Hi Everyone, I’m very new to Web Intelligence and trying to understand it.
one question I would like to ask if it is possible to only create a universe with Database tables and do not define Classes / Objects .
Then in the reports, use the “Use Custom Query Script” option to write queries yourself directly to the tables defined in universe?
is it possible? what is the drawback and limitations of this approach?
Thank you very much
WebiLearner (BOB member since 2020-08-21)
Welcome to B:bob:B!
No, this is not possible.
A custom query (its structure) used in a WebI report needs to match the universe objects (their data types, their order) used in the query panel when a query is created. So there is a need to have universe objects.
Marek Chladny 
(BOB member since 2003-11-27)
why using a Universe if you do not want/need a Universe ?
create a connection to your DB in BO Server and use that with a WebI Freehand SQL
n8aktiv 
(BOB member since 2018-12-29)
Thanks for the reply.
I thought that query builder translates the universe objects to the tables/fields defined behind the scene.
so you create query in query panel using Universe Objects, and behind the scene SQL is generated that targets/maps to the actual tables/columns.
in that case, can i not use the SQL targeting to those tables/columns by passing the translation from Universe Classes/Objects to Tables/Columns?
WebiLearner (BOB member since 2020-08-21)
Hi, yes that is what I’m trying to understand if it is necessary to create the universe or you can just write queries against relational database (in my case, it is Azure SQL DB)
I was reading about the Freehand SQL but not very sure about its limitations.
are there any limitation on using freehand SQL?
Say, I have some reports that are already built locally against SQL database.
(so SQL queries are already available)
we are migrating local SQL database to Azure, and will use Webi to generate same reports from Azure SQL database.
In that case, I was assessing the various options and which option would allow to re-use maximum what we already have.
If I re-write all the presentation and business logic in Webi Report
and use Freehand SQL to re-use existing queries to get the data from Azure SQL DB to Webi.
Is it feasible? are there any considerations for that approach (like performance or limitations)
Thank you very mcuh
WebiLearner (BOB member since 2020-08-21)
the SQL that is generated in WebI when using Universe as a source is the same as you will enter in the Freehand SQL
and is the same as you will execute directly on your source DB.
Maybe this does not work with Multi-Source-Universes, because this statement has to be split up into separate parts in BO
before sending it with different syntax to the sources.
Idk about AzureSQL but with our Universe based on HANA-CalculationViews I can copy the generated statement from the WebI/Universe-source
and can run it without editing in HANA-Studio.
I also created some WebI-reports with a complex FHSQL-statement that was constructed/tested in HANA-Studio and there is no Universe involved.
n8aktiv (BOB member since 2018-12-29)
Thanks for the answer. Your point for Multi-Source universe is very valid.
I do not know about HANA-CalculationbViews, but I believe your FHSQL to HANA-CV will be very similar to FHSQL against any relational database.
I was reading somewhere that only One (or First if you have multiple) SQL query is executed when you use FHSQL. is it true?
if that is the case, that means I can only have one query in my webi report?
that seems quite a limitation of FHSQL.
WebiLearner (BOB member since 2020-08-21)
within one data-source there is one SQL-statement,
but you can have many/different data-sources
in the WebI-Report you have to merge (join) these data-sources,
so you can use any of the fields of the different sources
n8aktiv (BOB member since 2018-12-29)