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Crystal Dashboard and Design Xcelsius 2008 How to Configure BIS or BIWS

Crystal Dashboard and Design Xcelsius 2008 How to Configure BIS or BIWS

BIWS Tutorial – Part One – BIWS Basics. These are the steps to create a working BIWS.   I will be breaking the components of this tutorial up into a few parts…there are many steps.  This tutorial is about getting started.  If you have never done this before, then use this guide.  It is very detailed.  BIWS has a few undocumented powerful features as well that I have unlocked wi...

Xcelsius 2008 Crystal Dashboard and Design – QaaWS vs BIWS (a developers persepctive)

Xcelsius 2008 Crystal Dashboard and Design – QaaWS vs BIWS (a developers persepctive)

This information is about the Xcelsius 2008 or Dashboard presentation and Design BIWS connector, sometimes called the BIS connector.  It is a connection type that can replace QaaWs.  In some ways, BIWS is superior to QaaWS.  In others, it is not.  If you want good documentation on the subject, you won’t find it.  There are just a couple blogs that mention the subject…blogs from consultant...

Xcelsius 2008 / Crystal Dashboard Design :  The PDF problem (and solution)

Xcelsius 2008 / Crystal Dashboard Design : The PDF problem (and solution)

version: xcelsius 2008 sp3/fp5 Personally, I use PDF alot as a delivery platform for my SWF files.  The biggest reason for this, is that I can avoid Internet Explorer, Infoview, or Sharepoint as portals to view my SWF files.   PDF’s of swf’s look very very good, plus you can solve the COMMENT problem that we all share. Export to PDF However, a recent update to either Flash player, o...

Crystal Dashboards (Xcelsius OpenDoc Open Webi in New Window)

Crystal Dashboards (Xcelsius OpenDoc Open Webi in New Window)

Opendoc syntax is still, even a few years after the birth of Xcelsius…a hoot to work with.  SAP has provided us with all the necessary information about opendoc…except how to actually use it. Here are a couple examples that might get you through your day: How to code Xcelsius to open new windows: 1. In cell A1, type the following. Code: <a href=”http://server:8080/OpenDo...

Crystal Dashboard and Design – Time Formatting

Crystal Dashboard and Design – Time Formatting

The following post will provide some tips for Time Formatting in an xcelsius model. Xcelsius does just fine displaying Hours:Minutes, on charts or in tables…if you follow the correct procedure. 1. Delete the component you are working on, and make a new component..the old one is corrupt. 2. Use Excel formatting to work on the data.  Copy some example data into your excel cells, and use (form...

How To: Tips for finding a good Xcelsius Dashboard trainer / consultant

How To: Tips for finding a good Xcelsius Dashboard trainer / consultant

Training companies are a dime a dozen. Actually, anyone using the Internet has a “consulting company ” suddenly leading the way for a Market flooded with junk companies. Making websites is nearly free. So is declaring yourself a consultant. Thus, everybody’s a trainer, and everybody’s a consultant these days. This post might help you avoid getting low value for your money. I am an ...

Unable to Load URL error – Xcelsius 2008

Unable to Load URL error – Xcelsius 2008

This error has many causes, mostly resulting from using QaaWS or BIS connectors. Unfortunately, the error itself wont tell you where the problem is. Here are some tips that might prove useful: Double check syntax. Check it again, then continue with the following information. I have got this error many times because the admin didnt set the proper privs. A developer needs FULL rights to QaaWS. Al...

Xcelsius Tips: Wrap Text in a Scorecard

Xcelsius Tips: Wrap Text in a Scorecard

Source File: wrap_text XLF sp3, fp5, excel2010 Summary: Scorecards are gaining in popularity. As they do, vying for extra formatting options beyond the basics are become more in demand. This post details a workaround for getting a wrap text feature in your scorecards. Using this method can increase the visual appeal, especially in your first column of the scorecard. First, Here is a common...

Methods for scheduling a Data Provider in Xcelsius

Methods for scheduling a Data Provider in Xcelsius

Here are some methods that describe different ways to set up a scheduled data provider. You will probably use one method in your shop. Technically, one method is not better than the other. Your choice will depend on what you bought, and how talented your developer team (and DBA’s) are. 1. Make some very high level pre-aggregated views. You will need several of them. These views sit on...

Notes about Scheduling Dashboards in Business Objects

Notes about Scheduling Dashboards in Business Objects

This post does not contain information about “how to schedule dashboards”. Developers who are using those words in the same sentence are showing themselves to be new to the software. I hang out on message boards where this question comes up every week, so I saw the need for some information sharing on the topic. Here are some concepts that are directed toward newcomers: Xcelsius crea...