Best Of
Presentation - add a message when you share it
It would be nice add a message to involved users when you share a presentation
thanks
Managing in-memory (MDB) versions of RDB cubes
Hi all,
We are starting to experiment with RDB cubes, based on the ODBC connector to Snowflake.
One use of these cubes would be to store specific detailed versions of some large cubes (currently cubes more than 30 or 40Gb, soon to reach 50Gb).
However, since RDB cubes cannot have versions, there is no simple way to design reports that would use aggregated versions while keeping the possibility to drill down until the most granular level (level stored in the external SQL table).
Idea: allow MDB versions for RDB cubes.
Benefits :
- Load data directly through a simple "Align" operation, using the ongoing selections
- Single entry point to access the data when building the front-end, allowing easy drill down / drill anywhere without the need for a drill-through setup
- Ability to use the external SQL engine to aggregate the data to load at the expected versions level
It seems that such a thing was possible in past versions, maybe some people will remember ?
Thanks for considering the idea.
Etienne
Re: How to use Nexel to select custom time periods
Thanks @Vincenzo Vitucci for the insights on this article!
Enable "Flatten groups level" option for End Users in Data Views
Make the "Flatten groups level" option available to end users via a dropdown menu to select the starting entity for flattening.
Re: Mastering Debugging in Board: A Core Skill for Developers
Thank you, Leone, for this great post! Debugging is an essential skill for every Board developer.
Taking a structured approach : checking logs, using the Procedure Debugger and breaking things down, has always helped to solve issues and better understand Board’s architecture.
A small tip: always check the documentation before diving into debugging! Many answers are already there, saving time and effort 😉
Omar
Admin / Task Scheduler - Allow scheduling of a task multiple times per day
Hi,
This issue has been raised multiple times with Support & Customer Success teams for the past 6 years at least, but since it's not moving, I'm posting it here to collect additional feedback from the community.
Issue :
Currently there is no possibility in the admin portal task scheduler to define the execution with a frequency higher than 1 day. For example if you want to schedule a backup multiple times per day, you need to define several tasks : one at 6:00AM, one at 9:00AM … etc. and schedule all these tasks on a daily basis, which is annoying and hard to maintain.
We also have worse cases where we want to schedule a procedure every 10 min. The typical example is a procedure that is synchronizing two planning data models, where the user needs to see almost in real time the impacts from one model into the other.
Current workaround
We include loops in the procedure with a "10min wait" and 144 calls of the subroutine to cover the day. However we run into issues since the execution time is not stable, and we end up with the procedure overlapping itself (24 * 6 executions in the day are not finished when the scheduler starts the procedure of the following day).
Idea :
Allow task scheduling with a frequency up to "every x minutes". This should be pretty basic as far as technical changes go.
iXBRL with Seahorse
1. Abstract
ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority) is the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor.
ESMA has developed the regulatory technical standards (RTS) which specify the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) that is the reporting format in which issuers, whose securities are admitted to trading on EU regulated markets, must prepare their annual financial reports to facilitate accessibility, analysis and comparability of the annual financial reports themselves.
Consolidated financial statements issued by entities on the EU regulated market, need to be, in fact, marked up using iXBRL tags.
2. Content
2.1 iXBRL
iXBRL is an open standard that allows a single document to provide data in both human-readable and machine-readable format. It is used to prepare financial statements in a format that provides the structured data that regulators and analysts require. The preparers have full control over the layout and presentation of their report.
iXBRL uses xHTML to place XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) tags “in line” with the visible text.
xHTML (eXtensible HyperText Markup Language) takes traditional HTML and “adds” the XML that provides machine-readable metadata. xHTML is used by most of the web pages: the HTML layer includes the basic text, colors and images, while the metadata includes all the information that defines the text.
Finally, the iXBRL is a filing format that merges human-readable HTML file with the XBRL tags that give meaning to the figures and statements in a format that can be understood by a computer.
2.2 Seahorse
Seahorse is an online application which can convert Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, XHTML and EPUB documents related to the annual financial statement into iXBRL
All outputs from Seahorse are validated against all the relevant technical standards and the filing rules specific to each reporting program. This includes the production of extensions and report packages as specified by ESMA for ESEF and UKSEF filings.
The application, therefore, guarantees full compliance with technical and regulatory standards.
2.3 Tag
A tag is defined by a Concept and a Context.
Concept is represented by:
- Label: is the name/description of the tag
- Type: identifies the attributes of the tag (e.g. Monetary/Text, Credit/Debit)
- Sign: specifies whether the sign (+/-) of the tag should be inverted
- Dimension: represent further details
Context:
- Period type: it can be duration or instant, it depends on the type of information (e.g. balance sheet accounts or income statement accounts)
- Period: month/year
- Unit: represents the currency
- Accuracy: represents the accuracy of the value reported
- Scale: represents the scale (e.g. units, thousands, …)
Following some of the major features in Seahorse that “help” the user in the tagging process:
- Bulk Review
- View calculation
- View duplicate tags
- Validate document
2.3.1 Bulk Review
The bulk review function allows users to quickly review in bulk the tag suggestions.
Seahorse displays the suggestions for the table’s line items, along with information on the sign, type of period and the confidence value for the suggested line item as a percentage. The user can flag the checkboxes and confirm the line items in bulk.
2.3.2 View calculation
The calculation viewer can be used to examine any calculations which have failed validation and identify the tags. In this way the user is facilitated in the correction of the errors.
2.3.3 View duplicate tags
Seahorse has a functionality which allows to show duplicate tags. Duplicate tags occur when the same tag is created multiple times within a document. They can be inconsistent duplicates if these multiple occurrences have different reported values or consistent duplicates if the values are the same. Based on the different jurisdictions the user has to solve/ remove the duplicated tags.
2.3.4 Validate document
The validate document action displays the errors in the document and the reasons why the filing failed the necessary criteria and requirements to produce the iXBRL.
Once the Document has been tagged and has passed the validations, it is possible to produce and download the Ixbrl document.
Seahorse has also an automated tag-selection engine using machine-learning to take into account tagging selections made in previous and other filings. In this way it is also possible to copy the company’s prior-year tags, reducing effort for subsequent years.
Add Stippled and Dotted Line Options for Enhanced Accessibility and Design
Hi Boardies,
I have an idea that could potentially enhance the usability and visual appeal of our beloved tool, Board. I propose adding the option to use stippled and dotted lines in our line charts.
Why This Feature Matters:
- Improved Accessibility: By incorporating stippled and dotted line options, we can make our charts more accessible to users with color vision deficiencies. This will allow them to easily differentiate between data series without relying solely on color differences.
- Design Flexibility: Offering a variety of line styles, such as stippled and dotted, would provide users with more creative freedom. This flexibility can help in tailoring the visual presentation of data to fit specific design aesthetics or preferences.
- Enhanced Clarity: In complex charts where multiple lines may overlap, different line styles can help users distinguish between data series more clearly, enhancing overall data comprehension.
Implementation Ideas:
- Include line style options (solid, dotted, dashed, stippled) in the chart customization settings.
- Allow users to adjust the thickness and pattern density of lines to suit their specific needs.
- Ensure these options are intuitive and easy to access within the existing user interface.
I believe this feature would be a valuable addition to Board. If this aligns with your vision, it would be great to see it considered for future updates!
Best, Jan
March 2025 Economic Outlook
Our ongoing economic outlook series provides a monthly, data-driven analysis of the US economy, offering objective insights into key trends and developments that shape our economic trajectory. As a thought leadership piece, it reflects the expertise of our team of economists, who closely monitor and interpret economic indicators to inform strategic decision-making.
Each installment, typically 5-8 minutes in length, presents an unbiased perspective on current economic conditions and future prospects, ensuring that our audience remains well-informed about the evolving economic landscape. By focusing on critical issues and emerging trends, our series aims to equip customers with actionable intelligence to navigate the complexities of the US economy effectively.
View the March outlook below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Virtual Cubes Management
As well as physical cubes, it would be useful to be able to group and organize virtual cubes.
Currently, it’s only possible to create them progressively, but sometimes it’s necessary to reorganize them or insert a new one between two existing virtual cubes.
I find a bit confusing not to have them in the correct logical order within the procedure.
Another useful feature would be the ability to manage them directly inside the procedure. Currently, it’s necessary to save and close the procedure, open the virtual cubes section, create the new cube, and then re-open the procedure to continue the editing.
