SAP NetWeaver 2004s provides expanded functionality for tools such as BEx Web Analyzer, so in many cases, customers use Web Analyzer out of the box. Still, some companies face unique or complicated requirements for which they may choose to enhance Web Analyzer. I’ll explain how to make an enhancement in SAP NetWeaver 2004s that adds a button for variable screens where users can specify their filter values. This button takes users back to the variable screen from Web Analyzer. You also can make similar enhancements with BW 3.x. Although this is a simple enhancement, I’ve had many customers ask about it. You can achieve this functionality through the context menu, but a button on the toolbar is more intuitive. If it is important to your customers to use variable screens often, then this might be a good option. If you are not using a lot of variables in your BI reports, this enhancement may not be for you. Keep in mind that this example illustrates how to enhance the template, and that you can use a similar process for building your own enhancements. Examples of other enhancements include the ability to control print parameters. In SAP NetWeaver 2004s, printing is dynamic with Adobe PDF printing. Still, some companies may need specific printing formats, or may direct users to a particular user interface. Therefore, you can customize your template to add a button to the toolbar to open the print properties dialog. At the end of the article, I’ll discuss some other types of enhancements you may want to consider. You can extrapolate the logic in my example to create your own customization. For an overview of the functionality in different releases of Web Analyzer, see the sidebar, “Web Analyzer’s Evolution.”

Add a Button for Variable Screens

I’m going show you how to add a button that takes users to the variable screen dialog. To perform this enhancement, you need a couple of tools, including Web Application Designer (Web AD) in BW 3.x or SAP NetWeaver 2004s. You also need an ABAP program. If you run BW 3.x, use RS_TEMPLATE_MAINTAIN to open Web applications in a text editor. If you’re on an SAP NetWeaver 2004s system, use RS_TEMPLATE_MAINTAIN_70 for this purpose. The steps I present are for SAP NetWeaver 2004s, so use the programs I mentioned for BW 3.x instead if you’re on that release. Step 1. In transaction SE38, execute program RS_TEMPLATE_ MAINTAIN_70. This program allows you to edit Web applications built within SAP NetWeaver 2004s (Figure 1).   Step 2. Enter template 0ANALYSIS_ PATTERN and click on the execute icon (Figure 2). The 0ANALYSIS_PATTERN template is the Web application that defines Web Analyzer. Open this template and copy it. Click on the Save as button to create a copy of this template to edit.   Step 3. Specify ZANALYSIS_ PATTERN as the template and click on the green check mark (enter) icon (Figure 3). This new template, ZANALYSIS_PATTERN, is the enhanced version of Web Analyzer. You then see the messages in Figure 4. These messages are not typically OK in Web applications, but because Web Analyzer is a template, the system does not assign the data provider initially. You can assign the data provider at run time.     Step 4. Launch Web AD to edit the new Web template. Click on the open icon to open your new Web application. Choose the BUTTON_TOOLBAR_2 Web item (Figure 5). This item has the list of buttons available in Web Analyzer that appears after the drop-down box. In the Web Item Parameters tab, choose the help selector to the right of 6 Export to CSV (Button) to launch a wizard and define the new button (Figure 6).     Step 5. Edit the parameters. In the wizard, update the Caption and Quick Info to Variables by typing over the existing text. This names the button that the Web application displays. Next, choose the Command help selector in Figure 7. This launches the command wizard to define the action to occur when users click on this button.   Step 6. In Command Wizard, choose Open Variable Dialog and click on the Next button. The OPEN_VARIABLE_ DIALOG action launches the variable screen. Select the OK button. This confirms that you want to perform this action. In the next screen, choose OK again. Now you have defined this button completely. Click on the save icon to save the Web application. Ignore any messages that may pop up. Step 7. Replace the default Web template with your new Web template. Go to transaction SPRO and click on the SAP Reference IMG button. Choose menu path SAP Customizing Implementation Guide>SAP NetWeaver>Business Intelligence>Report-relevant Settings> BEx Web>Set Standard Web Templates to set the standard templates. The default template is 0ANALYSIS_ PATTERN, so you need to change the setting to the new template. Enter template ZANALYSIS_PATTERN in the Ad-hoc Analysis field and click on the save icon (Figure 8). This ensures that all Web applications launched from within SAP NetWeaver BI use your enhanced template by default.   Step 8. Invalidate the cache. You must perform this step so that the system recognizes the change to the default Web template. Go to transaction SMICM, the central Internet Communication Manager (ICM) control. Invalidate the cache via menu path Goto>HTTP Server Cache>Invalidate>Global in System. Step 9. Adjust portal settings. Log into SAP NetWeaver Portal. Go to Content Administration>Portal Content>Content Provided by SAP>Platform Add-ons>Business Intelligence>iViews>BEx Web Analyzer>Open>Object. Anyone entering Web Analyzer through this portal should use this enhanced application, so you need to modify some settings. Go to Content – BEx Web Application to open Property Editor (Figure 9). This area controls the properties of the Web application.   In Property Editor, update the BEx Web Application Query String field to point to ZANALYSIS_PATTERN instead of the default 0ANALYSIS_PATTERN (Figure 10). This ensures that all users who launch Web Analyzer from the portal launch the enhanced application.   Step 10. Test your new Web template. Navigate to Business Intelligence>Business Explorer>BEx Web Analyzer. Web Analyzer should now have the new button that you enhanced to launch the variables screen. As you see, the enhancement is available (Figure 11).  

Other Types of Enhancements

Now that you know the steps to create an enhancement, I’ll discuss what other types of enhancements you could make. Starting with BW 3.0, you can make an enhancement that creates bookmarks. Another typical enhancement allows you to save to your browser favorites. You also could enhance printing capabilities. Within BW 3.5, typical enhancements include removing the broadcasting tab and adding the “Print to Excel” solution. You also might want to remove the send button to remove broadcasting capabilities, because some companies do not allow ad hoc broadcasting to their user community. Within SAP NetWeaver 2004s, you may want to customize the Web Analyzer template to save query views. Currently, the save button only saves Knowledge Management (KM) documents to the BEx Portfolio. You can enhance this button to save query views, providing users with more flexibility. Another way to enhance Web Analyzer is to change the print button to exclude a dialog. When you choose the print button from Web Analyzer, the system launches a dialog to allow users to enter print settings. Many customers may want to default values such as fit to page, landscape, or half-inch margin. Web Analyzer can specify these parameters so that when users click on the print button, documents print to PDF with no dialog for user input. Currently, Web Analyzer shows a finite number of rows and columns. In some cases, you may want to alter the default property to show all rows and columns that your query returns. This way, users do not have to scroll through pages. These are just a few ways to enhance the standard template. I’m sure that you can use the knowledge you gained from this article to develop others if your business requirements demand them.  

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