I’d like to have a box in Supervisor to record a proper name to go along with the BOUserid.
I’d also like to see a description block for report variables. I could use it to tell how, when, where, and why I created the variable.
Cindy Clayton 
(BOB member since 2002-06-11)
An email address might be handy too.
Paul Williams 
(BOB member since 2002-07-10)
I’d also like to have a text box to type in information on a Supervisor group.
Cindy Clayton (BOB member since 2002-06-11)
To be able to update existing BCA schedules (changing BO user distribution list, schedule time etc.) without having to delete old schedule and then re-schedule.
Andreas 
(BOB member since 2002-06-20)
You can do some of these for your own tasks (Tools/Console), or all of them if you have access to the BCA server console.
You can change most of the settings as you normally would when scheduling the task. You can also change the recipient list, but it’s a little more awkward.
To remove a recipient, click on their entry in the list and hit Delete.
To add a recipient, start typing in their case-sensitive username. When it shows the right name in the box, hit control+enter. This should add them to the list.
There are a couple of things that can’t be changed - can’t remember what they are offhand though.
Paul.
Paul Williams (BOB member since 2002-07-10)
It would be nice if the ‘Log to Database Option’ was ‘sticky’.
I believe that when it cannot connect to the audit database, it should continue to use the cacheing mechanism (that it periodically ‘flushes’ to the database) to collate all in-between data captured.
It should then flush all of this when it eventually manages to connect, so it would have to auto-retry the connection every x seconds, and have a final timeout value (say 50 retries) when it gives up and dumps the cache to the log file.
philmorris (BOB member since 2002-11-12)
Not viable for a regular end-user who is scheduling BO documents 
Andreas (BOB member since 2002-06-20)
Yes, exactly what I’d like to see happen! 
Anita Craig (BOB member since 2002-06-17)
A regular end-user can’t be shown how to go into the Console in BO, click on one of their tasks and hit Properties? Shouldn’t that be part of the training for submitting documents?
Paul
Paul Williams (BOB member since 2002-07-10)
I did not even know about this option - I think this option is disabled in our environment, but I checked it at home. Glad I learned something new 
Andreas (BOB member since 2002-06-20)
I would WISH to like to see the following… I know some are really 
asking for too much . But if BO reporter has to stand in front of Cognos Impromptu… some of these will be needed:
Prompts
a) Make prompts independent of the query. The use of Prompt should not filter the report in the WHERE clause. This will help in formatiing the report based on prompt.
b) Provision for Cascading Prompts
c) A Prompt which displays one data base column variable cannot pass a different one to the report. For example : Say you need a prompt called ““Product””. This should show the user the product names in the pick list. But while passing on the value selected to the report, it should pass the ““Product Id””. Such a thing cannot be done in BO. Cognos can do it since in the prompt definition there are facilities such as ““Currently Using”” and ““Currently Displaying””.
d) Arrange the order in which prompts are displayed irrespective of the name of prompts.
Give an option for disabling Project level aggregation
Exact description on objects/columns involved for errors like ‘Incompatible combination of objects.’ message
Filter on anything (even aggregates). May be this can be achieved by building a subset cube and then displayed in report.
Give an option of “HIDE” in Alerts.
Give an interactive option of “Formatting(which also contains HIDE)”. This needs to be like clicking on the cell/row/column and then format instead of devicing a formula and defining.
Allow ranking of a dimension based on a measure, which is a calculation of 2 or more data providers.
Allow sorting by different columns even if a ranking is applied (instead of the ranking always taking precedence when it comes to sorting).
Smart Cell Height spacing which adjusts the height of cells itself
One button to disable/enable all the filters applied to the report.
Drill Through to another predefined report by passing specified values.
WebI reports with user defined variable/ all capablities exact replica of thick client!!!
Regards,
Srinath
mksrinath (BOB member since 2002-09-19)
I thought you’d all be interested to know that I found a discussion in the KX regarding what product improvements we would like to see. It appeared to have been started by TPTB at BO. I added a link to this Bob thread so perhaps someone from BO will follow the link and read our suggestions 
Cindy Clayton (BOB member since 2002-06-11)
I disagree. Maybe have a second type of prompt that results in a report filter, but prompts are designed to go in the Where clause and reduce the amount of data returned from the database.
And you can already create prompts that are not database related for use in formatting a report. I demonstrated this at the user conference in Miami; check out MORE Variables and More for details if you are interested.
Agreed; this would be nice. And a much requested feature.
That would be nice.
What do you mean by this?
Also would be very nice.
It would require a two-pass operation. Right now with a one pass operation, you have to resort to some tricks to get this done. This will slow performance down, however.
You can show / hide blocks or cells based on a formula. And you can already hide an item in a block; go to Format + Block (table or crosstab), select the Pivot tab, and hide the items you don’t want to show.
I don’t know why this isn’t present already. The MultiCube() function doesn’t work properly with multiple data providers either.
Already present as an option since 5.1.3.
It’s coming… the UDS product currently works (on some platforms) to drill from OLAP to relational data. Eventually it will support drilling from relational to relational data sources.
It’s coming.
Dave
Dave Rathbun (BOB member since 2002-06-06)
I don’t know if this has been mentioned:
I would like to see a change in the Notification window that pops up at login to tell you you’ve received a document from BCA or another user. The Notification box should include a button - something like “Retrieve Now” - that opens the Retrieve window. Currently the only options are “OK” and “Help.”
Norm Rosen (BOB member since 2002-07-10)
I second that motion. 
MichaelWelter 
(BOB member since 2002-08-08)
Hi Dave,
Here are my clarifications:
1a) The usage of promts as displayed in the “MORE Variables and More” are very good. But these will require customising the universe for a report. Altering the universe for just formatiing and that too only for a report is not advisable. This is because, the report specific objects will increase profoundly and will make the universe tough to maintain. Hence an option to make prompts independent of the query will be really good and helpful. Also questions like the below can be answered:
i) Show the Totals only when the user selects “Yes” in the prompt “Show Totals”
ii) Make only the facts RED/BOLD for the country with the value selected from prompt “Important Country”
iii) Hide the details of the country which was selected for the prompt “Less Important/Not to be shown in report/Hide”. But for calculating the overall revenue also include the above country’s revenue
iv) For country specified in prompt “Special Country” display sum as “Running Sum”; for the rest as the usual “Sum”
As we know BO does aggregation in “Select” and “Project” Level. The select level of aggregation is using the group by. But in the Project Level, BO does the aggregation based on the multicube generated. It would be nice if the report developer has an option of diabling this Project Level aggregation since he will be empowered with more detail data to play with.
“Hide” Option :
i) Alerts do not have Hide option. Since Alerts can be used to format Aggregates, a Hide option if given on an alert can be used effectively to hide the aggregates. This will be helpful in a situation where in the detail data is folded and only the aggregates are shown. Now if the aggregates are also hidden based on a condition, then u r almost filtering on aggregate. Also, this will help for Caution reports with conditions like:
Total Revenue < 10 red cell value
10< Total Revenue < 100 green cell value
100< Total Revenue < 1000 dont show cell value
ii) The “Fold” Option for hiding the detail data needs to be made as a formula based. For ex: Hide detail records only when the no. of records in section is > 10
iii) It would be great if we could define a formula for hide option in Pivot. This will help in cases where: Show “Revenue In Dollar” column while for section “America” and “Revenue In Rupees” column for section “India”.
iv) Hiding based on Aggregate using the Ranking workaround as displayed in the “MORE Variables and More” is great but wouldn’t it be easy if we can achieve this by a direct method so that it is more clear when we debug the report.
I understand that the many above things can be achieved by either modifying database tables/universe/ 
REQUIREMENTS , but at reporting level it will be great if these are done independent of other modules.
Thanks and Regards,
Srinath M.K
mksrinath (BOB member since 2002-09-19)
Good feedback; some ideas below.
Create two blocks. One had a total, one does not. Use the Show / Hide option on the block based on a user response.
I’ve done this before too. In the 2000 Variables presentation I took a user response to a prompt and highlighted any element that contained the string. It’s not an “automatic” feature, but you can do it.
A rank can be used to do this.
This can also be done with report variables. Using the Sum(x) Where(…) structure, or an If Then structure, I am confident that this can be created.
Use “Avoid Duplicate Row Aggregation” on the blocks where you desire this behavior. That’s a feature that has been around for quite some time.
True. But in many cases, you can replicate the behavior by showing or hiding entire blocks.
Other than the last option, you can do this. As far as “don’t show cell value” you can replace the cell contents with a blank, or make the font clear or something.
This would be a very cool feature, I agree. And I don’t think there is a way to replicate it currently with variables or other tricks.
Also can be done, using multiple blocks and a show / hide option. I just visited a client where they use this trick with great success; using a Master / Detail structure provides different “blocks” for each master element. Based on a key value, a different block is shown in each “master” area. It works really well.
Yes, and it might then work with multiple data providers as well. Since you currently can’t rank on measures derived from multiple data providers, you cannot use a rank as a filter. And there are other issues with multiple data providers that should be resolved as well.
In many cases there are ways to workaround the issues now. Some of them could be cleaner or more obvious to the casual user. But some of the techniques can be done today if you dig deep enough.
Dave
Dave Rathbun (BOB member since 2002-06-06)
It would be great to have the power of creating a weighetd average measure in teh universe irrespective of the database capabilities.
reemagupta (BOB member since 2002-09-18)
I thought the problem with creating average objects in the universe was that changing the level of aggregation displayed in the report messed the results up? How do you aggregate the average in the report?
Paul.
Paul Williams (BOB member since 2002-07-10)
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the interest and the insights pointed. As you pointed out, I agree that these can be done.
But to get these done with reference to prompt is not possible from the reporter module alone. Since any prompt defined in reporter module alone will filter the data right away. And all the examples pointed out need data for dimensional values other than the one pointed out in the prompt.
We will have to utilize the designer and make the universe designed for report. This removes the generic nature of universe. And also if u start building report specific universes, the no. of universe will sky rocket, for the user who has tasted the achievement will surely ask for more without regard to the effort and feasibility. It also poses a problem in maintenance. So better not to disturb the universe for reporting need.
Humpty number of advantages will be garnered by making prompts independent of WHERE clause. I am not against using it in WHERE clause. As u had rightly pointed out, its main functionality is to go with the WHERE clause. But let it not be restricted to only that. Hence my WISH is that an option for using/NOT USING prompts in WHERE clause to restrict/un-restrict the result set be provided. Also let it be used without restriction for:
i) Usage in alerts/formatting/ranking
ii) Usage for filtering/hiding blocks
iii) Usage to define the calculation context
The hiding of entire blocks for accomplishing some tasks is good work around. But will it not translate into more complex report for later maintenance. Also, there are also lots of advantages by making the work-around as a direct approach. It helps a lot in cajoling the users to use the Reporter module, hence delegating considerable effort of Technical Staff. Hence i also persist with my following WISHes for 
direct approach Options for:
i) Formula based Pivot Hiding.
ii) Formula based Fold Hiding.
iii) Formula based Chart Type display.
iv) Filtering/Hiding based on Aggregates.
v) A hide option in Alert
vi) A direct formula to calculate the difference in Time period
Some more NEW WISHES:
When the processes and approaches to be taken for Work-around are known why not automate the things in the module itself so that BO becomes great and BO Reporter becomes synonymous to a tool for a Common man rather than a Tech gadget.
Thanks and Regards,
Srinath M.K
mksrinath (BOB member since 2002-09-19)