Developer Studio 7.6.5: Create a New Synonym from Reporting Tools

By Maria Volant

Have you ever started to build a report and, upon being presented with the list of available, synonyms realized that the synonym you wish to report against is not listed in the file list window? Developer Studio 7.6.5 has a new feature that allows you to create a new synonym directly from any of the Developer Studio reporting tools. This integration of the reporting and metadata tools improves the workflow and usability of the tools.

When you start to create a report using a Developer Studio reporting tool, you are presented with a file list displaying all available synonyms. In the file list window there is a new button called Create New, which when clicked will launch the Developer Studio Create Synonym tool. When you launch the Create Synonym tool from the file list window, and proceed to create a new synonym, the synonym created will automatically be listed in the file list window upon the completion of the synonym creation process.

For example, let’s start to create a report in the Local Projects area using the Report Painter tool:

1. Start WebFOCUS Developer Studio and double-click the default SESSION application.
2. Right click the Procedures folder and select New, Procedure.
3. Enter MyProcedure in the File name edit box, and select Report Painter from the Create with dropdown list.
4. Click the Open button. A file list window opens with the list of available synonyms (Screen 1).

Screen 1

 

At this point, you may either select one of the synonyms listed, or you may simply click the Create New button, shown in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, to create a new synonym.

Let’s go ahead and create a new synonym.

1. Click the Create New button. This will launch the Developer Studio Create Synonym tool.
2. Select the adapter against which you would like to create the synonym. For the purpose of this test, let’s expand Remote Server under Configured Adapters, and select EDASERVE.
3. Click the OK button, then Next.
4. Select the employee synonym by enabling its associated check box, and enter new_ in the Prefix edit box.
5. Click the Create synonym button.
6. Click the Close button to close the Create Synonym tool and return to the file list window (Screen 2).

Screen 2

 

Note that the new synonym, new_employee.mas, hown inside the red rectangle on Screen 2 is immediately available in the file list window. You may now select it and continue to build your report request.

It is important to note that the same restrictions that apply when creating synonyms outside the reporting tools also applie when creating synonyms from the Developer Studio reporting tools.

If the WebFOCUS Reporting Server is running secured and you do not have the proper rights to access the Create Synonym tool, you will get an error message stating so when you click the Create New button. Also, when using the Managed Developer Edition the Create New button will not appear in the file list window for developers who do not have Data Server privilege.  The Managed Reporting Data Server privilege restriction does not apply to the full Developer Studio Edition.

For more information on Creating Synonyms, see Creating Synonyms in Developer Studio in the Describing Data with Graphical Tools documentation manual.