Bookshelf v7.5: About the Workspace in Siebel Answers

Siebel Answers provides access to previously saved requests. As illustrated in Figure 4, Siebel Answers contains two panes. The selection pane on the left contains the Catalog, Columns, and Filters tabs. The pane on the right contains the feature links at the top of the page and the Getting Started area just below. This pane contains the Quick Answers and Subject Areas tabs.

Figure 4. Example Siebel Answers Page

This page provides access to previously saved requests from the Quick Answers list and from the folders in the Web Catalog displayed in the selection pane. You can also create a new request by selecting the desired subject area.

Left Pane (Selection Pane)

The left pane of Siebel Answers is the selection pane. Use this to view the subject area, columns, and filters to include in a request. When you are at the Criteria tab (described in Table 4), click on an item to include it in a request.

Right Pane

The right pane contains the tabs that you use to create requests and work with results. Table 4 shows information about these tabs.

Table 4. Siebel Answers Tabs
Tab	Description
Criteria Tab	Create a new request by selecting the appropriate columns and filters. The Criteria tab is also used to modify existing requests.
Results Tab	View and work with request results.
Views Tab	Create different views of a request, such as charts, tickers and pivot tables.
Advanced Tab	Work directly with the SQL generated for a request. The Advanced tab is recommended for use only by developers or experienced users with complex data analysis needs and capabilities. Only users with the appropriate responsibilities are given access to the Advanced tab.

After you create a new request or execute a saved request, the results can be customized on the Results tab, or enhanced on the Views tab to include new views of the data. For example, the default results display is a table with a title. You can add additional views to your results, or delete the current view and substitute a different view.

For example, you can add a pivot table or chart view to your current results, or delete the default table view and substitute a nested request. You can reference the results of a request from an external Web page, portal, or application. You do this by clicking a link on the Advanced tab that allows you to execute the request. This tab also allows you to add clauses to the SQL statements for the request, or edit the SQL statements directly.

Criteria Tab

Use the Criteria tab to construct a request by asking a question or modifying selected columns, adding values, and filters. The Criteria tab provides access to the columns selected for the request. You can specify the order in which the results should be returned, column subtotals, formatting (such as headings and number of decimal places), and column formulas (such as adding a Rank or Percentile function). You can also add or modify column filters.

Results Tab

Use the Results tab to view and work with query results. Click Customize View to modify or add a view to the Results view for the request. You can download the results as a comma-separated list of values, suitable for import by a spreadsheet or database application. Alternatively, you can display the results in a page suitable for printing, saving, or sending through email.

Views Tab

Use the Views tab to access Siebel Analytics Web presentation capabilities, which are used to customize query results.

The Views tab allows you to customize results by including a variety of views, including charts, pivot tables, nested requests, plain or formatted text, HTML, and formatted tables. The default results view is a simple table. Views can be combined and positioned anywhere on the page, and any number of view types can be included in the results.

For example, you can create results including side-by-side pivot tables that reflect different views of the data, charts that allow you to explore interrelationships in depth, and filters that limit the results. If the request is embedded in a dashboard, the dashboard page can also include links to additional requests of interest, related graphics, news stories, and so on.

Advanced Tab

Use the Advanced tab to view and work directly with the SQL statements generated for the request. The Advanced tab shows the SQL statements for the request and allows you to change the subject area or to add advanced SQL statements. The Advanced tab also provides access to links that you can use to execute the request from an external Web page, portal, or application in the Referencing the Results section.