IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio Cookbook, Second Edition

Table of Contents

IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio Cookbook Second Edition

Credits

About the Authors

About the Reviewers

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Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Report Authoring Basic Concepts

Introduction

Summary filters and detail filters

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The detail filter

The summary filter

There's more...

Before/after aggregation

See also

Sorting grouped values

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Aggregation and rollup aggregation

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The aggregation property

The rollup aggregation property

Multiple aggregation

There's more...

Implementing if-then-else in filters

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Formatting data – dates, numbers, and percentages

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Date format

Numerical format

The % margin

There's more...

Creating sections

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Hiding columns in crosstabs

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Prompts – display value versus use value

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

2. Advanced Report Authoring

Introduction

Adding cascaded prompts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Cascaded source

There's more...

Auto-Submit

See also

Creating a nested report – defining the master-detail relationship

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The master-detail relationship

There's more...

See also

Writing back to the database

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Adding conditional formatting

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The String variable

The Boolean variable

The report language variable

There's more...

The style variable property

The text source variable property

Formatting negative values

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Running Difference

Showing negative values in red and brackets

Playing with conditional styles

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Using conditional blocks – many reports in one

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Defining drill-through from crosstab intersection

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Overriding crosstab intersection drill-through definitions

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

3. Using JavaScript Files – Tips and Tricks

Introduction

Defining dynamic default values for prompts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Span

GetElementsByTagName

SelectedIndex

CanSubmitPrompt

There's more...

Changing the title of the value prompt

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Validating textbox prompts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Showing/hiding prompt controls at runtime

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Selecting and submitting values automatically

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Manipulating the Date Time control

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a variable width bar chart using JavaScript

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

4. The Report Page – Tips and Tricks

Introduction

Showing images dynamically (traffic light report)

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Handling the missing image issue

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Dynamic links to an external website (a Google Maps example)

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Alternating drill links

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Render Variable

There's more...

Showing tooltips on reports

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

Merged cells in Excel output

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Worksheet name in Excel output

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Conditional column titles

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

5. Working with XML

Introduction

Changing drill targets quickly

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Copying and pasting drill links

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Removing references to old packages or items

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

A hidden gem in XML – row level formatting

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

See also

6. Writing Printable Reports

Introduction

Controlling the container size and rows per page

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Eliminating orphan rows

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Defining page orientation and size (and overriding them for one page)

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Avoiding page title repetition

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Horizontal pagination

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Page numbering with horizontal pagination

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Choosing the output format from a prompt

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Choosing the right colors

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Defining page sets

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Cautions about HTML items and JavaScript files

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Displaying the report name in a footer

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

7. Working with Dimensional Models

Introduction

List report or crosstab report

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Filtering rows or columns

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Filtering a whole report

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Adding a prompt into Slicer and its limitations

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

More Info

Achieving zero suppression

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Aggregation versus preaggregated values

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

The roleValue() function

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Swapping dimensions using MUN manipulation

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

8. Working with Macros

Introduction

Adding data-level security using the CSVIdentityMap macro

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Using the Prompt macro in native SQL

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Making prompts optional

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Optional_defaultValue

Pure_Optional

There's more...

Adding a token using macros

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Using the prompt() and promptmany() macros in query subjects

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Showing the prompt values in a report based on security

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

String operations to get it right

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Showing a username in the footer

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

9. Using Report Studio Efficiently

Introduction

Using Report Studio's environmental options

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

View | Visual Aids

Structure | Create Crosstab Nodes

Tools | Options | View | Reuse IBM Cognos Viewer window

Tools | Options | Report

There's more...

Copying and pasting partial or full reports

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Upgrading report specifications

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Setting the execution timeout

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Setting the maximum row limit

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Handling slow report validation

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Capturing a query

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more…

Why make filters mandatory?

Query formatting

Capturing the query for the database

Browsing values from the data expression window

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Viewing the page structure

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Picking up and applying styles

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Using the grab them all practice

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

See also

Using Default Data Formats

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

10. Working with Active Reports

Introduction

Building tabbed reports

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Working with Decks

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Working with the Data Deck

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Filtering data using Data Check Box Group

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

11. Charts and New Chart Features

Introduction

Chart formatting options

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Chart Palette Presets

Background Effects Presets

There's more...

Converting a chart to another chart type

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Working with pie charts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The Summarize Small Slices property

The First Slice Angle property

The Exploded Slices property

Getting started with bullet charts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Getting started with scatter charts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

12. More Useful Recipes

Introduction

Timing report execution

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

The report view

Scheduling

There's more...

Missing values versus zero values

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Overriding data formatting using patterns

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Setting up conditional drill-throughs

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Dynamically switching between reports using an iFrame

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Freezing column titles

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

13. Best Practices

Introduction

Reducing the number of query items

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Alias member unique name

Delete unreferenced query objects

Dragging items from the Data Items pane

Highlighting hidden items

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Using relative paths for images

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Controlling JavaScript file execution

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Customizing classes for report-wide effect

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Creating templates

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Regression testing

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Commenting the code

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Naming data containers (lists, crosstabs, and charts) for use in Cognos Workspace

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Enabling a larger worksheet size for Excel 2007

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

A. Recommendations and References

Introduction

Version controlling

Recommendations for prompt types

Cognos Mashup Service

SDK and third-party tools for Cognos

IBM Cognos Analysis For Excel (CAFE)

IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office

IBM Cognos Workspace

IBM Cognos Workspace Advanced

IBM Cognos Cloud

Index

IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio Cookbook Second Edition

IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio Cookbook Second Edition

Copyright © 2013 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: May 2010

Second edition: August 2013

Production Reference: 1200813

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

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Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-84968-820-8

www.packtpub.com

Cover Image by Vivek Sinha (<vs@viveksinha.com>)

Credits

Authors

Ahmed Lashin

Abhishek Sanghani

Reviewers

Ramesh Parcha

João Patrão

Acquisition Editor

Joanne Fitzpatrick

Lead Technical Editor

Dayan Hyames

Technical Editors