What Is WebFOCUS App Studio?
WebFOCUS App Studio is the new Windows-based graphical
user interface (GUI) development environment for creating advanced
WebFOCUS applications. App Studio utilizes the Microsoft Windows®
ribbon framework to deliver an interactive user interface (UI) from
which you can build multiple business intelligence applications
in the same workspace.
In App Studio, you can do the following:
Access data and descriptions. Using the Metadata canvas,
you can create new synonyms, and view or modify existing synonyms,
in a graphical user interface. Synonyms enable you to access and
interpret data sources for use in reporting applications.
Create reporting applications. Build reporting procedures
in the Report Canvas, Chart Canvas, HTML Canvas, or Document Canvas.
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Reports. Display
your data in a tabular format. You can create stand-alone reporting
procedures, or add the report to a document or an HTML page.
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Charts. Communicate
your data in a more illustrative format. You can translate complex
data into an easy-to-read and understandable visual format. This often
provides a new perspective to the information that users view. You
can create stand-alone charting procedures or add the chart to a
document or an HTML page.
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HTML pages. Build
webpages for users to launch, view, and analyze data. You can add
multiple reports and charting procedures to an HTML page, in addition
to the controls that enable you to manipulate the data. You can
also apply styling through the use of cascading style sheets, JavaScript
files, and jQuery animations.
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Documents. Combine
multiple report and charting procedures in a single output that
you can organize and format. You can also add pre-process and post-process codes
to customize how your document is executed.
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Visualizations. Create charts, maps, and grids to visually
represent your data. You can add multiple visuals to the canvas
to create a complete visualization, and you can update, change,
or revise the visualization at any time to account for shifts in data
needs.
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Alerts. Create
event-driven procedures that apply test conditions and then trigger
customized reports if the test conditions are true. You can schedule
an Alert using ReportCaster Distribution Methods.
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Reporting Objects. Transform
complex views of data into simple objects that are labeled with
common business terminology for users to understand and use as templates
to create their own reports.
Customize reporting applications. In addition to customizing
your reporting applications by applying styling and color, you can
add the following components to a procedure.
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Virtual fields (DEFINE or COMPUTE statements). Create temporary
fields that are treated as real fields stored in the data source.
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Define functions. Create
user functions that you can use in components of a procedure. You
can retrieve your stored functions from the Functions Arguments dialog
box.
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Joins. Define
relationships between two or more data sources so a report can use
the data from all sources at once. You can also merge data sources
by creating logical expressions on the Match canvas.
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OLAP hierarchies. Create
temporary OLAP hierarchies and dimensions for a procedure.
Manage your environment. You can apply the following functions
to your reporting applications to change the behavior of your environment.
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Set. Control
the way that reports and charts appear on the screen or printer,
the content of reports and charts, data retrieval characteristics
that affect performance, and system responses to user requests.
The Set component also helps you to set up your metadata and manipulate
information, such as dates. Use the Set component to override default
settings for your procedure.
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Allocation. Assign
logical names and storage locations to the files that you create
and use in WebFOCUS.
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Execute. Allows one procedure to call another.
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Use. Identify
a FOCUS data source to use in your procedure.
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This topic briefly explains the main WebFOCUS components
and implementations. For a complete description of WebFOCUS, see
the WebFOCUS documentation.
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WebFOCUS and Your Network
WebFOCUS integrates into your existing network by connecting
your web server to your data. End users access WebFOCUS applications
through a web browser, so they need only the following elements:
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Web browser. To
access WebFOCUS applications, users need a browser and a TCP/IP
connection to a web server.
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Web server. Web
servers handle requests by returning files to a browser or by executing
processes that provide additional functionality. You can provide WebFOCUS
functionality by connecting to the web server using Java servlet
calls.
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Data. WebFOCUS
can access data from almost anywhere. Once you have configured data
access and described that data, you can report on it.
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There are two main WebFOCUS components.
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WebFOCUS Client. The
WebFOCUS Client resides on the web server and connects WebFOCUS
to the web through Java servlets. When a user makes a request from
App Studio or a browser, the WebFOCUS Client receives and processes
the request by passing it to the Reporting Server.
Note: When
you perform a full App Studio installation for stand-alone development,
you do not have to install the WebFOCUS Client separately because
it is packaged with App Studio.
A stand-alone development
environment is typically one in which all software components (the
web server, WebFOCUS Client, and Reporting Server) are installed
on the same local machine. This configuration gives you access to
all your application files and data from a single machine. You do
not need a physical network connection to access any other machine
in order to accomplish your development tasks.
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WebFOCUS Reporting Server. The
Reporting Server resides on machines that can access your data.
The Reporting Server provides data access, number crunching, and
report generation functionality.
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WebFOCUS employs a distributed architecture, so the
WebFOCUS Client, Reporting Server, and your data can be located
on any platform, anywhere in your network.
You can easily connect an Apache™ web server running on UNIX
to SQL Server data on Windows, or DB2 data on z/OS. Any number of
WebFOCUS Reporting Servers can be connected to the WebFOCUS Client.
WebFOCUS can report on all of them.
Configuring a distributed architecture requires the following:
- The WebFOCUS Client
must reside on a machine with a web server.
- An instance of the
Reporting Server must be installed on machines with your data, or
machines that have access to your data.
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This topic briefly explains the main App Studio components
and implementations.
WebFOCUS App Studio includes the following components:
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Reference: Derby Database
The Derby
database installed with your edition of App Studio comes preloaded
with IDs that possess developer and administration permissions.
These IDs enable application development in specific development
areas of a WebFOCUS environment, and the permissions to change user
passwords.
The following
table lists the preloaded IDs available in App Studio.
|
ID
|
Password
|
Function
|
|---|
|
wfdesktop
|
leave blank
|
Provides all the required privileges to
develop using a stand-alone version of App Studio.
When you
connect to a WebFOCUS environment using the ID wfdesktop, with no
password, you can develop applications in the Projects area, Data
Servers area, and Web Applications area.
This ID does not
allow development in the Repository area.
|
|
admin
|
admin
|
Provides access to the WebFOCUS Administration Console
and Security Center.
When you connect to a WebFOCUS environment using
the admin ID and password, you can develop applications in all areas.
|
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Procedure: How to Change User Passwords Through the Security Center
Using
the preloaded administrator IDs installed in the Derby database,
you can access the administrative privileges that let you change
user passwords through the Security Center.
To
change user passwords through the Security Center, follow these steps:
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Open the
WebFOCUS Sign In page through one of the following options:
- From the Start menu,
select All Programs. Open the Information
Builders folder, and expand the WebFOCUS App Studio folder. Expand
the WebFOCUS App Studio Utilities folder, and click WebFOCUS
Administration Console.
or
- Open the following
page in a web browser:
http://localhost:8080/ibi_apps
Note: To
use this option, you need to use the default Tomcat application server
with port 8080, and a default alias of ibi_apps.
The
WebFOCUS Sign In page opens, as shown in the following image.
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Type the
User Name admin with the Password admin.
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Click Sign
In.
The WebFOCUS Welcome page opens.
-
At the top
of the Welcome page, click Administration,
and then click Security Center.
The Security Center dialog box opens, as shown in the following image.
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As the administrator,
you can change the password of any user. On the Users & Groups
tab, under Users, right-click a user, and click Set Password.
The Set Password - User dialog box opens, as shown in the
following image.
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Type a new
password, confirm the password, and click OK.
The new password is effective immediately.
For more
information on setting user credentials, see the WebFOCUS Security
and Administration manual.
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Reference: App Studio Directory Structure
This topic
references the App Studio directory structure created after installation.
The default directory is drive:\ibi.
- \apps
-
Contains directories and data. By default, this is the Application
Root directory (APPROOT directory) in which WebFOCUS searches for
application files. Sample files are provided in the \ibinccen and
\ibisamp directories.
The Application Root directory
is created during the installation of App Studio and the WebFOCUS
Reporting Server.
It is defined by the APPROOT variable in
the server configuration file, edaserve.cfg, and the IBI_Approot_Directory
variable that is defined during the WebFOCUS installation. These
variables point to the Application Root directory for applications
that reside on the web server where WebFOCUS is installed.
For
Project-based development, the Application Root directories must
point to the same location.
- \AppStudio81
-
Contains the graphical front-end components for creating
App Studio content.
- \AppStudio81\srv81\home
-
Contains the local Reporting Server files.
- \AppStudio81\derby
-
Contains the Derby database files.
For
more information, see the App Studio Directory Structure topic
in the WebFOCUS App Studio Installation and Configuration
Guide.
xWebFOCUS and App Studio Processing
The following figure illustrates how WebFOCUS and App
Studio process requests. Each step is explained below the figure.
- A user makes a request
and passes parameters by calling a WebFOCUS Servlet through links
and forms on a webpage, or through App Studio.
- The request and parameters
come to the WebFOCUS Client on the web or application server, which
processes the parameters and creates a request for the Reporting
Server.
- The Reporting Server
receives the request, processes it, and accesses any necessary data.
- Data is retrieved
from data sources to process the request.
- The Reporting Server
processes the user request using the retrieved data.
- The response is returned
to the WebFOCUS Client on the web or application server.
- The response is returned
to the user.
App Studio processes requests the same way that WebFOCUS does:
- To access WebFOCUS
or a remote Reporting Server, App Studio calls a servlet on a remote
web or application server.
- To process requests
using the local WebFOCUS Client and Reporting Server installed with
App Studio, App Studio calls the local Reporting Server through
a local web or application server using a servlet. Therefore, to
run reports locally, your machine requires a web server.
xApp Studio Development Modes
App Studio allows local (stand-alone) development and
development against a remote environment. From the Environments
Tree panel, you can develop projects locally on your machine, or
against a remote WebFOCUS environment.
In App Studio, you build applications consisting of different
kinds of files. You can create the project as a stand-alone application
in a development environment or as a web-based self-service application.
With a full App Studio installation,
you can do the following:
- Locally develop self-service
applications from the Projects area.
Stand-alone Project-based
development requires installation of a Reporting Server on the same
machine as App Studio. A WebFOCUS Client is also required for Project-based
development. The files that you create for a local project reside
in a subdirectory under APPROOT as described earlier. In Project-based
development, the Application Root directories (APPROOT directories)
must point to the same directory.
For
more information, see Development Areas Under WebFOCUS Environments.
- Connect to one or
more remote servers and modify existing self-service applications
on those servers. For example, you can add a reporting procedure
to an existing application.
- Configure access
to one or more WebFOCUS environments so you can manage resources
on the WebFOCUS Client and Reporting Server, and in the Repository
(if Managed Reporting is installed). For example, you can create
and edit procedures, metadata, HTML files, and more.
Note: If you do not have a Reporting Server and WebFOCUS
Client on your development machine (for example, the Managed Reporting
Application edition of App Studio), your environment allows the
last two capabilities.
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Project-Based Development
App Studio supports two configurations for Project-based
development:
- In the first configuration,
App Studio, Reporting Server, and WebFOCUS Client are installed
on the same machine (a full installation). This WebFOCUS environment
is referred to as localhost, which describes your local machine.
Note: When
configuring a WebFOCUS environment, provide a full domain for the
host name, including top-level domain name, second-level domain,
and subdomains as specified by your organization (for example, hostname.companyname.com).
This format is recommended to ensure that requests are properly
resolved and redirected. In this environment, the project files
that you create reside in a subdirectory under the Application Root
directory (APPROOT directory).
See the WebFOCUS App
Studio Installation and Configuration manual for information
about other required components that you must install, such as Java SDK
and a servlet engine. All required components are packaged with
App Studio.
A full App Studio installation also allows Project-based
development against a remote WebFOCUS environment. In this case,
App Studio does not utilize the local Reporting Server or its local
WebFOCUS Client. It utilizes these components from the remote WebFOCUS
environment.
- In the second configuration,
you can use a remote WebFOCUS installation for Project-based development.
App Studio is installed on a local machine (a thin installation),
and the WebFOCUS components (which includes a Reporting Server and WebFOCUS
Client that resides on the web server) are installed on remote machines.
Use of a remote environment for Project-based development requires
the following:
- The Reporting Server
must be at a supported release level.
- The Reporting Server
must be installed on a supported Windows or UNIX platform.
- The Reporting Server
and the WebFOCUS Client must be properly configured and the APPROOT
variable must point to the same physical location.
- You must have read/write
permission to the Reporting Server and the WebFOCUS Client.
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Reference: Summary of Steps for Project-Based Development
To create a new project, follow these
steps:
-
Install App Studio. Use
the installation program to install App Studio (this includes a
Reporting Server for stand-alone development) on your Windows machine.
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Configure the web server. For
local/stand-alone development, configure aliases and servlet functionality
on the local web server.
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Configure communications and data access. Set
up remote access to Reporting Servers, and create or copy data source
descriptions. You must also set up data adapters to access other
data sources, such as relational databases.
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Create a project in the Projects node of the desired environment. Before you
begin Project-based development, you must create a project directory
to store the associated files. You create this directory using the
Project Wizard. Use the Project Wizard to name the project,
designate a directory for it, and optionally, add other directory
paths from which the project can retrieve information or paths to other
resources.
Sample projects are provided for editions that allow
local/stand-alone development. When working against a remote WebFOCUS
environment you do not see any sample projects, by default.
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Create, develop, and test the project components. Open
the project, create its components (procedures, data source synonyms,
HTML files, and related files), and develop and test them on the
Reporting Server and web server.
For
more information about installing App Studio, configuring the web
server, and configuring communications and data access, see the WebFOCUS
App Studio Installation and Configuration manual.
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App Studio provides the following scenarios for remote
development:
- Use the Data Servers
area to develop applications directly on the Reporting Server and
edit resources in place against remote environments.
- Use the Repository
area to access the Managed Reporting repository. From here, you
can develop and manage Managed Reporting applications against a
configured WebFOCUS environment.
- Use the Web Applications
area to manage resources on the web tier, and edit the resources
in place against remote environments. HTML pages, cascading style
sheets (CSS), and other web components can be stored in the Web
Applications node. You can view and modify files with an editor.
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Reference: Summary of Steps for Remote Development
To create
a new application on a server platform:
-
Install App Studio. Use
the installation program to install App Studio on your Windows machine.
-
Add a WebFOCUS environment. Add
an environment from the WebFOCUS Environment Properties dialog box.
For more information, see How to Add a WebFOCUS Environment.
-
Create an application folder on the server. Create
the application folder in the Data Servers area, or develop directly
against the Repository.
-
Create, develop, and test the application components. Open
the application, create its components (procedures, data source
synonyms, HTML files, and related files), and develop and test them
on the Reporting Server and WebFOCUS Client.