folder contains a group of fields. The fields in a folder can come from different segments in the original Master File. The Business View may contain existing fields and can include existing custom fields for DEFINE, COMPUTE, and Filters. Custom fields are associated with a specific segment in the original Master File and are subject to the same rules as real fields. A report can reference fields from multiple folders if they all lie along a single path in the original Master File.

The Business View Master File is stored as if it were a real Master File. However, it has no SUFFIX attribute. As of release 7.7, Business Views can be saved within the real Master File or it can be saved as a new file by including fields from the real Master File or by referencing the real Master File. If a Business View is created and saved in the real Master File, the Business View becomes the active view when the file is used for reporting.

If you do not want to turn your real Master File into a Business View, it is recommended that you save the Business View using a different name or preferably start by creating a new Master File by selecting New then Synonym in the Synonym Editor option. Then, insert a reference to a segment from an existing synonym and continue to build the Business View.

Note: Impact Analysis searches Business Views in addition to FOCUS procedures. This enables you to see if changes in the original Master File will impact fields used in the Business View. For detailed information on Impact Analysis, see Analyzing Metadata and Procedures.

You may create a Business View for an existing Master File by using the Synonym Editor.


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Procedure: How to Create a Business View Using the Synonym Editor
  1. From the Projects or Data Servers area, navigate to the Master Files folder where you want to create the Business View.
  2. Right-click the Master Files folder and select New then Synonym in the Synonym Editor.
  3. Provide a unique name for the new file and press Open.
  4. While in the Segment and Field View tab of the Synonym Editor, right-click the file name in the upper-left corner and select Insert then Reference to segment from Existing Synonym.
  5. From the Select Synonym Window, select the synonym for which you want to create a Business View. For FOCUS multisegment files, you have the option to select the segment you want to reference.

    The referenced file is added to the new synonym and its fields are visible in the left frame.

  6. Select Business View from the Tools menu to open the Business View Properties dialog.

    Note: A Business View Master File may contain only one root folder.

    One root folder

    The Properties bar on the bottom of the Business View window shows information for the selected fields and folders.

    Tip: Use the Properties bar to change the title, descriptions or field names. Items that cannot be edited are grayed out.

  7. From the Business View window, right-click the file name and select Create Default folder or New Folder.

    Default folder duplicates the file and segments that were available in the real Master File and you can reorganize the view as necessary. New folder will create root folder to which you can add fields from the real Master File by dragging and dropping fields from the left pane. You can create additional folders to create the structure you want.

  8. To add additional folders for the Business View, right-click the Business View root folder that was created in the Business View window and select New Folder.

    Note: Multiple subfolders can be created and folders may be empty for organizational purposes.

  9. Select fields from the Master File listed on the right and drag them to the appropriate folder on the left. Hold down the Shift or Ctrl key while selecting multiple fields.

    Note: If needed, fields may be duplicated and placed under multiple folders.

    The selected fields appear in the Business View Properties dialog.

    Selected fields in Business View Properties dialog

  10. Select Save or Save As from the File menu to save the Business View as a Business View Master File.

    Note: The Business View Master File may be saved in a different application than the main files.


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Procedure: How to Alternatively Create a Business View Using the Synonym Editor

It is recommended that you create a Business View using the Synonym Editor as outlined in How to Create a Business View Using the Synonym Editor. However, the following is an alternative way to create a Business View using the Synonym Editor.

  1. From the Projects or Data Servers area, navigate to the Master Files folder where you wish to create the Business View and highlight the Master File to be altered.

    Note: You may create a Business View anywhere that you can select a Master File.

  2. Double-click the Master File or select Edit in Synonym Editor from the File menu.

    The Master File opens to the Segment and Field View tab in the Synonym Editor.

  3. Select Business View from the Tools menu.

    The Business View window opens.

    Note: A Business View Master File may contain only one root folder.

    A Business Mater File

    The Properties bar on the bottom of the Business View window shows information for the selected fields and folders.

    Tip: Use the Properties bar to change the title, descriptions or field names. Items that cannot be edited are grayed out.

  4. From the Business View window, right-click the file name and select Create Default folder or New Folder.

    Default folder duplicates the file and segments that were available in the real Master File and you can reorganize the view as necessary. New folder will create root folder to which you can add fields from the real Master File by dragging and dropping fields from the left pane. You can create additional folders to create the structure you want.

  5. To add additional folders for the Business View, right-click the Business View root folder that was created in the Business View window and select New Folder.

    Note: Multiple subfolders can be created and folders may be empty for organizational purposes.

  6. Select fields from the Master File listed on the right and drag them to the appropriate folder on the left. Hold down the Shift or Ctrl key while selecting multiple fields.

    Note: If needed, fields may be duplicated and placed under multiple folders.

    The selected fields appear in the Business View Tree tab.

    Business View Tree

  7. Select Save or Save As from the File menu to save the Business View as a Business View Master File.

    When you use the Save As option and you are working with for FOCUS files, you will need to specify a DATASET in the Master File that points to the data file.

    If you use the Save option, the Business View will be saved inside the real Master File and the Business View will be visible when the Master File is opened in Reporting tools.

    Note: The Business View Master File may be saved in a different application than the main files.

  8. Select Close from the File menu to return to the Synonym Editor.

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Reference: Usage Notes for Business Views

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Reference: Using a Business View Master File

When you use the Business View Master File with WebFOCUS tools and reports, the field formats, descriptions, and titles will be retrieved from the original Master File, unless they are customized and a title and description is available through the Business View.

You may access the Business View Master Files from all development areas of Developer Studio.

In the Projects, Data Servers, or Managed Reporting area:

The Table list shows all available Master Files, including the Business Views, that are available. The Remarks column shows a description from the original Master File unless the Business View file contains its own remarks.

The following image is an example of a Business View Master File in the WebFOCUS Table List, that appears when creating a report in the Data Servers area.

WebFOCUS Table List

This is also available in the Projects area, however, the table list does not show remarks in the Projects area.

In the Report Painter:

When using a Business View Master File in the Report Painter, only fields from the Business View are shown in the Fields list.

The following image is an example of a Business View Master File in the Report Painter.

Business View Master File

In the Managed Reporting Report Assistant:

When using a Business View Master File with the Report Assistant, only fields from the Business View are shown in the Fields list.

The following image is an example of a Business View Master File in the Managed Reporting Report Assistant.

Report Assistant


WebFOCUS