Using BusinessObjects Mobile
BusinessObjects Mobile
Windows
Copyright
© 2008 Business Objects. All rights reserved. Business Objects owns the following
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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
2008-02-08
Contents
About the BusinessObjects Mobile User Guide 7Chapter 1
The information in the BusinessObjects Mobile user guide.........................8
Target audience for the BusinessObjects Mobile user guide.......................8
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile 9Chapter 2
BusinessObjects Mobile overview.............................................................10
BusinessObjects Mobile business intelligence features............................11
What's new in this release.........................................................................14
Downloading the Application to your Mobile 17Chapter 3
Installing the BusinessObjects Mobile application.....................................18
Restrictions and recommendations for specific mobile devices................20
Supported documents..........................................................................11
Supported business intelligence functionality......................................12
Device prerequisites and device type support.....................................18
Downloading the BusinessObjects Mobile application client application
from a web site.....................................................................................19
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile 21Chapter 4
Launching BusinessObjects Mobile...........................................................22
Configuring your device to access the BusinessObjects Enterprise
server.........................................................................................................22
Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile........................................................23
Accessing local and server documents................................................25
Setting automatic start..........................................................................25
Running BusinessObjects Mobile in the background................................27
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 3
Contents
Exiting the BusinessObjects Mobile application........................................27
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents 29Chapter 5
Viewing options and defaults.....................................................................30
Setting your viewing options.................................................................30
Setting a default folder.........................................................................31
Viewing documents in panoramic mode...............................................32
Setting a default document...................................................................32
Unselecting a default document or folder.............................................33
Language support for document viewing...................................................33
Accessing documents................................................................................33
Opening documents.............................................................................34
Web Intelligence document features....................................................35
Crystal reports features........................................................................37
Gauge analytics features......................................................................37
Viewing document properties...............................................................38
Navigation menus and shortcuts...............................................................38
Quick reference to keypad shortcuts....................................................39
The Back menu....................................................................................40
Drilling on data to gain insight on results...................................................40
Drilling on a report................................................................................41
Drilling on a graph or chart...................................................................41
Drilling across to related reports...........................................................42
Performing follow-up actions.....................................................................42
Displaying contact details using Lookup..............................................43
Sending an SMS..................................................................................43
Making a call........................................................................................43
Sending an email..................................................................................44
Refreshing results and synchronizing documents.....................................44
Synchronizing documents....................................................................45
Refreshing reports with the latest data.................................................46
4 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Contents
How to use prompts and parameters...................................................46
Subscribing to alerts..................................................................................48
Quick reference to alerts......................................................................49
Subscribing to an alert..........................................................................50
Viewing alert properties........................................................................51
Working with documents stored locally on your device.............................52
Working with local documents..............................................................53
Saving documents locally on your device............................................53
Deleting local documents.....................................................................54
Designing Documents for Mobile Users 57Chapter 6
How documents are displayed on mobile devices.....................................58
Best practices for mobile document design...............................................58
Designing Web Intelligence documents for mobile users....................63
Designing analytics for mobile users....................................................64
Designing Crystal reports for mobile users..........................................65
Setting up alerters on documents........................................................67
Embedding actions in report cells..............................................................67
Authoring actions..................................................................................68
Quick reference to embedded actions.................................................69
Syntax for actions.................................................................................70
Linking documents.....................................................................................72
URL Reporting Using openDocument .................................................73
Get More Help 103Appendix A
Index 107
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 5
Contents
6 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
About the BusinessObjects Mobile User Guide
1
About the BusinessObjects Mobile User Guide
1
The information in the BusinessObjects Mobile user guide
The information in the BusinessObjects
Mobile user guide
This guide explains how to:
• install BusinessObjects Mobile onto a mobile device, such as a
Smartphone or PDA.
• use the BusinessObjects Mobile features to interact remotely with business
intelligence information located on a Business Objects Enterprise server.
• design business intelligence documents for optimum display and
performance when viewed on mobile devices.
Note: The workflows described here are generic and do not take into account
the differences between supported mobile devices or their operating systems.
Your mobile device, or the operating system it uses, can propose additional
menu options at various stages of the workflows.
Related Topics
• Best practices for mobile document design on page 58
Target audience for the BusinessObjects Mobile user guide
This guide is aimed at business professionals who match one or both of the
following profiles:
• Professionals on the move who use BusinessObjects Mobile to interact
with business intelligence data via a mobile phone or PDA.
• Corporate report designers who want to provide users of BusinessObjects
Mobile with data in a format that is optimized for display and ease-of-use
when viewed via a mobile device.
Related Topics
• Document design recommendations on page 11
8 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
2
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
2
BusinessObjects Mobile overview
BusinessObjects Mobile overview
BusinessObjects Mobile consists of a client-side application for mobile devices
and a Mobile server component that communicates with the BusinessObjects
Enterprise server, so that professionals on the move can access business
intelligence information from a mobile device, such as a smartphone or PDA.
The application is designed specifically to meet the screen size and
interactivity constraints of mobile devices. Business intelligence documents,
reports and analytics are displayed on supported mobile devices with native
rendering, single-click access and device-appropriate user interactivity.
BusinessObjects Mobile is a java application of approximately 1 mb that you
download to your mobile device. This application exists in different versions
for the following device types:
• BlackBerry
Although BusinessObjects Mobile can work on data networks like GSM and
GPRS; EDGE, 3G or 3G+ networks offer the best performance.
Related Topics
• BusinessObjects Mobile business intelligence features on page 11
• Device prerequisites and device type support on page 18
10 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
BusinessObjects Mobile business intelligence features
BusinessObjects Mobile business
intelligence features
Using BusinessObjects Mobile, professionals on the move can analyze,
interact, and be alerted about changes to critical data related to their business
interest easily at any time.
Related Topics
• Supported documents on page 11
• Supported business intelligence functionality on page 12
Supported documents
BusinessObjects Mobile provides users of a mobile device with remote access
to the following types of business intelligence document:
• Web Intelligence documents
• Crystal Reports documents
• Some gauge analytics (including speedometers, barometers, and
thermometers)
2
Note: For details on which document versions that BusinessObjects Mobile
supports, go to http://support.businessobjects.com/documentation/support
ed_platforms/default.asp.
Depending on the document type, you can view, analyze and interact with
the data it contains in a variety of ways.
Related Topics
• Supported business intelligence functionality on page 12
Document design recommendations
The amount of memory available on your mobile device determines the size
of reports you can view using BusinessObjects Mobile. However, it is
recommended that both the size and the complexity of reports designed for
mobile users conform to Business Objects best practice information.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 11
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
2
BusinessObjects Mobile business intelligence features
Following some simple design guidelines ensures that reports displayed on
small, mobile devices meet the usability requirements expected by users.
Related Topics
• Best practices for mobile document design on page 58
• Designing Web Intelligence documents for mobile users on page 63
• Designing analytics for mobile users on page 64
• Designing Crystal reports for mobile users on page 65
Supported business intelligence functionality
Using BusinessObjects Mobile, you can leverage a wide range of features
and functionality to manage your Business Intelligence documents and data.
Key features include the ability to:
• Set up a default document or folder that opens automatically whenever
you log into the application.
• Refresh reports to retrieve the most up-to-date data.
• View results using zoom and navigational shortcuts.
• Drill on results to analyze detailed or summary data.
• Navigate to related documents via hyperlinks on reports.
• Change how results are filtered by modifying prompt values.
• Receive alerts when a specific document is modified, a condition is met,
or a schedule is run.
• Take follow-up actions by clicking on report cells to launch an SMS, phone
call or email.
• Save and consult documents offline to mitigate network interruptions and
minimize communication costs.
Related Topics
• Setting a default document on page 32
• Refreshing results and synchronizing documents on page 44
• Navigation menus and shortcuts on page 38
• Drilling on data to gain insight on results on page 40
• Drilling across to related reports on page 42
• How to use prompts and parameters on page 46
• Subscribing to alerts on page 48
12 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
• Performing follow-up actions on page 42
• Working with documents stored locally on your device on page 52
Functional limitations
BusinessObjects Mobile presents some functional limitations due to the
technical and design constraints of mobile devices.
Device types
BusinessObjects Mobile is not guaranteed to work on all mobile devices and
operating systems. For the list of supported devices and operating systems,
see: http://support.businessobjects.com/documentation/supported_plat
forms/default.asp.
Report sizing
Documents containing large data sets can saturate available memory on the
mobile device. This issue can be mitigated by designing smaller reports.
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
BusinessObjects Mobile business intelligence features
2
Web Intelligence document features
Dynamic or cascading prompts in Web Intelligence documents are not
supported for viewing with BusinessObjects Mobile. Refer to the Web
Intelligence documentation for more information on creating Web Intelligence
reports.
Crystal Reports features
The following features are not supported in Crystal Reports:
• Active-X content
• suppression at view time
• changing filters
• dynamic and cascading parameters
• prompting for database logons
• crosstabs (used to report on data from OLAP data sources)
Refer to the Crystal Reports documentation for more information on creating
Crystal Reports.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 13
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
2
What's new in this release
Dashboard and Performance Manager analytics
Gauge analytics (speedometer, thermometer, traffic light) are supported for
viewing with BusinessObjects Mobile. The following functionality is not
supported when you interact with analytics via a mobile device:
• refreshing analytics
• opening analytics set to Refresh on Open
Refer to the Dashboard Builder documentation for more information on
creating analytics.
Related Topics
• Device prerequisites and device type support on page 18
• Best practices for mobile document design on page 58
• Designing analytics for mobile users on page 64
What's new in this release
This release of BusinessObjects Mobile introduces powerful new features
to improve your business intelligence deployment for mobile users.
New server features
• Uses Business Objects SDKs (Web Intelligence report Engine SDK and
Crystal Enterprise SDK) instead of Web Services.
• Works as an add-on to BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.0.
• Delivers new integrated server components for: security, alerting, and
synchronization with the BusinessObjects Enterprise server.
New client features
• Provides the ability for users of mobile devices to work offline, on
documents stored locally on the device, without being connected to the
server.
• Allows users to subscribe to alerts that notify the device of specific
modifications to documents and document alerters.
• Supports interaction with Crystal reports.
14 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
What's new in this release
• Allows mobile users to leverage the new tracking feature in Web
Intelligence documents, where changes compared to a previous version
of the document are highlighted.
New administration features
• The server database tracks user and device activity.
Comparing versions 1 and 2
Mobile version 2Mobile version 1
Based on XI 3.0Based on XI Release 2
Uses SDKUses Web Services
Works only with BlackBerry devicesWorks with any J2ME MIDP/CLDC de-
vices
Related Topics
• BusinessObjects Mobile overview on page 10
2
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 15
Introducing BusinessObjects Mobile
What's new in this release
2
16 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Downloading the Application to your Mobile
3
Downloading the Application to your Mobile
3
Installing the BusinessObjects Mobile application
Installing the BusinessObjects Mobile
application
Before you proceed to download the BusinessObjects Mobile application to
a mobile phone or PDA, verify that the brand and model is listed among the
supported mobile devices. See: http://support.businessobjects.com/documen
tation/supported_platforms/default.asp.
The BusinessObjects Mobile application is a client application that you
download to your mobile device. There are three download methods:
• Download the client application from a web site using standard OTA
(Over-The-Air) protocol for the transmission and reception of
application-related information in a wireless communications system.
Contact your IT administrator to obtain the web site URL.
• Connect to corporate data via a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES).
Your IT administrator can push the BusinessObjects Mobile client
application to your BlackBerry, so that the application is downloaded
automatically.
• If you are not connecting to corporate data via a BES, download the client
application from your desktop computer using another data transmission
method, like the data cable supplied with your device, or Bluetooth
technology.
It is recommended that only IT and technical specialists use this method
to download the application, since it involves manual configuration and
requires a technical understanding of the technology. This download
option is of interest if you want to test the application on a single device.
Related Topics
• Downloading the BusinessObjects Mobile application client application
from a web site on page 19
• Launching BusinessObjects Mobile on page 22
Device prerequisites and device type support
For the list of supported platforms and devices see: http://support.busines
sobjects.com/documentation/supported_platforms/default.asp.
18 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Downloading the Application to your Mobile
Installing the BusinessObjects Mobile application
Although BusinessObjects Mobile can work on data infrastructures like GPRS,
the best performance is experienced on 3G, 3G+ or EDGE networks.
Downloading the BusinessObjects Mobile application client application from a web site
Before you proceed to download the BusinessObjects Mobile application to
your device:
• verify that your mobile device model is listed among the supported mobile
Smartphones or devices
You can either consult your IT administrator for this information or visit
the Business Objects supported platforms web site page at: http://sup
port.businessobjects.com/documentation/supported_platforms/default.asp
• obtain the application download web site URL from your IT administrator
To download the BusinessObjects Mobile client application using OTA
(Over-The-Air) protocol:
1. Launch the web browser on your mobile device.
2. Navigate to the web browser option on your device to open a specific
URL address.
3. Navigate to the download website:
• In the URL address line, type in the URL of the BusinessObjects Mobile
client application download page provided to you by your IT
administrator.
• If your IT administrator sends you the link to the server directly via
email or SMS, click the link in the message to go directly to the
download website.
The website automatically detects your device type and selects the
appropriate version of the client application for you to download.
3
4. If the automatic selection is disabled, you can manually select the
appropriate version from a list.
5. Click Download.
The BusinessObjects Mobile application is downloaded to your device. The
BusinessObjects Mobile icon appears with the other icons for applications
available on your device.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 19
Downloading the Application to your Mobile
3
Restrictions and recommendations for specific mobile devices
Related Topics
• Configuring your device to access the BusinessObjects Enterprise server
on page 22
Restrictions and recommendations for
specific mobile devices
Due to design differences between mobile devices and the operating systems
they use, your experience of BusinessObjects Mobile can vary depending
on the phone or device you use.
Most BusinessObjects Mobile menu options and workflows are the same
regardless of which mobile device you use. However, some device-specific
menus and options can alter the display of the BusinessObjects Mobile
menus.
Installation folder name
The installation folder in which the BusinessObjects Mobile application is
installed can differ depending on your phone and mobile operator.
Related Topics
• Device prerequisites and device type support on page 18
20 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
4
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
4
Launching BusinessObjects Mobile
Launching BusinessObjects Mobile
The BusinessObjects Mobile icon appears with the icons for the other
applications on your mobile device.
• To launch BusinessObjects Mobile, select the BusinessObjects Mobile
application icon, and depending on the type of device you are using:
• Double-click the wheel.
• Click the center button.
• Select the application icon on the device touch screen with a stylus.
The BusinessObjects Mobile splash screen displays for a few seconds.
You are ready to log into the BusinessObjects Enterprise server.
Related Topics
• Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile on page 23
• Running BusinessObjects Mobile in the background on page 27
Configuring your device to access the BusinessObjects Enterprise server
Before you configure your device to connect to the BusinessObjects
Enterprise server, obtain the following details:
• the BusinessObjects Mobile server URL
• the proxy server port
• the CMS name
• the server authentication type
These details can be obtained from your IT administrator.
If your IT administrator pre-configures the BusinessObjects Mobile application
before it is downloaded to your device, connection to the BusinessObjects
Enterprise server is automatic and configuration is not necessary. However,
if the application was not pre-configured, then the first time you connect to
the BusinessObjects Enterprise server, you must enter the connection and
authentication information manually.
To enter the connection and authentication information:
1. Launch the BusinessObjects Mobile application on your mobile device.
22 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile
The Login screen appears.
2. Navigate to and launch the"Connection options" menu.
3. In the "Connection options" screen,specify the following:
a. In the Server URL field, enter the Mobile server URL provided to you
by your IT administrator.
b. In the Proxy server port field, enter the proxy server port provided
to you by your IT administrator.
c. In the CMS field, enter the server name provided to you by your IT
administrator.
d. In the Authentication field, select the authentication method set up
for you by your IT administrator. The options are:
• Enterprise
• LDAP
• Windows AD
• SAP
4. Launch the menu and select Save connection options to save your
changes and return to the login screen. Alternatively, select Back to
cancel your changes and return to the login screen.
4
Related Topics
• Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile on page 23
• Setting automatic start on page 25
Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile
Once you have launched the BusinessObjects Mobile application on your
mobile device, enter valid login credentials to access your local documents
and the BusinessObjects Enterprise to access the business intelligence
documents online.
Note: The IT administrator must grant you the appropriate rights for you to
access and interact with documents via BusinessObjects Mobile.
To log into BusinessObjects Mobile:
1. On the Login page, enter the appropriate information into the following
mandatory fields:
a. User name - the Business Objects user name assigned to you by
your IT administrator
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 23
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
4
Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile
b. Password - the password you or your administrator define in
BusinessObjects InfoView
2. If you want to avoid entering your user name and password each time
you log into BusinessObjects Mobile, select Save password.
Note: You can set your login options so that each time you launch the
BusinessObjects Mobile application, you are logged into BusinesssObjects
Mobile automatically. This saves you time when you want to consult data
quickly without spending time on the login procedure. Your connection
to your live data on the server is automatic which can pose a security
threat if your device is lost or stolen.
3. If you want to start BusinessObjects Mobile automatically each time you
switch on the device, select Auto-start.
Note: If you select this option, the Save password option is automatically
selected and the Work offline option is disabled. Both options are hidden
until you deselect Auto-connect.
4. If you only want to access documents stored locally on your device and
not to access the BusinessObjects Enterprise server online, select Work
offline.
Note: After your first login, you can work with documents stored locally
on your device without being connected to the BusinessObjects Enterprise
server. This is useful if you are experiencing wireless network issues or
simply want to work on business intelligence data while on the move
without communication cost. Your first login must be to the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server so that you can retrieve server
documents and store them locally on your device. On subsequent logins,
select this option to choose not to connect to the server and work with
previously saved documents.
5. Launch the menu and select Login to access BusinessObjects Mobile.
Related Topics
• Setting automatic start on page 25
• Working with documents stored locally on your device on page 52
• Setting a default folder on page 31
• Setting a default document on page 32
24 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile
Accessing local and server documents
Once you have logged into the BusinessObjects Mobile application on your
mobile device, you can choose whether you want to view:
• local documents
These documents are stored locally on your device and are available in
online and offline modes.
• server documents
To access server documents, connect to the BusinessObjects Enterprise
server.
Related Topics
• Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile on page 23
• Working with documents stored locally on your device on page 52
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
4
Setting automatic start
You can set your login options so that each time you turn on your device,
you are logged into the BusinesssObjects Enterprise server automatically.
You save time because you can consult data quickly without spending time
on the login procedure.
Note: When a mobile device has automatic connection as its default, your
password is saved so that you connect automatically to the server and log
back in automatically whenever your session expires. The duration of a
session, as defined by your IT administrator, ensures that BusinessObjects
Mobile disconnects from the Business Objects server when the application
is not used on the device after a specified time. Setting your login to automatic
and saving your password on the device can pose a security issue if you
lose your device.
To set automatic start:
1. From the "Login" screen, select Auto-start.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 25
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
4
Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile
Note: If you select this option, the Save password option is automatically
selected and the Work offline option is disabled. Both options are hidden
until you deselect Auto-connect.
2. Click Login.
You are logged into the application and your automatic login preferences
are saved.
Related Topics
• Removing automatic start on page 26
Removing automatic start
Your device is set to launch BusinessObjects Mobile automatically each time
you turn on the device.
When automatic start is set on your device, you are connected to the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server automatically as soon as you turn on the
device. You can remove automatic start when you want to launch the
application and/or log in manually. Manual login allows you to modify your
login information, such as the server URL or your password, if necessary.
To deselect automatic connection:
1. After login, from the BusinessObjects Mobile application menu, open the
"General Options" menu.
2. Deselect the Auto-start checkbox.
3. Click Save to exit the "General Options" menu.
The next time you switch on your device, the "Login" screen will prompt
you to log in manually.
Related Topics
• Setting automatic start on page 25
• Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile on page 23
26 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
Running BusinessObjects Mobile in the background
Running BusinessObjects Mobile in the
background
If you want to work with other tools or applications on your mobile device
and remain in contact with the BusinessObjects Enterprise server, you can
opt to log in to BusinessObjects Mobile and run the application in the
background. When you run the BusinessObjects Mobile application in the
background, you are free to interact with other applications and still receive
business intelligence documents and alerts; they are pushed from the server
to your device as long as you are logged in to the server.
You can also run BusinessObjects Mobile in the background without logging
into the server. In this case, however, you do not receive alerts on your device
until you log in.
To run BusinessObjects Mobile in the background while you work in another
application on your device:
1. Log in to BusinessObjects Mobile.
2. Launch the menu from any screen within the application.
3. Select Send to background.
4
BusinessObjects Mobile is sent to the background so you can continue to
work with other applications on your device.
Note: If the login session times out while the Mobile client is in the
background, the application automatically initiates the session. If the session
cannot be reinitiated due to an authentication problem, an error message
appears. Exit the application and login again.
Related Topics
• Subscribing to alerts on page 48
Exiting the BusinessObjects Mobile application
Closing the BusinessObjects Mobile application ends your connection with
the BusinessObjects Enterprise server.
To log out of the BusinessObjects Enterprise server:
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 27
Accessing BusinessObjects Mobile
4
Exiting the BusinessObjects Mobile application
1. Display the application menu on the device.
2. Select Exit.
Note: If you are subscribed to any alerts, BusinessObjects Mobile displays
a message that informs you that if you exit the application, you cannot
receive alerts until you next log in. If you want to continue receiving alerts
while using different features or applications on your device, you can opt
to run BusinessObjects Mobile in the background. In this case the
application is no longer visible, but it continues to run behind your other
applications. If you confirm you want to exit the application,
BusinessObjects Mobile closes and logs you out of the BusinessObjects
Enterprise server.
Related Topics
• Logging into BusinessObjects Mobile on page 23
• Accessing documents on page 33
• Running BusinessObjects Mobile in the background on page 27
28 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Viewing options and defaults
Viewing options and defaults
You can select from a range of viewing and navigation options to best suit
how you want to interact with business intelligence reports and graphical
elements, such as graphs and analytics.
You can also define a default folder, so that each time you log into
BusinessObjects Mobile your welcome page lists the folder that you select
as default. Alternatively, if you need to consult the same document repeatedly,
you can define that document as your default document so that it opens
automatically each time you log in.
Related Topics
• The Parameters menu on page 30
• Accessing documents on page 33
• Setting a default document on page 32
Setting your viewing options
You can set viewing options to suit the way you want to view reports and
charts and your preferred way to navigate documents.
You can access the General options screen from any menu that you can
display during your BusinessObjects Mobile session.
Related Topics
• The Parameters menu on page 30
• Setting a default folder on page 31
• Setting a default document on page 32
The Parameters menu
You set general application options in the Parameters menu. You can access
these options from the application menu available from any screen in the
application.
30 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Viewing options and defaults
DescriptionOption
5
Zoom fit to screen
Zoom
Scroll step screen
Remember default
folder
Remember default
document
Show banner
Auto-start
Related Topics
• Setting your viewing options on page 30
• Setting a default document on page 32
• Setting a default folder on page 31
• Setting automatic start on page 25
Automatically resizes the current selected block of data
to fit the mobile device screen.
You can set the zoom percentage to a value from 30
through 150 for graphs and charts.
Note: You cannot zoom on analytics.
Specifies the percentage of the screen used as the increment by which to scroll the display in Panoramic view
mode.
Stores a default folder, so that each time you log into
BusinessObjects Mobile server your welcome page lists
the folder you selected as default.
Stores a default document (local or server) that opens
automatically each time you log in.
Displays the value of the selected cell and current zoom
percentage in a banner at the bottom of the screen.
Saves your login options so that you are connected automatically when you turn on your device. Uncheck this
option to display the manual login screen the next time
you turn on your device.
Setting a default folder
When you connect to BusinessObjects Mobile, the application opens the
default folder and displays the list of supported documents and analytics it
contains.
To change your preferences so that the application opens to the folder of
your choice:
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 31
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Viewing options and defaults
1. Navigate to the desired folder.
2. Open the menu.
3. Select Set as start folder.
Once you set the default folder, BusinessObjects Mobile jumps straight to
this folder at startup; however if you defined a default document, then
BusinessObjects Mobile displays the default document on opening.
Note: You can return to and browse the folder hierarchy from the document
display screen by selecting Document List from the menu.
Viewing documents in panoramic mode
If you want to pan horizontally through wide reports or graphs, select Enter
panoramic mode.
To leave panoramic mode, select Leave panoramic mode.
Note: When you are in panoramic mode, you cannot activate cell contents.
For example, you cannot drill or use embedded actions, such as send SMS.
Setting a default document
To consult the same document each time you use BusinessObjects Mobile,
save time by setting that document as your default document. Each time you
log into BusinessObjects Mobile, your default document opens automatically.
Note: If the default document is stored locally on your mobile device as an
offline document, and you delete that document, BusinessObjects Mobile
no longer opens that document by default when you log into the application.
To set a document as your default document:
1. Open the document you want to set as your default.
2. Select the menu, then select Set as default.
Once you have set a default report, BusinessObjects Mobile automatically
displays that report whenever you log into the BusinessObjects Enterprise
server.
32 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Language support for document viewing
Unselecting a default document or folder
If you have a document set to open by default each time you log into the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server and you no longer want that specific
document to open automatically, unselect it.
To unselect your default document:
1. From within a document or from the login screen, select General Options
from the menu.
2. Deactivate Remember default doc.
This option only appears in the menu if you have previously set a default
document.
The next time you log into BusinessObjects Mobile, the list of documents in
the top-level or default folder on the BusinessObjects Enterprise server
appears.
Related Topics
• Setting a default folder on page 31
5
Language support for document viewing
Using BusinessObjects Mobile, you can display documents containing foreign
language characters provided you have the related language fonts installed
on your device.
For example, a Web Intelligence report with Korean text characters displays
correctly on a device on which the Korean language character set is installed.
Accessing documents
There are various starting points to accessing the documents available to
you on the BusinessObjects Enterprise server:
• the Mobile folder under Public Folders or the root folder specified by
your IT administrator
• a folder you set as your default folder
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 33
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Accessing documents
• a document you set as your default document that opens automatically
when you log in to the server
Related Topics
• Setting a default folder on page 31
• Setting a default document on page 32
Opening documents
BusinessObjects Mobile supports the following types of business intelligence
documents:
• Web Intelligence Documents
• Crystal reports
• Some gauge analytics (speedometers, barometers, and thermometers)
Note: It is recommended that you only use your mobile device to interact
with documents designed specifically for mobile users. In most cases, these
documents are grouped within a folder called Mobile on the BusinessObjects
Enterprise server. Your IT or business intelligence administrator can provide
more information on the location of mobile documents, if necessary. You
can access other documents; however, depending on their size and format,
their appearance is limited by the size of your mobile device.
To open a document:
1. After logging into the BusinessObjects Enterprise server, select the type
of documents you want to access:
• Local documents
• Server documents
2. Navigate to the document you want to open and click its title.
3. Click Open.
The document is opened from the server. If the document you want to
open is set to Refresh on open, but you do not have the security right
to refresh documents, a message appears indicating that the document
cannot be opened.
4. Click Next or Back to navigate between pages.
5. Use the navigation features available on your device to navigate between
document cells.
34 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Related Topics
• Web Intelligence document features on page 35
• Crystal reports features on page 37
• Gauge analytics features on page 37
Web Intelligence document features
As a BusinessObjects Mobile user, you can analyze and interact with
business intelligence information contained in Web Intelligence documents
in some ways.
Note: There are some navigation, display, and functional differences between
Web Intelligence documents viewed via a mobile device and a desktop
computer. These differences are indicated in the description of each feature.
Drilling to details, aggregate data, and related documents
Values in drillable report cells appear up with a drill up or drill down arrow
next to them or as a hyperlink. Depending on how the report designer has
set up the drill hierarchy, you can drill up or down to view details, aggregates
or alternative dimensions. If the report designer has included links to related
documents, the name of that document appears in a tooltip. Clicking on
document links allows you to view more information related to the data in
the initial report.
Accessing documents
5
Using embedded SMS, Phone and email commands
Report cells can contain embedded actions that allow you to send an SMS
or email or to make a call to a pre-defined destinee. For example, a report
row containing results for a specific geographical region can include a cell
that allows you to send an SMS to the Sales Manager for that region that
comments on the results.
Using prompts to filter the values displayed on reports
You use prompts with filters so that when you refresh a Web Intelligence
document, only the results relevant to your analysis are retrieved.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 35
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Accessing documents
Navigating documents containing multiple reports
A Web Intelligence document can contain one or more reports. If the
document contains more than one report, the list of available reports appears.
To navigate to the various reports:
• Display the menu on your device, then select Reports to display the list
of reports contained in the document.
• Select a report from the list, then select the Open report or click OK.
Note: Each report within a Web Intelligence document is displayed as
specified by the pagination options set up by the creator of the document.
One document page corresponds to one screen on your device, to make
navigating between pages more efficient.
Tracking data changes
When Track Data changes is activated in a report, you can see how the
data in the current version of the report has changed since the previous
version.
Refreshing reports to see the latest results on the database
When you refresh a web Intelligence document, the latest data is retrieved
from the data source and returned to the reports the document contains.
Refreshing documents means you can see up to the minute results, however,
depending on the size of the document the refresh operation can be time
consuming. One possible workaround to lengthy refreshes is for the report
creator or administrator to schedule a refresh of the document. Scheduling
report refreshes ensures that an updated version is always available for
viewing on a mobile device.
Note: It is recommended that Web Intelligence documents intended for
mobile users be created and edited using the Web Intelligence Java Report
Panel, because formatting can be tightly controlled using this editor for
optimum results on mobile devices.
Related Topics
• Designing Web Intelligence documents for mobile users on page 63
• Drilling on data to gain insight on results on page 40
• How to use prompts and parameters on page 46
• Drilling across to related reports on page 42
36 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
• Crystal reports features on page 37
• Gauge analytics features on page 37
Crystal reports features
As a BusinessObjects Mobile user, you can analyze and interact with
business intelligence information contained in Crystal reports in some ways.
Note: There are some navigation, display, and functional differences between
Crystal reports viewed via a mobile device and a desktop computer. These
differences are indicated in the description of each feature.
Drilling on reports
You can perform drill analysis on Crystal report data by drilling up to
aggregated values or down to more detailed values.
Note: When using BusinessObjects Mobile, you cannot drill through from a
Crystal report to another related document.
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Accessing documents
5
Viewing reports
You can view reports containing simple sections and details.
Viewing charts on reports
You can view all chart types available with Crystal Reports.
Related Topics
• Web Intelligence document features on page 35
• Gauge analytics features on page 37
• Designing Crystal reports for mobile users on page 65
Gauge analytics features
As a BusinessObjects Mobile user, you can view gauge analytics to gain a
quick, graphical status on key indicators related to your business interest.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 37
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Navigation menus and shortcuts
Viewing gauge analytics
You can view the following gauge analytics using BusinessObjects Mobile:
• speedometers
• barometers
• thermometers
Only analytics that are not set to refresh on open are supported for viewing
with BusinessObjects Mobile. You cannot refresh analytics with
BusinessObjects Mobile. To ensure that an updated version of the analytic
is always available for viewing on a mobile device, the analytic creator or
administrator can schedule its refresh on the server.
Note: The Zoom option is not available when viewing gauge analytics,
because they are displayed full screen on mobile devices.
Related Topics
• Web Intelligence document features on page 35
• Crystal reports features on page 37
• Designing analytics for mobile users on page 64
Viewing document properties
Before opening offline documents stored locally on your mobile device, you
can view their properties to see the following information:
• the estimated size of the document.
• the date when the document was last saved on your mobile.
Navigation menus and shortcuts
You can access the viewing options in the General Options menu from the
Login menu or from any menu that you can display on the device while
viewing a document. Viewing options allow you to flip quickly through the
pages in a report or document using the following commands:
• Next page
• Previous page
• First page
38 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
• Last page
If you are viewing a Web Intelligence document that contains multiple reports,
you can select the Reports menu to view the list of reports, and then select
the report that interests you.
For fast navigation, you can use keypad shortcuts.
Related Topics
• Quick reference to keypad shortcuts on page 39
• The Parameters menu on page 30
Quick reference to keypad shortcuts
Using keypad shortcuts saves you time when you want to navigate through
reports or set viewing options quickly.
DescriptionCommandKey
Navigation menus and shortcuts
5
Toggle info bar1
Full screen2
Previous Page4
5
100% Rendering
Next Page6
Toggles on or off the Show Current Cell Value dis-
play line at the bottom of the screen in the status bar.
Hides all titles and menus from the display and makes
the entire device screen available for report viewing
and navigation.
Opens the previous report page.
Note: This menu item appears only in multi-page
reports.
Sets the zoom to be 100%, which means that one
pixel rendered on the mobile device represents one
pixel in the original document.
Opens the next report page.
Note: This menu item appears only in multi-page
reports.
Incrementally zooms out from the current view.Zoom out7
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 39
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Drilling on data to gain insight on results
DescriptionCommandKey
Fit to screen8
Related Topics
• Setting your viewing options on page 30
The Back menu
The Back menu enables you to return to the last screen you viewed.
BusinessObjects Mobile maintains a log of every user action and moves
backward through the stack of user views at each use of the Back menu
item.
If you moved from one document to another through document links, the
back action returns you to the previously opened document.
Sets the zoom view so that the currently selected
block fits entirely within the mobile device screen.
Note: Reports not designed for mobile devices can
appear too small when viewed using Fit to screen
and cells that contain numeric data can be replaced
by '###'. To view the cell values in the display line at
the bottom of the screen, press key 1.
Incrementally zooms in from the current view.Zoom in9
Drilling on data to gain insight on results
Using drill analysis you can drill down to a detailed breakdown of values that
makes up the summary result displayed in a cell or drill up to see how the
value in a cell aggregates up. The levels you can drill to depend on how the
report designer has set up the drill hierarchy.
Related Topics
• Drilling on a report on page 41
• Drilling on a graph or chart on page 41
• Drilling on a report on page 41
40 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Drilling on a report
Reports are made drillable by the report creator at design time.
Note: When you view a report in Panoramic mode drill is not activated. To
activate drill capability, launch the application menu from the document and
then select Leave panoramic mode.
When you select the cell, an arrow indicates whether you can drill on the
cell. To drill on a cell value:
• Browse to the cell and do one of the following:
• Click the Drill Up or Drill Down arrow next to the drillable value.
• From the device menu, select either Drill up or Drill down.
Related Topics
• Drilling on a graph or chart on page 41
• Drilling across to related reports on page 42
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Drilling on data to gain insight on results
5
Drilling on a graph or chart
Graphs and charts are made drillable by the report creator at design time.
Note: When you view a graph or chart in Panoramic mode drill is not
activated. To activate drill capability, open a document and from the
application menu, then select Leave panoramic mode.
Drilling on graphs or charts gives you a quick, graphical representation of
how summary results relate to detailed values. To drill on a graph or chart:
1. Select and open the graph or chart from the list of available documents.
2. Scroll or navigate within the graph or chart to the drillable area, indicated
Related Topics
• Drilling on a report on page 41
• Drilling across to related reports on page 42
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 41
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Performing follow-up actions
Drilling across to related reports
Links from report cells to other documents are set up by the report creator
at design time.
Note:
• BusinessObjects Mobile does not support links to other documents
included in Crystal reports.
• When you view a report in Panoramic mode, links to other documents
are not activated. To activate this capability, select the General options
menu on your device menu, and then select Leave panoramic mode.
To drill to a related document from a cell value hyperlink:
• Placeholder text
Related Topics
• Linking documents on page 72
• Drilling on a report on page 41
Performing follow-up actions
Actions enable you to leverage the context and data displayed on reports to
make better and timelier business decisions. BusinessObjects Mobile actions
are triggered via hyperlinks embedded within document cells by the report
creator at design time.
Note:
• If the mobile device you are using does not support the actions present
in a report, those actions cannot be used.
• When you view a report in Panoramic mode embedded actions are not
activated. To activate actions, select Leave panoramic mode from the
application menu.
Related Topics
• Displaying contact details using Lookup on page 43
• Sending an SMS on page 43
• Making a call on page 43
42 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Performing follow-up actions
• Sending an email on page 44
Displaying contact details using Lookup
Actions are embedded into reports as hyperlinks by the document creator
at design time. Lookup, for example, allows you to retrieve a phone number
from the device address book, and then either call or send a text message
to that contact. When you select a hyperlink for this embedded action, lookup
is indicated at the top of the screen.
Related Topics
• Performing follow-up actions on page 42
• Embedding actions in report cells on page 67
Sending an SMS
Actions are embedded into reports by the document creator at design time.
5
Actions are indicated in a report as a hyperlink. The action that enables you
to send a text message by SMS to a predefined recipient is smsto. When
you select a hyperlink for this embedded action, smsto is indicated at the
top of the screen.
• Click the hyperlink to perform the 'smsto' action preconfigured within the
report.
Related Topics
• Performing follow-up actions on page 42
• Embedding actions in report cells on page 67
Making a call
Actions are embedded into reports by the document creator at design time.
Actions are indicated in a report as a hyperlink. Phoneto is an action that
enables you to phone to a predefined recipient. When you select a hyperlink
for this embedded action, phoneto is indicated at the top of the screen.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 43
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Refreshing results and synchronizing documents
1. Click the hyperlink to perform the phoneto action preconfigured within the
report.
The phoneto action calls the lookup action to locate the appropriate phone
number.
2. Click call to execute the phoneto action on the number you selected.
Related Topics
• Performing follow-up actions on page 42
• Embedding actions in report cells on page 67
Sending an email
Actions are embedded into reports by the document creator at design time.
Actions are indicated in a report as a hyperlink. Mailto, for example, is an
action that enables you to send an email message to a predefined recipient.
When you select a hyperlink for this embedded action, mailto is indicated at
the top of the screen. Click the hyperlink to perform the mailto action
preconfigured within the report.
Related Topics
• Performing follow-up actions on page 42
• Embedding actions in report cells on page 67
Refreshing results and synchronizing
documents
If you have the appropriate security profile allocated to you by your IT
Administrator, you can:
• Refresh online documents, when you are logged into the BusinessObjects
Enterprise server, to retrieve the latest values from the databases.
• Synchronize offline documents, stored locally on your mobile device, with
the online versions of the same documents as currently published on the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server.
When you synchronize an offline document, the new version is saved
back to the offline document store on your mobile device.
44 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Related Topics
• Synchronizing documents on page 45
• Refreshing reports with the latest data on page 46
• Working with documents stored locally on your device on page 52
Synchronizing documents
You can store copies of documents available on the server on your local
device. You can synchronize these local copies, called offline documents,
with their online counterparts published on the Business Objects server.
Synchronizing a document lets you retrieve the latest available document
version onto your device.
When you synchronize a document, a message appears requesting you to
confirm that you want to save the more recent version from the server onto
your device memory and overwrite the previous version.
Because the Mobile client only updates the information that has changed
since the last synchronization, the duration of the synchronization process
depends on network availability and the number of updates to be downloaded
from the server to replace the older version on the device.
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Refreshing results and synchronizing documents
5
To synchronize an offline document:
1. Navigate to your list of offline documents stored locally on the device.
2. Without opening the document you want to synchronize, select it and
activate the menu.
3. From the menu, select Sync Doc to synchronize the selected document,
or Sync All to synchronize all documents in the local storage.
A message is displayed warning you that synchronization requires
returning to connected mode.
4. Click Yes to switch to connected mode and login to the Business Objects
server to synchronize the local documents.
You can also synchronize a document directly from the document viewing
menu. While viewing a document, select Refresh from the menu to
synchronize the document with its server version.
Related Topics
• Working with documents stored locally on your device on page 52
• Refreshing reports with the latest data on page 46
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 45
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Refreshing results and synchronizing documents
Refreshing reports with the latest data
To refresh a document, the Refresh a report's data security right must be
set to 'Granted' in your BusinessObjects Enterprise security profile. Contact
your IT or BI administrator for more information.
Note: You can only refresh online documents published to the
BusinessObjects Mobile server.
Refreshing a document allows you to query the databases behind the
document and retrieve the latest values for its data set. After your refresh
action, the reports in the document display the most up-to-date results.
To refresh a document:
1. While logged into the BusinessObjects Enterprise server, navigate to the
document you want to refresh.
2. Open the document.
3. Launch the application menu, and select Refresh.
A message is displayed indicating that the document is being refreshed.
If the document contains prompts, you are asked to fill in the prompts
before the document is retrieved from the server.
Related Topics
• Modifying prompts to change the filters on reports on page 47
How to use prompts and parameters
Using BusinessObjects Mobile, you can leverage the prompts in Web
Intelligence documents and the parameters in Crystal reports to restrict the
values included in the reports you view to those values that interest you.
Prompts or parameters are dynamic filters that allow you to specify the data
retrieved in a document each time you refresh the document. The document
creator usually specifies default values, so that users do not have to select
values for each prompt before refreshing and viewing the report. For example,
a report creator including a prompt for 'Year' would probably select the current
year as the default value. If you have the appropriate security rights, you can
change the values for the prompts when you refresh the document.
46 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Refreshing results and synchronizing documents
When you refresh a document that contains prompts, BusinessObjects Mobile
displays a prompt screen containing the list of prompts and their current
values. By default, the values are the same as those that you selected when
you last refreshed the document from your mobile device.
To change the values for the prompts you have two options:
• revert to the default values specified by the document creator.
• enter or select different values from among the available values on the
database.
Note: BusinessObjects Mobile does not support cascading prompts in Web
Intelligence documents or cascading and dynamic parameters in Crystal
reports.
Related Topics
• Modifying prompts to change the filters on reports on page 47
• Refreshing reports with the latest data on page 46
Modifying prompts to change the filters on reports
5
Prompts and parameters are defined for Web Intelligence documents and
Crystal reports by the document creator at design time.
To modify the values currently specified for prompts:
1. From within a document, launch the menu and then click Refresh.
The list of prompts appears.
2. Select the prompt for which you want to specify a different value.
3. You have the following options:
• To reset the prompt value to the default value specified by the report
creator, launch the device menu, and select Set to default.
• To reset all the prompt values to the default values specified by the
report creator, launch the device menu, and select Set all to default.
• If some prompts have no values currently selected, and you want to
set those prompts to their default values, launch the device menu and
select Set empty to default.
• If you want to reset the values of all the prompts, launch the device
menu and select Delete all. This option removes values altogether
and leaves the prompts empty.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 47
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Subscribing to alerts
• If you know the exact syntax of the value you want to specify for the
prompt, type the value into the prompt field.
• If you prefer to view the available values and then select one, select
the value you want from the list.
If the List of values not refreshed message appears, press the Enter
or OK key on your device to refresh the list of values. When you refresh
a list of values, all the values currently available on the database for
that selected dimension are retrieved to the list.
4. On the device menu, select OK to return to the main Prompt screen.
5. On the device menu, select Get report.
BusinessObjects Mobile retrieves the data for the selected prompt values
into the reports.
Related Topics
• Refreshing results and synchronizing documents on page 44
Subscribing to alerts
Subscribing to alerts enables you to be notified on your mobile as soon as
a specific modification to a specific document has occurred on the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server. For example, a sales report alerter is
activated when the sales results for the current quarter fall under the tolerance
level as defined by the sales directorate. You receive the alert and can contact
members of your team to troubleshoot the problems.
Alert settings are available for documents that have been modified on the
server or have been configured with conditional alerters by the document
creator.
If you want to activate alerts on the document that you receive on your device,
you configure alerters on the document when you create the document.
Document and data alerts can be triggered on both standard and scheduled
documents. All document and data alerts can push new document data into
local device storage, therefore creating a new local document on the device.
You can activate (subscribe) and deactivate (unsubscribe) alerts on your
device.
Note:
48 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
• You can only receive alerts on server documents. You have to connect
to the server to receive alerts.
• To use your phone for other tasks than those tasks offered by
BusinessObjects Mobile application, but you still want to receive alerts,
run BusinessObjects Mobile run in the background. If an alert is sent to
your device while the application is running in the background, the alert
is displayed in the foreground. Click the alert to acknowledge it, and open
the element that generated the alert.
Related Topics
• Quick reference to alerts on page 49
• Subscribing to an alert on page 50
• Viewing alert properties on page 51
• Working with documents stored locally on your device on page 52
• Running BusinessObjects Mobile in the background on page 27
Quick reference to alerts
You can choose from several different alert types, depending on the type of
report modification that you want to be informed about:
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Subscribing to alerts
5
This alert
type...
Document alert
Conditional data alert
Scheduled document alert
Scheduled conditional data
alert
be alerted...
when a specific document is
modified.
when the current report values activate at least one of
the specific alerters in a report.
when you want to be notified
each time a scheduled execution is run.
when the current report values during a scheduled refresh activate a specific
alerter in a report.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 49
For example...is useful when you want to
Another person has refreshed
the document.
The current report values meet
at least one of the conditions
defined on an alerter on a report, which triggers the alert.
A scheduled refresh or publish
is executed on the document.
The current report values following a schedule refresh
meet at least one of the conditions defined on a report in the
alerter.
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Subscribing to alerts
Related Topics
• Subscribing to alerts on page 48
Subscribing to an alert
You can subscribe to specific alerts yourself using the options in
BusinessObjects Mobile via your device. Alternatively, depending on your
corporate IT policy, you can request that your IT or business intelligence
administrator subscribes you to one or more alerts.
Note: To subscribe to an alert, select an online document available on the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server.
How you subscribe to an alert via your device depends on the alert types
available for the selected document:
Subscription methodAlert type
Document alert
Conditional data alert
Scheduled document
alert
Scheduled conditional
data alert
To subscribe to an alert:
1. Navigate to and select a document with alert capabilities from the list of
documents (do not open the document).
2. From the menu, select Alert Properties.
The document name is displayed under "Document Alert Properties".
3. Select Subscribe to activate the alert subscription.
Select the document title (without opening the document) and activate the alert.
Select the document and on the Alert properties
pane, activate alerts.
Select the document title, view the schedule properties to select the specific schedule for which you
want to receive an alert, then activate alerts.
Select the document and view the schedule properties, select the recurrence on which you want to select an alerter, then activate alerts.
50 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Select the type of alert to which you want to subscribe from the list of
alerts available for the selected document:
• Document updated
• Conditional all alerters
4. Select Store local copy to save the document associated with this alert
on your device local storage.
5. Launch the application menu and select Subscribe.
If you selected the Store local copy option, a message appears that
indicatesthat the alert is activated and the updated document retrieved.
You are now subscribed to the alerts available for the selected document.
Related Topics
• Subscribing to alerts on page 48
• Quick reference to alerts on page 49
Viewing alert properties
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Subscribing to alerts
5
You can view the following properties of an alert:
• document name
• alert ID
• alert type
To view the properties of an alert:
1. From the application menu, select Document Alert Properties.
The "Document Alert Properties" panel is displayed.
2. Select the alert for whose properties you want to display.
The following properties are displayed:
• the document name
• the document ID
3. To display information on the type of alert available for the selected
document, select Subscribe to activate the alert subscription.
The alert type available for the document is indicated:
• Document updated
• Conditional all alerters
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 51
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Working with documents stored locally on your device
Related Topics
• Subscribing to alerts on page 48
• Subscribing to an alert on page 50
• Quick reference to alerts on page 49
Working with documents stored locally
on your device
Working with documents locally allows you to interact with business
intelligence documents on the move without connecting to the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server. You reduce your communication costs
and mitigate the issues you have with your wireless network connection in
some locations.
When you save a local copy of a document, it is encrypted, compressed,
and stored in the local memory of your device. While devices have different
storage capacities, as a general rule Business Objects recommends that
you limit the number of large documents you store locally on your device for
offline use.
You can open and view local documents in the same way you open and view
online documents. If you want to see the latest version of the document on
server, you can synchronize your local version with the newer version on
the server.
To receive timely information directly on your device, subscribe to alerts that
trigger the server to send documents to your device when the alert conditions,
such as a document update or data modification, are met.
Note: If you set a local document as your default document and delete that
document from your offline documents folder, BusinessObjects Mobile no
longer opens that document by default when you log into the application.
Related Topics
• Working with local documents on page 53
• Saving documents locally on your device on page 53
52 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Working with documents stored locally on your device
Working with local documents
You can work in offline mode when you have saved documents locally to
your device.
You can opt to work online (by connecting to the BusinessObjects Enterprise
server) or offline (by working only with documents stored locally on your
device) each time you log in to BusinessObjects Mobile.
Work with local documents when you want to spend a considerable time
analyzing a document without the cost of remaining connected to the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server. Working online is useful when you want
to view new documents that have been published to the server or view the
latest version of results.
To switch between online and offline modes:
1. From the login screen, select, or unselect Use in offline mode.
2. Launch the application menu and select Login.You are presented with
the choice of accessing local or server documents. If you select server
documents, a message appears warning you that you have to connect
to the server to access server documents:
a. Select No to continue working with local documents only.
b. Select Yes to connect to the BusinessObjects Enterprise server to
access server documents.
You can only access local documents if you have saved them to your
device in a previous session.
5
Related Topics
• Saving documents locally on your device on page 53
Saving documents locally on your device
You can save documents on the BusinessObjects Enterprise server into
local storage on your device. To avoid the communication time necessary
to open a document online while remaining connected to the server, select
the title of an online document and save the document directly to your local
document store.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 53
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
5
Working with documents stored locally on your device
Once you have saved a document locally, you can open it and spend time
viewing and analyzing its contents without being connected to the server.
To save an online document to your local document store:
1. Navigate to the document you want to save locally.
2. Without opening the document, select it from the list of available
documents and launch the application menu.
3. Select Save doc.
A message appears, warning you that a copy of the document will be
stored locally on your device.
4. Select one of the following:
• Back to cancel the operation and return to the list of available
documents.
• Yes to proceed and save the document locally.
Related Topics
• Working with documents stored locally on your device on page 52
• Working with local documents on page 53
Deleting local documents
You can easily delete offline documents from your local device to ensure
maximum local memory capacity.
Note: Set a local document as your default document, and delete that
document from your offline documents folder. BusinessObjects Mobile no
longer opens that document by default when you log into the application.
1. Navigate to the list of local documents stored on your device.
2. Select, but do not open the document you want to delete from local
storage.
3. Launch the menu and select Delete.
A warning appears, warning that the local document will be deleted.
4. Click OK to confirm the deletion.
The document is removed from the device memory only, but the instances
of the document on the server are not affected.
54 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Working with documents stored locally on your device
Related Topics
• Saving documents locally on your device on page 53
5
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 55
Interacting with Business Intelligence Documents
Working with documents stored locally on your device
5
56 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
How documents are displayed on mobile devices
How documents are displayed on mobile
devices
BusinessObjects Mobile makes viewing and interacting with business
intelligence content as intuitive as possible on mobile devices. Documents
are natively rendered to take full advantage of the mobile device display
space and capabilities.
The major presentation differences from the typical desktop user experience
are:
• the user interface, which is designed to maximize ease-of-use for mobile
content navigation.
• the ability to set up single-click document access by setting a default
document or folder.
• the conversion of report tabs within Web Intelligence documents, which
appear as a report list on the device menu.
The constraints inherent in mobile devices
There are real limits to the size and complexity of reports that you can display
on a small mobile device while maintaining any semblance of acceptable
usability; due to the small screen size, limited memory, and interaction
capabilities of mobile devices. Documents intended for mobile consumption
must be designed according to best practice design guidelines for mobile
devices.
Related Topics
• Best practices for mobile document design on page 58
• The Back menu on page 40
Best practices for mobile document design
BusinessObjects Mobile user experience is best when reports are written
specifically for easy reading and navigation on a small screen.
58 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Best practices for mobile document design
Create and use mobile device design templates
Use image backgrounds as the report design template for target mobile
devices. Embed an image of the target device in the report background as
a model of the screen size to help design the report to fit the device
constraints. In Web Intelligence, for example, you can use the Insert Object
feature to place a *.jpg of your targeted mobile device in the background of
a document, giving you an idea how big the document is in relation to the
device. Refer to theWeb Intelligence Rich Client User's Guide for details on
using this feature.
IT Administrators are advised to install these graphics files on the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server at the following location:
\Program Files\Business Objects\BusinessObjects Enterprise
12.0\Images
Note: To set the background image for Web Intelligence document creators,
go to the Background Image item in the Properties tab of Web Intelligence
Java Report Panel and then select the Custom radio button and enter the
file name of the image. The file must be local to the web server in the images
folder or available as a web URL. Business Objects provides two backgrounds
for this purpose in the BusinessObjects Mobile download package.
Alternatively, you can create your own backgrounds for specific mobile
devices.
6
Design for the device screen size
BusinessObjects Mobile renders documents using pixel-to-pixel mapping of
your report layout. For the best control, authors can design reports to the
pixel using the Web Intelligence Java Report Panel.
For optimal display on devices, do not allow graphics and data to exceed 2X
the physical screen width of the target devices.
Use a mobile device emulator to test your documents
Use a mobile device emulator on your desktop to simulate the mobile user
experience when you are authoring business intelligence content designed
for mobile users. Install a device emulator on your workstation and download
BusinessObjects Mobile on the emulator to test each report being displayed
inside the emulator. Testing your report ensures that there are no surprises.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 59
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Best practices for mobile document design
Although the report appearance varies between the emulator and the mobile
device, in terms of display and edit controls, you get a good idea of the size
and format your documents.
Publish documents in a mobile folder
It is recommended that the IT administrator create a folder in InfoView called
Mobile. If report creators publish all the documents designed specifically for
mobile users to the same location, mobile users know that they are accessing
content designed for mobile consumption via their mobile device.
In addition, mobile users can set this Mobile folder, or a subfolder below it,
as their default start folder on their device. At login, BusinessObjects Mobile
presents the list of documents and folders contained inside the default start
folder, enabling users to reduce the number of clicks required to access
documents at each login. Users can select any folder on the BusinessObjects
Enterprise server as their default folder.
If no start folder is specified, BusinessObjects Mobile shows folders and
documents located either in the Mobile folder under Public folders or in the
root folder, depending on whether a dedicated Mobile folder exists.
Design small reports
Report data sets can be large and can theoretically saturate available device
memory. Large data sets on the server can be mitigated by designing smaller
report views. In Web Intelligence documents, use drill hierarchies in reports
allow users to access to related data in different report views. Drill hierarchies
alleviate the necessity of scrolling through large reports.
Short reports usually work better in mobile situations, because mobile devices
are limited in bandwidth and memory, and large reports are difficult to
navigate in a small screen.
Make tables and graphs fit into the smallest device screen size
When you cannot reduce the size of tables and graphs:
• Design columns and labels to fit the screen of the target mobile devices.
• Do not design reports larger than two screen widths of the device screen.
• In reports that exceed a single screen width, make sure that at least two
columns (and better three or four columns) fit entirely in the physical
screen width.
60 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Best practices for mobile document design
• Try to adjust the columns sizing so that the grid exactly fits the width of
the mobile screen (or such that at least a fixed number of columns exactly
fits the screen width).
Use shortest significant names for headers and names
Use codes instead of names for countries and cities.
•
Use the short name for people (made up of their first name initials + their
•
last name) instead of full names.
Use short labels for dates: FY04 instead of Year 2004, Q104 instead of
•
1st Quarter 2004.
Create short data display formats
Divide numbers by 1,000 or by 1,000,000 and express the numbers in K or
in M using Web Intelligence Custom format to reduce the number of digits
displayed (to reduce column width). You can also put k or m in the column
title to make columns as small as feasible.
Change universe definitions of dimensions and measures, to enable drills
on shortened text labels. For example, you can convert the date dimension
into two strings: a Text column Year string (four characters) and a Quarter
(two character) string. Then you can build an expression for YearAndQuarter
made of the Quarter string concatenated with the two last characters of Year.
6
To display charts with short numeric format display:
1. Convert the chart to a crosstab.
2. Shorten the number digits as necessary (for example, divide by 1,000 or
by 1,000,000).
3. Convert the crosstab back to a chart.
Use Position controls to maximize screen real estate
Place your elements as close as possible to the left corner of the report (for
example, Charts, Grids, or Tables):
• Place first report element, label, or grid (at position (0, 0)) so that no blank
appears on the mobile screen.
• Remove the border of the page (Left Margin, Top Margin) = (0 px, 0 px).
• Remove the headers of the page (Top Header, Bottom Header) = (0 px,
0 px).
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 61
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Best practices for mobile document design
Limit font sizes to small-medium-large
Use Fonts 9, 12 and 15: Report display is limited to three available font sizes:
Small, Medium, and Large. Limiting the font sizes ensures greatest
compatibility across the variety of device types available in the marketplace.
Font mapping on BusinessObjects Mobile uses the following fonts:
• Arial 9 to map Small font of the mobile
• Arial 12 to map Medium font of the mobile
• Arial 15 to map Large font of the mobile
Design reports with these font sizes to achieve optimal rendering accuracy
and consistency between the server and client behavior.
Use small fonts for tables. Do not use bold styles for table content (use bold
only for labels).
Plan for drillable headers
Leave blank cell space for drill icons that BusinessObjects Mobile places on
drillable headers.
Design content to fit within available column space
All numbers must display completely within available cell space. Strings must
appear completely, or at least the most significant part of each string must
be visible.
Use short meaningful names for document and report tabs
In BusinessObjects Mobile, report tabs are converted into a user selection
list. Report tabs are also displayed in the report context labels. Choose report
tab names that are short and meaningful to the end user as they become
navigation aids. These name strings can be no longer than 20 characters
long.
Related Topics
• Designing Web Intelligence documents for mobile users on page 63
• Designing Crystal reports for mobile users on page 65
• Designing analytics for mobile users on page 64
62 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Best practices for mobile document design
Designing Web Intelligence documents for mobile users
Use the Java Report Panel
For maximum formatting accuracy and control, use the Web Intelligence
Java Report Panel to create and edit Web Intelligence documents for mobile
users.
Include additional icons to flag on-report alerters
BusinessObjects Mobile users can subscribe to alerts that send a notification
to the mobile device when report values meet the conditions in specific Web
Intelligence document alerters.
It is recommended not to place too many alerts on one document
(recommendation is 2-3 maximum), since device users cannot select only
one of the available alerts.
6
The BusinessObjects Mobile download package includes eight trend and
status alerting icons that can be added to Web Intelligence conditional report
alerters for greater visual impact when these reports are viewed on mobile
devices. IT administrators are advised to install these graphics files on the
BusinessObjects Enterprise server at the following location:
\Program Files\Business Objects\BusinessObjects Enterprise
12.0\Images
To insert one of these icons into a report:
• Select the column for the alert and open the Alerters button.
• Select or create the alert you want activated on the selected data, then
select the appropriate icon for each condition of the alerter by selecting
the Format button on the alerter condition.
• In the Background part of the Alert format dialog, type the icon file path
and name into the URL entry field. (The server adds boimg// as a prefix
to the file name, which directs the server to look in the local images
directory for this icon.)
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 63
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Best practices for mobile document design
Integrate a background skin that portrays the screen size of the mobile
device
Business Objects provides two backgrounds for this purpose in the
BusinessObjects Mobile download package, but you can create your own
backgrounds for specific mobile devices, if wished. IT administrators are
advised to install these graphics files on the BusinessObjects Enterprise
server at the following location:
\Program Files\Business Objects\BusinessObjects Enterprise
12.0\Images
To set the background image for a Web Intelligence document creators, go
to the Background Image item in the Properties tab of Web Intelligence
Java Report Panel and then select the Custom radio button and enter the
file name of the image.
Note: The file must be local to the web server in the images folder or
available as a web URL.
Plan for drillable headers
Leave blank cell space for drill icons that BusinessObjects Mobile places on
drillable headers.
Related Topics
• Designing Crystal reports for mobile users on page 65
• Designing analytics for mobile users on page 64
Designing analytics for mobile users
BusinessObjects Mobile enables users to access and display gauge analytics
(speedometer, barometer, thermometer) on mobile devices.
Users can display static gauge analytics published as InfoObjects in the
BusinessObjects Enterprise CMS. Mobile device users can access gauge
analytics stored in the Mobile folder, public and personal folders, the favorites
folder or the inbox.
Users cannot refresh analytics from the device or open gauges set to Refresh
on Open. To ensure that users view up-to-date data in analytics, you create
a schedule in the CMC to refresh the analytic on an appropriate basis.
64 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Best practices for mobile document design
The following types of gauges are supported:
• static analytics without prompts
• basic gauges saved as SVG
• gauges based on goals
sliced gauges
•
Note: Only the slice used to save the analytic is available.
The following gauge features are not supported:
• traffic lights
• navigation (linking) options from the gauge (you can display gauges that
contain links on the device but the link will not be active)
• gauges with a previous time period configured (a second needle)
• tooltips
• metric tree options
• gauges saved as refresh on open
• gauges based on prompts
• gauges that contain javascript
• gauges saved as HTML or Flash
• gauges that have no data during the selected period
6
Related Topics
• Designing Web Intelligence documents for mobile users on page 63
• Designing Crystal reports for mobile users on page 65
Designing Crystal reports for mobile users
When designing Crystal reports for mobile users, verify that only the following
elements are included into the reports:
• Charts
• Simple sections and details
Font display
Font types, sizes, and formats can display differently on different types of
mobile devices. It is recommended that you test your reports on the popular
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 65
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Best practices for mobile document design
devices used by your mobile users before you make the reports available to
users.
Table types
BusinessObjects Mobile does not support crosstabs, used to analyze OLAP
data, in Crystal reports.
Drilling capability
Drilling into data in Crystal reports is not supported on BusinessObjects
Mobile.
Prompts
BusinessObjects Mobile only supports static prompts in Crystal Reports.
Linking documents and drill capability
Links to external documents and drill capability are not supported in Crystal
reports when viewed by users via a mobile device.
Parameters and filters
BusinessObjects Mobile supports only simple parameters and static filters
Crystal reports. Dynamic and cascading parameters and the ability to modify
filters are not supported.
ActiveX content
BusinessObjects Mobile does not support ActiveX content in Crystal reports.
Database Logons
BusinessObjects Mobile does not support prompting for database logons in
Crystal reports.
Suppression at view time
BusinessObjects Mobile does not support suppression at view time in Crystal
reports. The mobile user cannot suppress sections while viewing a Crystal
report.
66 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Related Topics
• Designing Web Intelligence documents for mobile users on page 63
• Designing analytics for mobile users on page 64
Setting up alerters on documents
Mobile device members can subscribe to alerts on specific server documents
provided those documents have been configured with alerters. The following
types of alerters are prerequisites for subscribing to alerts on the device:
Required pre-configuration of server documentAlert type supported
on devices
The document is modified on the server.Document Alert
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Embedding actions in report cells
6
Scheduled Alert
Condition Data Alert
Scheduled Conditional
Data Alert
Documents resulting from alerts and schedules can be saved locally to the
device. The device user selects this option in the "Alert Properties" screen.
Related Topics
• Subscribing to an alert on page 50
Configure the document with at least one schedule
(recurrence) so that the user receives an alert when
the schedule is executed.
Configure the document with a conditional alerter in
Crystal Reports or Web Intelligence. The mobile user
receives alerts for all conditions defined in the report
(the user cannot choose to activate one condition).
Configure the document with at least one condition on
at least one of the scheduled recurrences so that the
mobile user can subscribe to receive an alert each time
the selected data fulfills at least one condition in the
server document.
Embedding actions in report cells
BusinessObjects Mobile supports user actions embedded in reports.
Embedded actions, commands defined by the document creator, enable end
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 67
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Embedding actions in report cells
users to initiate a communication of a predefined type with another application
by clicking the embedded action hyperlink on the report.
For example, a typical business intelligence action requested by mobile users
is the ability to leverage predefined 'phoneto' or 'smsto' commands to contact
quickly a business collaborator who has a relationship with the data content
of the open reports. This action is called a local action, because local device
processes the action.
Other types of action can be used to trigger a process in another application.
For example, when sales results are higher or lower than an agreed objective,
an alerter on a Web Intelligence report can be coded to trigger the automatic
publishing of a report in PDF format, and the sending of the report by email
to business stakeholders. This type of action is called a remote action,
because another application processes it.
Related Topics
• Authoring actions on page 68
• Quick reference to embedded actions on page 69
Authoring actions
Embedding actions in a report means that end users viewing the report can
activate predefined commands that generate actions, such as a phone call
or email to a specific recipient.
Example: Embedding the phoneto action in a report so that a sales
manager can activate a call from her mobile phone to the sales
representative responsible for a specific business deal
As a simple example, imagine a sales manager checks a particular sales
representative pipeline report from her mobile and decides that she wants
to call the representative to discuss details about a particular deal. The
report author who wants to enable this workflow adds a URL cell to the
Web Intelligence document that contains the following syntax:
<a href='action_url' desc='action_description'>[Cell value]</a>
A cell containing a valid action appears as a hyperlink. The BusinessObjects
Mobile client can read this URL and change the displayed menu items and
the Info Display cell, based on what the report author encodes in it.
68 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
The new item in the menu is accessible from a cell containing the action,
enabling the user to trigger the action within this context. To invoke the
actions, the user browses to the cell and uses the menu or the Enter key
to execute the action.
Related Topics
• Quick reference to embedded actions on page 69
• Syntax for actions on page 70
• Performing follow-up actions on page 42
Quick reference to embedded actions
Embedding actions in reports enables users to take an action related to the
values they see and implement timely business decisions. The following
actions are supported for BusinessObjects Mobile:
Performs this action...This command...
Embedding actions in report cells
6
automatically dials a predefined phone number.phoneto
smsto
lookup
mailto
Related Topics
• Syntax for actions on page 70
• Authoring actions on page 68
• Performing follow-up actions on page 42
enables you to send a text message to a predefined recipient.
enables you to retrieve a phone number from the device
address book then either call or send a text message to
that contact.
enables you to send an email message to a predefined
recipient.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 69
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Embedding actions in report cells
Syntax for actions
BusinessObjects Mobile supports two types of action that can be embedded
in Web Intelligence reports:
• local actions -- processed by the mobile device
• remote actions -- processed by another application
The syntax for local actions is explained here. For information on embedding
remote actions into Web Intelligence reports, contact your Business Objects
Global Services representative.
The syntax for local actions is:
laction://phoneto?num='0123456789'
•
laction://smsto?num='0123456789'
•
laction://lookup?name='jane doe'
•
lmailto://john@address
•
Parameters take the following syntax:
@paramName='Label|type|defaultValue'$
where:
• @ indicates to the device that the user is about to enter data.
• label is the string that displays on the device before the field in which
the user will input data.
• type (optional) is the data type that the user is allowed to enter (the
supported types are numeric, decimal, password, string, url).
• defaultValue (optional) is the value that is entered in the field by default.
Note: If you entered a default value, indicate the data type that the device
can expect to receive as input.
• $ is a separator that allows you to concatenate two parameters.
As an example of how this works, here is the exact URL from the Web
Intelligence report shown above that uses the report variable
'[SalesREPName] ' to invoke the local device PIM for making a phone call:
="<a
href=\'laction://phoneto?num=laction://lookup?name='"+[SalesREP
70 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Name]+"'$$\'
desc=\'Call
'+[SalesREPName]+'\'>[SalesREPName]</a>"
The formula terms have the following meanings:
DefinitionTerms
Embedding actions in report cells
6
desc=
name=
phoneto=
lookup=
What appears in the Cell of the Web Intelligence report
(for example, 'Call Jane Doe').
The name to submit to the device PIM (Personal Information Manager application) for lookup ('Jane Doe'
which is the current report value of [SalesREPName]).
The function uses the first and last name as separate
search parameters, so in the example above the
function would search for 'jane' and 'doe' in the directory.
The phone call action that is invoked using the resulting phone number that the PIM look up delivers from
the local directory of the phone.
Note: This feature can only be used if the device has
a PIM package that supports it. The phone directory
must have this name in it to invoke the call successfully.
The lookup action passes a value (phone number) to
one of the other two options. This feature can only be
used if the device has a PIM package that supports
it. The lookup action can also take the @num parameter, as follows: <a href="laction://phone
to?@num='Enter number|numeric'$"
The @ argument indicates to the device that the user
can enter the phone number manually. When the user
accesses the report containing this action, the device
displays the message enter number and expects the
user to enter a numeric value, a phone number.
Related Topics
• Authoring actions on page 68
• Quick reference to embedded actions on page 69
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 71
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Linking documents
Linking documents
Note: BusinessObjects Mobile supports document links in Web Intelligence
reports, but not in Crystal reports.
Document links are specific actions that enable navigation from one document
to another. In Web Intelligence, OpenDocument links are created through
URL syntax in a cell that looks like this:
=<a href=\"action_url\"
desc=\"action_description\">"+[Cell
value]+"</a>"
Specifically, the Business Objects OpenDocument syntax is as follows:
action_url=\' http://<server>:<port>/businessobjects/
enterprise115/desktoplaunch/opendoc/openDocument.jsp?sDoc
Name=<docname>\'
When a link is placed inside a Web Intelligence document, the field containing
the OpenDocument link appears as a hyperlink. Mobile users can move from
the source document to the target document by browsing to the cell that
contains the hyperlink, and then pressing OK or selecting Open from the
menu.
Supported parameters for document linking
BusinessObjects Mobile supports a subset of the Web Intelligence
OpenDocument syntax. Specifically, BusinessObjects Mobile supports the
following parameters:
• sPath
sPath indicates the relative paths to the folder containing the current
document, using the following syntax:
[My+folder],[My+subfolder],
If this parameter is omitted, the function calls the document using the
iDocId.
• sDocName
The sDocName parameter can be used without the iDocId when the
document name is unique in the CMS. If two documents in the CMS have
the same name, you must use this parameter in conjunction with sPath
and/or iDocID. If a unique identifier is not specified and two documents
72 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Linking documents
exist in the CMS under the same name, BusinessObjects Mobile displays
the first document it retrieves when it searches the CMS.
• iDocID
iDocID represents the unique document CUID in the CMS.
• sReportName
sReportName indicates which report to open when the target document
contains multiple reports.
• sRefresh
sRefresh determines that a refresh is forced when the target document
or report is opened.
• lsS[NAME]
lsS[NAME] specifies a value for a single prompt. [NAME] represents the
text of the prompt.
• lsM[NAME]
lsM[NAME] specifies multiple values for a prompt. [NAME] represents
the text of the prompt.
6
Note: BusinessObjects Mobile is case sensitive, so you need to use the
exact syntax specified above.
Related Topics
• URL Reporting Using openDocument on page 73
URL Reporting Using openDocument
URL reporting using openDocument provides URL access to multiple
document types by passing a URL string to a BusinessObjects Enterprise
server. openDocument provides commands to control how reports are
generated and displayed.
You can use openDocument in BusinessObjects Enterprise to create
cross-system links to and from the following document types:
.wid: Web Intelligence version 6.x documents
•
.rep: Desktop Intelligence documents
•
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 73
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Linking documents
.rpt: Crystal reports
•
.car: OLAP Intelligence reports
•
Note: For more information about how to customize your Web Intelligence
documents, see the Web Intelligence Report Engine Developer Guide.
Structuring an openDocument URL
The next sections explain how to use the openDocument function, and how
to construct the URL.
An openDocument URL is generally structured as follows:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecific>?<pa
rameter1>&<parameter2>&...&<parameterN>
The exact syntax of the <platformSpecific> parameter depends on your
implementation:
For Java implementations, use opendoc/openDocument.jsp in place of
•
the <platformSpecific> parameter.
The URL is constructed using the parameters listed in OpenDocument
parameter overview on page 77
Joining parameters
Join parameters with the ampersand (&). Do not place spaces around the
ampersand. For example: sType=wid&sDocName=Sales2003
The ampersand is always required between parameters.
Spaces and special characters in parameter values
Because some browsers cannot interpret spaces, the parameters of the link
cannot contain spaces or other special characters that require URL encoding.
To avoid the misinterpretation of special characters, you can define a
URLEncoded string in the source database to replace the special character
with an escape sequence. This will allow the database to ignore the special
character and correctly interpret the parameter value. Note that certain
RDBMS have functions that allow you to replace one special character with
another.
74 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
Linking documents
By creating an escape sequence for the plus sign (+), you can instruct the
database to interpret the plus sign as a space. In this case, a document title
Sales Report for 2003 would be specified in the DocName parameter as:
&sDocName=Sales+Report+for+2003&
This syntax prevents the database from misinterpreting the spaces in the
title.
Trailing spaces in parameter values
Trim trailing spaces at the end of parameter values and prompt names. Do
not replace them with a plus sign (+). The viewer may not know whether to
interpret the plus sign (+) as part of the prompt name or as a space. For
example, if the prompt name displays:
Select a City:_
(where _ represents a space), enter the following text in the link:
lsSSelect+a+City:=Paris
where the spaces within the prompt name are replaced with the plus sign,
and the trailing space is trimmed off.
6
For details on prompt parameters of the link, refer to OpenDocument
parameter overview on page 77 .
Capitalization
All of the openDocument parameters are case sensitive.
Link length limit
The encoded URL cannot exceed 2083 total characters.
Parameter values in links to sub-reports
You cannot pass parameter values to a sub-report of a target Crystal report.
Using the lsS parameter with OLAP Intelligence reports
If the target document is an OLAP Intelligence report (.car) you can use the
IsS parameter to specify prompts. The parameters are passed in as a
URL-encoded string using the unique name of the parameter set up in the
OLAP Intelligence report.
Using BusinessObjects Mobile 75
Designing Documents for Mobile Users
6
Linking documents
Example: Opening a report to a specific page
If 23CAA3C1-8DBB-4CF3-BA%2CB8%2CD7%2CF0%2C68%2CEF%2C9C%2C6F is
the URL-encoded unique name for the page parameter in the OLAP
Intelligence report, you would use the following URL to open the OLAP
Intelligence report to page 2:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=car&sIDType=InfoObject&iDocID=440&lsS23CAA3C1-8DBB4CF3-BA%2CB8%2CD7%2CF0%2C68%2CEF%2C9C%2C6F=2
Example: Opening a cube parameter
If 8401682C-9B1D-4850-8B%2C5E%2CD9%2C1F%2C20%2CF8%2C1%2C62 is
the URL-encoded unique name for the cube parameter opening the
warehouse cube in the catalogue FoodMart 2000 on MSAS, you would use
the following URL to open this cube parameter:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=car&sIDType=InfoObject&lsS8401682C-9B1D-48508B%2C5E%2CD9%2C1F%2C20%2CF8%2C1%2C62=CATALOG%3DFood
Mart%202000,CUBE%3Dwarehouse&iDocID=616
Using the lsM parameter with OLAP Intelligence reports
If the target document is an OLAP Intelligence report (.car) you can use the
IsM parameter to specify prompts. The parameters are passed in as a
URL-encoded string using the unique name of the parameter set up in the
OLAP Intelligence report.
As was the case for the lsS parameter, lsM parameters are also passed in
as a URL-encoded string using the unique name of the parameter set up in
the OLAP Intelligence report.
Example: Opening a report
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=car&sIDType=InfoObject&lsMADC216EA-D9A5-42B5AE%2C21%2C84%2CA9%2CF9%2C6E%2C31%2C7=[%5BCustomers%5D.%5BCoun
try%5D.%26%5BMexico%5D],[%5BCustomers%5D.%5BCoun
try%5D.%26%5BCanada%5D]&iDocID=544
This is a memberset parameter opening up a report with Customers >
Country > Mexico and Customers > Country > Canada in the view.
76 Using BusinessObjects Mobile
OpenDocument parameter overview
This section provides a brief overview of openDocument and includes a list
of available commands. Details about the available commands, their specific
uses, and relevant examples are also provided.
The exact syntax of the <platformSpecific> parameter depends on your
implementation:
For Java implementations, use opendoc/openDocument.jsp in place of
•
the <platformSpecific> parameter.
The first parameter of the link
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecific>?
The first parameter, as displayed in the example above, must precede all
other parameters. After this information, the parameters can appear in any
order. The parameters of the function are displayed in the following table.
The mandatory column indicates whether the parameter is required in the
link.
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Note: The document containing the openDocument link is called the parent
document, and it resides on the parent system. The document to which the
link points is called the target document, and it resides on the target system.
Table 6-2: Platform Parameters
DescriptionParameter
iDocID on page 80
sDocName on page 80
sIDType on page 81
sKind on page 81
sPath on page 82
Document identifier.
Document name.
Crystal object type.
The file type of target Desktop Intelligence document.
The name of the folder and subfolder
containing the target document.
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DescriptionParameter
sType on page 82
token on page 82
Table 6-3: Input Parameters
lsC on page 83
lsM[NAME] on page 84
lsR[NAME] on page 87
lsS[NAME] on page 90
The file type of target document or report.
A valid logon token for the current CMS
session.
DescriptionParameter
Specifies a contextual prompt if there
is an ambiguity during SQL generation
(Business Objects and Web Intelligence documents only).
Specifies a range of values for a
prompt. [NAME] is the text of the
prompt.
For Crystal targets only, indicates
whether the link should open the full
target report or just the report part
specified in sReportPart.
Specifies a value for a single prompt.
[NAME] is the text of the prompt.
sInstance on page 92
sPartContext on page 93
sRefresh on page 93
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Indicates which specific instance of the
target report to open.
In Crystal Reports, a report part is associated to a data context.
Indicates whether a refresh should be
forced when the target document or
report is opened.
sReportMode on page 94
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DescriptionParameter
For Crystal targets only, indicates
whether the link should open the full
target report or just the report part
specified in sReportPart.
6
sReportName on page 94
sReportPart on page 95
Table 6-4: Output Parameters
NAII on page 96
sOutputFormat on page 96
sViewer on page 97
sWindow on page 98
Indicates which report to open if target
document is multi-report.
Indicates which specific part of the target report to open.
DescriptionParameter
Forces the display of the prompt selection page.
Indicates the format in which the target
document is opened.
Indicates the selected report viewer
(CR & CA only).
Indicates whether the target report will
open in the current browser window or
whether a new window will be
launched.
OpenDocument Platform parameters
The following tables list the openDocument platform parameters:
Note: Variables are denoted with angle brackets. You must substitute the
proper value for these variables. For example, you must use the name of
your server in place of <servername> where it is contained in the code
samples below, and you must use your port number in place of <port>.
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iDocID
Parameter syntax
iDocID
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=SalesReport&iDocID=2010
Note: To obtain the document ID, navigate to the document in InfoView,
Description of
parameter
Document identifier.
Mandatory?
One of sDocName
or iDocID is
mandatory.
Values accepted
for parameter
Document identifier (InfoObjectID).
hover your mouse over the document name hyperlink, and look for the ID
number in the browser's status bar. You can also obtain the document ID
from the Central Management Console.
sDocName
Parameter syntax
sDocName
Description of
parameter
Document name
without extension
If multiple documents have the
same name, specify the correct document with iDocID.
Mandatory?
One of sDocName
or iDocID is
mandatory.
Values accepted
for parameter
Document name.
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+200
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sIDType
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Parameter syntax
sIDType
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecific>?iDo
cID=2010&sIDType=CUID
sKind
Parameter syntax
sKind
Description of
parameter
Central Management Server
(CMS) object identifier type.
Description of
parameter
The file type of target Desktop Intelligence document.
Mandatory?
Yes if the target is
a Crystal report or
OLAP Intelligence
report (sType=rpt
or =car ) in an
Object Package
(otherwise, use
sPath and sDoc
Name )
Mandatory?
Yes if the target is
a Desktop Intelligence document
(otherwise, use
sType )
Values accepted
for parameter
• CUID
• GUID
• RUID
• ParentID
• InfoObjectID
(default)
Values accepted
for parameter
• FullClient
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sKind=FullClient
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sPath
Parameter syntax
sPath
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2005
sType
Parameter syntax
sType
Description of
parameter
The name of the
folder and subfolder containing the
target document.
Description of
parameter
The file type of target document or
report.
Mandatory?
Yes if sDocName is
specified and is
not unique.
Mandatory?
Yes, but ignored
for agnostic documents
Values accepted
for parameter
Folder and/or subfolder:
[folder],[sub
folder]
Values accepted
for parameter
wid
•
rpt
•
car
•
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid
token
Parameter syntax
token
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Description of
parameter
A valid logon token for the current
CMS session.
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
The logon token
for the current
CMS session.
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&token=<logonToken>
OpenDocument Input parameters
The following tables list the openDocument input parameters:
Note: Variables are denoted with angle brackets. You must substitute the
proper value for these variables. For example, you must use the name of
your server in place of <servername> where it is contained in the code
samples below, and you must use your port number in place of <port>.
lsC
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Parameter syntax
lsC
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=SalesReport&iDocID=2010&lsC=Sales
Description of
parameter
Specifies a contextual prompt if there
is an ambiguity
during SQL generation (Business
Objects and Web
Intelligence documents only).
Note: Not support-
ed by OLAP Intelligence
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
A prompt value
that resolves the
ambiguity in the
SQL generation.
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lsM[NAME]
Parameter syntax
lsM[NAME]
Description of
parameter
Specifies multiple
values for a
prompt. [NAME] is
the text of the
prompt.
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
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Parameter syntax
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
Multiple
•
prompt values,
separated by
a comma. If
the target is a
Crystal report,
each value
must be enclosed in
square brackets. If the target is a OLAP
Intelligence report, use the
MDX WITH
clause (refer
to Using the
lsS parameter
with OLAP Intelligence reports on page
75 and Using
the lsM parameter with
OLAP Intelligence reports
on page 76).
no_value (only
•
for optional
parameters)
Note: You can
remove an optional parameter from the
prompt by setting it to
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Parameter syntax
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=rpt&sDocName=SalesReport&lsMSe
lect+Cities=[Paris],[London]
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
no_value in the
OpenDocument query
string. If you
leave an optional parameter
out of the
OpenDocument query
string, a default
parameter value will be applied.
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lsR[NAME]
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Parameter syntax
lsR[NAME]
Description of
parameter
Specifies a range
of values for a
prompt. [NAME] is
the text of the
prompt.
Note: Not support-
ed by OLAP Intelligence
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
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Parameter syntax
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
A range of val-
•
ues for the
prompt, separated by a
double period
(..). If the target is a Crystal report, the
range must be
enclosed in
square brackets and/or
parentheses
(use a square
bracket next to
a value to include it in the
range, and
parentheses
to exclude it).
no_value (only
•
for optional
parameters)
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Note: You can
remove an optional parameter from the
prompt by setting it to
no_value in the
OpenDocument query
string. If you
leave an optional parameter
out of the
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Parameter syntax
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=rpt&sDocName=SalesReport&lsRTime+Period:=[2000..2004)
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
OpenDocument query
string, a default
parameter value will be applied.
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lsS[NAME]
Parameter syntax
lsS[NAME]
Description of
parameter
Specifies a value
for a single
prompt. [NAME] is
the text of the
prompt.
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
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Parameter syntax
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
A single
•
prompt value
(refer to Using
the lsS parameter with
OLAP Intelligence reports
on page 75
and Using the
lsM parameter
with OLAP Intelligence reports on
page 76).
no_value (only
•
for optional
parameters)
Note: You can
remove an optional parameter from the
prompt by setting it to
no_value in the
OpenDocument query
string. If you
leave an optional parameter
out of the
OpenDocument query
string, a default
parameter value will be applied.
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Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=SalesReport&iDocID=2010&lsSSe
lect+a+City=Paris
sInstance
Parameter syntax
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
User (Link to
•
latest instance
owned by current user)
Last (Link to
•
sInstance
Indicates which
specific instance
of the target report
to open.
No (use with
sDocName and
lsS[NAME])
latest instance
for report)
Param (Link to
•
latest instance
of report with
matching parameter values)
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&sReport
Part=Part1&sInstance=User
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sPartContext
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Parameter syntax
sPartContext
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2005&sReport
Part=Part1&sPartContext=0-4-0
sRefresh
Parameter syntax
Description of
parameter
In Crystal Reports,
a report part is associated to a data
context.
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Yes if a value is
specified for sRe
portPart
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
Data context of the
report part.
Values accepted
for parameter
Y (forces the
•
document’s
sRefresh
Indicates whether
a refresh should
be forced when
the target document or report is
opened.
No
refresh)
N (note that
•
the refresh on
open feature
overrides this
value)
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=SalesReport&iDocID=2010&sRefresh=Y
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sReportMode
Parameter syntax
sReportMode
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&sReport
Part=Part1&sReportMode=Part
sReportName
Parameter syntax
sReportName
Description of
parameter
For Crystal targets
only, indicates
whether the link
should open the
full target report or
just the report part
specified in sRe
portPart.
Description of
parameter
Indicates which report to open if target document is
multi-report.
Mandatory?
No (default is Full)
Only applies if a
value is specified
for sReportPart
Mandatory?
No (default is the
first report)
Values accepted
for parameter
Full
•
Part
•
Values accepted
for parameter
Report name for
Web Intelligence
documents, subreport for Crystal
Reports, pages for
OLAP Intelligence
reports.
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&sReportName=First+Re
port+Tab
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sReportPart
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Parameter syntax
sReportPart
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&sReport
Part=Part1
Description of
parameter
Indicates which
specific part of the
target report to
open.
OpenDocument Output parameters
The following tables list the openDocument output parameters:
Note: Variables are denoted with angle brackets. You must substitute the
proper value for these variables. For example, you must use the name of
your server in place of <servername> where it is contained in the code
samples below, and you must use your port number in place of <port>.
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
Name of the report
part.
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NAII
Parameter syntax
Description of
parameter
Mandatory?
Values accepted
for parameter
Y (all prompts
•
whose values
are passed
with lsS, lsM
NAII
Forces the display
of the prompt selection page.
Note: Not support-
ed by OLAP Intelligence
No
or lsR are
pre-selected)
N (displays
•
only the
prompts
whose values
passed with
lsS, lsM or
lsR)
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=SalesReport&iDocID=2010&NAII=Y
sOutputFormat
Parameter syntax
sOutputFormat
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Description of
parameter
Indicates the format in which the
target document is
opened.
Mandatory?
No (default is
HTML if the parameter is not specified in the link)
Values accepted
for parameter
• H (HTML)
• P (PDF)
• E (Excel)
• W (Word)
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Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&sOutputFor
mat=E
sViewer
6
Parameter syntax
sViewer
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&sViewer=html
Example:
Note: In order to use parameters in the URL with the ActiveX viewer, :connect
must be appended to the URL, followed by the parameters.
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sPath=[Sales+Reports]&sDocName=Sales+in+2003&sViewer=ac
tx:connect&IsMCountry=[Thailand],[Norway]
Description of
parameter
Indicates the viewer that is used to
view the document.
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
• html
• actx (Crystal
reports only)
• java (Crystal
reports only)
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sWindow
Parameter syntax
sWindow
Example:
http://<servername>:<port>/OpenDocument/<platformSpecif
ic>?sType=wid&sDocName=SalesReport&iDocID=2010&sWindow=New
Contextual report linking
The openDocument feature allows you to create contextual links between
Crystal reports, OLAP Intelligence reports and Web Intelligence documents.
To do this, you construct a URL using the openDocument syntax and then
insert the URL into a Crystal report, OLAP Intelligence report or Web
Intelligence document.
Description of
parameter
Indicates whether
the target report
will open in the
current browser
window or whether
a new window will
be launched.
Mandatory?
No
Values accepted
for parameter
Same (current
•
browser window)
New (new
•
browser window is
launched)
Contextual report linking allows report designers to specify associations for
documents residing in either a Crystal Reports environment (unmanaged)
or a BusinessObjects Enterprise environment (managed). Once these
associations are created, users follow the resulting navigational paths
embedded in the linked documents.
This feature enables you to invoke Business Objects and Web Intelligence
documents from Crystal Reports and vice versa. This feature relies on
functionality that allows the user to do the following:
Link Web Intelligence or Business Objects documents within the document
•
domain.
Link report objects in Crystal Reports.
•
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Click the appropriate link to jump to that section:
To insert a link into a Crystal report on page 99
•
To create a link to another report or document from an OLAP Intelligence
•
report on page 99
Creating links in Web Intelligence documents on page 100
•
To insert a link into a Crystal report
You can use openDocument to create hyperlinks in Crystal Reports. To
create a link to another report or document, use the Hyperlink Tab of the
field Format Editor.
1. Open the source report in Crystal Reports.
2. Right-click the field in which you want to insert the openDocument link
and select Format from the shortcut menu.
3. In the Format Editor, select the Hyperlink tab.
4. Select A website on the Internet.
5. In the “Hyperlink information” area, leave the Website Address field
empty and click the Format Formula Editor button.
6. Enter the openDocument link in the following format:
"http://[openDocument parameters]"+{Article_lookup.Fami
ly_name}
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Where [openDocument parameters] are described in OpenDocument
parameter overview on page 77, and the {Article_lookup.Family_name}
enables the report to pass context-dependent data.
Note: Test your link in a browser window before inserting it into a report
or document.
7. Click Save and Close to leave the Formula Workshop.
8. Click OK in the Formula Editor to save the link.
To create a link to another report or document from an OLAP Intelligence report
You can use openDocument to create hyperlinks in OLAP Intelligence reports.
1. Open the source report in the OLAP Intelligence designer.
2. On the Tools menu, select Action Manager .
3. Click New to create a new action.
4. Enter an action name.
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5. Select the area to which the action (the link) will apply.
6. Enter the openDocument link using the parameters and syntax described
in this document.
Tip: Test your link in a browser window before inserting it into a report
or document.
7. Click OK to save the link.
8. Close the Action Manager dialog box.
9. Create an Analysis Button on the source report.
10. Right-click the Analysis Button.
11. In the drop-down menu, select Properties and then Edit .
12. Select Launch an action .
13. Select the action that corresponds to the openDocument link created in
steps 3 through 6.
14. Click OK .
Creating links in Web Intelligence documents
You can define objects in a universe that allow Web Intelligence and
BusinessObjects users to create reports whose returned values include links
to other reports and documents.
When these reports are exported to the repository, users can click returned
values displayed as hyperlinks to open another related document stored in
the document domain of the repository.You create these links using the
openDocument function in the definition of an object in Designer.
More information
For full information on creating links in Web Intelligence reports, see the
Building Reports Using the WebIntelligence Java Report Panel guide.
You enable report linking in a universe by creating an object (the link object)
whose returned values are the same as the values used as input to a prompt
in an existing report (the target report).
The openDocument function allows the values for the link object to be
returned as hyperlinks. When the user clicks the hyperlink, its value is used
as the prompt input for the target report.
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