Archived Business Objects Tips

Adding a Query in a BO Report - BO 6.5.1 & BO XI

Adding a Query in a BO Report

To add an additional query to your report, do the following:

In XI:
From the report, click on the ‘Edit Query’ icon to get to the Java Report Panel (also known as your Query Panel).
Click on the ‘Add Query’ icon toward the upper left side of the screen; or, another way is to right click on the query
tab and select ‘Add Query’. Next, a display box will appear asking you to select the universe that will provide the
data you need for your new query; select the universe you want and click OK. Now you may select the new objects
and conditions for the new query.

To use the existing query to build a new one, click on the query tab and select ‘Duplicate Query’.

In v6.5:
Go to the main menu and click on ‘Data’ and select ‘New Data Provider’. At the ‘Insert New Data’ display box, you
will have three options:

1. The first option allows you to build a new query on the universe currently in use. So if you’re report is currently
using ‘HR Reporting’, for example, and you want the new query to use HR Reporting data also, choose this option
and click ‘Finish’.
2. The ‘Access data in a different way’ option will allow you select a different universe. Choose this option and click
‘Next’ to select the universe that you want to use for the new query, then click ‘Finish’.
3. The final option allows you to ‘use an existing query to build a new one’. If you select this option and click ‘Next’,
you can then choose an existing query in your report and add to it.

Adding a User-defined Prompt to a BO Report

User-defined prompts are a great way to run a Business Objects report which only requires minor changes to the
conditions, like changing a SSAN, CCPO Id’s, PAS codes or Effective dates. Plus you can use multiple prompts in
a single report and display the criteria used within a subtitle in your report.

• In the ‘Edit Data Provider’ from the list of Classes & Objects select the object to use in your prompt by dragging it
to the conditions area

• Next, from the list of Operators select the operator

• And finally, from the lists of Operands select ‘Type a new prompt' then type what you would like to have
displayed when your prompt appears.

For example, say you want to run a report on various employees. This is how your prompt could be built:

- Classes & Objects Select ‘Employee Basic Information/SSAN’

- Operators Select ‘In List’
- Operands Type “Enter SSAN(s) no dashes, separate with a comma. Hit ‘Values’ button to pick from list.”

To display the criteria in a subtitle:

• From the main menu click ‘Insert’, ‘Special Field’, ‘Query Prompt’, ‘Select a Prompt’. NOTE: If multiple prompts
were created a list would be displayed to choose from.

Place your cursor where you would like the criteria displayed. A dotted + sign with a small index card will reflect the
top left-hand corner of the cell. Click the left mouse button and drag the cell out to the desired size and release the
button. The prompt value will be displayed.
Automatic Linking of Variables in Business Objects
As a powerful reporting tool, Business Objects allows the use of multiple data providers when creating reports. An
additional data provider may use a different universe, or it may query the same universe for different information.
When using multiple data providers within the same universe, Business Objects automatically links each like object
upon exit from the query panel after choosing either 'Run' or 'Save and Close'. At least one object (usually SSAN)
will need to be linked to enable Business Objects to combine the information from the separate data providers. Try
to avoid using multiple linked objects since this adds a level of complexity to the report and could produce extra
rows or inaccurate data.

After modifying any one of multiple data providers, you will need to manually unlink the objects the program
automatically links, except the necessary link (usually SSAN). To do this:

- From the main menu, go to 'Data', 'View Data', then click on the 'Definition' tab.
- Open the Data Provider on the left side of the screen and click on the object you want to unlink. You can tell
an object is linked as it will be identified with a white box and arrow.
- Click the 'Unlink' button on the right-hand side of the window.
- Repeat for each Data Provider

An example of a Corporate Document with multiple data providers is "NSPSCompletedCourses-spreadsheet.rep".

Prompts have been added to this report to allow you to select 'CCPO ID' and 'Pre-NSPS Spiral Indicator' without
having to modify the report’s (seven) queries. To work with a copy of the report with prompts, retrieve the updated
version from Corporate Documents.

Alternatively, you may find it easier to save a report as an Excel spreadsheet and manipulate the data within that
application.

Blank Cells
Do you dislike seeing blank cells in your report? You could build a variable to display something other than blank
but there is an easier way.

Right click on a blank cell in your report to bring up the Cell Format box.

Click on the Number tab and highlight the word “Condition” from the Category list.

In the Undefined box type in what you would like to see rather than the blank. For example your might want
“Unencumbered” to display instead of a blank SSAN or maybe you want “Not Available” to display instead of a
blank MPCN. Just type in what you want and click OK. Keep in mind that if these objects are used in your sort
that they will still sort as blanks but will display the literal that you chose.

BO Passwords
Wheather using the client version Business Objects via your desktop or accessing the application via CITRIX, all
password must follow DoD policy requiring the use of complex password authentication. This policy requires
passwords:

• contain a minimum of nine (9) characters

• consist of a mixture of at least two (2) lowercase letters, two (2) uppercase letters, two (2) numbers, and two (2)
special characters, which include: ! # $ % & ' ( )* + , - . / : ; < = @ ^ _
• be changed every 60 days

Additionally, passwords in Business Objects must begin with an alpha character.

If you receive an "Internal Error" message while you are changing your password, ensure your 'Caps Lock' key is
not in the All Caps mode.
BO Reports Library
The library of standard Business Objects reports is called the Corporate Documents. These reports were
developed by AFPC and published so that all users have access to standard reports. These reports can also be
customized to fit local needs.

It’s possible to use a “Find” function within BO to locate Corporate Documents which may suit your needs. Here's a
quick navigation for this:

--Go to File / Retrieve From / Corporate Documents to open the library

--Click on "Find >>" to access the "Find Documents" menu
--In the "Look for:" drop down, select "Corporate Documents"
--In the "in" drop down, select "Production"
--In the "Where:" drop down, select "Name", “Keywords”, “Subject”, or “Comments”, etc.
--From the next drop down, select "contains"
--In the following text box, paste the "Name" of the report, e.g. NSPSEmployeeMoves, or part of a search
string when using “Keywords”, “Subject”, or “Comments”
--Finally, click the "Find" button and all reports matching your search criteria will be listed

Each report contains useful information within their "Properties" area. Each time we publish a report, we make sure
to include a description in the "Comments" block. We also try to add useful terms to the Keywords, Subject, and
Title to make searching for the right document easier.

To see the properties of a report, highlight the report in the 'Retrieve' window and hit the "Properties" button, then
go to the 'Document' tab.

To view the properties of an open report, go to File/Properties and the ‘Summary Info’ window will display the
available information.

Another useful way to obtain info about a report is from your saved reports. Go to File/Open and hover your cursor
over a report. A CorpDoc will display the Title, Subject, Comments, (last) Date Modified and the (report) Size. A
locally created report will reflect the (original) Author, but not the comments.

To see which reports have been updated lately, follow this navigation:

- File/Retrieve From/Corporate Documents

- Click on a report category
- Click on the "Submission Date" column heading to sort by date published (click the heading twice to sort by most
recent date first)

Additionally, a list of Corporate Documents in Excel format is maintained on our website. This list can be useful if
you need to search for and compare reports by key words or phrases.
https://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/Restricted/BusObjects/CorporateDocuments.xls

BO Troubleshooting Guides
Troubleshooting Guides

Have you ever come across errors in BusinessObjects? There are resources available on the AFPC website to
help you troubleshoot those errors. We have two versions of the BusinessObjects Troubleshooting Guide to assist
you with either Full Client Business Objects or BO behind Citrix. These guides contain helpful information and
solutions to common errors. If you have encountered an error not listed in the troubleshooting guides, please
contact us by email to AFPC/DPDOPI AFCSU.
Breaks
Use a break to group data within a table. Using selected values, you can break up your data and display subtotals.
The sections created by breaks are like mini tables within your table. A break is a good choice when your report
will return more than one row of data per person and you don't want to see repeated data -- like in training reports.

To access the Breaks dialog box, click anywhere inside your table. From the main menu, choose Format, then
Breaks...

On the bottom left of the Breaks dialog box, you can choose to Add, Remove, or Edit breaks. Click the
corresponding button, then select the variables to include in your break. At a minimum, choose the actual variable
on which you'd like to break, like SSAN. To simplify things, include any other descriptive variables that will remain
the same and repeat along with SSAN, like Name, Grade, and Office Symbol -- you can set the Break Definition to
Remove Duplicates and display this data only once, removing clutter from your report.

Once you've added a break to your table, use the options on the right side of the Breaks dialog box to further
refine your break:

In the Break Definition box

Set options to show or hide the 'mini table' header, footer, or rows:

- check Break Header to show the header

- check Break Footer to show the footer -- if you wish to include subtotals, this is a good place to do it
- check Remove Duplicates to hide repeating values for variables included in your break
(if you forgot to include a variable, like Office Symbol, select the break and click Edit to go back and add it)
if you check Center Value Across Break, the data will be centered across all the rows that would have contained
the repeating data
- check Fold to hide the data rows -- you may find it useful to hide the individual data rows and show only the
footer with subtotal data

In the Breaks and Pages box

Use these options to control your table's behavior at page breaks:

- check Avoid Page Break to keep each 'mini table' on the same page
- check Start a New Page to display each 'mini table' on a new page
- check Repeat the Header on the New Page to repeat the header if the table extends over more than one page
- check Repeat Break Value on New Page to display the break value on the new page -- you might want to use
this if you are removing duplicates, so that the SSAN, Name, etc. will display again on the new page

To see breaks in action, retrieve TrainingHistorybyPASLastFour.rep from Corporate Documents and experiment
with the different break options.

Business Objects password reset

"Your login has been disabled by your supervisor" This message doesn't mean your supervisor did anything to
your Business Objects account. "Supervisor" is the name of the Business Objects system administration tool that
manages user accounts. If you mistype your password three times you will get that message. Please remember
your Business Objects password is case sensitive. To have your password reset, click this link for instructions.
Change my Business Objects (BO) password Or, try the Business Objects Information Page for other helpful
Business Objects information.

Checking if Certain Data is Returned in BO

This is useful when building or changing a report which has been formatted with sorts that you don’t want to
change. Just place your cursor in the field of the table, click on the drop down arrow on the ‘Insert sort’ icon from
the ‘Report’ tool bar, and click on the hand (custom sort). A ‘Custom sort’ panel will display all the data returned in
your query. *Make sure to hit ‘Cancel’ when you leave the ‘Custom sort’ panel in order to keep the formatting
intact.
"Combined block" in a Business Objects report
Have you ever used more than one Data Provider in a BO report and had problems using objects from the different
Data Providers together in one block (table)? Maybe you have encountered a “variables are not compatible” error
while creating a BO report using multiple Data Providers. This tip should help resolve these problems.

In order to combine objects from multiple Data Providers in one table (a “combined block”), you must first link the
Data Providers by a common (dimension) object, such as SSAN. After linking, any objects you use in the
“combined block” must be one of the following:
1. Any measure object.
2. Any object that you linked.
3. A detail object that is associated with one of the objects you linked.
4. Any unlinked dimension objects as long as they are from the same Data Provider.

To use any other unlinked dimension objects, you will need to redefine them as new variables - as either details or
measures. It may be easier to define measures but be careful: they may or may not provide the proper data.
Detail objects should always work though.

To define a new detail object (variable):

1. Right click in the “Variables” panel of the Report Manager and select “New Variable”.
2. In the Variable Editor’s Definition tab, give your new object a name and select “Detail”. In the “Associated
Dimension” text box, choose a linked dimension object from the same Data Provider as the object you are
redefining.
3. In the Formula tab enter the name of the dimension object you are redefining (i.e. '=<Name Employee>')

You would define a Measure object in the same manner, except you would select “Measure” in the Variable Editor
and would not specify an associated dimension object.

If you have followed the above rules but still receive a “variables are not compatible” error while defining a variable,
try this trick: link the objects you are trying to use and then define the variable. After the variable is defined, unlink
the objects you just linked.

Compacting Data in Business Objects Reports

Besides the more obvious ways of fitting more data on one page, e.g., changing the page layout to landscape,
here are a couple of ways to keep your data from spilling onto multiple pages.

Add a second or third row : With a row highlighted, go to Insert - Row and specify if you want the additional row
above or below the row you have highlighted. Then move objects into the extra cells.

Use Master Headers: Especially with larger objects like Organization, PAS Desc or CCPO ID Desc

Wrap text: With a cell highlighted, go to Format - Cell. In the Cell Format window, go to the Alignment tab select
'Wrap Text' under Settings.

Shorten the Column Header Name: Simply double-click in a column header and type in a new, shorter name.

The report EmployeeRoster-DetailedInfo.rep is an excellent example in which all of these methods are used to
make the data fit on one page and display more clearly.

Copying From a BO Report

In Business Objects it’s easy to copy a report into another application like Microsoft Excel, Word or even a text file.
Just open your report and go to Edit/Copy All and in the application click Edit/Paste.
Creating Variables in Business Objects
When creating reports, you may find it useful to build variables to help display your data more orderly, which is
very important when you create master records or sort your data. By creating a new variable with a function which
will trim spaces or 0's from your data, your report will be easier to read and have a more professional appearance.
Here are the basics on how to create a new variable along with two basic functions to help display your data
clearly:

Creating a new variable

Click on the 'Report Manager' icon, then select the 'Data' tab and right-click in the 'Variables' area, finally select
'New Variable'
or
From the main menu, go to Data, click on Variables, and hit 'Add'

Once in the Variable Editor you see two tabs; 'Definition' and 'Formula'. In the 'Definition' tab, give your variable a
unique name. Since we will be keeping this simple don't worry about changing the 'Qualification' section. In the
'Formula' tab create your variable using one or more variables, functions and operators. In our example we will use
one of each. *All variables must start with an equal sign.

The functions 'Trim', 'LeftTrim', and 'RightTrim' will remove spaces from the leading and/or trailing part of a string
(a.k.a. returned data)

For example, the following Office symbols were built with a leading space in the name:

POV
SCX
2SVYY
SVBG

By default, Buisiness Objects sorts on space then character. If you wanted to sort on Office Symbol and some had
a leading space, those office symbols will show up first, then the others would be displayed; regardless if they
were supposed to be the same office symbol. Build this variable to remove the spaces and drag it into your report:

=Trim(<Office Symbol>)

Now the office symbols will display as:

POV
SCX
2SVYY
SVBG

The function 'SubStr' will extract part of a character string from a character string.

For example, say you only want to see the Command Id portion of 'PAS-Svc'. By using the following formula, we'll
produce a new string which will start at the third character and use the next two characters to display the
Command Id. The PAS-Svc of 7W0JFSWT would be displayed as 0J. Here's the formula:

=SubStr(<PAS-Svc> ,3 ,2)

CSU Reports wont run

CSU (Customer Support Unit): If you change your CSU password, you must log out of the CSU application and
log back in order to run any CSU reports. You may be able to run queries without logging out, but CSU reports will
not run. Failure to log out and log back in will result in an "unable to run report" error.
Date Formats in BO
Did you know that you can define how dates are displayed in your Business Objects reports?

After running your report right-click in the cell that has the value of the Date field, choose 'Format Cell'. In the 'Cell
Format' window go to the 'Number' tab, click on 'Date/Time' from the 'Category' pane, and select the date format
from the 'Format' pane. If a sample format is not listed you can define your own. Go to the 'Date/Time' cell located
under 'Properties' and type in the format of the date to display using the following as a guide:

d = day (1, 7, 24, 30)

dd = 2-digit day (01, 07, 24, 30)
m = numeric month (6, 8, 10, 12)
mm = 2-digit numeric month (06, 08, 10, 12)
Mmm = 3-digit month, abbreviated with the first character capitalized (Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec)
Mmmm = complete month spelled out (June, August, October, December)
yy = 2-digit year (09, 89, 00, 10)
yyyy = 4-digit year (1909, 1989, 2000, 2010)

Here are some examples:

dd-Mmm-yyyy 20-Jan-2006
Mmm dd, yyyy Jan 20, 2006
mm/dd/yy 01/20/06
m-d-yyyy 1-20-2006
dd MMM 20 JAN

When you’re done, click ‘Add’ and ‘OK’ and that's all there is to it!

Default File Location of Corporate Documents after retrieval

After you retrieve a Corporate Document, it is saved to a folder on your computer named userDocs. The default
location is C:\Documents and Settings\<USER PROFILE>\My Documents\My Business Objects
Documents\userDocs. You have the option to change that file location. Here are the steps to do that.

Click on Tools…Options
Select the File Locations tab
In the File Types column, select User Documents and click the Change button
Navigate to the desired location and click OK
The Location column will now show the new file location
Click OK to exit the Options window

"Different From Pattern"

Caution Using the "Different From Pattern"

Beware Business Objects users:

Using the “Different From pattern” condition in your query may not give you the results you are expecting. The
reason is because this condition ignores NULL's. For example: NOA1 Different From pattern ‘101’, will give you all
the NOA1’s that are different from 101, BUT will not give you records that are NULL.

If you want to pull NULL records also, your condition should include an OR statement to capture the correct data.
For example: NOA1 Different From pattern ‘101’ OR NOA1 Is null. This will insure you pull all occurrences,
including NULLs, of NOA1 different from 101.

So, be careful in using the “Different From pattern” condition, you may be getting incorrect results.
Displaying Business Objects Prompts in Logical Order
Have you ever wondered why your prompts don't display in the order you selected them? The reason is because
Business Objects is designed to display prompts alphabetically. Here are a couple of ways to display prompts in a
user defined order:

Using numbers to begin the prompt text:

Effective Date Between Prompt (‘2. Enter Begin Date mm/dd/yyyy’) and Prompt (3. ‘Enter End Date mm/dd/yyyy’)
and
CCPO ID Equal to Prompt (‘1. Enter CCPO ID’)

will display prompts as:

1. Enter CCPO ID
2. Enter Begin Date mm/dd/yyyy
3. Enter End Date mm/dd/yyyy

Using a period to begin the prompt text:

Effective Date Between Prompt (‘Enter Begin Date mm/dd/yyyy’) and Prompt (‘Enter End Date mm/dd/yyyy’)
and
CCPO ID Equal to Prompt (‘.Enter CCPO ID’)

will display prompts as:

.Enter CCPO ID
Enter Begin Date mm/dd/yyyy
Enter End Date mm/dd/yyyy

Or using the same special character multiple times (they display in reverse order):

Effective Date Between Prompt (‘-Enter Begin Date mm/dd/yyyy’) and Prompt (‘--Enter End Date mm/dd/yyyy’)
and
CCPO ID Equal to Prompt (‘---Enter CCPO ID’)

will display prompts as:

---Enter CCPO ID
--Enter Begin Date mm/dd/yyyy
-Enter End Date mm/dd/yyyy

Displaying Email Addresses as Text

If your report displays Email Addresses as actual “Mail To:” links (in blue and underlined) and you would like to
display them as text, try this:
1. In the Main Menu click Tools, and then Options.
2. Click on the General tab and in the Settings section select “Print As BusinessObjects 4.1”.
3. Click OK
4. All the Email Addresses should now display as text. The rest of the display should remain unchanged.

Displaying Tables in Multiple Columns

If you have a table with just a few columns you may want to reduce the number of pages and wrap the table so
that it displays several times on a page. Try this:
1. In the Main Menu click View, and then Page Layout.
2. Select the table by clicking anywhere within the table.
3. In the Main Menu click Format, and then Table.
4. In the General tab, set the number of columns in the Columns field.
5. Set the distance between columns in the Spacing field.
6. In the Page Layout tab check “Repeat header on every page” to ensure the headings appear for all columns.
7. Click OK.
Export Data
You can export the raw data retrieved in your Business Objects query (retaining no Business Objects post-query
formatting or calculations), in a variety of file formats. From the Data menu, select "View Data" to display the Data
Manager window. Click the Export button at the bottom of the Results tab, and designate file name and path, and
file format (options include text formats, and .xls for Excel). If you choose the All files (*.*) format, you can also
control the field delimiters used.

First-In-First-Out (FIFO) Business Objects Report

The First-In-First-Out (FIFO) report is a convenient means for Managers and Base Personnel Officers to view all
open Request for Personnel Actions (RPA's) and to see where their RPA's rank in the system for completion; from
the oldest to the newest. The FIFO report is generated every morning at AFPC. The report is distributed through
the Broadcast Agent (BCA) and the results are loaded to the AFPC website in pdf format at
https://gum.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cgi-bin/askafpc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=6928. It is important to use
the Inbox Comments Legend in conjunction with the FIFO report, a copy may be found at
https://gum.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cgi-bin/askafpc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=6930.

If you would like to receive the report via the BCA, and you have a valid Business Objects account, send an email
to AFPC/DPDOPI AFCSU with your request. Below are instructions on how to retrieve the report from BCA.

Retrieving the FIFO report from BCA

1. Log into Business Objects (BO)

2. A message will appear telling you that you have a document to retrieve from broadcast agent, click 'OK'
3. Click the 'Cancel' button (This occurs if you have BO set up to use the Report Wizard automatically)
4. Select 'File', 'Retrieve From', then click on 'Broadcast Agent'
5. Highlight the 'AF RPA Tracking Reports' category, if that category is empty, then select 'Uncategorized'
6. Highlight the FIFO report in the right-hand column, click 'Open on Retrieval', then click 'Retrieve'
7. If you already have this document, select 'Yes' to overwrite the existing document
8. Select 'OK' when the Import Results indicate the import was successful and the report will open

Free-Standing Cells
BusinessObjects reports have two types of cells: those which make up tables and those which are free-standing. A
free-standing cell is a single cell that is not attached to any other report component and can be moved and
formatted individually. Free-standing cells have many uses in BusinessObjects reports. They are used to contain
text, calculations or graphics and among other things for report titles, for adding comments and for displaying page
numbers.

To insert a free-standing cell in BO 6.5.:

1. Click inside a blank space in the report to make sure no other report component is selected
2. In the Report toolbar, click Insert Cell. The cursor changes to the Insert Cell cursor
3. Click where you want your cell to appear and drag to draw a cell.AFPC/DPD requests your feedback

To insert a free-standing cell in BO XI:

1. Go to the ‘Templates’ tab

2. Click on Free-Standing Cells
3. Click you selection from the drop-down menus of the sub-categories: ‘Formula and Text Cells’ or ‘Page Number
Cells’
4. Drag it to the desired location on your report
Freezing Column Headings in BO
In a Business Objects report you can 'freeze' column headings vertically, horizontally, or both. This can make it
easier to scroll through several pages of data.

Slowly move your cursor above the vertical scroll bar until it changes to an up and down arrow sitting between two
horizontal lines. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the bar to the bottom of your column headings then
release. Your screen will be split into two sections and you will be able to scroll through each independently. The
same process works for the horizontal scroll bar; in fact, it's possible to split your screen into four quadrants.
Here's a quick way to do this:

Select 'Window/Split' from the main tool bar. A vertical and horizontal line will be displayed with four directional
arrows in the center. As you move your cursor both of the lines will move as well. Place your cursor where you
would like to split your window then click.

To return to a single window, simply return the gray bars to their original positions.

Global Filters to Limit Results in your BO Report

You can add a global filter to your report to limit or define the results without having to go back to the query panel,
add more conditions, and rerun the report.

As an example, take the ‘Awards_LatestEachType.rep’ currently in Corporate Documents. This report prompts for
a PAS Last 4 and SSAN. When “%" is used in both prompts, all the records for which you have access will be
returned.

To narrow the results to show only those with an NSPS Performance Increase, apply a global filter:

- Click on any column within a table in your report

- Go to Format/Filters
- In the ‘Filters’ window, make sure the ‘Global’ folder is highlighted, then click ‘Add’
- From the ‘Filters On’ list, select the object to filter on. In our example, select ‘Last NSPS Perf Incr Amt’, then click
‘OK’
- From the ‘Values’ list, select which value(s) you want to see in your report, then click‘ OK’.

To add another filter or change values, repeat the steps above.

To delete a filter, return to the ‘Filters’ window and highlight the filter, then click ‘Remove’ and ‘OK’.

Visit our Business Objects Information Page for other helpful Business Objects information.

Headers and Subheaders

If you want to include both a header and a subheader on your report, you probably know you can bump two
separate cells up against one another. But if you'd like to type your subheader in the same cell as your header,
the trick is to use CTRL+Enter to start a new line of text within the header cell. (This also comes in handy if you're
including a cell of notes or instructions in your report.) Unfortunately, the text within a cell must have the same
formatting, so if you want to make your text different sizes, or if you want to bold one line but not another, you will
have to use separate cells with unique formatting.

Hiding Data in Business Objects

Business Objects give you the ability to hide one or more variables and continue to use their values within your
report. This is useful when you need to condense your report and keep it from flowing onto additional pages. All
you do is right-click on any cell in your table, click ‘Format Table’, then select the Pivot tab. Highlight the variable
you want to hide from the’ Used Variables’ list then click ‘Hide’. Repeat the process to select more variables to
hide. The hidden variables will be grayed out in the list.

To unhide the variables, go back into the Pivot tab and the grayed out variables will be at the bottom of the Used
Variables list. Highlight the variable(s) and click Show.
How to Copy a Cell's Formatting
If you want to copy only the formatting of one cell to another without copying the cell’s data, try this:

1. Click on the cell from which you wish to copy the format.
2. Click the Copy icon on the Standard toolbar.
3. Click the cell to which you want to copy the formatting.
4. Click the “Paste Format Only” icon on the Standard toolbar. Only the formatting is copied to the selected cell.
5. You can also use the following shortcut keys: Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+Shift+V to paste the format only.

How to Embed Clip Art and Link an Excel Spreadsheet in Business Objects
Embedding Clip Art:

Once you've created your report, from the tool bar, select Insert>Cell and draw a box where the object will be
inserted.
Click inside the box, go to the menu bar and select Insert>object
At the 'Insert Object' window:

Select the 'Create New' radio button and select 'Microsoft Word Picture' from the Object Type list and click 'OK'.
After the 'Microsoft Word Picture' opens, click Insert>Picture>Clip Art.
From the Insert Clip Art Task Pane box on the right, search for the type of picture you want in your report (i.e.,
flowers) and hit “GO”. Then select an image by double-clicking on the picture of your choice. When you minimize
or close 'Microsoft Word Picture', you will be returned to Business Objects and the image will be embedded where
you drew the cell.

Linking to an Excel spreadsheet:

Once you've created your report, from the tool bar, select Insert>Cell and draw a box where the object will be
inserted.
Click inside the box, go to the menu bar and select Insert>object
At the 'Insert Object' window:

Select 'Create from File' radio button and check the 'Link' box.
Click the 'Browse' button and navigate to the location of your Excel spreadsheet.
Select the file you want to link to and you will return to the 'Insert Object' window with the file path inserted in the
'File' box. Hit 'OK'.
If you want the file to be displayed as an icon, click in the 'Display As Icon' box.
This will return you back to Business Objects and the file will be inserted.
Ensure that you can modify your Excel file by double-clicking on it to open the spreadsheet.

To delete Clip Art or Excel spreadsheets, simply right-click on the object and select delete.

How to Print Multiple Report Tabs Together

If you have multiple report tabs in the same BO report you can select any/all of them and print them together.
Here’s how:
1. Click on the report tab of one of the reports you want to print.
2. Holding down the Ctrl key, select the other reports you want to print.
3. From the File menu, choose Print. The print dialog box opens. When multiple reports are selected, the
Properties button is grayed out. This is to prevent any overriding the different page orientations and paper sizes
already set up for the individual reports.
4. Check or change the target printer or select a page range and click OK. All of the selected reports are printed
on the specified printer.
How to View Leading Zeros
Have you ever copied data from Business Objects into Excel and noticed the leading or ending zeros are missing
from some of the fields? Here’s a simple way to view these leading and ending zeros:

- Select all the data in Business Objects by going to ‘Edit/Copy All’

- Open an Excel spreadsheet and highlight all the cells (clicking on the square above the first row). Right-click in
any cell, then select ‘Format Cells’

- Go to the ‘Number’ tab and choose ‘Text’, then click ‘OK’

- Place your cursor in cell ‘A1’ and paste the data using the ‘Paste’ icon or ‘Edit/Paste’

Identifying Objects with the Same Name in BO

Did you ever notice how there is a 'PAS Last 4' object in both the Pas and Position Data classes? There are many
cases where objects with the same name can be found in multiple classes.

To avoid confusing objects while building reports, we have specified the class and subclass (if applicable) in the
object description pane. To view an object description you first need to make sure the "Show/hide help on selected
item" button is toggled on; it's located on the top, left-hand side of the Query Panel window. The object description
window runs horizontally along the bottom of the screen. Click on an object in the Classes and Objects pane to
view description and location information. For example, regarding the 'PAS Last 4' object, the description entails:

--PAS class
Or
--POSITION DATA class / ORGANIZATION & LOCATION subclass

Importing Personal Data Files (.txt, .xls, etc) into Business Objects
Have you ever wanted to compare data you have in a Text or Excel file with data in a BO universe? Here's how to
do it:

- From the New Report Wizard, click on "Specify how to access data", then Begin. In the Specify Data Access
window, choose "Others - Personal Data Files" and click Finish. This will open the "Access Personal Data" window
where you can browse to your locate your file and create a Data Provider using that outside file.

- The next step is to run another report in Business Objects to combine with your external. This is done by creating
another Data Provider (choose Insert New Table) and selecting a universe. In the conditions, you need to have a
line which will only include the results from the first query. For example, if the outside file was by SSAN, then in the
query against the Universe, you could say where SSAN -- In List -- Select Query Results, then choose the SSAN
from the list of objects for your outside file. Run the query, then go to the Data Manager and link one or more
common objects from the two data providers.

- Next, create 'Detail' variables for the objects from the second query and 'associate' them to the linked variable of
the second query.

- Finally, drag the new variables into your report and you're done.
Inserting Date, Time and/or Page Numbers in Business Objects
Business Objects provides the ability to display the current date and time as well as the date and time your report
was last saved, refreshed or printed. Additionally, it provides the ability to display page numbers in a couple
different formats. To do this it's best to be in the 'Page Layout' view so you can place the objects in the right
location on your report ; it is located on the 'View' menu.

Go to the 'Insert' menu, click on 'Special Field' and select one of the following:

Date and Time

Current Displays the current date or time.

Last Save Displays the date or time the report was last saved. This information is automatically updated
each time you save the report.
Last Print Displays the date or time the report was last printed. This information is automatically updated
each time you print the report.
Last Refresh Displays the date or time on which the data in the report was last updated. This information is
automatically updated each time you refresh the report.

The formula bar will display:

=CurrentDate()
=DocumentDate()
=LastPrintDate()

=LastExecutionDate("Query 1 with Regional") or whatever universe/data provider you are using

Page Numbers

Page # Displays the current page number (i.e. Page 43)

Page # of # Displays the current page number and the total number of pages (i.e. Page 43 of 165)

The formula bar will display:

="Page " & FormatNumber (Page(), "#")

="Page " & FormatNumber (Page(), "#") & " of " & FormatNumber (NumberOfPages(), "#")

Limiting Returned Data When Creating Reports

When first testing a query you may wish to limit the number of rows retrieved in order to determine if your results
are as expected. You do this within the Query Panel by clicking on the ‘Options’ button in the lower left corner of
the screen. Once the Query Options window opens select either "10 Rows", "20 Rows" or enter another value by
clicking "Other" in the Partial Results area. Remember to return the setting to "Default Value" when you are ready
to retrieve all rows matching your query criteria.

Locating an Object in the BO Query Panel Screen

Whether building a report or searching for a record in a multi-paged report, finding information can be a little easier
by using one of the following tools.

Open the Edit Data Provider and in the upper left corner of the screen there are several buttons. The first one,
labeled ‘Show/hide all classes’, will display all the Classes and Objects of the universe you are using. It will also
display a field at the bottom of the Classes and Objects panel with a pair of binoculars to the left. This field is used
to locate an object from the many classes and subclasses. Just start typing in the name of the object you want to
find. The classes and subclasses will open to the first object matching the characters being typed. If there are
multiple objects with the same word or words in it (like ‘date’) then hit the ‘Enter’ key to go to the next object.

Locating Data within a BO Report

On the Menu bar click Edit then Find. A find window will pop where you may enter data you want to locate (SSAN,
Name, CPCN, etc) and the data is not case sensitive nor does it need to be complete. If you receive a message
stating your data could not be found try searching in the opposite direction by clicking the ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ radial
button in the ‘Direction’ panel.
Locating your Fill RPAs via Business Objects
Locating your Fill RPAs via Business Objects

Ever wonder where a Fill RPA is located and who is working it? Try running the Corporate Document called
'OpenFillActionsAtCPForAFPC.rep'. This report tells you where all Fill RPAs are located and who is working them
- whether at AFPC or CPF.

For finding any open RPAs (not just Fills), use Corp Doc "OpenRPAsforCPF".

Another report you might find useful for answering management inquiries is called
"ActionsReceivedbyCPFinDaterange". It counts RPAs that you've received during a given timeframe.

"Lookup Codes" in Business Objects

Data in Business Objects is retrieved from various tables and views, depending on the universe being used. These
tables and views are identified by name and owner. A majority of the tables and views are updated and maintained
within DCPDS and are used by several applications. When you run a query in Business Objects, the returned data
is based on the criteria you specified and your permissions. For example, if you wanted to see all CCPO ID’s
(they’re found in view REGIONAL_RPT_DATA owned by BUSINESSOBJECTS) and simply queried on the object
‘CCPO ID’ all you would return is a list of all the CCPO ID’s which have data in them for the bases you have
permissions to view. A list of all CCPO ID’s can also be found in the LOOKUP_CODES view owned by
BUSINESSOBJECTS. Everyone has permission to view the data in this view. If you want to see a list of every
CCPO ID, here’s how you would do it:

-In the Query Panel, open the class ‘Lookup Codes’ and select Clear Text and Code Value and place them in
the ‘Result Objects’ area.

-Set Code Number Equal to 769 in the ‘Conditions’ area (769 is the Code Number for CCPO ID’s, ‘Code
Name’ identifies the type object, and ‘Code Value’ are the fields within the table). Hit 'Run'.

The ‘Lookup Code’ class and objects are available in the following universes:

HR Reporting
Military Personnel Data
NAF
Personnel Actions History
Personnel Actions History – LN
Personnel Actions History NAF

For detailed instructions, click on 'instructions' from this AFPC website answer:
https://gum/cgi-bin/askafpc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5065

MACH RPA Checklist

Do you ever fill out this form to attach to an RPA?

http://gum.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cgi-bin/askafpc.cfg/php/enduser/fattach_get.php?p_sid=QFh6RnYi&p_accessibility
=0&p_tbl=9&p_id=6200&p_created=1201900134&p_olh=0

Log into Business Objects to open a time-saving report: PositionDataforRPAChecklist.rep (File / Retrieve From /
Corporate Documents / HR Reporting category). This report prompts for Sequence Number and is designed to
replicate the 'MACH Request for Personnel Action (RPA) Checklist' form. Note the 1st tab, which gives instructions
how to save and complete the form. The 2nd tab duplicates the form, but notice the second page of data is
populated by Business Objects!
"Matches pattern" vs. "In list" operator
What if you want a report on some base organizations but not all of the base organizations?

Using the In list operator to create a condition in the query panel provides one option for pulling certain
organizations. For instance, using PAS Last 4, list all the organizations that belong to the 99th Wing:

PAS Last 4 In list

FD17,F43T,FM0S,FJ6V,FH6L,FKGT,FH7T,FJ9J,FDKZ,FJ9K,FKGX,FD2G,F2X7,FCVQ,FD8T,FCVS,FM1M

Or, if you’re not fond of typing, try using Pas Desc and the Matches pattern operator with the numeric designation
of the Wing:

Pas Desc Matches Pattern 0099%

If you have squadrons that do not have the numeric designation of your Wing but still belong to the Wing, use a
combination of In list and Matches Pattern:

Pas Desc Matches pattern 0099%

or
PAS Last 4 In list FCVQ,FD8T,FCVS,FM1M

Notice these are two distinct operators.

- In list does not work with % and
- Matches pattern does not work with a list of data items
Don’t do: In List %FD17,%F43T,%FM0S,%FJ6V,%FH6L and don’t do: Matches pattern
%FD17,%F43T,%FM0S,%FJ6V,%FH6L

"Max" function in your report conditions

BO supplies a "max" function for your (Query Panel) conditions that returns the max value for a selected object.
Even though you can use a "max" function on your data after running a report, it may be easier to achieve the
results you desire by doing it in the Query Panel conditions of your Data Provider.

To use the "max" function in your conditions:

1. Select all necessary objects into the “Result Objects” panel.

2. Now, you will basically be creating a condition that compares an object to its (or another object’s) max value.
Choose the object to be compared to some max value and drag it into the conditions.

3. Select the operator (e.g. "Equal to") and for the operand click "Calculation".

4. In the "Select an Object" step, select the object you want the max value for - most of the time this will be the
same object you chose in Step 2. Click Begin. Select "Maximum" in "Select a Function" and click Next. Note that
any of the other available functions, including "Minimum", may be used in this exact same manner.

5. In "Define the Level of Calculation" you would usually select "Globally". This means you don’t need to "group
by" any object(s). Click Next.

6. In "Synchronize your Calculation" you will join the max calculation to only those records your query returns
(based on your conditions). You do this by selecting "For each value of one or more objects" and choosing the join
object(s) from the list. Only objects in your "Result Objects" are shown in the list. You would usually select
<SSAN> so the max will be calculated for each person. Select "Independently of your objects" only if you want
one overall max value (for the entire database) returned. Click Next.

7. In "Set the Number of Values to Compare" select "All values".

8. Click "Finish" and you can run your report.

Note that this tip provides the most common selections for Steps 5, 6, and 7 that will work for most queries. More
complicated queries may require you to experiment to determine the different behaviors when other selections are
made. Please refer to the following link for an example of using "max" in your query.
https://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/Restricted/BusObjects/MostRecentOccurrence.pdf
Missing Query Panel
Sometimes when you click on the Edit Data Provider, the query panel does not appear on your screen. Also, the
Business Objects screen gives the impression that the application is frozen.

Solution: - Press the ALT and Spacebar keys simultaneously.

- With your arrow keys, highlight Move and press Enter on your keyboard.
- Your cursor will turn into a crossbar. Hit any arrow key on your keyboard once and move your mouse (without
clicking).
- Now you will see the query panel window move with your cursor.
- Once the query panel is in a desired location on the screen, click your mouse to release the query panel
window.

"Missing" Variables in BO
Periodically, you may notice the report manager is no longer listing all of your variables. This will occur if the
"missing" variable was dependent on another variable to which you made changes or deleted. This could be
noticed by one or more columns in your report displaying "#SYNTAX" vs. real data.

To check the status of a variable, click on 'Data' then 'Variables' from the main toolbar. This will display a list of all
the variables that have been created for the report and not deleted, as well as all the current objects selected for
the report. Your "missing" variable should be listed with a symbol, similar to a Yield sign, next to it. The
'Description' area will provide information about an object or reflect the formula used to create a variable. This will
assist you in determining which object or variable has either been deleted or changed causing the variable to go
"missing". Once you make the appropriate corrections to the variable or pull the object again, your variable will
show up in the report manager list and the report will display data instead of "#SYNTAX".

To review additional BO Tips, visit our website:

<http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/CivReports/Default.asp?prods3=1504&prods2=330&prods1=99> .

NSPS Base Salary Percent reports

Do you need some help determining salary increases and bonuses for your NSPS employees? We have two
reports in the Corporate Documents library to assist you:

NSPS-BaseSalPercent HR reporting Displays 1-6% base salary increases; compares to pay band range and alerts
when amount exceeds maximum. Separate tab shows potential bonus amounts for 1-6% of current base salary.
NSPS-BaseSalPercentbySSAN HR reporting Prompts for SSAN, displays 1-6% base salary increases, compares
% to pay band range and alerts when amount exceeds maximum. Separate tab shows potential bonus amounts
for 1-6% of current base salary.

Check out this link to view other helpful NSPS reports that are available in the Corp Doc library:
https://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/Restricted/BusObjects/7947_NSPSReportsandSpecSit.xls
NSPS Performance-Pay Pool planning reports
HierarchyMissing--This report identifies positions that are not linked to any supervisor, identifying possible missing
performance plans. Positions are not linked if the supervisor Sequence Number is null, or if it is invalid. This report
displays invalid supervisor Sequence Numbers in red.

NSPS Data--This report displays positions which have converted to NSPS; listing NSPS data elements in
spreadsheet format.

NSPS-BaseSalPercent--This report displays 1-6% base salary increases; compares to pay band range and alerts
when amount exceeds maximum range. A separate tab shows potential bonus amounts for 1-6% of current base
salary.

NSPS-BaseSalPercentbySSAN--This report is identical to the NSPS-BaseSalPercent report, except it prompts for

SSN.

PreConvHistoricalCosts--This report calculates pay pool fund and share percentage based on current NSPS basic
salaries. Uses preconversion historical costs for WIGI's, promotions, QSI's and Awards/Bonuses.

PayPoolAssigned--This report lists employees by pay pool id.

CWB extract Mock PayOut--BO does not contain all the data elements found on the DCPDS extract. This report
produces a mock extract to be used with the 2007 version of the CWB spreadsheet. Hierarchy is used to provide
the rating officials’ name. A description of the extract and instructions on how to format the extract are located on
the first tab.

Missing Performance Plans--This QC report identifies how many performance plans have/have not been initiated
based on missing data from the CWB extract. It looks for performance plan, rating officials, etc. Instructions for
using the CWB extract are located on the first tab.

Pay Pool General Notice--This generates the required general notice letter to employees. It is based on the AF
Template. Requires some changes for local use. Instructions are located on the first tab.

Offline Mode, To Use or Not To Use

When logging into Business Objects, there is an option titled "Use in Offline Mode". And although there are a few
benefits in using Business Objects in the offline mode, there are several drawbacks.

One benefit is the ability to create new reports or edit existing reports from data stored on your workstation.
Another is that the program will authenticate your security credentials using the boprod65.lsi file on your
workstation rather than through a connection with the Osprey server when you log in and this could result in faster
data retrieval.

Several drawbacks of using BO in the offline mode are due to the fact that you are not connected to the Osprey
server and subsequently, you will not be able to do the following:

- Import new universe updates or fresh universe data if a universe becomes corrupt
- Retrieve any reports from Corporate Documents
- Receive any reports from other Users
- Send any reports to other Users
- Retrieve reports from Broadcast Agent
- Schedule reports in Broadcast Agent
- View scheduling status in Broadcast Agent

If you must use Business Objects in the offline mode, we recommend that you first log on each morning with the
"Use in Offline Mode" dialog box unchecked. This will ensure that you have the latest copy of the universes and
that the security parameters have not changed since the last time that you logged in.
Publishing Reports for Local Use in BO
In Business Objects, publishing a report to your local CorpDoc domain is a way to store a report you’ve created or
modified, and make it available only to CPF users within the same CPF ID. Only the publisher of the report will be
able to republish the report later on if need be. Here’s guidance on how to publish a BO report locally.

- Open your BO report and from the Main Menu Bar, click on File/Publish To/Corporate Documents to open the
“Send” panel.

- In the “Domain” drop down menu, select your local Domain. It should be the first entry in the list and resemble:
“Doc_XX”, where “XX” is your CCPO_ID (i.e. “Doc_9P” would be the local Domain for Randolph AFB users).

- In the “Document(s) to Send” area, your report will be listed.

- In the “Categories” area you have the option to “Keep existing categories” or select a different one where you
want your report to be listed in Corp Docs. If this is a new report and you leave it at the default “Keep existing
categories” your report will show up in Corp Docs under the “Uncategorized” category; otherwise the report will
remain in the category it was listed in previously.

- Once you’ve selected the proper category, click OK and you should see a message stating “Export was
successful”.

- To locate your published report, click on File/Retrieve From/Corporate Documents then select the domain
category of your report.

Note: The “Production” and “Doc_BCA” domains are used for AFPC CorpDocs, be careful NOT to select either of
them from the list of domains. Reports published to the “Production” and “Doc_BCA” domains are available to
every Air Force BO user, so if you modify and republish the report, you will also be changing the report for other
users. Furthermore, any reports published to “Production” and “Doc_BCA”, by users outside of AFPC/DPDOPI, will
be deleted.

Purging reports
In Business Objects, users have the option of purging reports to reduce the size of the report. This is useful when
trying to save space on your computer or reducing the file size of the report before sending it to someone.
Remember the report format remains the same but the data is purged, so the recipient will need to refresh the
report to see data. Below are instructions on how to purge data from a Business Objects report.

Go to Data
View Data…
The Data Manager screen will appear
Click on the ‘Purge’ button
Click ‘Yes’
Click ‘Ok’

Click here
<https://gum.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cgi-bin/askafpc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1430&p_created=110268
2328&p_sid=6tAMpKAi&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0P
SZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MyZwX3Byb2RzPTk5LDMzMCwxNTA0LDI4NzYsMjg4MyZw> to see the instructions on how to
share reports in Business Objects.

Visit our Business Objects Information Page

<http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/CivReports/Default.asp?prods3=1504&prods2=330&prods1=99> for other helpful
Business Objects information.
Query Prompts in Business Objects – Which is Best to Use
There are two types of query prompts in Business Objects and deciding which one to use may be tricky. One is the
predefined prompt located in the list of 'Predefined Conditions'; the other is the user defined prompt built by the
user. Normally, the predefined prompt will be your best bet; however, if you want to query on an object that
matches a particular pattern, then you may want to create a user defined prompt. Here's a simple example. Using
the predefined condition 'CCPO ID Prompt Condition', when you run your report you are prompted to select one or
more CCPO IDs from a list or enter '%' to select all CCPO IDs. Say you only want the CCPO IDs that start with '9'.
You can't use the predefined CCPO ID prompt unless you scroll through the list of values and pick out all the
CCPO IDs. So, you could create a prompt using 'Matches pattern', then when prompted, type in '9%' to retrieve
only the CCPO IDs starting with '9'. Additionally, you could type in % and retrieve all CCPO IDs.

Race/National Origin vs. Ethnicity

A few years ago DCPDS was changed from Race/National Origin to Ethnicity. At the time, all the existing records
had their RNO converted to Ethnicity. Any new records since then have only Ethnicity, and RNO is blank.

If you find you are returning a lot of blanks, check the way you’re pulling the data. You should be using Ethnicity
instead of RNO.

RNO remains available in our reporting databases because it was not removed from the database of record,
DCPDS. Also, deleting a field could cause other systems or reports to break.

Relative Positioning
Business Objects allows you to position a block in relation to another report component, locking it to that table or
chart. Here's how:

1. Right-click on the block or cell and click Format Chart or Format Table from the menu.

2. At the The Format dialog box, click the Appearance tab:

3. In the Horizontal Position Relative to box, click the marker you want to use to position the block or cell
horizontally.

4. Enter a number (positive or negative) in the Left field to set how much space you want to have between the
marker and the selected block.

5. I n the Vertical Position Relative to box, click the marker you want to use to position the block or cell vertically.

NOTE: When you select Top Margin under Vertical Position Relative to, the table is displayed according to the top
margin, but there is an empty area between the end of the block and the bottom margin on the first page. The
blank corresponds with the title area.

6. Enter a value (positive or negative) in the Top field to set how much space you want to have between the
marker and the selected block. The Sample box demonstrates the way the components are positioned.

7. Click Apply or OK to display the cells or blocks in their new position.

NOTE: When a report contains only the main section, the Upper section is the top margin of the page. When a
report contains multiple sections, the Upper Section is the top of the section in which a block is currently
positioned.

Renaming Queries in a BO Report

When working with multiple queries in a report, it’s a good idea to rename the queries from the default naming
convention of “Query 1 with XXX” or “Query 2 with XXX” to something which better describes their use. This will
prevent confusion when you edit or refresh the data and it will give you a better idea of what you’ll be retrieving. To
do this, go to the main menu and click on ‘Data’ and select ‘View Data’ or click on the ‘View Data’ icon. This will
display the ‘Data Manager’ window. Click on the ‘Definition’ tab then go to the ‘General’ section where there will be
a field called "Name". Whichever query is currently highlighted in the ‘Data Providers’ section, on the left side of
the window, is the query name you may change. Once complete, click ‘OK’ and you’re done.
Renaming Queries in a BO Report - BO 6.5.1 and BO XI
Renaming Queries in a BO Report

Business Objects v6.5:

• In the Main Menu click ‘Data’ and select ‘View Data’, or click the ‘View Data’ icon.
• In the ‘Data Manager’ window, click the ‘Definition’ tab and in the ‘General’ panel, “Name” will contain the name
of the Data Provider (query) that is highlighted in the “Data Providers” panel..
• Change the Data Provider name as applicable
• Once complete, click ‘OK’.

Web-based Business Objects (BO XI):

• Click the “Edit Query” button.
• Each Data Provider will have a tab on the bottom left of the window. Right click the tab of the Data Provider you
wish to change the name for and click “Rename Query”.
• Enter the new name in the “Name” text box and press Enter.
• The query name should change in the applicable tab at the bottom left of the window.

'Retrieve Into' feature in Corporate Documents

When you retrieve a document from the Corporate Documents library, it is saved to your 'UserDocs' directory by
default. However, you can retrieve documents into any directory without changing your default setting by using the
'Retrieve Into' feature in Corporate Documents. This is helpful when you need to retrieve a series of reports for a
project. You can save those reports to a directory designated for that project without having to move them from
your 'UserDocs' directory after retrieving them. Here's how you do it:

- Log on to Business Objects

- Click 'Cancel' on the Welcome Wizard
- Select 'File' from the menu bar
- Select 'Retrieve From' > 'Corporate Documents'
- Select the document. (You can highlight more than one document at a time)
- Right-Click on the document(s) you want to retrieve
- Select 'Retrieve into'
- Click the 'Browse' button
- Select the directory you want to save your document(s) to.
- Click OK (3 times)
- If the 'Open on retrieval' box is checked, the document(s) will open. If not, you can navigate to the directory you
sent the document(s) to and open the report(s) from there.
Saving a CSU Report as a text file
You can save (export) any CSU report as text file by accomplishing the following steps.
1. Log on to the Web CSU.
2. Select "Reports"
3. Select a report, for example "Employee Roster"
4. Use the "Items" and "Sort" menus to sort and limit the select criteria to suit your needs.
5. Select "Export"

The report will run and it will be displayed as a web page in a text format. The page can be saved as a text file by
accomplishing the following steps:
1. From the Web Page, select "File" and select "Save as..."
2. From the Web Page menu select "Save as Type" and select "Text File" from the drop down menu.
3. Select "Save"

The report is saved as a Tab delimited file which can be easily imported into an Excel worksheet by accomplishing
the following steps:
1. Open Microsoft Excel and select "Open" from the "File Menu"
2. From the Open menu, select "Files of Type" and select "Text File" from the drop down menu.
3. From the Open Menu, navigate to the directory where you saved the Web Page in step 3 above.
4. Once you find the file, select "Open" and the Text Import Wizard template will display.
5. From the Text Import Wizard, select "Delimited", "next", “Tab" and select finish.

The file is imported into Excel and can be modified by utilizing the various features that are available in the
spreadsheet.

To review the new CSU Desk Guide, go to https://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/Restricted/BusObjects/CSU Desk Guide

V18 2.pdf

Saving Business Objects reports to Excel

Business Objects v6.5:

- Refresh report
- Go to the ‘File’ menu and click 'Save As'
- In the 'Save As' window click the ‘Save In’ drop-down menu to browse to the desired location
- Then click the ‘Save As Type' drop-down menu and select Microsoft Excel Worksheet

Web-based Business Objects (BO XI):

- Refresh report
- Click the arrow to the right of Document
- From the drop-down menu, select Save to my computer as, select Excel

In Edit mode:

- Click on arrow to the right of the Disk icon (top line menu, 2nd icon from left)
- From the drop-down menu, select Save to my computer as, then Excel

Saving Documents Automatically

Use the Automatic Save feature to save your Business Objects reports automatically while you're working on them.
You can set the amount of elapsed time between each save. Here is how to do it:

In Business Objects, click on Tools…Options Click on the Save tab Place a check mark in the box next to
'Automatic Save Every:'
Once the box is clicked, the option to set the elapsed time is enabled. Enter the desired time. (The default setting
is 5 minutes.)

This change affects all reports opened in Business Objects, so it will only need to be done once.
Saving Documents in BusinessObjects
There are several formats available for saving a document in BusinessObjects. By default, it is set up in the Report
format to be saved in the UserDocs folder and the original document remains on your screen. To choose a
different format, go to the ‘File’ menu and click ‘Save As’ (or hit F12). In the ‘Save As’ window click the ‘Save as
type’ drop down menu to view your choices. Here’s some information on the most common formats:

BusinessObjects Documents (*.rep) This is the default format. Saved as an exact copy of the original.

Rich Text Format (*.rtf) or Text files (*.txt) Saving in either of these formats will only save the report which is
currently selected (see the report tabs at the bottom of your screen to make that determination). Graphics are not
saved. Useful if you want to manipulate the data in a different application like Access.

Microsoft Excel Files (*.xls) Similar to how .rtf or .txt files are saved. This format will not include formulas (the
results will appear), free form cells containing bitmaps or hyperlinks, OLE objects, 3D charts containing more than
one measure in different groups of series on the Y axis or 3D charts that display the double Y axis. Users need to
consider a different format if their report has more than 65,536 records; this is the maximum number of rows Excel
will display in a worksheet.
HTML format (*.htm) This format enables the user to view and navigate through different reports. This format
makes it easy for InfoView users to view your document. A HTML Options window will open so you can specify
how you want your HTML document to be saved. This format includes the ability to download and or save as a BO
report.

Portable Document Format (*.pdf) The results are similar to the .htm saved document in respects to viewing and
navigating but with an added bonus of obtaining high quality printed copies and easier navigation. It’s another
useful method for users without access to BO to view your document. This format does not facilitate the ability to
edit or analyze the data.

BusinessObjects Templates (*.ret) Users may create multiple BO templates. They may include things like
formatted page layout, font, headers, footers, margins, etc. Useful for user’s who create several reports and want a
uniform, professional appearance to their reports.
Scheduling Reports through Broadcast Agent
One advantage of having an application like Business Objects is the ability to customize reports for your own
needs and run them day in and day out. Another advantage is the ability to set your reports to run automatically via
Broadcast Agent.

The Broadcast Agent provides many options for running your reports on regular intervals and distributing those
reports to other Business Objects users. We recommend scheduling more complicated reports to run during
off-peak hours so the data is ready when you open the report. Currently, over 180 reports are distributed to over
500 Business Objects users via Broadcast Agent.

At the end of the year or during other extended periods of absence it's a good idea to schedule your weekly,
bi-weekly and/or end of month, etc. reports in Broadcast Agent to get an accurate snapshot of the data while out of
the office. Here is some information on how to schedule a report in Broadcast Agent and view the status of that
scheduled task.

NOTE: Make sure that the report is not set to refresh on open. Click on Tools...Options. Select the 'Save' tab.
Make sure the 'Refresh Document When Opening' box is not checked.

Scheduling a Report:

File…Send To…Broadcast Agent

The ‘Send Document to Broadcast Agent’ window will appear. This window contains all the necessary options
needed to schedule and distribute your document.

In the ‘General’ tab:

-Enter a description of the document and/or schedule (optional)
-Keep the default ‘Server’ name
-Set the desired ‘Priority’
In the ‘Actions’ tab:
-Use only the ‘Refresh’ action under ‘Standard Actions’
-Select ‘Refresh’ and click on the ‘Add>>’ button
-Select ‘Refresh with the profile of each recipient’ to tailor the results to the permissions of each recipient
In the ‘Categories’ tab:
-Select the category for the distributed document (the default is ‘Uncategorized’)
In the ‘Scheduling’ tab:
-Set the date, time, and frequency for your schedule (The default setting is set to run once at the current date
and time). To change the settings, click ‘Change’. In the ‘Change Schedule’ window, set the frequency, date, and
time for your schedule.
-Also in the ‘Scheduling’ tab, you can set a start and expiration date for the schedule (the default is 1 year).
Note: once the schedule reaches the expiration date, the document will no longer be refreshed and distributed.
In the ‘Distribution’ tab:
-To select the recipients of your document, click in the box next to ‘Distribute via the BusinessObjects
Repository’. To send the document to yourself, click the box next to ‘Add my name to the list’. To distribute to other
Business Objects users, click the ‘To…’ button. In the ‘Select Users and Groups’ window, click ‘Users’ and type the
username (or a portion of the username) in the window next to the ‘Search’ button and click ‘Search’. The
username will show up below. Select the username and click the ‘Add->’ button. Repeat the process to include
additional recipients. Once you have added all of the recipients to the list, click ‘OK’.

Review all the tabs to make sure the schedule is correct. If everything looks fine, then click ‘OK’. The following
message will appear: “Document sent to the Broadcast Agent”. Click ‘OK’.

Broadcast Agent Console:

The Broadcast Agent Console allows you to view, update and/or delete your processed and non-processed tasks
in BCA. To access the console, log into Business Objects and click Tools…Console.

-The ‘Console’ window will appear. This window contains a list of both the processed and non-processed tasks.
-The ‘Properties’ button allows you to view and update the scheduled task(s). Update options are only available in
the ‘non-processed tasks’ view.
-The ‘Delete’ button allows you to delete the scheduled task(s).
-To utilize these features, select the document name from the list and click on the desired button.
-Click ‘Close’ to exit the Console.

Click on this link for more details.

 https://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/Restricted/BusObjects/SchedulingandDistributingReports.pdf

Search functions
Whether building a report or searching for a specific record within a report, finding information can be a little easier
by using one of the following tools.

Searching In BO 6.5:

Looking for an object in the Data Manager panel:

Open the Edit Data Provider and in the upper left corner of the screen there are several buttons. The first one,
labeled ‘Show/hide all classes’, will display all the Classes and Objects of the universe you are using. It will also
display a field at the bottom of the Classes and Objects panel with a pair of binoculars to the left. This field is used
to locate an object from the many classes and subclasses. Just start typing in the name of the object you want to
find. The classes and subclasses will open to the first object matching the characters being typed. If there are
multiple objects with the same word or words in it (like ‘date’) then hit the ‘Enter’ key to go to the next object.

Looking for data within a report:

On the Menu bar click Edit then Find. A find window will pop where you may enter data you want to locate (SSAN,
Name, CPCN, etc) and the data is not case sensitive nor does it need to be complete. If you receive a message
stating your data could not be found try searching in the opposite direction by clicking the ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ radial
button in the ‘Direction’ panel.

Searching In BO XI:

Looking for an object in the Data Manager panel:

To locate specific data objects within the Data Manager Panel, click once anywhere in the panel, then begin to
type the data object name. As you type the “Search for:” window is visible at the top of the Data Manager Panel.
The data object is then highlighted if located. If there are multiple objects with the same word or words in it (like
‘date’) then hit the ‘Enter’ key to go to the next object.

Looking for data/text within a report:

On the Top Bar Menu bar click the Find Button (indicated by a pair of binoculars). A window will appear to the left
of the displayed report. Type in the text in the rectangular box “Type your text here.” Type in the data you wish to
locate. In the Options area you can select either “Match the whole word” or “Match case” . You may also select
the direction to search from the current page displayed on the screen by choosing the appropriate radio button
(Up or Down). Click the button “Find Next” to activate the Search.

Searching the Query Panel (Binoculars)

The query panel search tool (binoculars) available in Business Objects can be very useful for finding objects that
you need in a report. Remember though that some objects with similar names can be found in more than one
class. Picking the wrong class can cause you to get erroneous results in your report.

For example: You are looking for the Air Force Specialty Code (commonly referred to as AFSC) in the HR
Reporting Universe to write a report containing position data for employees assigned to your CPF. You go to the
search box, type in the characters “af”, hit the enter key and the object “Afsc” is highlighted so you might think this
is what you need. Wrong. You have just selected the Afsc object from the Manpower Extract MPES class. Your
report will return blanks for employees who are not filling an authorized manpower position. The object you
needed is located in the Position Data class.

As a reminder, if your report contains questionable blanks, go back and make sure you are pulling data from the
appropriate class. You can use further searches on the query panel, or you can refer to the universe layout
spreadsheet on our website (see link below). Each universe layout is available in spreadsheet format, giving you
the ability to quickly do an Edit/Find or Find All.
Sectioning and the Report Manager's Map Tab
When you section a report, you can use the Report Manager's Map Tab to easily jump to a specific section. This
feature can come in handy when looking for data.

As an example, retrieve EmployeeRoster-BasicInfo.rep from Corporate Documents. When you open the report,
click on the 'Map' tab of the Report Manager (that handy panel that stays to the left of your reports). If you do not
see the Report Manager on the left side, click on View…Report Manager.

In the Map tab you will see two reports: Employee Roster - Basic Information, which lists employees and
Employee Roster - Basic Information by Org, which lists organizations. Click on Employee Roster - Basic
Information by Org, select an organization and you will jump right to that org. If you are unable to see the list of
orgs, check at the bottom to make sure the leftmost option is selected (the one with the yellow cylinder).

Use the other Map tab option (the rightmost; with the gray cylinder) to easily format report elements. For example,
if you want to hide the Main Section Header, right-click on Main Section, select Format Section and click on Hide
Section Header. You can also use drag-and-drop to rearrange report elements.

Sending Business Object Reports

There are a couple of ways to send a BO report to another user, via Email or through Business Objects. We
recommend using Business Objects due to the size of some reports. Currently, CorpDocs (BO reports) range in
size from 56K to 16M with the average being 1.2M.

Here are some easy instructions on how to send an open report to other Users via BO:

- Open and refresh your report

- Go to Tools/Options then select the ‘Save’ tab. Under the ‘Options for Current Document’ area, make sure the
‘Refresh Document When Opening’ box is un-checked (this will prohibit the possibility of the data changing when
the report is opened by the recipient). Click ‘OK’

- Go to File/Send To/Users… to open the ‘Send’ window

- In the ‘Domain:’ area, ensure ‘DocBCA’ is displayed

- Under the ‘Send to’ area, in the ‘To…’ field, start typing the UserID of the recipient (as you type possible choices
will be auto populating in the field). When your choice appears, click ‘Enter’

- Under the ‘Document(s) to Send’ area your report will be listed. Click ‘OK’

To retrieve a report sent from other Users via BO:

- Click on File/Retrieve From/User… to open the ‘Retrieve’ window

- Navigate through the ‘Browse Categories’ column to locate the report

- Once found, click on the report name to highlight

- Click the ‘Open on Retrieval’ option to have the report open once you've retrieved it. Hit ‘Retrieval’
Set Report Blocks in Relation to Each Other
In Business Objects you can set blocks in relation to one another. In a sense you would be linking them so all the
data in each block could be viewed regardless of the amount of data returned. Here’s the process:

1. From the Business Objects Report screen, click anywhere in the block you want to position. Double-click on the
edge of the block. This will bring up the block format window where you can set Formats for tables in your report.
Or click on the block, select Format then Block (Table, Crosstab, or Chart depending on the block type selected).
Next, click on the ‘Appearance' tab.

2. Look in the Position area. The dropdown menus of the ‘Horizontal Position Relative to’ or ‘Vertical Position
Relative to’ fields allow you to set the table's position relative to the margins, the upper section of the report,
another table, or center across the page. These are called markers. The space between the marker and the table
is relative to the upper left corner of the selected table.

3. To move the table to the left or right, use the ‘Horizontal Position Relative to’ option. To move the table up or
down, use the ‘Vertical Position Relative to’ option.

4. You can enter a number (positive or negative) to set the horizontal space between the marker and the table.
You can also enter a number to set the vertical position between the marker and the table.

Slice and Dice Panel

The Slice and Dice Panel is a separate window that allows you to perform different operations in one place all at
the same time. For example, with variables you may add, delete, filter, sort, rank, calculate, turn into section
headers, or apply breaks. With tables you may rotate, turn into cross-tabs, or convert to charts. And you may also
easily rearrange columns or rename blocks.

To access the Slice and Dice Panel, click ‘Analysis’ from the main menu then ‘Slice and Dice’ from the drop down
menu or you may just click on the ‘Slice and Dice’ icon which sits between the icons which look like a Magnifying
glass and a colorless Rubik’s cube. Click the help icon from within the Slice and Dice Panel for instructions for
performing each task.

Sorting 'List of Values' Display

When creating a Business Objects report, the operand ‘Show list of values’ displays the List of Values (LOV)
dialog box and shows the list of values of an object. However, these values are not displayed in any particular
order. Sorting the LOV can make it much easier to view the displayed values.
To sort the values in Ascending order (lowest to highest), click once on the gray bar that displays the Data Object
Name. If you click the bar again and the values will now sort in Descending order (highest to lowest).
Templates
Using Business Objects templates is a great way to save time creating a standard appearance for your reports.
Here’s a simple way to create and use a formatted template.

- Create a ‘sample’ BO report including things like a formatted header, footer, objects, logo, margins, etc.

- Save it with a ‘.ret’ file extension to C:\Documents and Settings\<YOUR PROFILE>\My Documents\My Business
Objects Documents\templates.

- Open a new blank report from the main menu bar by selecting ‘File/New’ or use the icon that looks like a sheet of
paper.

- At the New Report Wizard window click ‘Select a template’ then ‘Begin’

- Highlight your template in the list of available templates and click ‘Next’ Note: This is also where you would set a
default template.

- Create and run your report.

- View your template from the main menu bar by selecting ‘View/Page Layout’ or use the icon that looks like 3
sheets of stacked paper

- From the main menu bar select ‘View/Report Manager’ (or use the icon that looks like the BO icon with a column
to the left) to view your variables

- Highlight and drag the variables you want to display to the main section or body of your report

- Once you’ve put the final touches on your report save it using the .rep file extension

Universe Layouts
What’s a Universe Layout, you ask? A Universe Layout spreadsheet lists all the objects available in a given
universe. The various tabs, depending on the universe, contain detailed information about objects and filters --
information like descriptions; location under Class and/or Subclass within the query panel; actual database source
tables and columns; and which objects have been added, deleted or changed since the last universe release. This
information may be a true time saver when creating Business Objects reports.

Universe Refresh
Do you ever wonder if you have the latest version of the Universe you are about to work with? Here is a way to
make sure.

When you first log in to a Universe, the structure of that Universe is stored on your PC as a ".unv" file. When we
publish a new version of the Universe, this update is noticed by BO and the Universe changes should be
automatically downloaded to your PC the next time you try to access that universe. Sometimes it's helpful to force
an update; for instance, if you haven't logged into the RPA Tracker in a long time and and are about to open a
report that runs for awhile, you might want to force the latest universe updates before you open that report.

Universe Refresh

- Select “Tools”
- Select “Universes…”
- A “Universes” dialog box will appear.
- On the far right side there is a column called “Status”. If the Status is “Up to Date”, you have the latest version of
the Universe. If the Status is “To be imported” or “To be refreshed” (because we've had a universe update but you
haven't logged in yet), highlight the desired Universe and select the “Import” button (if not grayed out). The Status
will change to “Up to Date” after the import completes. When the Status changes to “Up to Date”, all the List of
Values (LOVs) have also been updated.
Using Averages
If you use the Average function in a column, Business Objects only averages the rows that have data in them.
See "Number of Days" column in the example below.

If you want to get an average for all rows, you might need to build a variable that inserts a zero any time the data
field Is null (see example code). Then you'll be able to average the entire column to include the rows that had no
data before. See "Number of Days 2" column example below:

NumberofDays2 variable code:

= If IsNull(<RPA Date 1st Referral>) Then 0 Else DaysBetween(<Date First in AFPC Staffing>, <RPA Date 1st
Referral>)

Request Number RPA Date First in RPA Date Number Number of

Status AFPC Staffing 1st Referral of Days Days2

07JUN9PDCOOPER982326 O 6/14/2007 0
07JUN9PDCOOPER993509 O 6/29/2007 0
07JUN9PDCOOPER995151 O 6/27/2007 0
07JUN9PDIAZJUD973225 O 6/25/2007 0
07JUN9PDIAZJUD973234 O 6/21/2007 07/23/2007 32 32
07JUN9PDIAZJUD979839 O 6/25/2007 0
07JUN9PDIAZJUD987094 O 0
07JUN9PDIAZJUD989388 O 7/23/2007 0
07JUN9PDIAZJUD990414 O 7/23/2007 0
07JUN9PMICKLEE974674 O 7/13/2007 0
07JUN9PMICKLEE974845 O 6/8/2007 07/14/2007 36 36
07JUN9PMICKLEE974867 O 6/8/2007 07/14/2007 36 36
Average: 35 9

Using Variables to Consolidate Data

One small way to 'pretty up' a BusinessObjects report is to create a variable joining a code to its description. For
example, instead of displaying:

Supervisory Responsibility Level AF Supervisory Resp Level AF Desc

1 Supervisor
2 Supervisor or Manager
3 Manager

You can display:

Supervisor Resp Level AF

1 - Supervisor
2 - Supervisor or Manager
3 - Manager

To do this, create a variable that joins the objects like so:

= <Supervisory Responsibility Level AF> & " - " & <Supervisory Resp Level AF Desc>

To go a step further, tell the variable to join the objects only when there is data available (removing the chance of
having only " - " show up where there would otherwise be a blank):

= If Not(IsNull (<Supervisory Responsibility Level AF>)) Then <Supervisory Responsibility Level AF> & " - " &
<Supervisory Resp Level AF Desc>
Wildcards in Conditions
Conditions are used to define the type of data or criteria you want to retrieve in a report. However, there may be
times when you only know part of the criteria you want to pull, like part of a SSAN, Last Name, or Position Title.
Using a wildcard or combination of wildcards will enable you to define your query based on the limited criteria at
hand. The two Business Objects wildcards are the ‘percentage’ (%) and ‘underscore’ (_). By using these in
conjunction with the operators "Matches Pattern" or "Different from Pattern", you will be equipped to pull quality
reports. Here are some examples:

Using a percent sign (%) in the condition "SSAN Matches Pattern 545%" will retrieve data for all SSAN’s between
545000000 and 545999999.

Using a single underscore (_) in the condition "SSAN Matches Pattern 545121_12" will retrieve data for SSAN’s
545121012, 545121112, 545121212, 545121312, 545121412, 545121512, 545121612, 545121712, 545121812,
and 545121912.

Using a percent sign (%) in the condition "SSAN Different from Pattern 545%" will retrieve data for any SSAN
which does not start with 545.

Using a single underscore (_) in the condition "SSAN Different from Pattern 545121_12" will retrieve data for all
SSAN’s except 545121012, 545121112, 545121212, 545121312, 545121412, 545121512, 545121612,
545121712, 545121812, and 545121912.

You may use wildcards in combination with one another. However, they will only work with the "Matches Pattern"
or "Different from Pattern" operators.