BUSINESS OBJECTS(DESIGNER) 1.Alias A logical pointer to an alternate table name.

The purpose of an alias is to reso lve loops in the paths of joins. 2.Cardinality Expresses the minimum and the maximum number of instances of an entity B that ca n be associated with an instance of an entity A. The minimum and the maximum num ber of instances can be equal to 0,1, or N. 3.Cartesian product A situation in which a query includes two or more tables that are not linked by a join. If executed, this type of query retrieves all possible combinations betw een each table and may lead to inaccurate results. 4.Class A logical grouping of objects and conditions within a universe. In general, the name of a class reflects a business concept that conveys the category or type of objects. 5.Condition A component that controls the type and the amount of data returned by a specific object in a query. A condition created in the Designer module is referred to as a predefined condition. 6.Connection Set of parameters that provides access to an RDBMS. These parameters include sys tem information such as the data account, user identification, and path to the d atabase. Designer provides three types of connections: secured, shared, and pers onal. 7.Context A method by which Designer can decide which path to choose when more than one pa th is possible from one table to another in the universe. 8.Detail object An object qualified as a detail provides descriptive data about a dimension obje ct. A detail object cannot be used in drill down analysis. 9.Dimension object An object being tracked in multidimensional analysis; the subject of the analysi s. Dimensions are organized into hierarchies. 10.Document domain The area of the repository that stores documents, templates, scripts, and lists of values. 11.Drill

The action of navigating through levels of data. When you drill up, you obtain m ore summarized or general information. By drilling down, you can reach more refi ned or detailed information. 12.Equi-join A join based on the equality between the values in the column of one table and t he values in the column of another. Because the same column is present in both t ables, the join synchronizes the two tables. 13.Enterprise mode A work mode whereby a designer creates universes in an environment with a reposi tory. The mode in which a universe is saved determines whether other designers a re able to access it. By default, a universe is saved in the mode in which the d esigner is already working. 14.Hierarchy An ordered series of related dimensions used for multidimensional analysis. 15.Join A relational operation that causes two tables with a common column to be combine d into a single table. Designer supports equi-joins, theta joins, outer joins, a nd shortcut joins. 16.List of values A list of values contains the data values associated with an object. These data values can originate from a corporate database, or a flat file such as a text fi le or Excel file. In Designer you create a list of values by running a query fro m the Query Panel. You can then view, edit, purge, refresh and even export this file. A list of values is stored as an .lov file in a subfolder of the UserDocs folder. 17.Loop A situation that occurs when more than one path exists from one table to another in the universe. 18.Measure object An object that is derived from an aggregate function. It conveys numeric informa tion by which a dimension object can be measured. 19.Object A component that maps to data or a derivation of data in the database. For the p urposes of multidimensional analysis, an object can be qualified as a dimension, detail, or measure. Objects are grouped into classes. 20.Offline mode The work mode in which the designer works with universes stored locally. 21.Online mode The work mode appropriate for a networked environment in which the general super visor has set up a repository.

22.Outer join A join that links two tables, one of which has rows that do not match those in t he common column of the other table. 23.Personal connection A personal connection is used to access resources such as universes or documents . It can be used only by the user who created it. Information about a personal c onnection is stored in both the PDAC.LSI and PDAC.SSI files; its definition is s tatic and cannot be modified. 24.Qualification A property of an object that determines how it can be used in multidimensional a nalysis. An object can be qualified as one of three types: a dimension, detail o r measure. 25.Query In Designer a query is a technique for creating or modifying a list of values as sociated with an object. From the Query Panel, a designer builds a query from th e classes, objects, and conditions of a universe. In the BusinessObjects User module, a query is a type of data provider. An end u ser builds a query from a universe, and then runs the query to generate a Busine ssObjects report. 26.Quick Design A wizard in the Designer module that provides guided instructions for creating a basic universe. It lets a designer name a universe, set up a connection to a da tabase, select strategies, create classes and objects, as well as generate joins with cardinalities. 27.Repository A centralized set of relational data structures stored in a database. It enables BusinessObjects users to share resources in a controlled and secured environmen t. The repository is made up of three domains: the security domain, the universe domain, and the document domain. 28.Secured connection A secured connection is used to access universes or documents that may be restri cted or confidential. It can be shared by several authorized users. Stored in the repository, the defi nition of a secured connection is updated dynamically. 29.Shared connection A shared connection is used to access common resources such as universes or docu ments. It can be used by several users. Information about a shared connection is stored in a SDAC.LSI or SDAC.SSI file; its definition is updated dynamically. 30.Shortcut join A join that links two tables by bypassing one or more other tables in the univer se.

31.Strategy Scripts that automatically extract structural information about tables, columns, joins, or cardinalities from a database. Designer provides default strategies b ut a designer can also create strategies. These are referred to as external stra tegies. 32.Structure pane The graphical component within the main Designer window that shows the schema of the universe. It reflects the underlying database structure of the universe. 33.Subclass A component within a class that groups objects. A subclass can itself contain ot her subclasses or objects. 34.Table Browser The graphical component within the main Designer window that lets you create the classes and objects of the universe from the tables and columns of a database. 35.Theta join A join that links tables based on a relationship other than equality between two columns. 36.Universe A mapping of the data structure found in databases: tables, columns, joins, etc. A universe, which is made up of classes, objects, and conditions, can represent any specific application, system, or group of users. 37.Universe domain The area of the repository that holds exported universes. The universe domain ma kes it possible to store, distribute, and administrate universes. There may be m ultiple universe domains in a repository. 38.Universe pane The graphical component within the main Designer window that displays a hierarch ical view of the classes, objects, and conditions in a universe. Two radio buttons on the lower edge of the pane filter the display of the compon ents. One button, the Classes/Objects filter, provides a view of the classes and objects. The other button, Classes/Conditions, provides a view of the classes a nd conditions. 39.User object An object created by the end user from the BusinessObjects User module. A user o bject can be inserted into a universe by the designer. 40.Workgroup mode A work mode whereby a designer creates universes in an environment without a rep ository. The mode in which a universe is saved determines whether other designer s are able to access it. By default, a universe is saved in the mode in which th e designer is already working.

41.What is Designer? Designer is a BusinessObjects IS module used by universe designers to create and maintain universes. Universes are the semantic layer that isolates end users fr om the technical issues of the database structure. Universe designers can distribute universes to end users by moving them as files through the file system, or by exporting them to the repository. 42.How do you design a universe? The design method consists of two major phases. During the first phase, you cr eate the underlying database structure of your universe. This structure includes the tables and columns of a database and the joins by which they are linked. Yo u may need to resolve loops which occur in the joins using aliases or contexts. You can conclude this phase by testing the integrity of the overall structure.Du ring the second phase, you can proceed to enhance the components of your univers e. You can also prepare certain objects for multidimensional analysis. As with t he first phase, you should test the integrity of your universe structure. You ma y also wish to perform tests on the universes you create from the BusinessObject s User module. Finally, you can distribute your universes to users by exporting them to the repository or via your file system. For a universe based on a simple relational schema, Designer provides Quick Desi gn, a wizard for creating a basic yet complete universe. You can use the resulti ng universe immediately, or you can modify the objects and create complex new on es. In this way, you can gradually refine the quality and structure of your univ erse.