Timeline chart (gantt chart) functionality on SAP Lumira designer

In this blog post, I have explained how to achieve timeline chart (gantt chart) functionality in SAP Lumira designer by a workaround (applicable for design studio and web intelligence)

After a long analyze of timeline chart component in Lumira (without using third party component), I ended up with having a workaround to achieve this functionality to meet our customer requirement.

This blog post would be helpful for developers and technical consultants.

Requirement

To show list of projects with a bar/line indicating when a project planned to start and when it is planned to complete as shown in below table.

                                                                                      Picture 1.1

Points to note:-

• In this example, I’m showing only projects within 10 years timeline.
• We have PPROJECT_ID, PLANNED_PROJECT_START_DATE and PLANNED_PROJECT_END_DATE in our database.
• HANA studio and Lumira Designer used for illustration (though same can be achieved by using Universe, Bex query, Web intelligence)

Simple steps:-

• To create 22 variables (variables can be more or less based on requirement)
• To customize scorecard in Lumira designer by using variable values

Step 1 in Detail (Creating HANA variables)

To create variables in HANA view (which has all other information) as shown on below picture. Note: only Year is considered from start date and end date (“YYYY/MM/DD” is converted to “YYYY” in all formula by using string function)

                                          Picture 1.2

Referring above picture, let’s assume that the variable values are, curYear=2019, curYear1=2020, curYear2=2021 …. curYear9=2028 and Project “XYZ” start year is 2020 and end year is 2022.

Variable sdates is starting year of each project

Variable edates is ending year of each project

Now the variable Year1_Flag condition checks if variable curYear value is between start date and end date of project “XYZ”. If condition is true, the flag will be “Y” else “N”.

In this case, the below variable values would be for project “XYZ” is,

Year1_Flag=”N” for 2019

Year2_Flag=”Y” for 2020

Year3_Flag=”Y” for 2021

Year4_Flag=”Y” for 2022

Year5_Flag=”N” for 2023

Year6_Flag=”N” for 2024

Year7_Flag=”N” for 2025

Year8_Flag=”N” for 2026

Year9_Flag=”N” for 2027

Year10_Flag=”N” for 2028

Now we have got flag “Y” for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Hence by using these flags, we need to apply some formatting on scorecard in order to achieve this functionality.

Step 2 in detail (customizing Lumira scorecard to timeline chart/Gantt chart)

1. Open lumira designer and add data source (HANA view which created as said in step1) and add all created variables to data source

2. Add scorecard component into report layout and map only Flag variable (Which provides “Y” and “N” values) to its column and generate initial scorecard. It will look like below.

In design mode

Picture 1.3

  In run mode

Picture 1.4

3. Now apply below highlighted setting for all column which has flag (Y/N) in scorecard.

Picture 1.5

4. Un-check “Show text” as highlighted below for all column which has flag (Y/N)

Picture 1.6

5. Importantly bind Year variable (cur_year, curYear1, curYear2) in order to each column header as highlighted below (Current year to last year)

Picture 1.7

6. Here I have done my customization and the final output is below.

Picture 1.8

Note: The same can be achieved in web intelligence and even variables can be created inside webi.

Limitations

Columns are fixed. It will not automatically be adjusted to maximum date. We need to decide the max number of year/date based on requirement.

Conclusion

As seen in Picture 1.8, I have achieved the functionality as I needed.  However we can customize our own settings as we required like colors, bar width, background colors, etc., In addition we can use all other features of scorecard along with this one.

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Regards!!! Vijai Muniraj