Use the Essbase Application Programming Interface (API) to create custom interfaces to Essbase Server.
The Grid API functions interact with the Essbase Server in a grid paradigm. Use the Grid API functions to extract data from an Essbase database in order to display the data in a grid-based reporting interface or a chart.
The Grid API functions contain all the functionality of Spreadsheet Add-in. These functions include querying, drill-down, keep-only, and pivots. The Grid API can also launch report specifications and display the resulting data in grid form. Grid API functions can be tested by performing the same actions in Microsoft Excel or other automated grid tools.
The Essbase Grid API offers significant advantages for developers currently building reporting applications using the Essbase API and report script commands. Some of the benefits are as follows:
The Grid API is optimized for grid-based data retrieval. It is significantly faster than report script retrieval, providing improved query performance for your application.
The Grid API makes it easy to add robust interactive update capabilities to your existing applications. Coupled with the intelligent calculator in Essbase, the Grid API has the potential to provide tremendous additional functionality with relatively little effort on your part.
With the Grid API programs do not need to parse the returned data from Essbase. The Grid API automatically places it in a two dimensional binary form that informs you of the type and value of each individual cell member.
Most Spreadsheet Add-in commands, such as Zoom In, Zoom Out, Pivot, and so on, are available through the Grid API. You can build custom user interfaces using your own or third-party grid controls.
The Grid API also provides access to member attributes, such as Shared (implicit or explicit), Parent, or Child. You can customize the look and feel of Essbase data using these attributes.