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Oracle® Business Intelligence Discoverer Plus User's Guide
10g Release 2 (10.1.2.1)
B13915-04
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7 Editing worksheets and worksheet items

This section explains how to edit Discoverer Plus Relational worksheets and format worksheet data, and contains the following topics:

About editing worksheets

When you create a new worksheet, Discoverer applies a default format (e.g. colors, fonts) to worksheet items. For more information about changing the default format that is applied to worksheet items, see "How to change default worksheet formats").

Discoverer's powerful layout tools enable you to format worksheets exactly how you want them. For example, you might want to:

You can edit worksheets using any of the following methods:

Hint: If you want to change a worksheet but keep a copy of the original worksheet, use the duplicate worksheet facility. Here, you make an exact copy of a worksheet that you can work on (for more information, see "How to duplicate a worksheet"). Alternatively, save the whole workbook under a different name and work with this copy (for more information, see "How to save workbooks").s

How to edit worksheets using the Edit Worksheet wizard

You edit a worksheet to change the way that the worksheet looks or behaves. For example, you might want to change the layout of worksheet data, or add calculations, percentages, or totals.

To edit a worksheet using the Edit Worksheet Wizard:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Choose Edit | Worksheet... to display the "Edit Worksheet dialog".

    Description of ed1.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed1.gif

    The tabs on the Edit Worksheet dialog enable you to edit the properties of the current worksheet, as follows:

  3. Click OK to save changes you have made and return to the worksheet.

    Discoverer updates the worksheet with the changes that you specified.

Notes

How to add items to worksheets

You add items to a worksheet when you want to analyze new areas of data using items in the business area. For example, you might want to add an item called Year to analyze trends over time.

For more information about creating a new worksheet item (e.g. a calculation, or percentage), see "How to create new worksheet items".

To add an item to a worksheet:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Choose Edit | Worksheet... to display the "Edit Worksheet dialog".

  3. Display the "Edit Worksheet dialog: Select Items tab".

    Description of ed1.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed1.gif

  4. Use the Available list to locate and select the item you want to add to the worksheet.

    Hint: Click the plus (+) sign next to folders and items to see items and values within them. Click the flashlight button above the Available box to display the "Find dialog (in Item Navigator)", where you can search for items.

  5. Move items that you want to add to the worksheet from the Available list to the Selected list.

    You can select more than one item at a time by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking another item.

  6. Click OK to save the changes you have made and close the dialog.

    Discoverer updates the worksheet with the changes that you specified.

    Hint: To change the position of worksheet items, display the "Edit Worksheet dialog: Table Layout tab" or "Edit Worksheet dialog: Crosstab Layout tab" and drag and drop items to arrange them on the worksheet.

Notes

How to create new worksheet items

You create new worksheet items when you want to analyze different data using items that might not be in the business area. For example, you might want to create a three month moving sales average.

For more information about adding an existing item to a worksheet, see "How to add items to worksheets".

To create a new worksheet item:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Choose Edit | Worksheet to display the "Edit Worksheet dialog".

    Description of ed1.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed1.gif

  3. Click New and choose one of the following:

  4. Click OK to save the changes you have made and close the dialog.

    Discoverer updates the worksheet with the changes that you specified.

Notes

How to remove items from worksheets

You remove an item from a worksheet when you no longer need to analyze the item. For example, you might remove a year item when you no longer need to analyze data by time.

To remove an item from a worksheet:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Choose Edit | Worksheet... to display the "Edit Worksheet dialog".

  3. Display the "Edit Worksheet dialog: Select Items tab".

    Description of ed1.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed1.gif

  4. To remove an item from the worksheet, move the item from the Selected list to the Available list.

    You can select more than one item at a time by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking another item.

  5. Click OK to save changes you have made and close the dialog.

    Discoverer updates the worksheet with the changes that you specified.

Notes

How to duplicate a worksheet

You duplicate a worksheet when you want to quickly create a new worksheet that is very similar to an existing worksheet. For example, you might want to transform a duplicate of a crosstab worksheet into a table worksheet.

Duplicating a worksheet also enables you to work on a copy of a worksheet, leaving the original worksheet intact. For example, you might want to work on a temporary worksheet that you discard later.

To duplicate a worksheet:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to duplicate.

  2. Choose one of the following options, depending on whether you want the new worksheet to be a table worksheet or a crosstab worksheet:

    • choose Edit | Duplicate Worksheet | As Table to duplicate the current worksheet using the Duplicate as Table dialog

    • choose Edit | Duplicate Worksheet | As Crosstab to duplicate the current worksheet using the Duplicate as Crosstab dialog

    Discoverer displays the Duplicate as Table dialog or Duplicate as Crosstab dialog, which enables you to change the default position of the new worksheet.

    Description of ed8.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed8.gif

  3. (optional) Use the tabs on the Duplicate as Table dialog or Duplicate as Crosstab dialog to change the default settings for items on the new worksheet.

    For example, you might use the Select Items tab to add items to the duplicated worksheet, or you might use the Format tab to change the default display style of worksheet items.

  4. Click OK to save the new worksheet and close the dialog.

    The new worksheet is now displayed ready for you to analyze. The default worksheet name that Discoverer assigns is the original worksheet name appended with a unique number. For example, if you duplicate a worksheet named Sales Analysis, the new worksheet is named Sales Analysis 2.

    You might want to change the default name of the new worksheet (for more information, see "How to rename worksheets and workbooks").

    Hint: Use the tabs at the bottom of the Discoverer work area to navigate between the original worksheet and the new worksheet.

How to change the format of worksheet items

You change the format of worksheet items to change the default look and feel of a worksheet. For example, you might want to:

To change the format of worksheet items:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Select one or more worksheet items that you want to edit.

    For example, click on one or more item headings in the data area.

    Hint: You can select more than one item by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking another item. In the example below, the Quarter and Department items are selected.

    Description of ed12.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed12.gif

  3. Choose Format | Data to display the "Format Data dialog".

    Description of ed5.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed5.gif

    Note: The tabs that you see on the "Format Data dialog" depend on the number and type of worksheet items you select, as follows:

    • if you select a single worksheet item or multiple worksheet items of the same type, you see a Format tab and a Breaks tab, and a tab corresponding to the worksheet item type (e.g. Text, Number, Date)

    • if you select multiple worksheet items of different types (e.g. a numeric item and a text item), you see a Format tab and a Breaks tab only

  4. Use the tabs on the "Format Data dialog" to change the worksheet item settings, as follows:

  5. Click OK to save the changes you have made and return to the worksheet.

    Discoverer updates the worksheet with the changes that you specified.

Notes

How to set the currency symbol for numeric items

You can specify the currency symbol to use for numeric values on a worksheet. For example, you might want to display the dollar symbol next to sales figures.

To set the currency symbol for a numeric item:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Select one or more numeric worksheet items to edit.

    For example, click on one or more item headings in the data area.

    Hint: You can select more than one item by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking another item. In the example below, the Profit SUM and Sales SUM items are selected.

    Description of ed15.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed15.gif

  3. Choose Format | Data to display the "Format Data dialog: Format tab".

  4. Display the "Format Data dialog: Number tab".

    Description of ed13.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed13.gif

  5. Select Currency in the Categories list.

  6. Select the currency symbol to use from the Display Symbol drop down list.

  7. Click OK to save the changes you have made and close the dialog.

    Discoverer displays the selected currency symbol in front of the worksheet item values. The example below shows the dollar ($) currency symbol displayed next to Profit SUM values and Sales SUM values in a worksheet.

Description of ed11.gif follows
Description of the illustration ed11.gif

How to change the format of worksheet item headings

You change the format of worksheet item headings to change the default look and feel of a worksheet. For example, you might want to change the default alignment or background color of a column heading.

To change the format of a single worksheet item heading:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Select the worksheet items you want to format.

    For example, click on one or more item headings in the data area.

    Hint: You can select more than one item by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking another item. In the example below, the Quarter and Department items are selected.

    Description of ed12.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed12.gif

  3. Choose Format | Heading to display the "Format heading dialog".

    Description of ed6.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed6.gif

  4. Use the "Format heading dialog" to change the format of the selected item headings.

  5. Click OK to save changes and return to the worksheet.

    Discoverer updates the worksheet with the changes that you specified.

Notes

How to change the text in item headings

You change the text in item headings to change the text that is displayed at the top of a column or the side of a row (on crosstab worksheets). Item names are usually descriptive enough to use as the heading. However, sometimes you might want to change the heading to something more descriptive.

For example, you might want to change the heading of the Calendar Year item from Calendar Year to Year. In the example below, the item headings are Year, Quarter, Department, Profit SUM, and Sales SUM.

Description of ed11.gif follows
Description of the illustration ed11.gif

To change the text in an item heading:

  1. Display the worksheet that you want to edit.

  2. Select an item on the worksheet.

    For example, click on an item headings in the data area. In the example below, the Department item is selected

    Description of ed16.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed16.gif

    Note: If you select more than one item, the Edit Heading option is grayed out. You can only edit one item heading at a time.

  3. Right click on the item heading and select Edit Heading to display the "Edit Heading dialog".

    Description of ed7.gif follows
    Description of the illustration ed7.gif

  4. Use the "Edit Heading dialog" to change the heading text.

  5. Click OK to save changes and return to the worksheet.

    Discoverer updates the worksheet with the changes that you specified.

Notes