Best Of

I would like to add my support for both points from Etienne CAUSSE. 

I would also like to expand on his second one regarding adhoc reporting - I will probably submit an idea on it if someone has not already.The most prevalent issue I have with my clients is the lack of ability to create ahoc reports within the software.  I do not have the resources to train any client in how to use the Self-Service features. It would be great to have a 'lite' report creation tool, which is a simple drag-n-drop report creation tool for all users and based only on the objects currently on screen.

I think one of the issues is the way licencing is pitched and perceived. I am a developer and so have  a licence to develop, our data analysts have poweruser licences but our core user population of internal and external business users are Lite or LitePlus licence holders.  The issue here is that lite and liteplus users can also be 'power(ful)users' as they are also the ones taking our datamodels and augmenting them into their own highly skilled and professional roles.  It is they that display how good a BI tool is and they all want to slice and dice data in order to create an adhoc report.  And that is despite the fact that some of us can do some crazy creative stuff with BOARD; Want to set local security filters for specific users and back up the file  - go right ahead:

Here's the logic (based on an original idea by Robert Heatley - the workflow master)

There is no tool on the market that can do all of what BOARD can, in my opinion.  Data entry and variable handling used to build workflow processes without the need of a programming language is immensely powerful.  Here at Avison Young, our standard models also provide integrations with BOX.COM, Leverton AI systems, Google maps and other web sources and services.  But I can tell you that my external clients are like "Meh" when they see it because their levels of expectation in 2019 are such that what we do is just expected today.  The problems come when a, business educated, senior director cannot just get the report they want and asks for a datadump to excel so someone else can do it for them - This is not what they want to do at the conference on their IPAD, I have to mitigate this issue by supporting the analysts so that they can create reports for their clients; pulling the proverbial rabbit out of the hat.

If I could have one wish for a future BOARD feature, just one, then simple adhoc report creation for all users would be it. 

   ... set the data free .

This response does not help in resolving this issue, however...

I think a change of, previously understood, behaviour that has not been fully explained, which does not provide a choice and so results in unexpected behaviour where once the outcome was understood, constitutes an issue (wow, sorry about the sub-clauses #smiley-face#).  

From my point of view I cant tell if this is an issue or only a changed behaviour

Platform upgrades such as 10.3 are welcome but they should be implemented and documented so that  developers can also implement and document changes to the client.

I really love BOARD BI but feel that I am made to run uphill on each update.  

I've solved it and thought that, for all those not aware, I would share my current findings. 

Short Answer:

@Selection substitution formulae with layouts do not display on a web screen and will, when used, stop all other substitution formulae on the same screen from displaying also.

Expanded Answer:

The following all display on BOARD 10.1.4 with labels, layouts and dynawrites:

@Selection_Ex

@Selection

@[date / time / user / etc]

UNTIL... you use an extended formula with a layout command:

@Selection_Ex(layout="[layout name]")

at which point ALL substitution formulae will fail to display on a web screen.

So, the question is now whether the full range of substitution extended formulae will display in BOARD 10.5 onwards.  I really hope so.  The extended formulae are a very powerful feature.  For me, they make debugging a doddle and support a high level of confidence from all developers and users when a visual validation can be demonstrated without having to break open the layouts all the time. 

PLEASE NOTE: This is a complete re-write as my original response to the second query as it was incorrect.

Hi Pierre,

Yes you can store the values in a cube as you calculate the values (remember that I am providing a recommended solution illustrated to show steps, not the one you will use in your solution).

You will need:

1. Entity 1 - [User Input] with 5 members; Input1, Input2...Input5
2. Cube 1 - [Data Entry] with [User Input] Entity and datatype: DATE
3. Cube 2 - [User Target Dates] with [User Input] Entity and datatype: DATE
4. Cube 3 - [User Target Values] with [User Input] Entity and datatype: DOUBLE
5. Button.
6. Procedure.

Setup:

DATAVIEW 1 - Data entry 

1. Create 1 dataview with Cube 1, entity on row axis, data entry enabled and SHOW ALL.
2. Enter a date into this object and save the data entry - you are seeding the cube as it will only be used to receive 1 entry and so you will not need the four other members to show.
3. Re-enter the dataview and disable SHOW ALL - You now have a seeded dataview displaying only 1 value.

BUTTON

1. Create a button and place it on screen - this will run the procedure which can only be created once the NEXEL calculations have been created and saved under a name.

DATAVIEW2 - This view will contain all 3 cubes, have data entry on 2 and process all the NEXEL calculations.  All actions are carried out by the procedure.

1. Create another dataview and configure as follows:
2. 
3. Enable Data Entry on blocks b and set formulas in to Deepest Entity Rule
4. Enable Data Entry on blocks c and set formulas in to Deepest Entity Rule
5. 
6. Enter Dataview [Fx] to create NEXEL calculations
7. Enter NEXEL Calculations into [User Target Dates - User Input 1,2...5].
8. Enter NEXEL Calculations into [User Target Values - User Input 2 & 5] - you can simply enter the address cell of the adjacent cell in place of the complete formula again.
9. Select SAVE TO LIBRARY - this allows you to run the NEXEL calculations from a procedure.  Savename = Save Values
10. Select to WRITE INPLACE - This causes the values to be written to the data entry enabled cubes when the procedure is run  

PROCEDURE

1. Create procedure [Transfer from Input cube to Target Cube] as follows:
2. 

Step:

1. Save all data entries - this is a failsafe that ensures new date entered is always saved fregardless of whether dataentry writeback is used by user.
2. Write the date to the first cube.
3. Run NEXEL calculations - This now computes, based on the user input date, all values and saves them to the cubes*
4. Refresh screen.

Application**

1. Return to screen
2. Select button settings
3. Configure action: [transfer from Input cube to Target Cube] 
4. Save capsule
5. Configure screen as required - below is an example where all dataviews have hidden scrollbars and toolbars to minimize needless screen responses - see image below

• IMAGE: Dataview Graphic Options
• 

Note I've included 2 additional dataviews to display the actual data saved.  when looking at the dataview with the NEXEL routine, it can be seen that figures are displayed.  However, as the cube datatype is DATE, these values are saved correctly - (big point to note here and one I forgot about too).  This is why the second cube is required for acting on those values as it is of datatype DOUBLE.

I hope that this is useful and you can see the versatility of BOARD dataentry and NEXEL for creating on-the-fly alorithm blocks used to manipulate date based calculations and expanding its use to create calculable values for further use.

It should also be noted that I have now tested this solution in Web and noted that this configuration does not produce a calendar tool for inputting dates on Web - this may produce issues to local date formatting and require you to determine the correct one to use.  I have not yet tested in 10.5.

Regards,

Paul Wyatt

Attachment:

1.   BOARD 10.1.4 hbmp & cpsx

---------------------------------------------------------------

* A NEXEL nuance is that it will calculate based on a value from a cube - the input date - but it will not write those results to a cube unless WRITE INPLACE is used and the routine saved so that it can be triggered in a procedure.

** It should be noted that this solution does not take into account multiple users.  A change in the input date and subsequent calculations will be seen by all users and can be changed by any one of them.  To prevent this, the application of @User security would be required in order that each user could run independent and isolated calculations on their own input dates.

Hi Marta,

I found that B11 handles masks in such a way that it was easier in my case to simply delete the original ones and re-create them.

That said, once the differences are understood, it is probable that the original ones will be usable with a little work.

1  MASK SCREEN ASSOCIATION.   Screens are associated to masks, not the other way round as in B10.  Image 1 below shows that I've associated three screens, Property Search, Property Details and Tenant Arrears, to the mask 01 Master Mask.

Image 1: Mask created and then screens associated to it.

2.   MENU TOOL BAR ISSUES.   The Menu tool does not 'play' well in B11 - I think it is a work-in-progress as I cannot find how it is configured - unlike in previous versions where it is a capsule config option.  As a result, I do not use this object now and, instead, place button like labels into the mask.  These labels have either 'goto screen' or procedures attached and I found this far more controllable than the menu object.  Image 2 below shows that a menu object simple presents all of the screens within the capsule.  Also, the font sizes and some of the other formatting options have no effect; a menu on a max resolution mask would be too small to read.

Image 2: B11 Mask with a menu object.  Note that the screens cannot be filtered and the font sizing has no effect.

3.   SCREEN SIZING CONTROL.   One of the best aspects of the mask is that it can be used to globally control the size of all screens associated to it as it overrides screen settings.  Once fully understood, screen sizing can be used to dynamically fit any display device from a HD 27" monitor to an iPad.  You should play with this to understand the best setup for you.  I have set my masks to 16:9 and fit to width.  However, 2560x1440 or any other resolution standard or custom can be set. 

I have placed my menu bar, built with labels, and icons to help me to visually identify the max width on screens.  Only then do I create my screens - much like we all do but I thought I'd outline the process.  Image 3 shows the screen sizing settings and the template I am currently using.

Image 3: MASK Screen template size settings override individual screen settings - very useful.

4.  Beta Feature -  Environment Background.   A fun setting is the environment background which can have a static image or a URL linked web image.  Image 4 illustrates a static capsule image and image 5 shows a live URL link feeding a jpg for the background.  If you control that jpg, you can dynamically switch it too - see, fun...(well it is to me as I don't get out much).

Image 4: Background with static image

Image 5: Background with a live URL feed to the BBC website jpg image.

Hope that this has helped in some way.

Regards,

Paul

Hi Mateo DE LOS RIOS

I can't find the reference at the moment but you might like to know that the functions of the Tilda database are being incorporated into a BOARD 11.x release.  This is good as it means that everybody now gets the benefits of centralised, advanced security control.  It is not so good if you've really gone to town with the Tilda and used it in everything you do as you will now have to re-do everything in an entirely new way which may, or may not, work as you are used to working (Guess which one my money is on?).

Personally, I welcome the incorporation into BOARD any of the original bolt-ons, like the Meta-tool (Worst kept BOARD secret super tool created by Jan Kaufmann), Log-analyser, Randomiser, Tilda, Transporter.  I also welcome the the replacement of BOARD features such as the MXC cubes. 

What is slightly irksome is the way these features and replacements are rolled out without adequate support to the few users that took the original tools and made them work, weaving them into their best practice to then have to learn an entirely new way and have to amend all existing models in order to be able to even use a new platform.

...Anyway , hope this helps

Hello Anastasia,

Many thanks for taking the time to respond and for explaining the technical issues currently being dealt with regarding the website.  Perhaps a BOARD notice to all community users would help in keeping BOARD developers aware of issues and cultivate support from them.

Thank you also for your comments regarding feedback. My aim in mentioning several points was to demonstrate that there are now a growing number of issues (a trend?) compounding to make the BOARD experience currently less enjoyable than it was.

As I'm sure you will know, each of the points I have outlined in my post has either been formally submitted as ideas or are current topics of discussion on the community website and I suspect the product team are already well aware of them.  On that note, I would welcome any opportunity to be involved in any follow up action.

Kind regards to you Anastasia,

Paul

Thanks Samuele Marchetto,

I like the nexel approach - I keep meaning to find reasons to use it but end up testing in it only to replace the solution with a dataflow or datareader process later. 

I was playing with the datareader date functions that you mentioned and that is another way and a method that will come in handy later and for another process I will be incorporating.

As a result of playing with your suggestions and so thinking about my needs more deeply, I was able to devise a method that uses a dataview to calculate the different date parts with algorithms.  As there is nothing, that I have found, on this matter and as the method is dynamic, I have submitted an Inspiration which outlines and discusses the method I chose to ensure it is more easily found by all.

However, for completeness and in summary, I created a dataview with several algorithms like this:

The cubes are populated with the numeric value of each of the dates so that calculations can be carried out.

Again, thanks for your response and so quickly too.