Best Of

(EDIT: blue italic text added)

(Ha ha,with replies to replies, this thread is becoming quite difficult to read.)

Björn Reuber is thanked for providing a technical explanation as to what the new web page sizing feature is doing.  In summary, on my servers, several of which are hosted on azure using iis and one local network server, the new BOARD 10.3 page sizing features scale down a screen.  A point to note is that it scales down all screens, regardless of whether they already fit the current resolution or not.

  Also, the setting is non-persistent, in that it requires setting each time a specific setting is desired, contrary to the release notes.

The practical impact of this new feature for me is twofold.  Firstly, I will continue to develop for a standard Laptop resolution of 1366x768 and use the Lock Screen function.  The second point is that, if I were to upgrade our production servers to BOARD 10.3, I would need to advise all users and our external clients that they should disregard the page-sizing feature.  I could make use of a scale up feature to any screen, as Microsoft Office365 Word does.

By way of illustrating the main feature above, using two capsules on two display devices and resolutions, I have compared the three settings and displayed the outputs below in a table.  Both capsules were tested first on ACTUAL SIZE.  Each was then set to FIT WIDTH and FIT TO PAGE to observe how the capsule was effected by each setting.  The comments are my own subjective view.

I do acknowledge that other users may have a different experience with this feature.  It is for this reason that I have also raised a Service Ticket.

Capsules:

1. BOARD db Log - a small screen size below 1366x768. Whilst this is a very old BOARD capsule, it was optimised for BOARD 10.3 by saving after opening in order to make it BOARD 10.3 compatible.
2. GVA test capsule - A large screen optimised for the HD resolution of 2560x1440. NB: figures have been pixelated.

Display devices: 

1. Laptop at 1366x768
2. Monitor at 2560x1440

DEVICE	ACTUAL SIZE	FIT WIDTH	FIT TO PAGE
Capsule 1 with Device 1: LAPTOP with small screen model
Comment	WORKABLE - Readable but with unused screen area, as expected.	Difficult to read and large unused screen area	Very difficult to read and use and very large unused area
Capsule 1 with Device 2: HD Monitor with small screen model
Comment	Readable but with large unused area	Readable but large unused area	Readable but with larger unused area
Capsule 2 with Device 1: Laptop with large screen model
Comment	WORKABLE - Readable but user must scroll to see all of screen	Almost unreadable but most of model seen	Unreadable and wasted screen area to the right and below
Capsule 2 with Device 2:HD Monitor with large screen model
Comment	WORKABLE - Whole model optimised for large screen resolution	WORKABLE - No change, as expected.	Screen almost unreadable as model has reduced in size for an unexpected reason and leaving wasted screen right and below.

Hi Peter,

promotion of model from one capsule to another - Best Practice

TRANSPORTER TOOL

Firstly, there is a 'transporter' tool which provides a formal method of promoting data models from one server to another.  However, I do not use it and so I cannot comment on its effectiveness; you should approach your BOARD sales person for further details.  I do know that it was updated for BOARD 10.1.4 though and so I assume it does better what ever it did and with more features to do it - yay.

MANUAL PROMOTION PROCESS

The main method of promotion is by copy/paste as you're doing now.  It is up to each DEV and their company policies and strategies as to how they carry this out and track versions and rollbacks. 

So, more importantly is how to successfully promote by avoiding some evil little pitfalls that you should be aware of and incorporate into your own processes for a successful promotion.  This situation has gotten harder now that we develop and promote from DESKTOP to WEB as not only 'What you See IS NOT What You Get' but function settings really matter in WEB but allow DESKTOP to work perfectly well without in a number of instances, like NEXEL.

What follows is my subjective advice and a very incomplete checklist of sorts.  I do appreciate you were hoping for a 'quick fix' promotion guide and it is possible that another DEV has one...probably kept in a cupboard next to the stable of unicorns.

AREAS TO CHECK

The biggest headaches I've had over the years has always been with anything not involving BOARD out-of-the-box objects: 

1.   PROCEDURES

Process

   - Nexel Writeback validation check.

   a.   Firstly, edit the Nexel routine you saved to Library...which isn't there because you forgot to save it to library!

   b.   After you've saved the NEXEL routine to Library, ensure [Allow Write Inplace] has been activated if you're writing to cubes.

   c.   If you're using selections within the procedure, ensure that [x] Use Configuration Selections is activated.  Not setting this allows DESKTOP to function perfectly well but the model fails when used on WEB...all because of this little b@?#?y checkbox.

LAUNCH

   - Call Procedure

You may use a DEV database and then promote the HBMP and rename it to that of the production model.  If you're calling procedures, you should check that the correct db is being called or you'll be trawling through procedure after procedure to find this issue.

DATA READ.    

   - ASCII Data Read.   ASCII Path/File & New path have always been my biggest issue for omissions.   I find it better to just use a New Path, typing the complete path from e:\, each time so that defaults do not creep in on promotion.

EXTRACT

   - Extract to ASCII File.   Make sure you're using the correct path/file as they may work in DEV but fail in Production due to the folder not actually existing or a default location being used instead.

   - Extract Layout to File.   Ensure Path/File is entered precisely as required.

2.   CAPSULE PROPERTIES

Capsule Web Tile - If you enter any object references in here but delete or rename the objects, or, if you change security settings to prevent a user accessing the objects within the CAPSULE WEB TILE being displayed, you will get WEB errors and they will make you laugh sooo hard when you eventually correct the issue...I'm still chuckling over my own ones now, after discovering them several months ago - Ahhh, BOARD, what are you like?

Peter, I hope that this is of some use to you?  As I said, I appreciate you were hoping for a yes,no or 'here's a work flow for perfect promotions' type response.  In essence, I think its just down to experience and using this FORUM regularly to keep up to date with the 'gremlins'.

Regards,

Paul Wyatt

I've identified the issue preventing the NEXEL formulation from working on the WEB platform - See image below.

The issue is within the procedure i created as I have used an interactive SELECTION.  Whilst the desktop version works perfectly fine, WEB requires the NEXEL process to have [use configuration selections] selected in order to work correctly.  The reason for missing this point originally is due to the process working on DESKTOP and so it was harder to identify the problem.  Hopefully, after going to the 10.5 platform, these sorts of platform disparities will be a thing of the past as development and delivery is done on the web platform.

Hi Pierre,

Sorry about that.  I really should not try to respond with a rushed how-to between work tasks.  I will correct my second response later however, attached is a capsule that should help you to understand the process required to create dates and values once you've entered a seed date.  The NEXEL is performed after being called in a procedure.  The values are then saved in 2 identical cubes but one is for DATES and the other for VALUES.  Hopefully it will make sense once you look at the attached model.

Instructions:

1.   Enter seed date in left hand cube.

2.   Select [Button].

3.   Verify that right hand cubes are as expected results.

Hi Jean-Paul Baar

The behaviour you describe can be avoided if you close and re-open the target screen. 

There is probably some layout related memory mapping 'thingy' going on which gets corrupted when you initially edit the target screen but then try to paste objects from other screens which leads to the behaviour you are witnessing.

The absolute method to copy multiple objects from one screen to another would look something like this:

Method to copy multiple objects and paste them in exactly the same place as their point of origin. 

1. Close the target screen, saving any changes you may already have made.
2. Open the source screen.
3. Open the target screen.
4. Copy the objects from the source screen.
5. Paste onto target screen.

Hope this helps 

Regards,

Paul

Hello Enric,

What a great question.  I had not thought to look at this behaviour and now that I have, I'm surprised at the outcome. 

So, the good news first.  There is no need to consider this an 'issue' as WEB behaviour is different to that of the (outgoing) client model.  Whilst there are options for the client, they do not relate to the web version as all entries, made in WEB, are written and calculated on once entered into a dataentry cell, regardless of client screen settings.  You can test this:

1. Open your CLIENT version
2. Deselect Save/Undo DataEntry
3. Deselect Refresh on DataEntry
4. Open a web instance of your model
5. Open the model in WEB.
6. Enter a new value into the data entry box on your web instance.
7. Do nothing else whatsoever in WEB
8. Refresh your client screen (F5).
9. Web values show in Client.

Now, my surprise is that 'all entries, made in WEB, are written and calculated on once entered into a dataentry cell'.  So, if you have dataentry functionality on a spreadsheet type matrix, your screen will refresh and re-calculate each and every time you change an entry.  this could make dataentry a very tedious operation as such 'refresh' behaviour is very inefficient, as well as preventing you from backtracking to reverse mistakes, as was possible on the client model.

Our own best practice (BP) on all screens which provide dataentry is to implement 'workflow' processes that capture @User previous settings to allow backup and restore functionality.  we also implement datestamping and scenario entity members where required.

Hope this helps

Hi Massimo,

I just caught your post and wanted to tell you that you can achieve what you need by copying (dataflow) the values to a dedicated cube with a single Entity.  The members of the entity are the columns you outline.  Once complete, you can use algorithms, manual selections and Cube selection (data entry) to determine what columns (Members of the entity) are shown.  You can even suppress NULL value columns, which cannot be done when building with blocks.

This approach is only suitable in instances like yours, where the values are of the same datatype (date, value, text, etc).  You can mix the values but everything must be put into a text cube and so you lose the ability to calculate or export to excel easily.

Check out Adam Elvins post from 05 Nov 2017 Conditional Display of Columns who discussed the exact same issue.  My own post is here ADHOC Report Builder and requests that BOARD Intl incorporate the ability to hide columns at will from outside of the object builder.

Please feel free to ask me any questions on building what you need.

Regards,

Paul

Hi Lukas Xuereb,

I'm feeling your pain my friend.  As an active community member for six months, you will be aware of the transition of BOARD from Desktop to Web, commencing with BOARD 10.5.  So, I can only imagine your post was in a fit of frustration as there is no chance of BOARD updating an outgoing product.  We are all, some more than others, mentally scarred by the BOARD design. 

There are many instances where the design becomes maddening.  Appreciating that the journey you are on is the same journey that alot of us have walked, you may already be aware that formatting dataviews and charts is an absolute LOL blast, requiring one to learn the location of each component and then where it is formatted; not all borders are formatted with the tick box HOWTO: Hide ALL Dataview border lines    and Chart Markers & Legend, ha, don't get me started.

So,  please post your woes, it's healthy to vent frustrations,  but know that you have support from veterans who wear their BOARD scars proudly and are willing to jump to the aid of fellow BOARDERS.  You are not alone.  BOARD didn't get it all right the first time...no, second...  OK, so BOARD are continually revising and improving their offering .  The Roadmap is aspirational and User feedback is greatly received but rarely acknowledged Review process for Idea : Feedback. 

But, on the plus side... it's only 62 days to Christmas...Yay, I love Christmas.

Hi Malav Shelat

You raise an interesting point regarding a loss of interest.  Aside of the community website issues, the user experience of BOARD from a developer perspective is becoming tedious where once it was fresh and exciting.  The user interface, overall style choices, feel of the models and lack of expected functionality are also having a negative impact on the opinions of clients and their belief that BOARD is the right solution.  

The website issues on their own would be ok if they were in isolation.  However, they are now mirroring the problems with those of the product.  For all the great strengths of BOARD (Data Entry, Nexel, ETL) the product appears to be losing its focus, along with the lack of maintenance on the community website. 

The quality and non-compatability issues are compounding other issues which are either out-performed by rival software or vital functions which do not follow established best practice modelling for intuitive use, such as:

• Map Object.   The map object which does not have any ability to carry out proximity analysis like tableau; with v10.6 it also now has bugs like the need to show the lat and long just to plot points, which then show also in the ugly, non-formattable, information pop-out. 
• Bullet Chart.   The terribly executed bullet chart.  Ironically, this data visualisation was specifically conceived for efficient dashboard data visualisations and is exceptional in Power-BI and easily created in Excel.
• GUI.   Confusing, un-intuitive and misleading graghical user interface decisions like:
  • PRESENTATIONS which are in actual fact custom reports and screens that users can use to default their own setting in.
  • Document Creation (PDF) Should be a simple and intuitive process to create executive level reports with user comments and storable configurations.
  • ICONS.   The iconography was never great but the use of an eye icon to indicate entity selections on or off is an example where BOARD appear to be introducing a new approach to interaction in place of a more established on/off or tick indicator.
  • NEXEL crossview calculations that do not work in the upgraded capsule.   Considering that nexel is used to conveniently replace complex SQL processes and that the calculations are directly used in the core function of analysis, this issue in itself raises questions regarding the BOARD process for testing and releasing features and upgrades.

Issues, like those above, may be as a result of releasing versions and features too early in order to meet deadlines, a lack of communication/control between the company and the programmers or an error in concept and design direction. The impact of these issues is that I'm beginning to enjoy rival products more as they now prove to deliver on client expectations by doing precisely what I want, easily and with great control and fidelity from start to finish.  Complimenting the rival software, community websites are established, populated with technical experts, as with the BOARD Community, polished and professional in feel and execution.

Regards,

Paul