Section question

building reports desktopintelligence
1

Hello!

I am fairly new to Business Objects. I have been watching this list for a couple of weeks and have learned a lot about various topics just by reading the notes.

Now I have a question. It’s probably a fairly simple one, but I am stumped.

I am generating reports to html via Doc Agent. I am breaking the reports by section so that I get the section links. That’s good, I love that feature. However, on several reports, I have the sections breaking by codes (a sales rep’s ID). I want to have the sales rep’s name appear next to the ID in the section header, but when I try to add a second field in the section header, I get a #MULTIVALUE error when I generate the report.

I know I can create a user object that concatenates the rep ID and rep name, and that works, but then the section links in the html will be both the ID and name (and I do not want that).

Is there a way to have a second field in the section area just for informational purposes?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Dick McConnell
Polymerland IMO
e-mail: richard.mcconnell@polymerland.com

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

2

Richard,

I’m also a fairly new BO user. I’ve been doing this in two different ways as follows :

  1. Using max-function :
    =max(<sales rep’s name>) in stead of =<sales rep’s name>. This works becaue, you’ll have always the same name for one rep’s ID.

  2. Using a 2nd data provider :

  • I Insert new table in the section header. (Build a new querry on the same universe) - If the sales rep’s ID is the master, it will be automatically selected in the new DP. Then you can select the rep’s name. The new DP will be automatically linked to the first, with the same break applied. - I Replace the existing section header with the new table.

I don’t now what the BO guru’s will think of these solutions and what they’ll find the best. But it works for me.

Peter

“McConnell, Richard S (GEP)” Richard.McConnell@GEPEX.GE.COM 19/06/98 21:53:07 >>>
Hello!

I am fairly new to Business Objects. I have been watching this list for a couple of weeks and have learned a lot about various topics just by reading the notes.

Now I have a question. It’s probably a fairly simple one, but I am stumped.

I am generating reports to html via Doc Agent. I am breaking the reports by section so that I get the section links. That’s good, I love that feature. However, on several reports, I have the sections breaking by codes (a sales rep’s ID). I want to have the sales rep’s name appear next to the ID in the section header, but when I try to add a second field in the section header, I get a #MULTIVALUE error when I generate the report.

I know I can create a user object that concatenates the rep ID and rep name, and that works, but then the section links in the html will be both the ID and name (and I do not want that).

Is there a way to have a second field in the section area just for informational purposes?

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

3

Hi listers,

Just thinking about this one… as a description is obviously known to be in a one-to-one relationship with it’s associated dimension why should business objects specify a #Multivalue error in this circumstance?

Yes, ok… you can work around it but shouldn’t reporter realise when this is not truly an error?

Has anybody ever raised this with Business Objects, or found circumstances in which it does not happen?

Cheers,

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

4

Phil Morris wrote:

Hi listers,

Just thinking about this one… as a description is obviously known to be in a one-to-one relationship with it’s associated dimension why should business objects specify a #Multivalue error in this circumstance?

This is because dimension objects are treated as being independent, which means, for one value of a dimension, BO assumes there may be multiple valus of the other…
If you had information objects (which always relate to a specific dimension object) this should be taken into account (I’m not sure, it is).

Walter.

Walter Muellner
Delphi Software GmbH, Vivenotgasse 48, A-1120 Vienna / Austria Tel: +43-1-8151456-12, Fax: +43-1-8151456-21 e-mail: w.muellner@delphi.at, WEB: http://www.delphi.at

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

5

Phil Morris wrote:

Hi listers,

Just thinking about this one… as a description is obviously known to be in a one-to-one relationship with it’s associated dimension why should business objects specify a #Multivalue error in this circumstance?

Walter Muellner replied:

If you had information objects (which always relate to a specific
dimension
object) this should be taken into account (I’m not sure, it is).

I’ve run into this problem too. If you make the objects ‘detail’ (ie Cust ID
is a key, and Customer Name is a (gree triangular) detail - it still had the
same problem (as far as I could see, and I then abandoned this method as I thought it might bring further problems with existing reports).

I now either put the values together in a calculation (= & " - "&)
which seems to work, although it shouldn’t! - or I use a MAX() - if you know there is only one, then MAX() (or MIN) is it!

However it is something I think BO could be a bit more intelligent about.

Tim Neilson

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6

Richard, Hey!! I had a very similar problem with one of our reports that broke on sales agent ID and then the name in the header. We got the same MULTIVALUE message for the name. We fixed it by putting the name field down in the detail line of the report. We hid the field so you couldn’t see it on the report, but once we put that field in the detail line, it worked fine. I don’t know if you have already tried this but just in case…
Maria D. Carter
BusinessObjects Developer
(336) 279-2242
mcarter@gbncmail.ims.att.com

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

7

If there is only one value, you may want to try a Formula that will only return a SINGLE possible value for that cell. In certain cases a MIN or MAX applied to the variable are enough to get the value to work OUTSIDE the typical body of the report. Otherwise Business Objects assumes (and rightfully so) that the object you have selected my one day contain more than one value. If it is to NEVER have more than the one value, you can fill this cell with TEXT or with a UserResponse that is meant to do nothing other than be used as a title.
(ie Select ‘A’ where @Variable(‘What is the Title of the Report?’)

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

8

Hi. I have also received the #MULTIVALUE message and have used the MAX function as a work around. I am creating a financial report by fiscal year/ fiscal period. The year and period are unique per report and have a one to may relationship with the data in the data cube. I would like to create a heading including both the year and period but get an #IERR message. I have tried several variable formulae but it seems that the MAX function likes to stand alone. As soon as another function (i.e.: RightTrim) is introduced into the formula, the #IERR message comes to visit. Likewise when the MAX function is used twice in the same variable formula. I have tried creating a variable which concatenates year and period then using that variable in a second variable housing the MAX function (i.e.: 1. = year&" "&period then 2. =Max(year period variable). This approach too got the old trusty #IERR. Is it possible to create a variable which contains more than one object which has a one to many relationship?

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

9

In a message dated 98-06-20 00:35:12 EDT, you write:

That’s good, I love that feature.
However, on several reports, I have the sections breaking by codes (a sales rep’s ID). I want to have the sales rep’s name appear next to the ID in
the
section header, but when I try to add a second field in the section header, I
get a #MULTIVALUE error when I generate the report.

What version of BusObj are you using? In 4.0 it automatically generates a #MULTIVALUE error. In 4.1, at least in many cases, a variable can be placed into the section header (or footer, for that matter) without the dreaded #MULTIVALUE error.

If the variable is placed in the header, you should see the “first” value. If all of the values are the same (as in the case in your example) then who cares what the “first” value is as they are all the same? If the variable is placed in the footer, then the “last” value is displayed. This is actually a throw- back to the way things worked in version 3.1 of the program.

However, this doesn’t seem to be true for Master / Detail (ie section) reports. And of course if you are tying to use the section feature of HTML then you need this. I was able to “trick” BusObj into performing what you need.

Go ahead and create your report as normal, including setting up a section header for Sales ID. Then create a new block to the side of your existing report and place the Sales Name only in that block. Due to the automatic aggregation factor, you should only see one Sales Name in each Section. If you are careful, you can drag that new block up next to your Section cell, where it should remain a table separate from the section header. When you export as HTML it should not show up in the section frame.

It’s not a perfect solution, but you should be able to get it to work.

Regards,
Dave Rathbun
Integra Solutions
www.islink.com See you in Orlando in '98!

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

10

You have a few options to avoid the #IERR message.

If you can set ‘fiscal year’ as the master cel in a header detail report then the formula =year&" "&max(period) should work. If you would add a third, the again you would get the #IERR message.

A second solution for creating your header is to do it by inserting a new table using existing data in the document. If you select year and period your table will contain one row (with duplicate row agregation on).

To answer your final question ’ Is it possible to create a variable which contains more than one object which has a one to many relationship?’ I think yes but only with the second solution, by creating a table wich contains (maybe hidden) all the objects you refer to in your variable.

Peter

Crystal Golding c.golding@MAILBOX.UQ.EDU.AU 23/06/98 10:34:05 >>>
Hi. I have also received the #MULTIVALUE message and have used the MAX function as a work around. I am creating a financial report by fiscal year/ fiscal period. The year and period are unique per report and have a one to may relationship with the data in the data cube. I would like to create a heading including both the year and period but get an #IERR message. I have tried several variable formulae but it seems that the MAX function likes to stand alone. As soon as another function (i.e.: RightTrim) is introduced into the formula, the #IERR message comes to visit. Likewise when the MAX function is used twice in the same variable formula. I have tried creating a variable which concatenates year and period then using that variable in a second variable housing the MAX function (i.e.: 1. = year&" "&period then 2. =Max(year period variable). This approach too got the old trusty #IERR. Is it possible to create a variable which contains more than one object which has a one to many relationship?

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

11

Now I’m having myself a problem with

Peter Notenbaert peter.notenbaert@AQUAFIN.BE 24/06/98 10:12:24 >>>
You have a few options to avoid the #IERR message.

If you can set ‘fiscal year’ as the master cel in a header detail report then the formula =year&" "&max(period) should work. If you would add a third, the again you would get the #IERR message.

A second solution for creating your header is to do it by inserting a new table using existing data in the document. If you select year and period your table will contain one row (with duplicate row agregation on).

To answer your final question ’ Is it possible to create a variable which contains more than one object which has a one to many relationship?’ I think yes but only with the second solution, by creating a table wich contains (maybe hidden) all the objects you refer to in your variable.

Peter

Crystal Golding c.golding@MAILBOX.UQ.EDU.AU 23/06/98 10:34:05 >>>
Hi. I have also received the #MULTIVALUE message and have used the MAX function as a work around. I am creating a financial report by fiscal year/ fiscal period. The year and period are unique per report and have a one to may relationship with the data in the data cube. I would like to create a heading including both the year and period but get an #IERR message. I have tried several variable formulae but it seems that the MAX function likes to stand alone. As soon as another function (i.e.: RightTrim) is introduced into the formula, the #IERR message comes to visit. Likewise when the MAX function is used twice in the same variable formula. I have tried creating a variable which concatenates year and period then using that variable in a second variable housing the MAX function (i.e.: 1. = year&" "&period then 2. =Max(year period variable). This approach too got the old trusty #IERR. Is it possible to create a variable which contains more than one object which has a one to many relationship?

Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)