WebFOCUS is a complete information control system with comprehensive features for retrieving and analyzing data that enables you to create reports quickly and easily from real-time transactional systems, relational data warehouses, cubes, and any ERP or legacy source.
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InfoAssist is a powerful report generation tool that enables business users to leverage state of the art ad hoc functionality. With InfoAssist, you can generate highly complex reports, charts, and documents from any enterprise information source without IT intervention. You can also analyze multiple reports and charts simultaneously and output report data in a variety of formats.
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InfoAssist Report, Chart, and Document
Release 8.0 Version 05
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Lightweight Mapping. The Lightweight Mapping chart type has been added to enable the regional display of underlying data. Using the Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities that are built into WebFOCUS 8, the map functionality converts data values into maps that can be used for visualizing patterns or trends. The Map button is located in the Chart Types group on the Format tab.
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User Selection Output Type. The User Selection output type has been added to allow users to change the format output of a report at run time. The User Selection button is located in the Output Types group on the Format tab.
Release 8.0 Version 04
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Within Support for InfoAssist. New aggregation functionality is available in InfoAssist. Within functionality allows you to use specific aggregation tasks at different report levels. You can use the Within phrase to manipulate display field values as they are aggregated within a sort group, rather than a report column.
Release 8.0 Version 02
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Subquery Filter Using a HOLD File. You can create a subquery using a HOLD file. A subquery is a nested query, which is added to the Where clause of an SQL statement. A subquery is valuable, because it is reusable.
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InfoAssist Basic. InfoAssist Basic is a modern web-based facility that provides comparable functionality to legacy reporting tools.
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Accessibility. You can insert a title in a report, chart, or document that is 508 compliant.
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Field to Field Conditional Styling and Drilldowns. Conditional Styling has been enhanced to allow field to field comparison and drilldown on conditional styling.
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Missing Data. You can control the display of missing data values for charts.
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Release 8.0 Version 02
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Restarting Page Numbering After a Page Break. You can specify that page numbers should restart at 1 after a page break occurs.
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Active Technologies Report Styling Options. The active report styling options available in Report Assistant Releases 7.7.x are available in InfoAssist. You can style active reports, charts, and documents.
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Default Currency Symbol. You can set the default currency symbol in reports.
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Release 8.0 Version 02
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Multi-Page Documents and Dashboards. In Document mode, content can be created on multiple pages. The available output formats are PDF, HTML, active report, PowerPoint®, Excel®, active PDF, and active Flash.
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Relative Positioning. You can specify that report components should be relatively positioned. This means that based on the length of one report component, another report component may be positioned immediately after it.
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WebFOCUS Active Technologies reports and dashboards provide business intelligence (BI) for any computer or mobile device running a web browser. Active Technologies present data with a variety of interactive analytic capabilities in a single portable document, deliverable to any type of mobile device. Users of rich interactive applications created with Active Technologies can easily manipulate the data, intuitively explore information, and uncover critical trends and patterns using device-specific user interface characteristics and gestures for multi-touch screens.
With Active Technologies, you can quickly develop completely portable BI applications, deliver interactive reports and dashboards to any user, and reduce the load on the database and server systems by allowing users to work in disconnected mode. The built-in analytics include sorting, filtering, performing data calculations, charting, and much more.
Release 8.0 Version 05
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Using an Active Technologies Form Control to Show or Hide Columns in a Report or Chart. You can use a check box control to display a list of column names from a source report. At run time, end users can check the name of each column that they want to show in a target report or chart on an active dashboard, and uncheck the name of each column that they want to hide. All target reports and charts that contain columns from the list are updated with the choice of columns as end users check and uncheck names.
Release 8.0 Version 02
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Developer Studio provides intuitive GUI tools that enable you to concentrate on interface design, business logic, and data manipulation.
Release 8.0 Version 02
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Source Control Enhancements. You can use Microsoft Team Foundation Server as a source control provider in Developer Studio Release 8.0 Version 02 and higher. In order to use this as a source control, you must have the Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2012 MSSCCI Provider 32-bit plug-in installed.
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Developer Studio Viewer. When an application is run in Developer Studio, it opens in the Developer Studio Viewer. The Developer Studio Viewer functions similar to a web browser. It has forward, back, stop, and reload buttons. It also has an address bar for entering application names and locations. Using the Output Viewer Options tab from the Developer Studio Options dialog box, you can choose to run applications in Internet Explorer. You can also choose to run applications in a new window or refresh in a currently open window.
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Sort Columns in Master File Dialog Boxes. Master File dialog boxes accessed from the Developer Studio Data Servers area and Managed Reporting are enhanced to allow sorting of the files by clicking on the column header. The dialog box has also been enhanced to allow resizing.
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Display Application Name in Master File Dialog Boxes. Master File dialog boxes accessed from Developer Studio and BI Portal tools are enhanced to display the Reporting Server application directory name in addition to Description and Title. This enhancement allows developers to identify the location where the Master File resides and allows the Master File list to be sorted by the available columns.
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Stop Running Requests. An option has been added to the Developer Studio main toolbar to allow users to stop running requests. Users can stop running requests from multiple WebFOCUS Environments that are configured in Developer Studio. A dialog box displays the environments where a user has made a connection when pressing the Cancel running objects button. The last environment used to run a job is selected by default.
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Controlling Screening Conditions Against Cross-Referenced Segment Instances in a Left Outer Join. You can select the SHORTPATH command in the Set tool to control screening conditions against cross-referenced segment instances in a left outer join.
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Update Assist Enhancements. Enhancements to Update Assist include live display for selecting navigation and style, easier navigation for database functionality, and the ability to reopen and edit .mnt files that are created by Update Assist, if no changes have been made in the Maintain Development Environment (MDE).
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Release 8.0 Version 02
HTML Composer enables you to graphically create an HTML page that incorporates forms, reports, graphs, and web objects.
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URL File Action. The URL File action, found in the Hyperlink Properties dialog box, will create a hyperlink that invokes a Managed Reporting .url file. You can select the .url file to link to from the Source section. This action is only available when creating an HTML page hyperlink in the Repository area.
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Function: IbComposer_getAllAmpersValues. The IbComposer_getAllAmpersValues is used to get the current selected values from all the controls on your page layout. It then takes those values and assembles them as a string that can be added to the end of a URL call.
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Master File Parameter Support. If you reference or import an existing report that uses a Master File that contains a parameter, the New Parameters dialog box opens with that parameter in the list, as well as any parameters from the report procedure.
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Default Theme Option and Additional Themes. You can use the Default Theme option to set the default theme of the HTML page. The Default Theme option is found in the HTML Page tab of the Developer Studio Options dialog box. Additional themes have been added.
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Inserting a Bulleted or Numbered List. You can insert a bulleted or numbered list into a text object.
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Chaining for Maps. Maps may participate in a chain. They can be anywhere in the chain. The user interface for maps has been completely redesigned with properties on the Property Sheet, as well as actions on the Properties and Settings dialog box to accommodate this functionality.
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Bing Maps. Mapping support has been expanded to include Bing® Maps. All the functionality of Google® Maps integration is supported with Bing Maps.
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Using JavaScript Code With Maps. Multiple JavaScript™ commands have been expanded upon in the maps chapter.
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Date Formats for Calendar Options. New date formats are available for use by a calendar.
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InfoWindow Action. An Action has been added for a hyperlink based on the Google Maps InfoWindow concept, whereby a window pops up to display content.
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ESRI Flex Viewer Integration. You can integrate the ESRI® Flex Viewer product with HTML Composer controls in HTML Composer.
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ESRI Maps. Mapping support has been expanded to include ESRI Maps. Functionality is similar to Google Maps.
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Initial State of a RIA Window. When using a RIA theme, there is a new option in the Property sheet that allows you to control the initial state of a RIA window, when run.
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Populate a Control With Procedure Names. You can populate a control with procedure names, which allows you to select from a set of procedure names and run them in an output area.
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HTML Composer and Visual Discovery Integration Features
The following features are available for HTML Composer users that license Visual Discovery.
Release 8.0 Version 02
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Values are VisDis Color By. The Values are VisDis Color By option has been added to the Parameters Properties and settings dialog box.
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Preselecting Values. You can preselect values of a Visual Discovery control that display at run time, by adding the onInitialUpdate() function to the Client JavaScript tab of HTML Composer. When you run the HTML page, the values you preselected will display.
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Passing a Parameter Between a Visual Discovery Control and a Report. You can pass a parameter between a Visual Discovery control and a report, so that when data is selected from the Visual Discovery control, the same data is displayed in the report on the same page.
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Passing a Parameter Between a Report and a Visual Discovery Control. You can pass a parameter between a report and a Visual Discovery control, so that when data is selected in the report, the same data is displayed on a new page that contains the Visual Discovery control.
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Chaining Into a Visual Discovery Control. You can chain into a Visual Discovery control using a parameterized procedure and a list box, double list box, or drop-down list. This allows you to select values from a list and the data correlating to that data will be displayed in the Visual Discovery control.
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Excluding and Restoring Data. You can exclude and restore selected data in Visual Discovery controls by using the Visual Discovery Exclude and Visual Discovery Restore hyperlink actions. These actions are only available when a Visual Discovery control is present on an HTML page.
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Document Composer enables you to design reports, and to coordinate and distribute layouts made up of multiple reports and graphics in a single document.
Release 8.0 Version 02
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Applying Pre-Process Code and Post-Process Code to a Document. You can create pre-process code that applies to all objects added to a document.
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Excel 2007 Output Format. The Excel 2007 output format is available from the Output format property in the Properties window.
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Apply Filter On Load Option. The Apply filter on load check option is only available for active output formats. It is available from the Properties and Settings dialog box and causes the default value to be applied to the reports and charts when the page is loaded.
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Inserting Pages Before and After the Current Page Layout. You can insert new or existing pages before or after the current page layout.
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Inserting Bulleted and Numbered Lists. You can insert bulleted and numbered lists into a text object. You can also nest those lists within themselves.
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Layering Objects. You can layer objects in a page layout by using the object right-click menu.
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Apply Filter on Load Property. The Apply filter on load property is available from the Properties and Settings window. This option causes the default value to be applied to all reports and charts when the page is loaded.
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Page Color Property. The Page Color property is available from the Property window. This option lets you set the page color.
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Page Size E Property Option. The E page size is available from the Page Size Property window option.
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Switching the Chart Engine. You may switch between the default JavaScript charts and Fusion charts. You can select the compound document from the Property Sheet and then select active report from the Output format property list. The Chart Engine property will now be available. Select one of the options, <Not Set>, Standard, Dynamic, Flex, or HTML5, from the Chart Engine property drop-down list.
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Page Numbering Options in the Page Master. The following page numbering options are available from a page numbering object in the Page Master Insert context menu: Page Number, Total # of pages, Pages n of n, Date and Time.
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Report Painter provides you with many powerful reporting features that enable you to create and style complex reports. You can graphically paint the report on the Report Painter window, a graphical representation of the report page.
Release 8.0 Version 02
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Validate Input Option. The Validate Input check box is found in the Variable Editor dialog box. When checked, at run time, this validates whether your data entry is consistent with the definition of a parameter.
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Expression Builder. You are presented with the Assist mode directly. You can create multiple selection criteria statements in the dialog box without having to exit and select New. An advanced area within the dialog box is used for those who want to type code.
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Quick Prompt for Amper Variables. There are three additional Compare Type choices, Parameter (Simple), Parameter (Static), and Parameter (Dynamic), which automatically generate the value clause, similar to InfoAssist, so you do not need to invoke the Variable Editor dialog box.
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User Defined Function. A tool has been created to generate Define Function syntax. The function dialog boxes within Developer Studio have been enhanced to accommodate their usage.
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Promote a Report to a Compound Document. You can promote reports in Report Painter to a Compound Document, similar to InfoAssist.
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VISDISAE Output Format. The VISDISAE output format has been added to the unstyled formats and can be selected from the Output Format drop-down list in the Report Options dialog box.
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DFIX Output Format. DFIX output format has been added to the unstyled formats and can be selected from the Report Options dialog box.
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WebFOCUS is a complete information control system with comprehensive features for retrieving and analyzing data. It enables you to create reports quickly and easily. It also provides facilities for creating highly complex reports, but its strength lies in the simplicity of the request language.
The Reporting Server Release 8.0 Version 06 includes the following Release 7.7 Version 05 Reporting Language new features:
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MDN. and MDE. Prefix Operators. You can use the MDN. (median) and MDE. (mode) prefix operators, in conjunction with an aggregation display command (SUM, WRITE) and a numeric or smart date field, to calculate the statistical median and mode of the values in a field.
The Reporting Server Release 8.0 Version 05 includes the following Release 7.7 Version 05 Reporting Language new features:
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Embedded TrueType Font Support Enhancement. You can selectively embed a subset of Unicode (Arial Unicode and MS Lucida Sans Unicode) or Non-Unicode (Tahoma, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS, and Courier New) TrueType fonts into a PDF output file. The generated PDF file will contain only the characters required to render the document.
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Accordion By Row Enhancement. Multi-verb requests are supported in Accordion By Row reports that contain sort fields on the highest-level display command.
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Translation of WebFOCUS Formulas to Excel 2007/2010 Formulas. FORMAT XLSX FORMULA enables you to convert summed information (such as column totals, row totals, and subtotals) and calculated values into Excel formulas that will automatically update as you edit the Excel worksheet.
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Defining Column Width and Cell Wrapping in an Excel Worksheet. You can now define column width and cell wrapping within an Excel worksheet using SQUEEZE and WRAP.
You can use SQUEEZE to size the worksheet columns. For FORMAT XLSX, SQUEEZE is always set on. This means the worksheet columns will be sized to fit the largest data value within the field. To explicitly change the column width, define SQUEEZE as a number representing the size in the specified UNITS parameter (default is inches). If the value within the cell is larger than the specified width, the data may be hidden from view, but is retained within the cell and can be viewed in the formula bar.
Additionally, as of Reporting Server Release 7.7 Version 05, wrap is available within worksheets. By default, in all cells containing text values, wrap is turned on. Cells containing numeric and date values are designated with wrapped turned off. You can set wrap on within the current column width, or redefine the column width to a size in the specified UNITS (n) and with WRAP ON.
The Reporting Server Release 8.0 Version 02 includes the following Release 7.7 Version 05 Reporting Language new features:
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Compound Layout Header Supports AS Name Syntax. The output file name for a Compound Report can be specified as an AS name in the COMPOUND layout block. This allows the output file name to be defined by the compound syntax rather than the first component report. If no AS name is specified, the Hold file name is taken from the ON TABLE HOLD phrase in the first component report.
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DB_EXPR Function: Inserting an SQL Expression Into a Request. The DB_EXPR function inserts a native SQL expression exactly as entered into the native SQL generated for a FOCUS or SQL language request.
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Creating a Subquery or Sequential File With HOLD FORMAT SQL_SCRIPT. When used in a request against a relational data source, the HOLD FORMAT SQL_SCRIPT command generates the SQL SELECT statement needed to execute the current query and stores it in the application folder as a file with a .sql extension along with the Master and Access File pair that describes the SQL answer set. When used in a request against any other type of data source, the HOLD FORMAT SQL_SCRIPT command executes the current query and stores the retrieved values in the application folder as a sequential file with a .ftm extension along with the Master File that describes the retrieved data. You can use the output from HOLD FORMAT SQL_SCRIPT as the target file for the DB_INFILE function.
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DB_INFILE Function: Testing Values Against a File or an SQL Subquery. The DB_INFILE function compares one or more field values in a source file to values in a target file. It returns the value 1 (TRUE) if the set of source fields matches a set of values from the target file. Otherwise, the function returns 0 (FALSE). DB_INFILE can be used anywhere a function can be used in a WebFOCUS request, such as in a DEFINE or a WHERE phrase. The target file can be any data source that WebFOCUS can read.
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Embedding TrueType Fonts Into WebFOCUS PDF Reports Generated in Windows. WebFOCUS can embed the following TrueType fonts into PDF output files generated in Windows: Courier New, Lucida Sans Unicode (normal style only is available), Tahoma (normal and bold styles are available), Times New Roman, and Trebuchet MS.
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Support for Column Totals in Accordion By Row Reports. Accordion By Row reports (ON TABLE SET EXPANDBYROW ON) display the grand total row as an anchor row below the data. This anchor row displays above the report and page footings aligned to the left margin of the report.
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Styling Tags for SUBTOTAL and GRANDTOTAL Lines. The tag is the text that is displayed in the leftmost portion of each SUBTOTAL and GRANDTOTAL row in a report. The tag is used to identify the type of data represented within this row. The text used to generate this tag can be customized by adding an AS name to the SUBTOTAL syntax.
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Table of Contents for Coordinated Compound and Burst Reports. PDF coordinated compound reports defining the Table of Contents page or Bookmarks based on BY field entries can be coordinated (MERGE=ON) to generate a report segmented by the primary sort key. Additionally, these coordinated reports can be burst into separate documents by the primary sort key and distributed using ReportCaster.
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Support for Images Stored in BLOB Fields in HTML and DHTML Reports. For data sources that support the Binary Large Object (BLOB) data type, images can be stored in BLOB fields for HTML and DHTML report output.
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Displaying an Accordion By Row Report Using HOLD FORMAT HTMTABLE and -HTMLFORM. The HOLD FORMAT HTMTABLE command in conjunction with -HTMLFORM functionality supports the display of Accordion By Row (SET EXPANDBYROW) reports to create an HTML page.
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Displaying Superscripts On Data, Heading, and Footing Lines. Superscript characters are supported as a text style in text objects using HTML markup tags. The superscript markup tag is now supported in data columns, headings, and footings in HTML, PDF, and PS output formats. Superscript values can be defined within the data, added to virtual fields, or added to text strings displayed in headings and footings.
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Support for Hyperlinks in Text Markups in PDF Report Output. Hyperlinks can be included in text objects to point navigation to other WebFOCUS procedures, web pages, or web resources, such as an email application.
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Support for Vertical Alignment of Text Markup in PDF Report Output. Text can be vertically aligned within Text Objects in PDF format. This feature supports top, middle, and bottom alignment options to explicitly place text within the defined position and dimensions. The vertical alignment tags can be used in conjunction with the horizontal alignment tags (left, right, full) to control the placement of any text object.
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Zero Removal in Date-Time Formats. The components in date-time formats can be displayed using a number of options. For example, when a day number is less than 10, you can display it with zero suppression. Zero suppression replaces the zero with a blank space, leaving the remaining digit in the same position it occupied when the zero was displayed. There are now zero removal options for month and day numbers. Zero removal eliminates the zero and moves the remaining portion of the field one position to the left.
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Controlling Display of an ACROSS Title for a Single Field. By default, when there is only one field displayed for an ACROSS sort group, no column title displays above that field. Using the SET ACRSVRBTITL command, you can control the display of ACROSS column titles when there is one displayed field for an ACROSS group. The field count that determines whether the ACROSS title displays is affected by certain components in the report request, such as calculated fields or fields in headings. The output is unaffected by SET commands that adjust underlines with titles, adjust the space between columns, or eliminate unpopulated ACROSS columns on the page. The size of the title and the number of lines it occupies also do not affect the output.
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512-Character Field Names. The following attributes can be a maximum of 512 characters long: FIELDNAME, ALIAS, TITLE, REFERENCE, and PROPERTY.
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WebFOCUS Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) enables you to view and quickly analyze data in order to make critical business decisions.
Release 8.0 Version 05
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OLAP Save Options. New settings have been added to the Administration Console that specify whether OLAP Save options are displayed.