Load Data Using the Data Wizard

How to:

Use the Data Wizard to load any of the following data sources:

Databases including:

* WebFOCUS Visual Discovery AE supports comma and text delimited text files.

To Access the Data Wizard:

In the Task view, select Step 1: Load Data | New Data Source.

OR

In the File menu or Data toolbar, select New Data Source.


Top of page

x
Procedure: How to Load WebFOCUS Procedures

WebFOCUS Visual Discovery AE supports WebFOCUS Procedures using the FORMAT VISDISAE output type. Using WebFOCUS Procedures have the ability to leverage WebFOCUS Security as well as provide direct access to any data source.

Note: The Data Wizard windows can be resized as required for optimum display of data.

  1. To display the Data Wizard you can:
    • Click on the New Data Source option in the Load Data section of the Task View.
    • Select New Data Source from the File menu or Data toolbar.
    • Choose it from the Quick Start wizard.

    To use a different name to identify this data source, type in a new name in the Data Source Name edit box. You can change this name and add a description. When Remember Data Source Definition is checked (the default setting), the dataset and all of its configured properties will be remembered for “one-click” data loading the next time that you use the Visual Discovery AE application. Click Finish.

  2. The Welcome wizard page displays. Click Next. In the Select Data Source Type wizard page, if not already selected, click the radio button for WebFOCUS Procedures (.fex). Click Next.
  3. In the Enter the WebFOCUS Procedure information wizard page, specify the source procedure for your data. You can type the path name directly into the edit box or click the Browse button to locate the file.

    If the WebFOCUS client requires login to access the WebFOCUS Procedure, enter in your credentials and click the Login button. The red dot changes to green when successful. Click Next.

    Note: For users of previous versions of WebFOCUS Visual Discovery Workbench AE or WebFOCUS Developer Studio's Report Painter, note that for this release of Visual Discovery AE, the second line of the text file cannot contain the data type and format specifications used by Visual Discovery AE products.

  4. The Configure the Dataset wizard page displays. In this page, you can:
    • Edit the table name or change field properties via the Configure View.
    • Preview the first 25 rows of data in the dataset via the Data View.

    Two views appear on the top left side of the wizard page:

    • By clicking the Configure View you can:
      1. Edit the display name for the table.
      2. Configure which fields to include in the dataset by checking or clearing the check box in the first column.
      3. Change field properties, such as display name for the field, field data type, and the level of precision,
    • The Data View displays the data values for the first 25 rows in the dataset. This is a view-only mode to help confirm it is the desired dataset and is the default view for the page.

    To edit the table name: type the new table name in the Table Name edit box.

    To select a field to include in the dataset: if the first column of the row is checked, the field is already included in the dataset. If it is not checked, click on the check box to select the field. Repeated mouse clicks on the check box will toggle field selection between including in the dataset and excluding from the dataset.

    Tip: Click on the first column header to select all or exclude all fields from the dataset.

    To deselect a field for inclusion in the dataset: if the first column of the row is checked, the field is already included in the dataset. Click the check box to clear it, thus excluding the field.

    To change properties of a field, highlight the cell to be changed. For the Display Name column, type in the desired name. For the Data Type, Precision and Currency Symbol columns, note the drop down arrow that displays to the right of the cell. Click the arrow to display a list of options to choose from and make a selection from the pulldown list. For the Group Digits and As Currency columns, click on the check box to toggle whether or not to use these options.

    Tip: For currency columns, the currency symbol defaults to the symbol used by the computer's regional settings. It can change if the project is opened on a different computer. To use a specific symbol regardless of the computer's settings, select a symbol from the drop down list.

  5. Click Next.

    Review the information displayed in the Dataset Summary wizard page. This information includes:

    • Source Type. WebFOCUS Procedure (*.fex).
    • Data Source. The name of the file.
    • Source Table. The name of the file.
    • Display Name. The name of the table as it will appear in Workbench AE.
    • Rows. The number of rows of data to be loaded.
    • Selected Fields. The number of fields you selected in the Configure the Dataset wizard page.
  6. Click Next to proceed.

    Note: When you click the Next button, the dataset is loaded immediately. You can no longer modify the dataset properties.

    The Loading Dataset wizard page displays. It shows the progress as data is loaded into Visual Discovery Workbench AE.

  7. The Completing Data Wizard page is displayed. In this page, a default data source name is included to uniquely identify this dataset.

Top of page

x
Procedure: How to Load Text Data

Note: WebFOCUS Visual Discovery supports comma, tab, and “|” delimited text files by default. A configuration file may be used to provide other separators. Note that the Data Wizard windows can be resized as required for optimum display of data.

To display the Data Wizard you can:

To use a different name to identify this data source, type in a new name in the Data Source Name edit box. You can change this name and add a description. When the Remember Data Source Definition check box is checked (the default setting), the dataset and all of its configured properties will be remembered for “one-click” data loading the next time that you use the application. Click Finish.

  1. The Welcome wizard page displays. Click Next. In the Select Data Source Type wizard page, if not already selected, click the radio button for Text File (.txt or .csv). Click Next.
  2. In the Specify Data File wizard page, specify the source file for your data. You can type the path name directly into the edit box or click the Browse button to locate the file.

    If the first row of your data file identifies field names, be sure that a checkmark appears next to the First row of field names field. Click Next.

  3. The Configure the Dataset wizard page displays. In this page, you can:
    • Edit the table name or change field properties via the Configure View.
    • Preview the first 25 rows of data in the dataset via the Data View.

    Two views appear on the top left side of the wizard page

    • By clicking Configuration View, you can:
      1. Edit the display name for the table.
      2. Configure which fields to include in the dataset by checking or clearing the check box in the first column.
      3. Change field properties, such as display name for the field, field data type, and the level of precision, whether or not to group digits or show the values as a currency for numeric fields.
    • The Data View displays the data values for the first 25 rows in the dataset. This is a view-only mode to help confirm it is the desired dataset and is the default view for the page.

    To edit the table name, type the new table name in the Table Name edit box.

    To select a field to include in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. If no checkmark appears, click on the check box to select the field. Repeated mouse clicks on the check box will toggle field selection between including in the dataset and excluding from the dataset.

    Tip: Click on the first column header to select all or exclude all fields from the dataset.

    To deselect a field for inclusion in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. Click the check box to clear the checkmark, thus excluding the field.

    To change properties of a field, highlight the cell to be changed. For the Display Name column, type in the desired name. For the Data Type, Precision and Currency Symbol columns, note the drop down arrow that displays to the right of the cell. Click the arrow to display a list of options to choose from and make a selection from the pulldown list. For the Group Digits and As Currency columns, click on the check box to toggle whether or not to use these options.

    Tip: For currency columns, the currency symbol defaults to the symbol used by the computer's regional settings, which can change if the project is opened on a different computer. To use a specific symbol regardless of the computer's settings, select a symbol from the pulldown list.

    Click Next.

  4. Review the information displayed in the Dataset Summary wizard page. This information includes:

    Source Type. Text File (*.txt or *.csv).

    Data Source. The name of the file.

    Source Table. The name of the file.

    Display Name. The name of the table as it will appear in WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.

    Rows. The number of rows of data to be loaded.

    Selected Fields. The number of fields you selected in the Configure the Dataset wizard page.

    Click Next to proceed. Note that when you click the Next button, the dataset is loaded immediately. You can no longer modify the dataset properties.

  5. The Loading Dataset wizard page displays. It shows the progress as data is loaded into WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
  6. The Completing Data Wizard page is displayed. In this page, a default data source name is included to uniquely identify this dataset.


x
Procedure: How to Reference: Options for Reading Text Files

Options can be specified that control how a text file as read with a configuration file placed alongside the data file with an ini extension. For instance, if the data file is named eFashion.txt a file placed in the same directory named eFasion.ini would be recognized and parsed for optional settings.

The currently available options are:

The format of the file is a valid XML string in the following format:

<Options>
          <{option}>{option value}</{option}>
</Options>

An example of a valid configuration file might be:

<Options>
          <FieldDelimiter> </FieldDelimiter>
          <UseHeader>True</UseHeader>
          <NullBadData>True</NullBadData>
</Options>

This configuration file would set the field delimiter to a tab character, read field names from the first line in the files, and replace bad data with nulls without generating any errors.


Top of page

x
Procedure: How to Load Microsoft Excel Data

Note: The that the Data Wizard windows can be resized as required for optimum display of data.

  1. To display the Data Wizard, you can:
    • Click the New Data Source option in Load Data section of the Task View.
    • Select New Data Source from the File menu or Data toolbar.
    • Choose it from the Quick Start wizard.
  2. The Welcome screen displays. Click Next. In the Select Data Source Type wizard page, if not already selected, click the radio button for Microsoft Excel File. Click Next.
  3. In the Specify Data File wizard page, specify the source file for your data. You can type the path name directly into the edit box or click the Browse button to locate the file.

    If the first row of your data file identifies the field names, be sure that a checkmark in the First row holds list of field names field. Click Next.

  4. The Select Data for Dataset wizard page displays. If the Excel file contains more than one worksheet, each worksheet is shown in the Available Items list.

    To select a worksheet, use the mouse to drag an item in the Available Items column to the Selected Items column or double-click on the worksheet item. You can also use the buttons located between the Available Items and Selected Items fields (Use >> to copy all available items, > to copy a single highlighted item, < to remove a single highlighted item from the Selected Items column or << to remove all items from the Selected Items column).

    Tip:

    • Loading starts from cell A1, with only one row for field names.
    • Defined Names within the Excel spreadsheet will be shown as Available Items and can be used to load subsets of worksheet data. After using such an item in a Data Source, be careful not to modify its defined cell ranges within the spreadsheet.

    Click Next.

  5. The Configure the Dataset wizard page displays. In this page, you can:
    • Edit the table name or change field properties via the Configure View.
    • Preview the first 25 rows of data in the dataset via the Data View.

    Two views appear on the top left side of the wizard page

    • By clicking Configuration View, you can:
      1. Edit the display name for the table.
      2. Configure which fields to include in the dataset by checking or clearing the check box in the first column.
      3. Change field properties, such as display name for the field, field data type, and the level of precision, whether or not to group digits or show the values as a currency for numeric fields.
    • The Data View displays the data values for the first 25 rows in the dataset. This is a view-only mode to help confirm it is the desired dataset and is the default view for the page.

    To edit the table name, type the new table name in the Table Name edit box.

    To select a field to include in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. If no checkmark appears, click on the check box to select the field. Repeated mouse clicks on the check box will toggle field selection between including in the dataset and excluding from the dataset.

    Tip: Click on the first column header to select all or exclude all fields from the dataset.

    To deselect a field for inclusion in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. Click the check box to clear the checkmark, thus excluding the field.

    To change properties of a field, highlight the cell to be changed. For the Display Name column, type in the desired name. For the Data Type, Precision and Currency Symbol columns, note the drop down arrow that displays to the right of the cell. Click the arrow to display a list of options to choose from and make a selection from the pulldown list. For the Group Digits and As Currency columns, click on the check box to toggle whether or not to use these options.

    Tip: For currency columns, the currency symbol defaults to the symbol used by the computer's regional settings, which can change if the project is opened on a different computer. To use a specific symbol regardless of the computer's settings, select a symbol from the pulldown list.

    Click Next.

  6. Review the information displayed in the Dataset Summary wizard page. This information includes:
    • Source Type. Microsoft Excel Worksheet (*.xls).
    • Data Source. The name of the file.
    • Source Table. The name of the worksheet.
    • Display Name. The name of the table as it will appear in the WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
    • Rows. The number of the rows of data to be loaded.
    • Selected Fields. The number of fields you selected in the Configure the Dataset wizard page.

    Click Next to proceed. Note that when you click the Next button, the dataset is loaded immediately. You no longer can modify the dataset properties until after the dataset has been successfully loaded.

  7. The Loading Dataset wizard page displays. It shows the progress as data is loaded into WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
  8. The Completing Data Wizard page is displayed. In this page, a default data source name is included to uniquely identify this dataset.

    If you want to use a different name to identify this data source, type in a new name in the Data Source Name edit box. When the Remember Data Source Definition check box is checked (the default setting), the dataset and all of its configured properties will be remembered for “one-click” data loading the next time you use the application.


Top of page

x
Procedure: How to Load Microsoft Access Database Files

Note: The that the Data Wizard windows can be resized as required for optimum display of data.

  1. To display the Data Wizard, you can:
    • Click the New Data Source option in Load Data section of the Task View.
    • Select New Data Source from the File menu or Data toolbar.
    • Choose it from the Quick Start wizard.
  2. The Welcome screen displays. Click Next. In the Select Data Source Type wizard page, if not already selected, click the radio button for Microsoft Access. Click Next.
  3. In the Specify Data File wizard page, specify the source file for your data. You can type the path name directly into the field or click the Browse button to locate the file.

    Click Next.

    Note: For users of previous versions of WebFOCUS Visual Discovery AE Workbench or Developer Edition (DE) products, note that for this release of WebFOCUS Visual Discovery AE, the second line of the text file cannot contain the data type and format specifications used by WebFOCUS Visual Discovery AE Solutions products.

  4. The Select Data in Dataset wizard page displays. Use this page to define how you want to define the dataset. Either designate which tables are to be included in the dataset by selecting the Dataset via table selection option or specify a valid custom SQL query, using the Dataset via SQLquery option.

    To select a table, use the mouse to drag an item in the Available Items column to the Selected Items column or double-click on the table item. You can also use the buttons located between the Available Items and Selected Items fields:

    • Use >> to copy all items
    • Use > to copy a single highlighted item
    • Use < to remove individual items from the Selected Items Column
    • Use << to remove all items from the Selected Items Column

    To use a SQL query, select the Dataset via SQL query option. Either type the SQL query or use the right mouse button and the Paste Query content menu option. Click Next.

  5. The Configure the Dataset wizard page displays. In this page, you can:
    • Edit the table name or change field properties via the Configure View.
    • Preview the first 25 rows of data in the dataset via the Data View.

    Two views appear on the top left side of the wizard page:

    • By clicking the Configuration View, you can:
      1. Edit the display name for the table.
      2. Configure which fields to include in the dataset by checking or clearing the check box in the first column.
      3. Change field properties, such as display name for the field, field data type, and the level of precision, whether or not to group digits or show the values as a currency for numeric fields.
    • The Data View displays the data values for the first 25 rows in the dataset. This is a view-only mode to help confirm it is the desired dataset and is the default view for the page.

    To edit the table name, type the new table name in the Table Name edit box.

    To select a field to include in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. If no checkmark appears, click on the check box to select the field. Repeated mouse clicks on the check box will toggle field selection between including in the dataset and excluding from the dataset.

    Tip: Click on the first column header to select all or exclude all fields from the dataset.

    To deselect a field for inclusion in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. Click the check box to clear the checkmark, thus excluding the field.

    To change properties of a field, highlight the cell to be changed. For the Display Name column, type in the desired name. For the Data Type, Precision and Currency Symbol columns, note the drop down arrow that displays to the right of the cell. Click the arrow to display a list of options to choose from and make a selection from the pulldown list. For the Group Digits and As Currency columns, click on the check box to toggle whether or not to use these options.

    Tip: For currency columns, the currency symbol defaults to the symbol used by the computer's regional settings, which can change if the project is opened on a different computer. To use a specific symbol regardless of the computer's settings, select a symbol from the pulldown list.

    Click Next.

  6. Review the information displayed in the Dataset Summary wizard page. This information includes:
    • Source Type. Microsoft Access Database filet (*.mdb).
    • Data Source. The name of the file.
    • Source Table. The name of the table.
    • Display Name. The name of the table as it will appear in the WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
    • Rows. The number of the rows of data to be loaded.
    • Selected Fields. The number of fields you selected in the Configure the Dataset wizard page.

    Click Next to proceed. Note that when you click the Next button, the dataset is loaded immediately. You no longer can modify the dataset properties until after the dataset has been successfully loaded.

  7. The Loading Dataset wizard page displays. It shows the progress as data is loaded into WebFOCUS Visual Discovery AE.
  8. The Completing Data Wizard page is displayed. In this page, a default data source name is included to uniquely identify this dataset.

    If you want to use a different name to identify this data source, type in a new name in the Data Source Name edit box. When the Remember Data Source Definition check box is checked (the default setting), the dataset and all of its configured properties will be remembered for “one-click” data loading the next time you use the WebFOCUS Visual Discovery AE application.


Top of page

x
Procedure: How to Load SQL Server Data

Note: The that the Data Wizard windows can be resized as required for optimum display of data.

  1. To display the Data Wizard, you can:
    • Click the New Data Source option in Load Data section of the Task View.
    • Select New Data Source from the File menu or Data toolbar.
    • Choose it from the Quick Start wizard.
  2. The Welcome screen displays. Click Next. In the Select Data Source Type wizard page, select Database. Click Next.
  3. In the Select Database Type wizard page, select Microsoft SQL Server (version 7.0 or later). Click Next.
  4. In the Connect to SQL Server Database wizard page:
    • From the SQL Server pull down list, select a server.
    • To use integrated security, be sure a checkmark appears in the Use Integrated Security field.
    • If not using integrated security, enter a login name and password.
    • Click Connect. When the icon next to this button changes from red to green, you can select a database from the Database pull-down list.
  5. The Select Data for Dataset wizard page displays. Use this wizard page to define the dataset.

    Specify how you want to define the dataset:

    • by table
    • by SQL query
    • by stored procedure

    To use table selection to define the datatset, select the Dataset from table selection option. All options available to the SQL Server are shown in the Available Items field and denoted by . All available views are shown in the Available Items field as .

    To select a table or view, use the mouse to drag an item in the Available Items column to the Selected Items column, or double-click on the table/view item. You can also use the buttons located between the Available Items and Selected Items fields:

    • Use >> to copy all items
    • Use > to copy a single highlighted item
    • Use < to remove individual items from the Selected Items Column
    • Use << to remove all items from the Selected Items Column

    To use a SQL query, select the Define dataset from SQL query option, then either type in the SQL query or use the right mouse button and the Paste Query context menu option. Click Next.

    Note: The Define dataset by SQL query option is an advanced feature. To use this option, you need to be familiar with data and with SQL syntax. Your SQL query must be valid (known to retrieve data) and must be submitted with proper syntax. We recommend pasting a SQL query string that you created in an application such as Query Analyzer.

    To use a stored procedure, select the Dataset from stored procedure option, then type in the name of the stored procedure to use in the Procedure Name edit box. For each parameter in the stored procedure, click on the Add New … button and then type in the parameter name in Parameter Name column, select the parameter data type from the Data Type pull-down list, and specify the parameter value in the Value column.

    Click Next.

  6. The Configure the Data Dataset wizard page displays. In this page you can:
    • Preview the first 25 rows of data in the dataset via the Data View.
    • Edit the table name or change field properties via the Configure View

    Two buttons appear in a toolbar on the top left side of the wizard page:

    • The Data View button displays the data values for the first 25 rows in the dataset. This is a view-only mode to help confirm it is the desired dataset and is the default view for the page.
    • By clicking the Configuration View button , you can:
      1. Edit the display name for the table.
      2. Configure which fields to include in the dataset by checking or clearing the check box in the first column.
      3. Change field properties, such as display name for the field, field data type, and the level of precision, whether or not to group digits or show the values as a currency for numeric fields.

    To edit the table name, click to switch to the Configuration View and enter the new table name in the Table Name edit box.

    To select a field to include in the dataset, click to switch to the Configuration View. If a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. If no checkmark appears, click on the check box to select the field. Repeated mouse clicks on the check box will toggle field selection between including in the dataset and excluding from the dataset.

    Note: Right-click on the first column header brings up the context menu to select all or exclude all fields from the dataset.

    To deselect a field for inclusion in the dataset, click to switch to the Configuration View. If a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. Click the check box to clear the checkmark, thus excluding the field.

    To change properties of a field, highlight the cell to be changed. For the Display Name column, type in the desired name. For the Data Type, Precision and Currency Symbol columns, note the drop down arrow that displays to the right of the cell. Click the arrow to display a list of options to choose from and make a selection from the pulldown list. For the Group Digits and As Currency columns, click on the check box to toggle whether or not to use these options.

    Click Next.

  7. Review the information displayed in the Dataset Summary wizard page. This information includes:
    • Source Type. Microsoft SQL Server Database.
    • Data Source. Server: <server name> Database: <database name>.
    • Source Table. The name of the table in the database.
    • Display Name. The name of the table as it will appear in the WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
    • Rows. The number of the rows of data to be imported.
    • Selected Fields. The number of fields you selected in the Configure the Dataset wizard page.

    Click Next to proceed.

  8. The Loading Dataset wizard page displays. It shows the progress as data is loaded into WebFOCUS Visual Discovery. The Completing Data Wizard page is displayed. In this page, a default data source name is included to uniquely identify the dataset.

    To use a different name to identify the data source, type in a new name in the Data Source Name edit box. You can also add a description of the data source. When the Remember Data Source Definition check box is checked (the default setting), the dataset and all of its configured properties will be remembered for “one-click” data loading the next time you use the application.

    Click Finish to close the wizard.


Top of page

x
Procedure: How to Load Oracle Data

Note: The that the Data Wizard windows can be resized as required for optimum display of data.

  1. To display the Data Wizard, you can:
    • Click the New Data Source option in Load Data section of the Task View.
    • Select New Data Source from the File menu or Data toolbar.
    • Choose it from the Quick Start wizard.
  2. The Welcome screen displays. Click Next. In the Select Data Source Type wizard page, select Database. Click Next.
  3. In the Select Database Type wizard page, select Oracle (version 9i or later). Click Next.

    Note: Oracle Client software must be installed on the PC from where you are loading the dataset.

  4. In the Connect to Oracle Database wizard page:
    • Enter the Net Service Name
    • To use integrated security, be sure a checkmark appears in the Use Integrated Security field.
    • If not using integrated security, enter a login name and password.
    • Click Connect. When the icon next to this button changes from red to green, you have specified valid login credentials and a connection has been established. Click Next.
  5. The Select Data for Dataset wizard page displays. Use this wizard page to define the dataset.

    Specify how you want to define the dataset:

    • by table
    • by SQL query
    • by stored procedure

    To use table selection to define the datatset, select the Dataset from table selection option. All tables available to the Oracle New Service Name are shown in the Available Items field and denoted by . All available views are shown in the Available Items field as .

    To select a table or view, use the mouse to drag an item in the Available Items column to the Selected Items column, or double-click on the table/view item. You can also use the buttons located between the Available Items and Selected Items fields:

    • Use >> to copy all items
    • Use > to copy a single highlighted item
    • Use < to remove individual items from the Selected Items Column
    • Use << to remove all items from the Selected Items Column

    To use a SQL query, select the Define dataset from SQL query option, then either type in the SQL query or use the right mouse button and the Paste Query context menu option.

    Note: The Dataset by SQL Query option is an advanced feature. To use this option, you must be familiar with data and with SQL syntax. Your SQL query must be valid (known to retrieve data) and must be submitted with proper syntax. We recommend pasting a SQL query string that you created in a query application.

    To use a stored procedure, select the Dataset from stored procedure option, then type in the name of the stored procedure to use in the Procedure Name edit box. For each parameter in the stored procedure, click on the Add New … button and then type in the parameter name in Parameter Name column, select the parameter data type from the Data Type pull-down list, and specify the parameter value in the Value column.

    Click Next.

  6. The Configure the Dataset wizard page displays. In this page, you can:
    • Edit the table name or change field properties via the Configure View.
    • Preview the first 25 rows of data in the dataset via the Data View.

    Two views appear on the top left side of the wizard page

    • By clicking Configuration View, you can:
      1. Edit the display name for the table.
      2. Configure which fields to include in the dataset by checking or clearing the check box in the first column.
      3. Change field properties, such as display name for the field, field data type, and the level of precision, whether or not to group digits or show the values as a currency for numeric fields.
    • The Data View displays the data values for the first 25 rows in the dataset. This is a view-only mode to help confirm it is the desired dataset and is the default view for the page.

    To edit the table name, type the new table name in the Table Name edit box.

    To select a field to include in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. If no checkmark appears, click on the check box to select the field. Repeated mouse clicks on the check box will toggle field selection between including in the dataset and excluding from the dataset.

    Tip: Click on the first column header to select all or exclude all fields from the dataset.

    To deselect a field for inclusion in the dataset, if a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. Click the check box to clear the checkmark, thus excluding the field.

    To change properties of a field, highlight the cell to be changed. For the Display Name column, type in the desired name. For the Data Type, Precision and Currency Symbol columns, note the drop down arrow that displays to the right of the cell. Click the arrow to display a list of options to choose from and make a selection from the pulldown list. For the Group Digits and As Currency columns, click on the check box to toggle whether or not to use these options.

    Tip: For currency columns, the currency symbol defaults to the symbol used by the computer's regional settings, which can change if the project is opened on a different computer. To use a specific symbol regardless of the computer's settings, select a symbol from the pulldown list.

    Click Next.

  7. Review the information displayed in the Dataset Summary wizard page. This information includes:
    • Source Type. Oracle Database.
    • Data Source. <Net Service Name>.
    • Source Table. The name of the table(s).
    • Display Name. The name of the table as it will appear in the WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
    • Rows. The number of the rows of data to be imported.
    • Selected Fields. The number of fields you selected in the Configure the Dataset wizard page.

    Click Next to proceed.

  8. The Loading Dataset wizard page displays. It shows the progress as data is loaded into WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
  9. The Completing Data Wizard page is displayed. In this page, a default data source name is included to uniquely identify the dataset. To use a different name to identify this data source, type in a new name in the Data Source Name edit box. You can change this name and add a description. When the Remember Data Source Definition check box is checked (the default setting), the dataset and all of its configured properties will be remembered for “one-click” data loading the next time that you use the application. Click Finish.

Top of page

x
Procedure: How to Load a Database via ODBC

Note: The that the Data Wizard windows can be resized as required for optimum display of data.

  1. To display the Data Wizard, you can:
    • Click the New Data Source option in Load Data section of the Task View.
    • Select New Data Source from the File menu or Data toolbar.
    • Choose it from the Quick Start wizard.
  2. The Welcome screen displays. Click Next. In the Select Data Source Type wizard page, select Database. Click Next.
  3. In the Select Database Type wizard page, select Other (via ODBC. Click Next.
  4. In the Connect to Oracle Database wizard page:
    • Select a Data Source Name (DSN) from the DSN pull-down list. Note that although all system DSNs on your PC are displayed. WebFOCUS Visual Discovery supports SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and Pervasive DSNs.
    • Enter a valid login name and password.
    • Click Connect. When the icon next to this button changes from red to green, you have specified valid login credentials and a connection has been established. Click Next.
  5. The Select Data for Dataset wizard page displays. Use this wizard page to define the dataset.

    Specify how you want to define the dataset:

    • by table
    • by SQL query

    To use table selection to define the datatset, select the Dataset from table selection option. All tables available to the data source associated with DSN are shown in the Available Items field and denoted by . All available views are shown in the Available Items field as .

    To select a table or view, use the mouse to drag an item in the Available Items column to the Selected Items column, or double-click on the table/view item. You can also use the buttons located between the Available Items and Selected Items fields:

    • Use >> to copy all items
    • Use > to copy a single highlighted item
    • Use < to remove individual items from the Selected Items Column
    • Use << to remove all items from the Selected Items Column

    To use a SQL query, select the Define dataset from SQL query option, then either type in the SQL query or use the right mouse button and the Paste Query context menu option.

    Note: The Dataset by SQL Query option is an advanced feature. To use this option, you must be familiar with data and with SQL syntax. Your SQL query must be valid (known to retrieve data) and must be submitted with proper syntax. We recommend pasting a SQL query string that you created in a query application. Click Next.

    To use a stored procedure, select the Dataset from stored procedure option, then type in the name of the stored procedure to use in the Procedure Name edit box. For each parameter in the stored procedure, click on the Add New … button and then type in the parameter name in Parameter Name column, select the parameter data type from the Data Type pull-down list, and specify the parameter value in the Value column.

    Click Next.

  6. The Configure the Data Dataset wizard page displays. In this page you can:
    • Edit the table name or change field properties via the Configure View.
    • Preview the first 25 rows of data in the dataset via the Data View.

    Two views appear on the top left side of the wizard page:

    • By clicking the Configuration View button , you can:
      1. Edit the display name for the table.
      2. Configure which fields to include in the dataset by checking or clearing the check box in the first column.
      3. Change field properties, such as display name for the field, field data type, and the level of precision, whether or not to group digits or show the values as a currency for numeric fields.
    • The Data View button displays the data values for the first 25 rows in the dataset. This is a view-only mode to help confirm it is the desired dataset and is the default view for the page.

    To edit the table name, click to switch to the Configuration View and enter the new table name in the Table Name edit box.

    To select a field to include in the dataset, click to switch to the Configuration View. If a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. If no checkmark appears, click on the check box to select the field. Repeated mouse clicks on the check box will toggle field selection between including in the dataset and excluding from the dataset.

    Note: Right-click on the first column header brings up the context menu to select all or exclude all fields from the dataset.

    To deselect a field for inclusion in the dataset, click to switch to the Configuration View. If a checkmark appears in the first column of the row, the field is already included in the dataset. Click the check box to clear the checkmark, thus excluding the field.

    To change properties of a field, highlight the cell to be changed. For the Display Name column, type in the desired name. For the Data Type, Precision and Currency Symbol columns, note the drop down arrow that displays to the right of the cell. Click the arrow to display a list of options to choose from and make a selection from the pulldown list. For the Group Digits and As Currency columns, click on the check box to toggle whether or not to use these options.

    Click Next.

  7. Review the information displayed in the Dataset Summary wizard page. This information includes:
    • Source Type. ODBC.
    • Data Source. <Selected DSN name>.
    • Source Table. The name of the table(s).
    • Display Name. The name of the table(s) as it will appear in the WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
    • Rows. The number of the rows in the dataset.
    • Selected Fields. The number of fields you selected in the Configure the Dataset wizard page.

    Click Next to proceed.

  8. The Loading Dataset wizard page displays. It shows the progress as data is loaded into WebFOCUS Visual Discovery.
  9. The Completing Data Wizard page is displayed. In this page, a default data source name is included to uniquely identify the dataset. To use a different name to identify this data source, type in a new name in the Data Source Name edit box. You can change this name and add a description. When the Remember Data Source Definition check box is checked (the default setting), the dataset and all of its configured properties will be remembered for “one-click” data loading the next time that you use the application. Click Finish.

WebFOCUS