Product Information
Commenting in SAP Analytics Cloud
This blog describes:
- Commenting in SAP Analytics Cloud
- Story Commenting
- DataPoint Commenting
- Comment Widget
- System Configuration
Commenting in SAP Analytics Cloud
Commenting is an integral part of the SAC Stories/Apps, comments have a version history and the ID of the user who wrote the comment is stored. With comments, users can collaborate quickly and easily on different topics, and learn from other users.
What do users need in the way of commenting functions?
- Users need to add comments on the numbers in a report.
- They want to add a comment to a diagram or table.
- Or for the report as a whole. These are report comments.
- Or users want to add a comment for a single cell or value.
- Commenting as a process: Comments might be used as part of the planning process, for instance, to explain why a particular budget was set for an item.
- And so on.
SAC Commenting workflows :
- Allow a user to create and view comments on story pages or widgets.
- Allow a user to create and view a comment on a cell in a data table. Each cell is considered a data point.
- These must be tied to a model version but potentially published to actuals
- They can be surfaced to any grid using the model / version
- Allow a user to see all comments for the given context (a story and all its models) in a right hand panel
- The effective set of comments shown in the right hand panel would be all comments for all InA queries coming from all widgets within the story across all drill levels
- Users must only see comments for that they have access to – because they can access the story or the data points which those comments are attached to.
- We must “aggregate” data point comments so that we can show an indicator on table at a higher drill level to let users know that lower drill levels have comments to display. The aggregated data is currently not persisted anywhere in Orca.
- We must display a snapshot of the previous data in the case the data in the table has changed. This allows user to view the comment with the right context.
Story Commenting
In SAP Analytics Cloud, you can add a comment to a specific page or widget within a story and other users can reply or like your comment.
To add a comment to a story page, on the page tab bar, select the Drop-down menu → Comment → Place Comment → Enter the comment in the displayed box.
To add a new comment, choose the diagram and then click the Add -> Comment Option.
Add comment Option on Story Widgets
You can enter your text in the box that then appears. You can address your comment to specific members of your team by marking it with @.
Choose Place Comment to save your comment. SAP Analytics Cloud can store up to 200 comments for each story.
It sorts them automatically into threads and numbers them in date order. You can change the sort order and sort comments by page and comment number. The comments are published by saving the story. If another user logs on and calls up the same story, they can view all the comments in it by activating Comment Mode. Users can “like” comments and reply to them.
Even if the user is not authorised to change charts or other widgets of the story, they can still add comments for other elements. That way, they can share important information with their team.
When you create a comment, the system assigns it a thread number, which it displays on the right-hand side of the collaboration area as a reference. In the comment itself, you can respond to earlier comments; the new comment is added to the thread. By moving the mouse over a comment you can “like” the comment or, provided you entered the comment, delete it.
Supported:
- User can leave 200 story comment threads per story. Each comment thread can have 100 replies
- Story widget/Tile can have max 4 threads (ex: Chart, shapes…)
- User can “@” mention others in story comments
- User can see all story comments in the commenting side panel
- Support all widget type except input control
- User can enter 3000 characters for each comment.
Not Supported:
- Not supported on mobile device nor the device preview in story
- Not supported on input control
- Creating a copy of a story – the copy will not contain any comments.
- While using Save As option to create a new story, comments will not be saved in new file.
- Duplicating a widget or a story page – the copy will not contain any comments.
- Exporting a story to PDF. – No Comments will be exported
- Story comments cannot be viewed or added in the Digital Boardroom.
DataPoint Commenting
In SAP Analytics Cloud, you can add comments for particular values in a table. To add a comment to a cell in a table, choose the cell and the value. SAP Analytics Cloud applies the same access rights to the comment for a given data point as would apply otherwise. For instance, a user can display data for a certain region only. If they then enter a comment for one of the values, the comment is displayed only for users who also have access rights that permit them to display data for that region. If a user calls up the table who does not have the necessary access rights, they cannot see the comment.
User can add comments to the data cells in the crosstab. The data source must have been refreshed before you add a comment to a data cell. A comment is available internally as long as it is not explicitly deleted. For example, you add a comment to a cell and then change the view on your data. In the new navigation state, the cell with the comment is not visible. As soon as you change the navigation state so that the cell with the comment is again visible in the crosstab, the comment is also available.
The comments are associated with the selection of the cell (context). The selection includes all selected values for the dimension, for example prompt, filter and background filter values. Analysis stores for each dimension the single member selection if the selection is a single member selection, for example a single value in the prompting definition. For other selections, Analysis stores that there has not been a single member selection for this dimension. Note that a comment that is placed on the total cell of a dimension also is considered to not have a single member selection associated for this dimension. A comment is visible in a cell if the cell has for all dimensions the matching single member selection or the comment and the cell both do not have associated a single member selection.
Datapoint Comments are with Model not Story. If new story/App created with same model, user can see all the comments added from any story on this model.
Add Comment option on Table Data Cell:
User can Create separate Table column to see Comments:
Supported:
- Comment on a single cell within the table.
- Supported for planning Model and Analytic Model
- User can leave up to 3000(Configurable) datapoint comment threads per model. Each comment thread can have 100 replies
- Only supported for table, both in grid or as a table widget in the canvas or responsive page
- Supports default currency and Local Currency
- Restricted Measure (starting in 2018.13+)
- Supported for private version.
- Comments will continue to show up when any hierarchy has been changed (e.g. from YQM to YM).
- Comments will display the previous data value if more data has been acquired or edited.
- Datapoint comment is saved in real time.
- User can enter 3000 characters for each comment.
Not Supported:
- Comment on non-data cell or multiple cells are not supported
- Commenting not supported when cell is being edited.
- Commenting is not supported when there are no dimensions in the row or column of a table.
- Not supported for blended tables.
- Not supported for total cells.
- Datapoint Commenting is not supported for
- Remote Model
- Key Figure Model
- Private / Embedded Model
- Not supported for any other chart types
- Not supported for calculated Measures or model calculations
- Exception: commenting is supported for restricted measures
- Not supported with variables.
- Not supported with navigational attribute (a.k.a dimension property). Commenting is disabled when there are navigational attributes in the table.
- “@” mention is not supported
- Not supported on mobile device nor the device preview in story
- Not supported when users have OR in their role level security or filter.
- Not supported for combinational filter
- Not supported for geometry filter.
- Creating Version by copying – the new copied version will not contain any comments.
Comment Widget
This Feature introduced in 2020.14+ SAC Releases.
Story/App Creator can create new widget type called “Comment Widget” . This widget is used for adding Comments on specific Datapoint of model selected in widget builder panel.
In below image , Comment widget created on model “APDProfitAndLoss” and dimension context is Version : Actual and Account: Key Performance Indicator.
Procedure
- From the Insert menu, select
Add 
Comment Widget
.
A comment widget is placed on the story page and the Builder panel displays the widget’s filters.
Comments in Comment widget are also Datapoint Comments, so User can see same Comments in Table if same dimension context exist .
Datapoint Comments are with Model not Story. If new story/App created with same model, user can see all the comments added from any story on this model.
System Configurations :
To set or change the Configurations,
Go to System Administration Limit of comment threads per Model.
Admin can turn ON/OFF Commenting Enable on Story Embed mode.
Default is OFF
Admin can set the Limit of Comment Threads per Model for Datapoint Commenting.
Default value is 3000
Admin can set the Dimension member limit to enable Commenting on Analytic Models.
Default value is 50000
More Links
https://www.sapanalytics.cloud/videos/add-comments/
https://www.sapanalytics.cloud/videos/add-comments-cells-planning-tables/
Thanks for such detailed explanation Bharath.. Very helpful Blog.. 🙂
Hi Bharath B N
Thanks for the useful blog. I have a few questions:
Thanks,
Hugh
Hi Hugh Gledhill ,
Thank you for the Interest. Please find my Comments on your questions.
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Bharath
Thanks for sharing this beautiful content.
I can sill see most of the help.sap videos stating data point commenting is available in Planning models only. Not sure if documentation and videos need update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWN4IuYRF14
Thanks,
Debjit
Hi Debjit Singha ,
Thank you for the Comment .
Commenting works on both Planning and Analytic Models (From 2019.24.0 + releases).
As you mentioned some videos are referring to 2018.19.0 releases, need to be updated with latest.
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Bharath
Thanks for confirming. Please keep up the good work.
Looking fwd to your next post.
Hi Bharath B N ,
thank you for the nice overview.
Any idea when Data Point Commenting will be supported with Variables? Could not find it on the SAC roadmap
Thanks & BR,
Michael
Thank you Michael Hamm ,
Commenting on Models with Variables is in list but not in this year priority as of now.
Please create or vote it in https://www.sap.com/idea-place/index.html
–
Bharath
Thanks. I added it to the already existing Idea request Increase data point commenting capabilities
I hope this can be prioritized higher in the SAP backlog.
BR,
Michael
Hi Bharath B N,
great Blog! Thank you!
What kind of variables are mentioned here? Variables coming from a Query in a live connection?
Thank you!
Br,
Michael
Hi Michael Hamm,
what kind of variables are mentioned here? Variables coming from a Query in a live connection?
Thank you,
Br,
Michael
Yes
But remote/live connections are also not supported so far, so why bother about variables in this case?
Thank you!
Great overview - thanks for a solid write up.
I have a question - I am a pre-sales SC in North America - I have a client asking about the ability to "force" entry of a comment based on a configurable variance constraint. I don't think we have this available today. Is there a work around, or roadmap feature that will deliver this to the customer? They are seeking to forbid a user to make a data input or data change if they do not enter a comment based on a variance that is out of tolerance.
Thank you Kenneth Kober .
This is not available now and "forcing the user to add comment to make data change" is not in road map. User can comment if user have read rights of data.
I think you need explore more on "Application Designer" side, so using some app script you can force user to add comment before change the data.
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Bharath
Hi Bharath B N,
one more question:
In the section DataPoint Commenting you mention the limit:
"User can leave up to 100 datapoint comment threads per model"
But in the System Configurations section you say:
"Admin can set the Limit of Comment Threads per Model for Datapoint Commenting.Default value is 3000"
Seems to be the same limit. So why is it 100 when the default value set is 3000?
Thank you!
Hi Michael Wilk ,
That was typo mistake.
Thread Limit is 3000 per model (Admin can configure this) and Comments limit per thread is 100.
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Bharath
Thank you very much!
Hi Bharath,
I kept my thread limit to 5 per model but its taking more than 5, Is it default to 3000 even if we set it to any number less than3000.
Thanks,
Satheesh
Hi Satheesh Kumar Reddy Mallu
I will check and update you.
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Bharath
Hi Satheesh Kumar Reddy Mallu ,
I have validated this workflow and Commenting is not allowed after reaching the limit configured.
Admin Config
Add Comments option disabled
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Bharath
Hi Bharath,
Thanks for your Quick reply, but Same settings i tried but still i am facing same issue.
Hi Satheesh Kumar Reddy Mallu ,
Please share the SAP Analytics Cloud Version. I will check in same version and update you.
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Bharath
Does commenting work the same way as you described in your block when using a Live BW Query?
Hi Vi Tran ,
As I mentioned in blog,
Datapoint Commenting is not supported for
-
Bharath
Thanks for reiterating that note. I read it but it slipped my mind.
Hi,
Thanks for the great overview.
You mentioned that the comments are not copied wenn the story is copied. But when I copy an analytics application which includes comments on a table, the comments are also came with the copie.
So, my questions are:
Thank you in advance.
Data point comments are associated to Data models . It even includes the comment widget which are associated to data models.
Widget comments and Page comments are associated to stories and are stored with-in story context.
Regarding he technical ID relations, nothing is visible anywhere outside which we make it exposed .
Currently , Story comments can be deleted for entire story together in the right hand side panel (included next to discussion panel )
Can we add Comment widget, for which we can define context using input filters?
Hi Siddeq,
Commenting widget reacts to the the dimensions members selection as part of Story filters and page filters. There is still a work around for page filters if you don't want the commenting widget to react . Use Linked analysis for Page filter and define what all widgets in the page needs to react to the page filter and ignore the commenting widget from its selection.
Does this address your query or you still have something to be solved ???
Hi Bharath,
Why can't I read other people's commentaries in the planning?
Until 2021 Q2 QRC , Commenting rights management was available at Tenant level, Please check if your user was disabled under administration.
Starting 2021 Q2 QRC, Commenting rights management is introduced at Story and Data models levels as well where you can have same story distributed to multiple users and you can device. who needs to be what part of commenting rights including No access to see comments.
Hope this answer your query , write i= back if anything else required to know.
Hi Bharath,
Is it possible to use the data point commenting feature for tables coming from datasets? And if possible what are the restrictions for it.
Thanks you very much!
Hi Bharath B N / Karthik Kanniyappan ,
We are performing a migration of data models and other SAC objects between two tenants. Can data point comments (or any other types of comments) be exported / imported, either via the content network, or via .tgz files?
The support matrix suggests no, but only specifies story comments via the .tgz file method.
Thanks,
Hugh
Hi Bharath B N / Karthik Kanniyappan ,
I am trying to export all comments for a data model using an application. I have found that we can read out comments either by selection or by comment_id.
Is there any way to get all comment Ids. Basially I want to be able to export all comments without searching through all data.
Many Thanks
Moritz
Hello,
I am using a BW4 Query as an import Model. There I use a comment widget and lots of input controls based on dimensions of the import model. Whenever I type in a comment in the widget, it is being saved according to the combination of the input control settings (like calendar year, calender Month etc.)
This commenting topic is a continous evolving topic. This means my import model is also evolving (maybe there are some new requests of my business owners like "adding more dimensions or measures") I cannot add in these further dimensions/measures on an existing imported model, but I have to create a completely new one. In the meantime my business owners have typed in a lot of comments. I would like to see all comments for all combinations of the input controlls or have an extract of all comments of the datapoints. How can I extract all comments and transfer to the new created import model.
The only way I currently know is, recreating the model and typing in manually all comments according to the input controll settings/Data points, that have been made. And this can be very tiring, because you have to type in manually all once again
Best regards
Kim