Working with an Interactive Reporting Document and Connecting to a Database

Interactive Reporting document files consolidate instructions and specifications for querying, limiting, sorting, and computing data stored on the database server. An Interactive Reporting document file is centered on a Data Model and queries. You can build Data Models and queries yourself using Interactive Reporting Studio, or download shared Data Models from a document repository into an Interactive Reporting document file.

Interactive Reporting document files are associated with a database server by way of a separate Interactive Reporting database connection file. You use a separate Interactive Reporting database connection file for each database server. Each Interactive Reporting database connection file retains routines, instructions, protocols and parameters in a small file, also called an Open Catalog Extension (.oce). TheInteractive Reporting database connection file also preserves DBMS-specific connection preferences and specifications for automatic access to metadata.

For Interactive Reporting Studio users, the process of creating a new Interactive Reporting document file and logging onto a database is simple. You select an Interactive Reporting database connection file for the database server to use and enter the database password. You can select either a new or an existing Interactive Reporting database connection file.

To create a new Interactive Reporting document using an existing Interactive Reporting database connection file:

Select File, then New.
The New File dialog box is displayed.
From Recent Database Connection Files, select an Interactive Reporting database connection file from the list.
If the connection file is not displayed, click Browse to display Select Connection. Navigate to the Interactive Reporting database connection file and click Open.
The Connection Password dialog box is displayed.
Type your user name in the Host User field, password in the Host Password field, and click OK.

If you do not have the right Interactive Reporting database connection file to connect to a particular database, ask your administrator to provide or help you create a connection file.

To create a new Interactive Reporting document file using a new Interactive Reporting database connection file:

Select File, then New.
The New File dialog box is displayed.
Select A New Database Connection File field, and click OK.
The Database Connection Wizard is launched.
Follow the instructions provided by the Database Connection Wizard.

To create a blank Interactive Reporting document file with no Interactive Reporting database connection file:

Select the Other check box.
Select the Blank Document field and click OK.
Blank Interactive Reporting document files are useful for importing data files such as Excel spreadsheets; for creating a Dashboard master Interactive Reporting document; and performing tasks you don't normally associate with a database.

To open a Interactive Reporting document file, select Open an Existing Document and select an Interactive Reporting document file from the Recent Database Connection Files list.

If the Interactive Reporting document file is not displayed, click Locate File. When the browse box is activated, click the Browse button to display the Open File dialog box. Navigate to the Interactive Reporting document file and click Open. Interactive Reporting document files are saved with a .bqy extension on Windows.

To select an Interactive Reporting database connection files from the document repository:

Select File, then Open from Repository , and then Select.
The Select Connection dialog box is displayed.
Navigate to the Interactive Reporting database connection file and click Open.
When querying the database, you first select the data items that interest you from a Data Models, Standard Query or Standard Query with Reports. You can find a repository object to start with by selecting one from the Repository Catalog and downloading it to the desktop. When you download the object to the Contents frame, the object becomes the basis of a new Interactive Reporting document file.
If you are not connected, log on to the database containing the document repository by selecting an Interactive Reporting database connection file from the Select Connection dialog box and entering your database user name and password.
The Open from Repository dialog box is displayed.
The Open from Repository dialog box shows the Repository Catalog in the left frame and description information in the right frame. The Repository Catalog is in directory tree format, which enables you to navigate through the repository structure.
Repositories are organized into subdivisions, which depending on the database may have subdivisions called databases, and most likely have subdivisions called owners. Databases and owners can be departmental headings, people in your organization, or other criteria established by the administrator.
You cannot access versions 4.0 and older of the repository.
Under each owner name in the repository, there are user groups.
User groups are established by an advanced user to categorize and store repository objects by content and access privileges. You have been granted access to only the items you see in the Repository Catalog.
Select the document icons in the directory tree to display profiles in the Model Info and Description Areas to the right.
When you have navigated to the correct repository owner and user group and found the repository object, select the object in the directory tree and click Open.
Interactive Reporting downloads the repository object to the appropriate section.