The PowerPlay Web Explorer Interface

When you open a cube in PowerPlay Web Explorer, the data appears in one of these interfaces:

• Generic interface

The Generic interface is based on a generic HTML style and is recommended if you use a dial-in Web connection or are accessing larger cubes. This interface is available in all Web browsers.

• Enhanced interface

The Enhanced interface is based on enhanced Web Technology support and is available if you use Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher, or Netscape 7.1 (Windows only), as your Web browser.

Your PowerPlay Web administrator establishes the interface setting for your PowerPlay Web Explorer reports.

PowerPlay Reports

PowerPlay Web Explorer lets you view and work with cube data in a Web browser. A PowerPlay report shows the query results generated in HTML format by the PowerPlay server. A report contains

• a dimension line that you use to filter the data from each dimension in the cube
• a display, which shows the data from the cube
• a dimension viewer that shows the hierarchical structure of the data

You can also use the dimension viewer to filter the data from each dimension in the cube.

• a display toolbar that you use to select different displays, apply suppression, and export or save your report

Your administrator decides which buttons are available to you in the PowerPlay Web toolbar. No PowerPlay Web Explorer controls appear in the menus and toolbars of your Web browser.

• if enabled, a dimension viewer toolbar

If you use Netscape as your Web Browser, the dimension viewer toolbar is enabled by default.

The dimension line appears at the top, the display is in the middle, and the toolbars are across the bottom of your Web browser window. The dimension viewer appears on the left of your Web browser window.

The PowerPlay Web Enhanced interface is shown in the following illustration.

Exploring Reports

When you explore reports, there are a number of ways you can view information and perform actions on the data. For example, you can drag and drop and right-click throughout the interface.

Dimension Viewer

The dimension viewer shows a full tree view of the dimensions and measures in a cube. This view helps you understand the data structure and find the items you require. In the dimension viewer, you see an organized view of all dimensions, levels, and categories in a selected cube in a Windows folder-like presentation. You can drag items from the dimension viewer to add categories to rows and columns, perform filtering, and reorganize the dimension line on either a crosstab or a chart. You can also right-click the categories to perform actions on the data.

In the dimension viewer, the following actions can be accomplished using drag and drop or right-clicking:

• change a row or column
• change a measure or add new measures to your report
• create a nested crosstab or chart
• filter

If you prefer to use the full browser window for the display, you can close the dimension viewer by clicking the Hide/Show Dimension Viewer button .

Dimension Line

You can use the dimension line to add categories to rows and columns, and filter the data in the cube. You can drag items from the dimension line to the crosstab or chart, or you can right-click the categories to view information about the data.

Display

In the PowerPlay Web display, you can right-click to perform actions that are associated with individual data elements. When you right-click the row and column headings, or data cells, the available actions appear in a flyout menu.

Level Selector Toolbar

You can left-click the row and column level selector areas to open the level selector toolbar. The level selector toolbar contains the following toolbar buttons:

• Expand button

Expands the category to show the next level of data.

• Delete button

Deletes the level of data shown.

• Swap Left button

The selected row category becomes the parent of the nested level.

• Swap Right button

The selected row category becomes the nested level.

• Swap Up button

The selected column category becomes the parent of the nested level.

• Swap Down button

The selected column category becomes the nested level.

• Down a Level button

The data changes to show the next-lower level of data in the category.

• Up a Level button

The data changes to show the next-higher level of data in the category.

• Explain button

Shows an explanation of the information you are exploring.

Display Toolbar

Many of the controls in the Enhanced interface are available from menus or dialog boxes that you open from the display toolbar.

For example, to open the Calculations dialog box, you would click the Calculation button on the toolbar.

For information about where to find specific controls, see the steps for the action you want to perform.

Note: In this document, the display toolbar is referred to as the toolbar.

Dimension Viewer Toolbar

You can use the dimension viewer toolbar buttons to complete the same tasks as when you drag items from the dimension viewer.

If you use Netscape as your Web Browser, you must use the dimension viewer toolbar for tasks which also can be completed in Internet Explorer using drag-and-drop. When you use Netscape, the dimension viewer toolbar is enabled by default.

For example, to add a category as the nested top level in columns, click the Insert Before the Columns button on the toolbar.

View a Chart and Table Together

You can improve your presentation and analytical capabilities by viewing a crosstab and a chart together in one browser window. In the split view, both displays use the same data and remain synchronized if you drill or filter in one view.

You can save split views with PDF exports and bookmarks created in PowerPlay Web Explorer. You can also save split views by publishing your report to the portal.

Steps

1. With the report open, click the Display Options button on the PowerPlay Web toolbar.
2. From the Display Options menu, click Split View.

By default, a bar chart and a crosstab appear. You can use the crosstab and chart flyout menus on the toolbar to change the crosstab or the chart display.

Tip: To return to a single view of the data, repeat the previous steps.