Use Data Explorer for Derived Data

There are times when a design warrants displaying data in a data explorer zone that is not accessible via SQL. For example, perhaps the data is from another system and it requires a web service call. The JMS Message Browser is another example.

The product provides functionality in the data explorer that allows you to call a script after the user filters are populated but before the SQL is executed. The script can retrieve the data as appropriate, store the data in table format so that the SQL can retrieve the data from the table.

The following points provide more detail:

• Create a service script that retrieves the data as needed. This script should store the retrieved data in a temporary table.

  • The product provides a table that may be used. It is called F1_​GENERIC_​GTT (Generic Global Temporary Table). There is a business service — Create Global Temporary Table Records (F1-InsertGTTRecords) that the service script may call to insert the records.

  • Note that if the data is accessed via a web service call, it may be appropriate to execute the web service in a separate session using the business service F1-ExecuteScriptInNewSession to trap errors that may be issued by the web service call and provide a better error.

• In the data explorer zone use this service script in the zone’s pre-processing script parameter. If any user or hidden filters should be passed into the script, the parameter supports mnemonics for this purpose. Refer to the parameter’s embedded help for the supported syntax.

• The SQL for the data explorer should access the temporary table that was populated by the service script.