BO Interview Questions and Answers
How can you customize lists of values in Business Objects?
Ans : BUSINESSOBJECTS lets you customize lists of values in the following ways:
•By editing the list’s corresponding query.
For example, you can limit the data returned by the list of values by applying a condition.
•By assigning data from personal data files to lists of values:
Business Objects: Tools ? Universes?Select Universe?Click Lists of Values?Expand the class?Select Object?Click Personal Data?Browse the file?Click Display
Designer: Tools ? Lists of Values?Expand the class?Select Object?Click Personal Data ? Browse the file?Click Display
When you ask for List of Values, it takes very long time, what you need to check?
Ans : If we try to get the list of values against a fact table then it may take a lot of time for displaying the results. So modify the list of values to access the local file that contains restricted info or put a condition on the query that gets the list of values.
What is #MULTIVALUE?
Ans : •#MULTIVALUE in aggregations such as maximum revenue per year
Occurs in aggregations because the output context is not included in the local context.
•#MULTIVALUE in break headers and footers
Occurs when you insert a variable in a break header or footer in a table or crosstab.
•#MULTIVALUE in a cell at the section level.
A report section displays data in a master cell and in a block or blocks. If you use two variables at the section level, #MULTIVALUE can occur.
What is #COMPUTATION?
Ans : •
#COMPUTATION in cumulative aggregations such as running average revenue per city
Occurs in cumulative aggregations if the reset context is not included in the output context.
•#COMPUTATION in non-aggregate formulas, for example using IF THEN ELSE statements.
Occurs because the output context is not included in the input context.
What is Input context?
Ans : Input context consists of one or more dimensions that go into the calculation
What is the difference between create ALL subquery and create ANY Subquery?
Ans : ALL: returns ALL values returned by the subquery with the values returned by the main query.
ANY: returns ANY values returned by the subquery with the values returned by the main query.
What do you mean by Linking data from two queries and why do you do it?
Ans : Linking of data from two queries is a typical case where data is extracted from two different sources, which do not have a predefined cardinality (normally from two different data providers). It is necessary that the dimension you use to link data providers be the same type (numeric or alphanumeric) in both data providers.
What is the procedure for writing VBA data provider?
Ans : 1. Create a connection to the data source.
2. Create a data cube.
3. Set the data cube dimensions.
4. Populate the cube with data from the data source.
What is output context?
Ans : Output context consists of one or more dimensions that determine the result of the calculation
What is reset context?
Ans : The reset context consists of one or more dimensions which reset the value of the calculation to zero each time a dimension value changes.
What’s the difference between purging and deleting a data provider?
Ans :
•Purging means emptying a data provider of its results. Purging reduces the size of a document.
•Deleting means getting rid of the data provider for good - an action that cannot be undone. Delete a data provider, however, if you are certain that you and other users no longer need it.
What external formats are available?
Ans :
1) Text
(2)Spreadsheet format (Microsoft Excel)
(3) RDBMS format (including .dbf format for dBASE).
What data sources are available?
Ans : BUSINESSOBJECTS let you access data from a wide range of sources. You can access data from:
• Relational databases (RDBMS), such as ORACLE, Microsoft SQL Server, Informix and IBM DB2.
• Multidimensional (OLAP) databases, such as Microsoft OLAP Services, Hyperion Essbase, and ORACLE Express.
• Text files and spreadsheets
• Packaged applications such as SAP
• Virtually any data source using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) procedures.
How can you customize lists of values in Business Objects?
Ans : BUSINESSOBJECTS lets you customize lists of values in the following ways:
•By editing the list’s corresponding query.
For example, you can limit the data returned by the list of values by applying a condition.
•By assigning data from personal data files to lists of values:
Business Objects: Tools ? Universes?Select Universe?Click Lists of Values?Expand the class?Select Object?Click Personal Data?Browse the file?Click Display
Designer: Tools ? Lists of Values?Expand the class?Select Object?Click Personal Data ? Browse the file?Click Display
When you ask for List of Values, it takes very long time, what you need to check?
Ans : If we try to get the list of values against a fact table then it may take a lot of time for displaying the results. So modify the list of values to access the local file that contains restricted info or put a condition on the query that gets the list of values.
What is #MULTIVALUE?
Ans : •#MULTIVALUE in aggregations such as maximum revenue per year
Occurs in aggregations because the output context is not included in the local context.
•#MULTIVALUE in break headers and footers
Occurs when you insert a variable in a break header or footer in a table or crosstab.
•#MULTIVALUE in a cell at the section level.
A report section displays data in a master cell and in a block or blocks. If you use two variables at the section level, #MULTIVALUE can occur.
What is #COMPUTATION?
Ans : •
#COMPUTATION in cumulative aggregations such as running average revenue per city
Occurs in cumulative aggregations if the reset context is not included in the output context.
•#COMPUTATION in non-aggregate formulas, for example using IF THEN ELSE statements.
Occurs because the output context is not included in the input context.
What is Input context?
Ans : Input context consists of one or more dimensions that go into the calculation
What is the difference between create ALL subquery and create ANY Subquery?
Ans : ALL: returns ALL values returned by the subquery with the values returned by the main query.
ANY: returns ANY values returned by the subquery with the values returned by the main query.
What do you mean by Linking data from two queries and why do you do it?
Ans : Linking of data from two queries is a typical case where data is extracted from two different sources, which do not have a predefined cardinality (normally from two different data providers). It is necessary that the dimension you use to link data providers be the same type (numeric or alphanumeric) in both data providers.
What is the procedure for writing VBA data provider?
Ans : 1. Create a connection to the data source.
2. Create a data cube.
3. Set the data cube dimensions.
4. Populate the cube with data from the data source.
What is output context?
Ans : Output context consists of one or more dimensions that determine the result of the calculation
What is reset context?
Ans : The reset context consists of one or more dimensions which reset the value of the calculation to zero each time a dimension value changes.
What’s the difference between purging and deleting a data provider?
Ans :
•Purging means emptying a data provider of its results. Purging reduces the size of a document.
•Deleting means getting rid of the data provider for good - an action that cannot be undone. Delete a data provider, however, if you are certain that you and other users no longer need it.
What external formats are available?
Ans :
1) Text
(2)Spreadsheet format (Microsoft Excel)
(3) RDBMS format (including .dbf format for dBASE).
What data sources are available?
Ans : BUSINESSOBJECTS let you access data from a wide range of sources. You can access data from:
• Relational databases (RDBMS), such as ORACLE, Microsoft SQL Server, Informix and IBM DB2.
• Multidimensional (OLAP) databases, such as Microsoft OLAP Services, Hyperion Essbase, and ORACLE Express.
• Text files and spreadsheets
• Packaged applications such as SAP
• Virtually any data source using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) procedures.
