BI Widgets User Guide
BI Widgets User Guide
Copyright
© 2008 Business Objects. All rights reserved. Business Objects owns the following
U.S. patents, which may cover products that are offered and licensed by Business
Objects: 5,555,403; 5,857,205; 6,289,352; 6,247,008; 6,490,593; 6,578,027;
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companies. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
Third-party
Contributors
Business Objects products in this release may contain redistributions of software
licensed from third-party contributors. Some of these individual components may
also be available under alternative licenses. A partial listing of third-party
contributors that have requested or permitted acknowledgments, as well as required
notices, can be found at: http://www.businessobjects.com/thirdparty
2008-03-28
Contents
Introduction 5Chapter 1
BI Widgets benefits......................................................................................6
Getting to Know BI Widgets 7Chapter 2
How BI Widgets works.................................................................................8
BI Widgets Features....................................................................................8
Installing BI Widgets 11Chapter 3
Prerequisites..............................................................................................12
Running a silent installation ......................................................................12
Connecting to a repository.........................................................................13
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content 19Chapter 4
Login to BI Widgets....................................................................................20
Locating content BI Content on one or more XI R3 servers......................21
Using BI Widgets with Xcelsius documents...............................................24
Selecting and Opening a Web Intelligence Report....................................25
Connecting to additional repositories...................................................14
Searching for content...........................................................................21
Using BI Widgets Explorer to view content..........................................23
Importing an Xcelsius document as a widget.......................................24
Opening Xcelsius Documents and Widgets from the Repository.........25
Viewing a Web Intelligence Document.................................................25
Creating a Report Part Widget from a Report......................................26
Navigating through Document Links....................................................26
BI Widgets User Guide 3
Contents
Opening a Crystal Report, Dashboard, or Analytic....................................27
Opening PDF, Excel, Word, and Power Point files....................................27
Working with widgets 29Chapter 5
Managing widget history............................................................................32
Set Focus...................................................................................................33
Sharing widgets.........................................................................................33
Exporting widgets to Vista Sidebar ...........................................................34
Managing Views........................................................................................34
Creating and Viewing RSS Feeds using the RSS Inbox 37Chapter 6
FAQ 39Chapter 7
How do I know if I am connected to a repository?.....................................40
What kinds of file types can I convert to widgets?.....................................40
BI Widgets Content Authoring Guidelines 41Chapter 8
Choosing and Designing Content..............................................................42
Authoring Recommendations for Xcelsius Content...................................42
Connecting the Visualization to BOE Universe Data with QaaWS......43
Launching a report from a CX Dashboard...........................................44
Get More Help 45Appendix A
Index 49
4 BI Widgets User Guide
Introduction
1
Introduction
1
BI Widgets benefits
BI Widgets delivers on the vision of personalized, ambient Business
Intelligence by allowing you access to lightweight, secure, and personalized
desktop widgets at all times.
BI Widgets allow you to customize and re-mix BI content into your own
personalized desktop BI view. You can easily access BI content, create
personal dashboards on your desktop, and integrate BI content into other
Windows applications, simply by using drag and drop operations.
BI Widgets benefits
BI Widgets is an application that delivers information to your desktop via
widgets. The widget framework provides the following functionality:
• Search, Organize, and View commonly used metrics in a single secure
view.
• Quickly create desktop widgets from Webi report parts and Xcelsius files.
• Access data internally (Intranet) or externally (Extranet), and aggregate
that information into a single personalized view.
• Subscribe to and receive RSS feeds.
• Create custom organization of BI content.
Using BI Widgets, you can display dyamically updated BI report information
in a small space and with less effort than accessing BI information through
your browser.
6 BI Widgets User Guide
Getting to Know BI Widgets
2
Getting to Know BI Widgets
2
How BI Widgets works
BI Widgets provides access to your Business Intelligence content as desktop
widgets. The BI Widgets framework integrates XI R3 enterprise search and
repository exploration with native windows viewers for Web Intelligence and
Xcelsius documents.
BI Widgets makes it easy to find your BI content and quickly create widgets
to display your data.
How BI Widgets works
BI Widgets connects content on Business Objects XI R3 and displays it as
dynamically updating data using desktop widgets.Using widgets, you can
have BI content easily available, while using only a small portion of your
desktop screen.
BI Widgets easily navigates to reports, which can easily be converted to
widgets using drag and drop operations.
These widgets display your report content in a small desktop display. As the
information in your source files changes, BI Widgets automatically updates
the widget on your desktop, providing you with up-to-the-minute data at your
fingertips.
BI Widgets Features
BI Widgets includes the following features:
• Instant information access through desktop widgets from Xcelsius files
and Webi Report Parts
• Drag & drop of Web Intelligence Report Parts into desktop applications
• A Microsoft Vista look and feel including window transparency and
shadowing
• Automated single sign on across multiple XI R2 repositories
• Easy search for content across multiple BI repositories, with aggregate
information from multiple repositories displayed a single personalized
view
• RSS Inbox with popup notification
• Supports Windows Vista Sidebar gadgets
8 BI Widgets User Guide
Getting to Know BI Widgets
BI Widgets Features
• Saving widgets to share and distribute
• Managing user rights and permissions in the Business Objects Enterprise
Configuration Management Console
2
BI Widgets User Guide 9
Getting to Know BI Widgets
BI Widgets Features
2
10 BI Widgets User Guide
Installing BI Widgets
3
Installing BI Widgets
3
Prerequisites
This section outlines the steps needed to install and activate your copy of
BI Widgets.
Prerequisites
You must have the following software to use BI Widgets:
• Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows 2003, or Windows Vista
• Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later
• Flash Player 9 or later
To access BI Content, you must be connected to a Business Objects XI R3
repository. See your network administrator or refer to the Business Objects
XI R3 Administrator Guide if you need more information.
Running a silent installation
For a silent installation, system administrators run a script from the command
line to automatically install BI Widgets components on any machine in their
system, without the installation program prompting them for information. The
silent installation is not available from the BI Widgets Setup program and is
intended only for experienced system administrators.
A silent installation is particularly useful when system administrators need
to perform multiple installations and do not want to interrupt people who are
working on machines in their system. System administrators can also use
the silent installation command in their own installation scripts. For example,
if an organization uses scripts to install software on machines, system
administrators can add the silent installation command to their scripts.
A silent installation of BI Widgets consists of the command setup.exe, followed
by several parameters that provide information about the installation.
The example below installs the English version of BI Widgets to the Business
Objects directory with Enterprise authentication set as default:
Setup.exe /qn CLIENTLANGUAGE=en
INSTALLDIR="c:\business objects" CMSAUTHENTICATION="SAP"
WEBURL="http://machinename:8080 /dswsbobje/services/session"
12 BI Widgets User Guide
Installing BI Widgets
Connecting to a repository
BOESERVERNAME = "BusinessObjects Enterprise server name"
The following table describes the most common parameters:
DescriptionInstallation pa-
rameter
Performs the installation silently, without prompting the user./qn
3
INSTALL DIR =
filepath
BOESERVERNAME
WEBURL
CMS AUTHENTICATION
Specifies the machine and target directory where you want
to install Live Office. Replace <filepath> with the full path
for the installation directory.
Specifies the name of the BOE server accessed by Live
Office.
Specifies the URL of the web service. This is an optional
parameter.
Specifies the authentication type. The following options are
available:
• Enterprise
• SAP
• LDAP
• WindowAD
This is an optional parameter and Enterprise is the default
setting.
Connecting to a repository
To use your BI report content with BI Widgets, you must connect to a
repository.
After BI Widgets is installed, the Credentials dialog appears:
BI Widgets User Guide 13
Installing BI Widgets
3
Connecting to a repository
1. Type the server name in the Host Name field.
The Host URL is generated automatically by BI Widgets as you type the
Host Name.
2. Type your User name and Password in the appropriate fields.
3. Check Sign me in automatically to automatically connect to the server
when you open BI Widgets.
4. Click OK.
Connecting to additional repositories
BI Widgets can connect to more than one repository, which enables you to
access all of your BI content. To configure multiple connections:
1.
Right-click the BI Widget icon and select Server and Login Preferences.
2. The Server and Login Preferences screen appears.
14 BI Widgets User Guide
Installing BI Widgets
Connecting to a repository
3. The Server and Login Preferences screen displays the server list and
connection state of each.
The dialog offers the following options:
• Add a new connection
• Remove a connection
• Connect/Disconnect
• Edit connections
3
Adding a connection
To add a new connection, select New from the menu. Follow the steps
outlined in Connecting to a repository on page 13 to enter the information
for the new repository.
BI Widgets User Guide 15
Installing BI Widgets
3
Connecting to a repository
The new repository will be displayed in the Server and Login Preferences
dialog.
To remove a connection
To remove a connection, highlight the server name in the list and select
Remove, or right-click the server name and select Remove from the context
menu. The Remove Host dialog appears.
Select Yes to continue, or No to cancel.
To connect/disconnect a server
• To connect to a server, highlight the server name and select Connect,
or right-click the server name and select Connect from the context menu.
• To disconnect a server, highlight the server name and select Disconnect,
or right-click the server name and select Disconnect from the context
menu.
To edit a connection
To edit a connection, highlight the server name and select Edit, or right-click
the server name and select Edit from the context menu.
Edit the configuration as needed.
16 BI Widgets User Guide
Note: You cannot change the name of a connection.
Installing BI Widgets
Connecting to a repository
3
BI Widgets User Guide 17
Installing BI Widgets
Connecting to a repository
3
18 BI Widgets User Guide
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
4
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
4
Login to BI Widgets
In order to use or create widgets with BI Content, you must connect to one
or more servers that contain BI Content.
Login to BI Widgets
To take advantage of the full functionality of BI Widgets, it must be connected
to a Business Objects XI R3 server.
To login to a server, right click the BI Widget icon and select Login. The
Credentials dialog appears.
If you have not already done so, configure a server using the steps provided
in Connecting to a repository on page 13 .
If a repository has already been configured, you will only need to enter your
XI R3 User name and Password
Check Sign me automatically to automatically log in to the repository when
BI Widgets is opened.
If the host has been defined via a configuration file, the authentication dialog
will only require the User name and Password.
20 BI Widgets User Guide
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
Locating content BI Content on one or more XI R3 servers
Locating content BI Content on one or
more XI R3 servers
BI Widgets has built-in searching and exploring functions that help you quickly
find your BI reports.
Searching for content
You can use BI Widgets to search BI content across all connected XI R3
repositories. Searches are saved, so you can refine search criteria and
compare search results.
To perform a search:
1.
Right-click the BI Widgets icon in the taskbar and select Content
Search.
The Search window appears.
4
Tip: To narrow your search to a specific server, select the server name
from the drop-down menu in the Search window.
2. Type your search term and click the Search icon.
The Search Results dialog appears, displaying the search results.
Managing search results
The Search Results window displays the search results, along with a tree
view that displays results history and search categories that you can use to
filter the current search results.
BI Widgets User Guide 21
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
4
Locating content BI Content on one or more XI R3 servers
Search results are initially sorted according to their Score. Score represents
how well the content matches the search criteria. You can sort the search
results list according to any of the following:
• Title
• Score
• Path
• Date Modified
Click on a column heading to sort by that column.
You can use the categories in the Explorer view to refine your search results.
Within a search topic, select criteria to filter the results by. BI Widgets will
update the results to display only items that match your filter.
22 BI Widgets User Guide
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
Locating content BI Content on one or more XI R3 servers
If the item is a Web Intelligence or Xcelsius document, you can create desktop
widgets by dragging and dropping the item from the search window to the
desktop.
Search history
Each time you search, BI Widgets saves the results. You can view all of your
search results in the Explorer pane of the Search Results window.
4
If your search results cannot be displayed on a single Explorer page, use
the Previous Page and Next Page menu options to view the additional
pages.
If you no longer need to refer to a saved search, select Delete Search Result
to remove it from the Explorer pane. Select Delete History to remove all
search results.
Using BI Widgets Explorer to view content
You can use the BI Widgets Explorer to view content on XI R3 servers and
turn that content into desktop widgets.
From the BI Widgets main menu, select Document List Explorer to browse
available XI R3 server content.
The BI Widgets Explorer securely navigates multiple servers’ folders and
categories. There are several menu options you can use to customize the
Explorer display:
• Show Categories
BI Widgets User Guide 23
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
4
Using BI Widgets with Xcelsius documents
Select this to display results grouped by category.
• Show Folders
Select this to display results in folder view.
• Refresh
Select this to refresh the results in the Explorer window.
• Views
Select one of the following to set the display mode:
• Icons
• List
• Details
In the list pane, double click on an item to open it. If the item is a Web
Intelligence document, it will open in a new window. If the item is an Xcelsius
widget it will open inside the Explorer viewing pane.
Drag and drop items onto the desktop from any of these view modes to
convert the item into a widget.
Using BI Widgets with Xcelsius
documents
This chapter describes several ways to access Xcelsius documents to deploy
them as widgets.
Importing an Xcelsius document as a widget
You can easily import Xcelsius files from email, websites, or other sources
as widgets.
To import an Xcelsius file as a widget:
1. Right-click the BI Widgets menu and select Open Widget from disk.
2. Use the file browser to navigate to the file.
3. Double-click to open the file. It will display on your desktop as a widget.
24 BI Widgets User Guide
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
Selecting and Opening a Web Intelligence Report
Opening Xcelsius Documents and Widgets from the Repository
You can open Xcelsius files from either the Explorer or Search Result
windows.
From the Explorer window, double click on an Xcelsius file to open it in the
viewer pane. Drag and drop a file directly from the list view pane onto the
desktop to convert it into a widget without opening the file in view pane.
From the Search result window, double-click on an Xcelsius file to directly
convert it into a desktop widget.
Selecting and Opening a Web
Intelligence Report
This chapter describes how to access a Web Intelligence document in BI
Widgets and how to create and use Report Part Widgets.
4
Viewing a Web Intelligence Document
The Web Intelligence window includes a toolbar at the top of the window that
allows you to:
• Change the zoom level
• Search for a specific text string
• Change report page
• View/Hide the report map
• View the report in page or listing mode
• Refresh the report your assigned XI R2 security rights.
The navigation pane displays the list of reports available in the document.
The currently selected report will be highlighted. The navigation map allows
the user to navigate reports and report sections. The view pane is
automatically synchronized with the selected item in the navigation list.
BI Widgets User Guide 25
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
4
Selecting and Opening a Web Intelligence Report
Creating a Report Part Widget from a Report
To convert Report Part into a Widget , drag and drop the Report Part from
the Web Intelligence Viewer onto the desktop. As a widget, the Report Part
will include the following BI Widgets features:
• Automatic refresh
• User controlled size and positioning
• Saved display and data context state
• Optional setting as the top application window
• Full XI R3 security
• Web Intelligence opendoc links to detailed reports.
Note: Report Parts can only be created via drag and drop from Web
Intelligence documents.
Creating an Outlook Object from a Report Part
To make an Outlook object from a report part, drag and drop the desired
report part from the BI Widgets Web Intelligence Viewer into an Outlook
email editing window.
Note: Outlook must be configured to use Microsoft Word as the text editor,
and must be HTML-enabled.
Navigating through Document Links
OpenDocument links allow you to easily navigate BI content, depending on
how the BI content is designed.
26 BI Widgets User Guide
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
Opening a Crystal Report, Dashboard, or Analytic
Opening a Crystal Report, Dashboard, or
Analytic
Although you cannot create widgets from Crystal Reports, Dashboards, or
Analytics, you can use BI Widgets Explorer to find and open these objects
on your local system or the XI R3 repository. See Using BI Widgets Explorer
to view content on page 23 for more information on using the Explorer.
When you have located your Crystal Report, Dashboard, or Analytic,
double-click on the report name in the Explorer. The report will open in your
internet browser window.
Opening PDF, Excel, Word, and Power Point files
You can open PDF, XLS, DOC, and PPT files from BI Widget. The files will
be opened with their associated applications (e.g. Word documents will open
in the Microsoft Word application).
4
BI Widgets User Guide 27
Using BI Widgets to Access BI Content
Opening PDF, Excel, Word, and Power Point files
4
28 BI Widgets User Guide
Working with widgets
5
Working with widgets
5
Managing widget history
BI Widgets allows you to quickly create desktop widgets from Xcelsius and
Web Intelligence files. As a widget, an Xcelsius file can automatically update
and use report-to-report linking. In addition, the widget gains the following
features from the BI Widget framework:
• User controlled size and positioning
• Tabbed views
• Saved display
• Optional setting as the top application window
• Full XI R3 security
Hover your mouse over the widget to display the widget options on the right
margin of the widget:
• Close Widget
• Widget Preferences
• Move Widget
• Resize Widget
Close Widget
Click the close button to remove the widget from the desktop.
To reopen the widget, use the Search or Explore functions to find the widget,
then drag and drop the widget onto the desktop.
30 BI Widgets User Guide
Working with widgets
Managing widget history
Widget Preferences
Click the Preferences button to access widget preferences. The options
available will depend on the widget type.
• Widget Name
This is the widget file name. You can type a new name to change the
name of the widget.
5
• Export Options
• Click the Export button to export the widget to the Vista Gadgets
Sidebar.
• Click the Save button to save a copy of the widget on the local disk.
• Always on top
Check the box to have the widget always appear on top.
• Refresh Options
• Select Take Data from Latest Instance to update from the latest
instance.
• Select Refresh Data directly from Database to refresh from the
database.
Note: Refresh Options are only available for Web Intelligence reports.
BI Widgets User Guide 31
Working with widgets
5
Managing widget history
Move Widget
Click and hold the Move button, then move the widget. Release the button
to drop the widget in the new location on the desktop.
Resize Widget
Click and hold the Resize button and drag it outward to enlarge the widget,
or inward to shrink the widget.
The widget will automatically retain the correct proportions.
Managing widget history
You can reopen closed widgets using Recent Widgets. Right-click the BI
Widgets icon in the taskbar and select Recent Widgets.
The Recent Widget menu lists the last 5 widgets that were created onto the
desktop.
To view more than the last five widgets, select Morefrom the Recent Widget
menu.
The The History window displays the last 50 widgets used.
32 BI Widgets User Guide
To clear your widget history, select Clear History from the Recent Widgets
menu.
Set Focus
BI Widgets allows you to quickly view open widgets and windows via Set
Focus. Set Focus hides other open applications, presents a neutral desktop
background, and brings BI Widgets windows and widgets to the foreground.
• Press Shift + F12 to bring the focus to BI Widget
Sharing widgets
You can share ReportParts and Xcelsius widgets with other users. Widgets
are saved in a .bidml file; the file can be sent via email and automatically
retrieved when the recipient double-clicks the file.
1.
Click the Widget Preferences button . The Widget Preferences dialog
appears.
Working with widgets
Set Focus
5
2. Click Save.
The Save Widget dialog opens.
3. Navigate to the location where you want to save the file, type the name,
and click Save.
BI Widgets User Guide 33
Working with widgets
5
Exporting widgets to Vista Sidebar
The widget is saved as a .bidml file. You can now send this file to other
users.
Exporting widgets to Vista Sidebar
You can export widgets to Vista Sidebar using the BI Widgets gadget. This
is automatically installed on any machine that has Vista Sidebar installed.
You can find BI Widgets in the Sidebar and in the gadget gallery.
To export a widget to Vista Sidebar:
1. Open the BI Widget from the Sidebar.
2. Select the Widget Preferences icon.
3. Select Export from the Widget Preferences dialog.
The exported widget is added to the BI Widgets Gadget Manager and is
displayed in the Sidebar.
Managing Views
Widgets Views allows you to manage which widgets are displayed on your
desktop. You can save groups of widgets as a View, and use the tabs in the
Views Bar to select a view to display.
This is helpful if you have a lot of widgets that you don't need at all times.
You can view a small group of widgets at a time, while keeping the remainder
of your widgets connected but not displayed.
Select Widgets Views from the BI Widgets menu to manage views.
Show/Hide Views Bar
To hide the Views Bar:
• Click the close button on the Views Bar
• In the BI Widgets menu, select Widgets Views > Hide Views Bar.
34 BI Widgets User Guide
Working with widgets
Managing Views
To show the Views Bar:
In the BI Widgets menu, select Widgets Views > Hide Views Bar.
Add a view
There are two ways to add a view:
• From the BI Widgets menu, select Widgets Views, then select Add View
.
• Click the Add View button in the Views Bar.
A new view will appear in the View Bar. Type a name for the view.
Select a view
There are two ways to select a view:
• From the BI Widgets menu, select Widgets Views, then select a view
from the list.
• Click on a view in the Views Bar.
5
Add widgets to a view
1. Select the drop-down menu for the view, then select Open Widget
. The menu lists the available widgets, and displays a checkmark next to
each widget that is currently in the view.
2. Select a widget from the list to add it to the view.
Remove widgets from a view
1. Select the drop-down menu for the view, then select Open Widget
. The menu lists the available widgets, and displays a checkmark next to
each widget that is currently in the view.
2. Uncheck the box next to the name of the widget you want to remove.
Delete a view
Select the drop-down menu for the view, then select Delete View, and select
one of the following options:
• Delete the view and add the widgets to the default view
• Delete the view and delete all widgets in the view.
BI Widgets User Guide 35
Working with widgets
Managing Views
5
36 BI Widgets User Guide
Creating and Viewing RSS Feeds using the RSS Inbox
6
Creating and Viewing RSS Feeds using the RSS Inbox
6
You can subscribe to RSS feeds and be notified of new RSS entries via the
RSS Inbox. Double click on an item in the list view to open the article in a
browser.
To subscribe to an RSS feed:
1. Click the Subscribe button on the toolbar.
2. Enter a valid RSS feed URL.
3. Click Subscribe. The feed will be added to the feeds list.
4. Click New in the toolbar to add folders for organizing RSS feeds.
38 BI Widgets User Guide
FAQ
7
FAQ
7
How do I know if I am connected to a repository?
How do I know if I am connected to a
repository?
BI Widgets is a background process that always stays connected to the XI
R3 servers you have logged into. The BI Widgets task bar icon displays the
connection status:
• The indicator flashes green during login
• The indicator is red when the connection is active
The BI Widget icon does not change color if server connection has been
lost. If your server documents are not displaying, open Login Preferences
to view the details of server connections.
To reconnect to a disconnected repository, right-click the repository name
and select Connect.
What kinds of file types can I convert to widgets?
You can only convert Xcelsius SWF files and Web Intelligence Report Parts
to widgets.
Note: To drag and drop WebI ReportParts into email as widgets, the Outlook
text editor must be set to Word, and the email format must be set to HTML.
40 BI Widgets User Guide
BI Widgets Content Authoring Guidelines
8
BI Widgets Content Authoring Guidelines
8
Choosing and Designing Content
BI Widget devotes itself to making viewing and interacting with BI content
as intuitive and natural as possible on Windows desktops.
Choosing and Designing Content
An ideal widget is a visually lightweight representation that displays commonly
used or updated measures or metrics.
BI content should meet the following criteria to be good candidate for a
widget:
• The information changes frequently throughout the day.
• You need to monitor it throughout the day.
• It is displayed in a way that enables you to assess performance.
• It tells you enough about what’s going on to know if you need to take
action.
If you have a lot of data you would like to display in a widget, consider
displaying only the most important and frequently updating information. You
can then add links to supporting information.
Authoring Recommendations for Xcelsius Content
Creating a desktop widget or dashboard with Xcelsius allows to to easily
create and connect robust visual applications. Because the Xcelsius
generated SWF launches inside the BI desktop framework, there are several
best practices to ensure you maximize the integration between Xcelsius and
BI Widgets.
Choosing a Background
When you load an Xcelsius generated SWF into BI Widgest, the existing
white canvas background is removed by BI Widgets. The result is that the
whitespace in your Xcelsius visualization will remain transparent.
Use Xcelsius backgrounds to ensure that your text and components are
visible in the widget. You can use the Xcelsius background component
42 BI Widgets User Guide
BI Widgets Content Authoring Guidelines
Authoring Recommendations for Xcelsius Content
(located in the art and backgrounds components folder) or import your own
background using the image component (.jpg or .swf).
Font settings
When building small widget user interfaces, you may wish to use smaller
font sizes. By default, Xcelsius will embed your chosen font and render it as
anti-alias, however smaller font sizes can be more difficult to read with
anti-alias turned on. Therefore, font sizes smaller than 10 should be
non-embedded in order to be read easily in the widget.
When selecting a font size, bear in mind that the widget can be resized on
the desktop.
To change the font option, navigate to File > Font and click on the Unicode
Font Options button.
• Use Non-Embedded fonts will render the text without anti-alias
• Use Embedded fonts will render the fonts using anti-alias.
Note: Using non-embedded fonts wil result in a significantly smaller SWF
file size.
8
Designing for BI Widgets Controls
BI Widgets can be resized when they are on the desktop, using the handle
at the bottom right corner of the widget. In addition, three additional controls
are added to the upper right corner of the widget.
It is important to reduce the canvas size to eliminate any margin around your
components. Use the Fit Canvas to Components toolbar button in
Xcelsius to shrink the canvas. You can also manually change the canvas
size by navigating to File > Document Properties.
Connecting the Visualization to BOE Universe Data with QaaWS
Using Query as a Web Service (QaaWS), you can connect your Xcelsius
widget to data represented by XI R3 Universes without writing any code.
You can use Query as a Web Service to generate queries, then map the
query to an Xcelsius Web Service Connector component using the
QaaWS-provided WSDL URL.
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BI Widgets Content Authoring Guidelines
8
Authoring Recommendations for Xcelsius Content
You can bind the input parameters and output data to your model using the
Xcelsius web service component. By publishing the SWF file to your BOE
repository, you will enable SSO for any end user who opens the dashboard.
Launching a report from a CX Dashboard
Within a desktop widget, you have the ability to launch a parameterized
report or Xcelsius dashboard stored in the repository. This report will launch
in the BI Widgets viewer window.
Use the FS Command component in Xcelsius to allow opening the documents
in InfoView.
There are three fields to configure in the FS Command Component:
• Label
• FS Command
Enter the document ID in the first field.
Enter the query string in the second field.
You can dynamically concatenate the OpenDocument URL and bind it to
the second FS Command Field. The URL contains the iDocID, the document
Type, and the Host Name
Example URL Syntax
openDocument.jsp?iDocID=5179&sType=wid&sReportName=Sales Pipeline
Supported Document Type:wid
Publishing the SWF
You must publish your Xcelsius visualization as a SWF file in order to use it
as a widget.
In Xcelsius, select File > Export > Flash (SWF). Save the file to a repository.
You can then use BI Widgets to locate and open the SWF as a desktop
widget.
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Online documentation library
Business Objects offers a full documentation set covering all products and
their deployment. The online documentation library has the most up-to-date
version of the Business Objects product documentation. You can browse
the library contents, do full-text searches, read guides on line, and download
PDF versions. The library is updated regularly with new content as it becomes
available.
http://support.businessobjects.com/documentation/product_guides/
Additional developer resources
http://devlibrary.businessobjects.com
Online customer support
The Business Objects Customer Support web site contains information about
Customer Support programs and services. It also has links to a wide range
of technical information including knowledgebase articles, downloads, and
support forums.
http://www.businessobjects.com/support/
Looking for the best deployment solution for your company?
Business Objects consultants can accompany you from the initial analysis
stage to the delivery of your deployment project. Expertise is available in
relational and multidimensional databases, in connectivities, database design
tools, customized embedding technology, and more.
For more information, contact your local sales office, or contact us at:
http://www.businessobjects.com/services/consulting/
Looking for training options?
From traditional classroom learning to targeted e-learning seminars, we can
offer a training package to suit your learning needs and preferred learning
style. Find more information on the Business Objects Education web site:
http://www.businessobjects.com/services/training
46 BI Widgets User Guide
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Send us your feedback
Do you have a suggestion on how we can improve our documentation? Is
there something you particularly like or have found useful? Drop us a line,
and we will do our best to ensure that your suggestion is included in the next
release of our documentation:
mailto:documentation@businessobjects.com
Note: If your issue concerns a Business Objects product and not the
documentation, please contact our Customer Support experts. For information
about Customer Support visit: http://www.businessobjects.com/support/.
Business Objects product information
For information about the full range of Business Objects products, visit:
http://www.businessobjects.com.
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48 BI Widgets User Guide
Index
A
authenticate 20
C
Crystal Reports 27
E
explorer 23
I
importing
Xcelsius documents 24
L
login 20
automatic 20
automatic login 20
O
opening
Xcelsius files 25
R
repositories
additional 14
RSS feeds 38
S
Searching 21
W
Web Intelligence reports 25
X
Xcelsius 24
BI Widgets User Guide 49
Index
50 BI Widgets User Guide
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