Setting the Global Workbook Template in SAP NetWeaver 2004s BI or BW 3.x
Introduction
Recently, I’ve had many people ask me about setting a default workbook template, both in BW 3.x and SAP NetWeaver 2004s BI. This blog will show you how this can be done.
The Tables
In case you are wondering, these are the basic tables used for workbooks.
- RSRWBINDEX – Workbook Header Table
- RSRWBINDEXT – Workbook Text Table
- RSRWBSTORE – Workbook Storage Table
- RSRWBTEMPLATE – Default Workbook to User Table
Setting a global workbook
To see the default global workbook, go to table RSRWBTEMPLATE. In a BW 3.x system, this table has 2 fields (TEMPLATEUSER and WORKBOOKID). In SAP NetWeaver 2004s BI, this table has 3 fields (TEMPLATEUSER, WORKBOOKID, and LEAST_BEX_VERSIO). The version has been added to distinguish whether this is a BW 3.x workbook or an SAP NetWeaver 2004s BI workbook. If the version is listed as “70” in this version field, that is a 2004s workbook. If not, it is a BW 3.x workbook. If there are no entries specified in this table, the system utilizes the default workbook which is programatically restricted.
Therefore, if you leave this table blank, you will use the SAP default workbook. When an end user logs in to the BEx Analyzer (3.x or 2004s), they can specify their own default workbook.
Within the BW 3.x analyzer, this is done by going to “Business Explorer -> Settings -> Permanent Workbook Template” and choosing the permanent workbook template. This will create an entry in the RSRWBTEMPLATE table for this user. Similarly, within the 2004s BEx Analyzer, the user can go to “BEx Analyzer -> Global Settings -> Select Default Workbook”. This will allow them to set a permanent workbook for themselves or they can flag the global parameter to set this globally.
If you want to specify a global workbook programatically, this is pretty easy. Specifying the blank user within RSRWBTEMPLATE is the global workbook template for that particular runtime. If you just want to set this globally, then don’t use the program below. As I described earlier, you can setup the global workbook through the BEx Analyzer by specifying the global flag in the 2004s runtime. Additionally, you can very easily create an ABAP program to mass update this table with a particular workbook and user entries. This simple ABAP program gives you an example how to mass update this table. The p_vers parameter allows you to flag whether you want to update this for 2004s or not. Typically, you would just update the blank user for 2004s, but this is an option if you want to mass populate this table. You can adapt this program to assign different user groups to different templates as well…
In addition, for the BW 3.x runtime, you will need to update the registry to tell the application to use the default template. To manually make these changes, go to regedit.
Go to the following path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> SAP -> BEx -> chooseTemplate
Make sure the Default value is set to “T”.
Summary
Now you should know how to set the global workbook for the BW 3.x runtime or SAP NetWeaver 2004s BI runtime! Keep in mind this program is just an example. You can adapt it to your needs. That is why I listed the tables.
When I run a new query the system takes my workbook,
but it shows no results because the assigment of the dataprovider is not done automatically
like with the SAP default workbook.
Can you help
Thanks,
Ivan
something like a tekst item,save it as new workbook and than set as default,everything works.
But the SAP default is not editable.
From the moment you edit an existing item nothing works anymore.
So the question is how to create a default workbook from scratch ?
Thanks,
Ivan
To build one from scratch, here are the steps. I'm going to give you the simplest process so you can test it out.
1. Launch Bex Analyzer. (Don't open any query or workbook).
2. Click "New Sheet" from Excel.
3. Choose cell A9 and click "Insert Analysis Grid" from the designtime toolbar. This will prompt you to login to BI. Choose your system and then you will have this. Choose a query for your data_provider_1 on this object.
4. Exit Design Mode.
5. Delete all cells, images, and formatting from this worksheet. Do not delete cell A9.
6. Now Save this workbook.
7. Go to the Global Settings button and set this workbook as your default workbook.
8. Logoff the system and close excel completely.
9. Launch the BEx Analyzer and open a query.
10. You should see that query in your new template. This works for me.
If you still have issues, let me know.
something like a tekst item,save it as new workbook and than set as default,everything works.
But the SAP default is not editable.
From the moment you edit an existing item nothing works anymore.
So the question is how to create a default workbook from scratch ?
Thanks,
Ivan
While trying to customize the default SAP template for Bex Analyzer I had some problem like the table border does not show up for query having hierarchy, expand/collpase icon for hierarchy missing for some hierarchy level
NOTE: We are on SP 9/SAPGUI 640 patch21 and FEP902.
Procedure Followed:
1. Open a query in Bex Analyzer
2. Save it as a workbook
3. Remove the chart button from the workbook (Tools>Macro>Microsoft Script Editor)and change the "validity of Data" to "Last Refreshed Time" and then delete the "Last update" Text Item from the design mode.
4. In the Global Settings set it as the "use current".
5. Save the workbook
6. close the Bex Analyzer
7. Open the Bex Aanlyzer
8. Call a query with hierrachy
9. Problem : The Table border only for hierarchy text and description does not show up.
The expand/collapse icon for hierarchy does not show up for some hierarchy level. It sometimes shows up when you expand or collapse it.
Please let me know if there is a way to fix this problem.
Thankyou,
-Sini
Thanks for the reply!
We are on SP 9 and FEP 902.
When I try to remove the chart through microsoft script editor the "info" "infoA", "Filter", "filter A" image kind of changes on the workbook. Then I have to go and fix it after removing the chart.
Please let me know how can I get the chart button removed without affecting anything else.
-Sini
While working with SP7/FEP 7 and FEP 8 I was using the script editor to delete the buttons. It kind of worked that time. I did not have any problem with hierarchy.
With SP 9/ FEP 902 doing the same changes I am getting lot of problem with query having hierarchy while expanding the level.
Removing the "button" and the "text elements" using the Excel kind of works now. So far it did not show any problems with hierarchy. Thankyou!!!
Question:
For NW04s BEx Analyzer, Do we use the NW04s Web APIs? Is it possible to use the web API's available in WAD?
I kind of tried different ways and was not able to get the button work for opening/closing the naviagtion pane.
Thankyou for the reply!!!
-Sini
Cheers,
Prakash
We are currently migrating all our workbooks to BI 7.0. In the process of migration, we are also trying to change the default workbook template for the existing v3.5 workbooks. Can we use the above program to mass replace the old workbook template with the new one? Please advise.
Thanks,
Sabita
3 questions on that:
1) How did you configure your ABAP compiler that the field check on table is not active on rsrwbtemplate.
The given coding in the blog does not work on 3.1 as the compiler always get's stuck on the field LEAST_BEX_VERSIO field.
2) Do I understand that right that if a blank user is assigned to a workbook ID in table rsrwbtemplate that this is then valid for all users on that particular system? Does this apply for both releases?
3) Based on my experience the following BEx
settings are set as follows:
Business Explorer -> Settings -> BW server connection -> is based on permanent template
question: is this the same as the Registy setting mentioned above?
Thx for your help,
Markus
2. This applied for 2004s. I don't believe it applies for BW 3.x, so you would have to run the program to populate the workbook for all users in the system. It's a quick program. You can run it in batch daily if you want to reset all users to the basic workbook programatically.
3. Yes, this is the registry setting mentioned above.
I have two questions regarding to the use of workbooks in the 3.5 and 2004s BI (due to a migration).
First of all, is it possible to assign a workbook to a query (as it is possible to assign it to a user) in 2004s BI ?
Second question, is it possible to select a WorkBook for a query, as in the 3.5 (from BEx Analyzer, with a query loaded, you could select a workbook that works as a template). Is this possible in the 7.0 (2004s BI)?
Thanks in advance,
Oscar
ANSWER: Of course. Open up an Excel Sheet. Insert a Query into the Excel File. Save this as a workbook, and now the user can open the query within a workbook.
QUESTION: Is it possible to select a WorkBook for a query, as in the 3.5 (from BEx Analyzer, with a query loaded, you could select a workbook that works as a template). Is this possible in the 7.0 (2004s BI)?
ANSWER: Not sure what you mean. In BW 3.5, you could select a "Permanent Workbook Template" but this is the default workbook template that is assigned for all queries for this user. My blog actually shows where this is stored and how to mass update/maintain this list. In BW 7.0, you can do this by setting a "Global Workbook template" in the properties of the BEx Toolbar. Also, you could use the process I outlined in this blog.
Thank you so much for your quick answer.
Regarding to question 2,
What we have now is a workbook tha works as a template, with only a picture (logo), a navigation panel and a grid which will display the different queries that exist in the system.
What we want to do is to assign all the queries to that workbook, but not doing it one by one, asigning it manually to the data provider in the grid/navigation panel.
Is it possible to mass change it? changing a table or via VB?
Once again, thanks in advance,
Oscar.
Prakash
I have a question from a customer but I am not sure about the answer : is it possible to refresh all the queries in a workbook in parallel with 7.0? is there any difference from 3.x
I am looking for documents which can prove it but can't find any.
Thanks very much
Best Regards
Filippo
As this is not related to this blog, please post this question on the forums and the relevant NetWeaver colleagues will take a look.
Cheers,
Prakash
It is nice to see the weblog about the Global Workbook template. The global workboo template is working as soon as i run the query, but when i run the exsting workbook(wth Old frmat) ,it is not piking up new global template. I just want to know , is it possible to overwrite the Exsting workbooks(logo,font, colour ) with the new global template. Take an example of 10 workbooks with different workbook formats and Now we want to overwrite all the workbooks with the new global workbook Template.
Is there any process to automate these changes .
Thanks
bhanuprakash
Can we replace the old template with a new one without resaving to a new workbook. Please advise.
Thanks,
Sabita
I have migrated an existing 3.x workbook to 7.0 fine but somehow the hierarchy display is losing color and border. I tried creating a default template with relevant settings for various hierarchy levels but somehow they don't seem to affect the hierarchy display when the migrated workbook is opened again. Do you have any recommendations as to how I can fix this problem?
Thanks!
Mira
I have a problem.
Our system is BI 7.0 and using BEX 7.10.
Since we have some problems of performance with BEX (hanging manipulating columns, applyin filters and so on) .. I would like to make a test: To use BEX 3.5
I have selected checkbox in Global Settings of BEX 7.10 (Launch BEX 3.0 Analyzer from RRMX) , and .. ok, now when I run RRMX transaction BEX 3.5 is opened.
But how can go back to before situation????
Thanks and regards