Introduction

Creating queries is considered in many ways the core functionality of the Web Intelligence application. The source for every report is a query that is based on a database (relational or operational), a data warehouse, an OLAP cube, a BEx query, a web service, or even an Excel or a text file.

The general idea and main theme when building a query is that we create a structure that can access our data sources and fetch relevant, meaningful, useful data to our report presentation layer, according to the user requirements.

Creating queries is the first step in creating a report and it is important because it defines the context of the data we are analyzing as a well as its accuracy.

A good query would be one that retrieves only the data slice that is relevant to the report consumer.

In terms of efficiency, query running time, and performance, we are more dependent on the way and type the database is structured. However, for the end user (the report builder), what matters is the fact that he or she can build the query by himself or herself, without being dependent on IT personnel or the Business Intelligence team.

Creating queries in Web Intelligence is aimed at self-service, as it is based on dragging-and-dropping and not on programming or advanced technological knowledge.

In this chapter, we will learn how to define a simple query from scratch, get familiar with key concepts such as a universe and query panel, and learn how to implement advanced query techniques such as combined queries and subqueries.