06. Building a Business View

Congratulations! You are almost done building your business model! The last step is for you to define the business view for the model.

A business view is defined as

A business category is just a named bucket for you to group and re-group your business columns in. They can mimic your business table names, or be named after your favorite rock stars. Categories do not have metadata associated with them, have no tie back to any business table (although our Editor will give you the impression this relationship exists - don't be fooled), and have the simple purpose of allowing you to bucket the business columns in your model as intuitively as possibly for your data consumers.

Today, categories are a single level entity. We hope in the future to support nested categories.

Building a business view consists of creating your categories, then moving your business columns from the business tables into the categories. You can move columns from different business tables into the same category, and even duplicate the same business column into two different categories.

The Editor Graph only represents the business tables portion of the business model, so we use the Tree Navigator and the Category Editor to create a business view.

Tree Navigator: Creating Categories

To create a new category using the Tree Navigator, first make sure that the model you want to add this category to is selected, and the Business View node is visible (lives under the business model name node).

1. Right-click (or ALT-click) on the Business View branch in the Navigator Tree.
2. Select the New Category... option from the popup menu.
3. The Category Properties dialog displays.
4. Give the category a name in the Name/ID field.
5. Select OK when you are done.

   Under Construction

   Note that the dialog that you are presented with at this point leads you to believe that you can set metadata properties on a category. While technically possible, it makes no sense and is not going to be carried forward. So ignore the properties features of the Category Properties dialog, and just set a name.

Tree Navigator: Arranging Business Columns in Categories

Now that you have a category, let's add some business columnsto that category.

1. In the Navigator Tree, make sure that the business tables branch and the business view branch of your model are both expanded.
2. Under business tables, expand the table whose columns you want to move.
3. Click on a column under the business table, and drag it to the category branch where you want it to reside.

   Under Construction

   Currently, there is a bug that prevents you from selecting muliple business columns and dragging them for category placement. We know this makes building the view a bit cumbersome, but the Category Editor can relieve that frustration. Read on!

Building a Business View Using the Category Editor

Building a business view in the Category Editor is much more efficent and streamlined.

Make sure that the model whose business view you want to create is selected, and the Business View node is visible (lives under the business model name node).

1. Either double-click on the Business View branch in the Navigator Tree, or choose the *Category Editor..." option from either the main menu or the main toolbar.
2. The Category Editor dialog displays.
   

The Category Editor allows you to create categories directly from your business tables, move columns into categories, add new categories and remove categories and columns.

Create a New Category From a Business Table

1. The list on the left in the Category Editor is a list of all of the business tables in your view. To create a category from one of those tables, first select the table on the left.
2. Click the > button.
3. Notice that your category has the same name as your business table, and all of your business columns were added to the new category by default.

If you would like to add all of your business tables as categories, select them all, and click the >> button.

Move Columns Into Categories

1. To move a column to an existing category, select the column from the list of available business tables. To view the columns under a business table, click the plus sign next to each table name.
2. Next, select the destination category from the list on the right.
3. Click the > button.

Add a New Category

1. If you would like to add a new category alone, click the plus sign in the upper right corner of the Categories list.
2. The Category Properties dialog displays. Enter a name for your category, and click OK.
3. A neww category appears in the ategories list.

Remove Categories and/or Columns

1. To remove categories or columns, select the items you wish to remove in the categories list on the right.
2. Click the x button in the upper right corner of the categories list.

Click the Close button when you are finished working on your business view.