Connecting to Data


Uploading Data Files

You can upload, append, or merge delimited, Excel, JSON, or XML files to a target environment using WebFOCUS. Your file is initially loaded to a temporary environment, where you can modify and enhance your data before loading it to permanent storage.

A synonym is automatically generated for the uploaded data file. In the data preparation step, prior to actually uploading the data, you can enhance and edit the generated synonym.

Pivoting Data Columns Into Rows

Some data files may contain repeating columns, such as sales figures for a series of years. There may even be repeating column groups, such as both budget and actual figures for a series of years.

When a data source includes multiple measure columns that provide values for the same type of measurement, it may be useful to pivot these columns into rows. This results in a simpler table with fewer columns, and with more dimension fields for sorting your data.

Creating Synonyms

During the Connect to Data workflow, you can create Base or Cluster Synonyms of your data. A Cluster Synonym is made up of multiple tables that are connected by Joins. You can choose to enhance your synonym when initially you create it, by modifying field names, assigning geographic roles, creating expressions, and more, or you can edit it at a later time. 

Procedure: How to Create a Synonym

  1. In the Connect to Data panel, under Server Datasources, right-click a configured adapter.

    A shortcut menu opens, as shown in the following image.

Configuring Adapters

The Connect to Data workflow creates a connection to your data, which will allow you to modify your data for use in WebFOCUS. You can configure a new adapter or connection, add a connection to an existing adapter, or change adapter connections.

The initial Connect to Data screen displays a panel for selecting or configuring adapters, and also for uploading data, as shown in the following image:

Connecting to Data Sources

You can configure adapters and connect to data sources across your enterprise, which you can then use to build reports, charts, and visualizations using WebFOCUS Designer or other tools. You can also create a synonym for one or more data objects, or create cluster synonyms for select objects assigned as facts or dimensions.

You can access the connect to data workflow in the following ways:

Joining Data in WebFOCUS Designer

In WebFOCUS Designer, you can Join data when creating a Chart or Workbook, and create new content from your joined data.

The joined data structure is used when WebFOCUS runs the Chart or Workbook, and is not applied permanently to the metadata. This allows you to virtually join multiple data sources as if they were a single data source, from which you can report in a single request. This can increase the number of relevant fields available for use in your content, giving you an expanded selection of data specific to your charting purposes. 

Editing Data

When you are working within a WebFOCUS Business View panel, you can edit your data by selecting from folder and field shortcut menu options. These options are also available in the Table/Column and Output views.

Video: Pivoting Data


Data sources can contain repeating columns, or groups of columns. You can use the pivot option to transform these columns or groups of columns into rows.

From the Home Page, click the Data category in the Action Bar, and then click the Upload Data button.
From the Legacy Home Page, in the Resources tree, right-click a domain or folder, point to Upload, and then click Data.

Let’s upload a file from the Home Page.

Click the Upload Data button.
The Upload page opens. 

Pivoting Data

Some data files may contain repeating columns, such as sales figures for a series of years. There may even be repeating column groups, such as both budget and actual figures for a series of years. When uploading data, you can use the pivot option to transform these columns or groups of columns into rows, as shown in the following image.

Note: The pivot option is also available when creating or editing metadata.

Editing Metadata

Metadata is data about data, and describes the characteristics of your data sources, or synonyms. Metadata can be generated whenever data is created, acquired, added to, deleted from, or updated.

You can edit previously created synonyms in the following ways:

  • From the WebFOCUS Home Page, click the Data category on the Action Bar, and then click Metadata metadata.