Glossary

accessibility

Ensures product accessibility to all potential users, including individuals with disabilities, and maintains Information Builders compliance with Federal regulations.

accordion

A compound container that can hold one or more pieces of content.

Administration Console

Area where you configure, administer, and monitor the components of a WebFOCUS application.

Alert

An event that is prompted by a guideline that you define. For example, you may want to be notified if a sale over $1 million is entered.

Alert procedure

A report procedure that evaluates whether a defined condition is true or a file exists, in order to determine whether to run (trigger) the specified or referenced report request.

banner

An area that is visible in the portal, no matter what page you are on.

BI Dashboard

The WebFOCUS Business Intelligence Dashboard (BI Dashboard) is an HTML-based thin client that you can use to create a customized user interface in order to access WebFOCUS Managed Reporting. BI Dashboard is focused exclusively on building dashboards, which are much smaller than portals.

Business Intelligence (BI) Portal

The Business Intelligence Portal (BI Portal) is new in WebFOCUS 8. It is the successor to the Business Intelligence Dashboard (BI Dashboard). You can use the BI Portal to build complete, modern websites.

canvas

The design area, which includes the banners and pages of your portal.

container

Holds the page content. The following types of containers exist in the BI Portal: Panel, Accordion, and Tabbed.

Distribution List

Used with a ReportCaster schedule (Email, FTP, or Printer) to specify the email addresses, directory locations, or printers to distribute content. A Distribution List is an easy way to distribute content to multiple recipients or destinations. The list, which is stored in the WebFOCUS repository, contains a previously specified group of individual recipients. The Distribution List automates distribution to this stored list, rather than requiring the entry of each recipient individually into a schedule.

domain

Provides data on a particular topic, such as Sales, or to isolate specific users utilized in SaaS and Multi-tenancy deployments. Domains contain all of the components that you can create with WebFOCUS.

domain folder

The highest level of folder organization for Managed Reporting.

folder

Allows the user to organize their private or published application content.

graph procedure

Contains the core language commands to tell the Reporting Server how to create the graph.

join

Enables the merging and use of data from multiple data sources. If a report requires data from two or more related data sources, you can temporarily join the files and report from them, as if they were one. Joined files remain physically separate, but are treated as one data source structure.

Library Access List

Used with a ReportCaster Library schedule to specify the groups and users that the private Library report will be shared with. A Library Access List defines the groups and users that are authorized to view report output distributed by a schedule to the Report Library. A Library Access List can be used with single or multiple schedules.

Manager mode

Enables you to manage the content of other users. Typically, you can switch between Normal mode (seeing your own content) and Manager mode, provided you have those privileges.

menu bar

Located in the upper-right section of the screen by default, inside the top banner. You can use this tool to perform tasks such as changing a password, enabling accessibility, and various administrative tasks.

Mobile Favorites

WebFOCUS Mobile Favorites is an Information Builders mobile server platform that delivers business content to any mobile device. In the BI Portal, you can add reports, graphs, hyperlinks, and other item types (except Reporting Objects), to the Mobile Favorites list.

My Content folder

Created when the parent folder has the Auto create My Reports folder property selected, and the user is permitted to create private content in a My Content folder. This folder contains content specific to you.

node

An area or a folder in the Resource Tree, such as Content or Favorites.

Normal mode

The mode where you can see your own content.

panel

A simple container that can hold a single piece of content.

portal

A custom page, or group of pages, that you create to display timely information (components). A portal can be comprised of as many pages as you would like. Various components display around your portal, including a menu bar, a navigation area, and a banner.

ReportCaster Explorer

The ReportCaster Explorer interface provides users with the ability to obtain a list of ReportCaster items, by type, displayed with detail column information specific to the item type selected. In BI Portal, you can use the ReportCaster Explorer to view ReportCaster content.

report component

Creates a report template and saves it in a Reporting Object.

report procedure

Also known as a FOCEXEC (FEX), a reporting procedure contains the core language commands that tell the Reporting Server how to create the report.

reporting objects

Report templates containing the data source fields that users can select in the InfoAssist reporting tool to build a report or chart.

Resource Tree

Located on the left side of the page, upon initial entry into WebFOCUS. In the Portal, the Resource Tree is located on the right side of the page. It contains your WebFOCUS resources, such as Content and Portals.

ribbon

A navigational area of the interface in Developer mode that provides access to commonly used tools. The ribbon replaces traditional toolbars with a single, rectangular region that spans the width of the application window. There are three menu options above the ribbon: Layout, Insert, and Style.

ROI

Return on investment (ROI) is used to determine how well a particular investment is performing. It is typical to compare one investment against any number of investments to evaluate the effectiveness of the return or gain on the primary investment.

schedule

Specifies when to run a report procedure, how to distribute the report (Email, FTP, Managed Reporting, Report Library, or Printer), and the destination to which the report will be distributed.

Security Center

Area of the application where you define users and groups and grant access permissions.

selection criteria

Also known as WHERE statements, selection criteria restrict the data retrieved to only those records that meet the conditions that you specify.

Shared folder

A folder containing private content that is accessible by users with the proper permissions. The shared folder can also be shared with specific groups or users.

Shared reports procedure

A folder that contains shared report procedures to which a user can give access to all users or a specific group of users. A user or group must have the proper permissions to access the folder in which the shared report resides.

StyleSheet file

Specifies how to apply WebFOCUS styling to a report or chart created by the Reporting Server.

tabbed

A compound container that has the same properties as an accordion container, however, it presents differently. All of the titles for the tabs are in the same horizontal location. If there is not enough space to show all of the tabs in the container, a scroll bar is presented.

Text Editor

Enables you to create, view, and edit the source code for procedures, procedure components, Master Files and Access Files, and other types of files required by your applications.

tree

A set of folders or navigational groups presented in a list. These are typically presented on the right or left side of the canvas, and serve to aid in navigation specific to storing or accessing files.

URL

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a link to a website.

View Builder

Enables you to view and administer Public, Group, and Library Views, and manage users.

virtual field

A field whose value is not stored in the data source, but can be calculated from the data that is there. A virtual field takes up no storage space and is created only when a user accesses the Reporting Object that includes the virtual field.

Visual Discovery AE

WebFOCUS Visual Discovery Analyst Edition (AE) is a workbench that provides powerful visual business analysis capabilities in a simple package, requiring minimal configuration or IT involvement.

Watch List Report

A report of particular interest that the user subscribes to in the Report Library. Each time a new version of the report is distributed, the user receives an email notification.

web-based tools

A set of applications and utilities available through the BI Portal that enable you to perform many development and deployment tasks.

WebFOCUS

WebFOCUS is a comprehensive BI platform, helping organizations deliver information and analytics to the widest range of users. WebFOCUS 8 delivers many rich new capabilities and integrates the four critical elements for smarter decision-making: business intelligence, performance management, advanced analytics, and data integrity.


WebFOCUS