Retrieving in Free-Form Mode

Free-Form mode provides additional retrieval capabilities. First, it enables you to enter member names into a random location in the worksheet. In this mode, Essbase scans the names in a worksheet and picks a default view for you. In addition, Free-Form mode enables you to use Essbase report script commands to retrieve data into a worksheet. The report script commands are most useful for defining member range references that can dynamically bring back the most current member information.

In Free-Form mode, Essbase retrieves data with these characteristics:

Essbase interprets the member names and creates a default view based on the location of the labels.
Essbase removes blank rows and columns on a retrieval action.

When creating a free-form report in Free-Form mode , keep these guidelines in mind:

You must precede all member names that consist of numbers with a single quotation mark. For example, if the product code for Cola is 100, you must enter '100 in the worksheet.
You cannot cancel retrievals based on Free-Form mode.
Styles are not available in Free-Form mode.
If you are connected to an application and database that supports duplicate member names, you cannot perform Free-Form retrievals.
To use Dynamic Time Series in Free-Form or Template Retrieve mode, do not put the Dynamic Time Series and the latest member (for example, Q-T-D (Feb)) in one cell. You must enter the Dynamic Time Series member, Q-T-D, and the latest member within parentheses, (Feb), in adjacent cells. ). In Free-Form mode, you must enclose the Dynamic Time series and the latest member in quotation marks (for example, "Q-T-D" ("Feb")).
Do not use Report Writer formatting commands, such as {BRACKETS}, {DECIMAL}, and {EUROPEAN} in Free-Form mode, because they are incompatible with the Excel formatting features.
Spreadsheet Add-in does not recognize changes to member aliases in the outline that are made while the Spreadsheet Add-in connection is active. Depending on the details of the changes made and the structure of the spreadsheet, affected data cells may show missing or incorrect data upon retrieval after the change, but no warning or error messages are generated.
Essbase removes blank rows and columns on retrieval actions.
In Free-Form mode, Essbase enables Auto Sort Rows on the Display page of the Essbase Options dialog box. When you select this feature, Essbase retrieves data in symmetric rows that are sorted based on the order specified in the database outline.
In Free-Form mode, Essbase disables the options under the Modes and Formula Preservation groups on the Mode page of the Essbase Options dialog box.

To retrieve data in Free-Form mode:

Select Essbase, and then Options.
In Essbase Options, select Mode.
Under Retrieval, select Free Form.
To retrieve data into symmetric rows that are sorted according to the database outline, in Display, select Auto Sort Rows.
This option is available only when Free-Form retrieval mode (but not Template Retrieve) is selected.
In the spreadsheet, enter the members names of the report you want to create, or enter the report script command you want to retrieve.
For example, the report script command <IDESCENDANTS Product tells Essbase to retrieve all descendants of the Product dimension.
Select Essbase, and then Retrieve.