PowerPlay Web User Guide

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Export Data

You can export the data in a PowerPlay report for use in other applications. You can export data in comma separated value (.csv) file format or in PDF format.

Export Data in CSV File Format

You can export data as delimited text using many of the IBM Cognos products. In PowerPlay for Windows, you can export data as a delimited ASCII text file (.asc). In PowerPlay Web, IBM Cognos Query, Impromptu, and Impromptu Web Reports, you can export data as a Comma Separated Value file (.csv).

Delimited text format is one of the most popular export formats, because the resulting file can be used as an import source by many applications. The updated delimited text format used in Series 7 ensures a high degree of compatibility in multi-language environments. It also ensures reliability when importing into third-party applications such as Microsoft Excel.

Each IBM Cognos product exports data to delimited text format in the same manner, as shown in the following table.

List separator

The list separator specifies what character separates items in a list. Its default value is derived from the locale settings. The list separator selected is not persisted between sessions or Save As operations.
Note: In Impromptu, you can optionally change this character.

Export of numeric data

The decimal symbol for the locale is used, even if the format or pattern of the number contains an explicit decimal that differs from the locale.
The digit grouping symbol (the symbol used to group large numbers such as thousands in the US locale) is not used in the CSV export.
The negative sign symbol but not the format of the locale is used. This may also be different than the explicit format used for that number. The negative symbol is always leading.
For example, for a German locale of DE_DE, a number that was formatted as "(765 000.45)" is exported to CSV format as "-765000,45".

Export of currency data

Currency values follow the same rules as numbers. The currency symbol is not exported.
For example, if the locale is EN_US, and the format of the number in a PowerPlay report is "$123,456.00", then PowerPlay exports "123456.00".

Export of character data

In some products, you can optionally allow quotes to be put around the text. This technique ensures that a text field containing the list separator (such as a comma) is not interpreted as multiple fields in the exported file.

Export of date and time data

Dates are exported in ISO format, YYYY-MM-DD
Time is exported as ISO format, hh:mm:ss. The hour value (hh) uses the 24-hour clock.
Note: In PowerPlay, the date is defined in the Transformer model and is exported as text.

You can view this data in any application that supports comma separated value files, such as Microsoft Excel. If you do not have Microsoft Excel installed, you can save the .csv file to your computer, and then open the file in another application.

If you have Microsoft Excel installed (Excel 97, Excel 2000, or Excel XP) you can save the comma-separated value file (.csv) to your computer or open the data directly in Excel. To open the data directly, your Web browser must be configured to recognize the CSV format.

To configure Internet Explorer Web browsers for Export CSV, you must set the MIME type for the Microsoft Excel Comma Separated Values File format to text/x-csv for your operating system. To do this, Open Windows Explorer, click View, Options, and click the File Types tab. Select Microsoft Excel Comma Separated Values File, and click Edit. In the Content Type (MIME) box, type text/x-csv

If your administrator enabled the Dimension Line in CSV Export setting, the dimension line appears in your .csv file.

Steps

Explore and format your report until you are satisfied with its current state.
On the toolbar, click the File Options button , and then click Export CSV.

You are prompted to open the file or save it to your computer.

Tip

If the cells in your .csv file appear jumbled together, ensure that the regional settings for PowerPlay Web are consistent with the regional settings of your operating system .

Export Data in Excel Format

You can export PowerPlay Web Explorer reports as formatted Microsoft Excel (.xls) spreadsheets.

You can export a maximum of 65,536 rows, including any headings. For large queries, you should use CSV, instead of formatted Excel.

Steps

Explore and format your PowerPlay Web Explorer report until you are satisfied with its current state.
On the PowerPlay Web toolbar, click the File Options button , and then click Export XLS.

You are prompted to open the file or save it to your computer.

Export Data in PDF Format

You can export and print PowerPlay Web Explorer reports in PDF format. PDF export settings ensure that PDF output from PowerPlay Web Explorer closely matches your interactive reports. You can customize the pagination, word-wrap, status line, paper size and orientation of your PDF report output so that the PDF matches the HTML display as closely as possible. As well, you can choose to show borders that aid report readability. You can also show layer views filtered on each sibling in a dimension level.

By default, reports authored in PowerPlay Web use the new web layout, while reports authored in PowerPlay for Windows continue to use the client layout. However, your Administrator can set the PDF layout at either the cube or report level.

When a report or cube uses the Web Layout, the Report Settings button is disabled. For more information, see Change the Report Filters and Settings.

In addition to PDF format, you can export data in CSV format , or Excel format .

If you want to present data in pages, where each page is filtered on a sibling of a dimension level, you must first select a filter in the dimension that you are using for layers. This filter specifies the dimension whose children you want to use as layers in the PDF report.

Steps

On the PowerPlay Web toolbar, click the File Options button , and then click Export PDF.
Click the Paper tab, and select the appropriate orientation and paper size.
Click the Display tab, and select the options that you want:
- To show the borders for crosstab and chart frames, click the Display Frame Borders check box.
- To apply word wrapping to the labels of data-level rows, click Word wrap for detail row labels.
- To show information about settings that affect the data display, click Status Line.
- To present data in pages, where each page is filtered on a sibling of a dimension level, click the Include Layers check box, and select a dimension in the In Dimension field.
Click the Pagination tab, and select the appropriate display type and pagination. Available display types include: crosstab, chart, nested chart, and split view.
Click Apply.

Apply

Choose what you want to do now:
- To save the PDF export settings and return to the PowerPlay Web Explorer report, click Close.
- To export the PDF file with the settings you chose, click Export.
- To revert to the default PDF settings, click Reset.

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List separator	The list separator specifies what character separates items in a list. Its default value is derived from the locale settings. The list separator selected is not persisted between sessions or Save As operations. Note: In Impromptu, you can optionally change this character.
Export of numeric data	The decimal symbol for the locale is used, even if the format or pattern of the number contains an explicit decimal that differs from the locale. The digit grouping symbol (the symbol used to group large numbers such as thousands in the US locale) is not used in the CSV export. The negative sign symbol but not the format of the locale is used. This may also be different than the explicit format used for that number. The negative symbol is always leading. For example, for a German locale of DE_DE, a number that was formatted as "(765 000.45)" is exported to CSV format as "-765000,45".
Export of currency data	Currency values follow the same rules as numbers. The currency symbol is not exported. For example, if the locale is EN_US, and the format of the number in a PowerPlay report is "$123,456.00", then PowerPlay exports "123456.00".
Export of character data	In some products, you can optionally allow quotes to be put around the text. This technique ensures that a text field containing the list separator (such as a comma) is not interpreted as multiple fields in the exported file.
Export of date and time data	Dates are exported in ISO format, YYYY-MM-DD Time is exported as ISO format, hh:mm:ss. The hour value (hh) uses the 24-hour clock. Note: In PowerPlay, the date is defined in the Transformer model and is exported as text.