Version 11.0.0 IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office

IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office Version 11.0.0

User Guide

IBM

Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................ vii

Chapter 1. What's new?......................................................................................... 1

New features in version 11.0.0....................................................................................................................1 New features in version 10.2.0....................................................................................................................1 New features in version 10.1.1....................................................................................................................1

Enhancements to the refresh process................................................................................................... 1 Adjustment to access permissions........................................................................................................ 2 Enhancements to supported environments and platforms.................................................................. 2 Changed features in version 10.1.1.............................................................................................................3 Improved display of report content....................................................................................................... 3 Improved usability of reports with prompts.......................................................................................... 4 New features in version 10.1.0....................................................................................................................5 Support for standards for Section 508 of the U. S. Federal Rehabilitation Act.................................... 5 Importing reports or report elements from dashboards.......................................................................5 Viewing business cards.......................................................................................................................... 5

Chapter 2. Using IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office with other IBM Cognos products............................................................................................................ 7

Communicating business information.........................................................................................................8 Integrating with other IBM Cognos products..............................................................................................9

Chapter 3. IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office.......................................................... 11

The user interface for IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office........................................................................... 11 IBM Cognos for Microsoft pane............................................................................................................12

Getting started with IBM Cognos Office....................................................................................................13 Starting IBM Cognos Office.................................................................................................................. 13 Customize IBM Cognos Office..............................................................................................................14 Logging on to an IBM Cognos server................................................................................................... 16 Updating Connection URLs.................................................................................................................. 17

Chapter 4. Working with Microsoft Office documents............................................ 19

Refreshing report data and formatting......................................................................................................19 Refreshing report structures..................................................................................................................... 20 Clearing cells of content............................................................................................................................ 21 Convert dynamic data to static data..........................................................................................................22 Publishing a Microsoft Office document to IBM Cognos Connection.......................................................22 Open, save, and download Microsoft documents.....................................................................................23

Opening and saving a report locally from IBM Cognos Connection....................................................23 Downloading a Microsoft Office document from IBM Cognos Connection........................................ 23

Chapter 5. Using IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office................................................. 25

Customizing IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office.......................................................................................... 25 Viewing information cards................................................................................................................... 25 Showing cell-based border styles in Microsoft Word ......................................................................... 26 Checking for updates to the report structure...................................................................................... 26

Retrieving content from IBM Cognos Analytics........................................................................................ 27 Additional supported report objects....................................................................................................28 Unsupported report objects and formatting properties......................................................................29 Named ranges in Excel.........................................................................................................................30

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Importing scaling formatting............................................................................................................... 30 Importing IBM Cognos PowerPlay reports.......................................................................................... 30 Importing workspace content..............................................................................................................32 Importing rich text elements and statistical information................................................................... 33 Import IBM Cognos report elements into Microsoft Excel................................................................. 34 Import IBM Cognos report elements into Microsoft PowerPoint....................................................... 36 Import IBM Cognos report elements into Microsoft Word................................................................. 38 Working with prompted reports................................................................................................................ 41 Prompt values.......................................................................................................................................41 Managing pre-authored BI reports and content....................................................................................... 45 Importing a report element or widget................................................................................................. 46 Run a report in PowerPlay Studio, Analysis Studio, or Report Studio.................................................47 View or run report output versions...................................................................................................... 47 Verify or change properties for imported data.................................................................................... 48 Refreshing all imported reports in a Microsoft Office document........................................................50 Refreshing a report, report element, or widget................................................................................... 51 Refreshing the structure of a report or a workspace...........................................................................52 Refresh a folder.................................................................................................................................... 53 Remove a report or data from a Microsoft Office document...............................................................53 Searching for reports or report content...............................................................................................54 Save a document created using IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office........................................................... 56 Open IBM Cognos Connection from a Microsoft Office application......................................................... 56

Chapter 6. Try it yourself exercises.......................................................................57

Microsoft Excel exercises.......................................................................................................................... 57 Import a list report............................................................................................................................... 57 Create an Excel list to narrow the focus of a report............................................................................ 58 Import a burst report and hide worksheets for burst recipients........................................................ 59

Microsoft PowerPoint exercises................................................................................................................ 60 Compile reports into a presentation.................................................................................................... 60

Chapter 7. Best practices and guidelines.............................................................. 63

Using IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office..................................................................................................... 63 Report design............................................................................................................................................. 63

Recommendation - limit chart metadata............................................................................................ 63 Recommendation - add report objects................................................................................................64 Report design tips...................................................................................................................................... 64 Recommendation - protect user access to data................................................................................. 64 Recommendation - publish data with fixed content........................................................................... 64 Recommendation - avoid nesting objects........................................................................................... 65 Recommendation - maintain table size to a minimum....................................................................... 65 Recommendation - define image properties.......................................................................................65 Techniques in Microsoft Excel .................................................................................................................. 65 Recommendation - reference records in large worksheets................................................................ 65 Recommendation - refresh data without formatting.......................................................................... 66 Report rendering ..................................................................................................................................66 Report design tips................................................................................................................................ 67 Techniques in Microsoft PowerPoint ........................................................................................................ 67 Recommendation - use copy and paste commands........................................................................... 68 Recommendation - create PowerPoint-specific tables and charts.................................................... 68 Techniques in Microsoft Word .................................................................................................................. 68 Recommendation - create tables and charts...................................................................................... 68 Recommendation - create text box titles............................................................................................ 68 Recommendation - import text as field codes.................................................................................... 69

Chapter 8. Automating IBM Cognos Office............................................................ 71

Example - refreshing data in your Microsoft Office document.................................................................71

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Setting up the Microsoft Office applications for automation....................................................................72 Logging automation activities and errors.................................................................................................. 73 IBM Cognos global API functions ............................................................................................................. 73

HttpLogonCredentials.......................................................................................................................... 73 Logon.................................................................................................................................................... 73 ClearAllData ......................................................................................................................................... 74 RefreshAllData .....................................................................................................................................75 RefreshAllDataAndFormat................................................................................................................... 75 UnlinkAllData .......................................................................................................................................76 Publish.................................................................................................................................................. 76 Logoff ................................................................................................................................................... 77 TraceLog ...............................................................................................................................................77 SuppressMessages...............................................................................................................................78 ClearCache........................................................................................................................................... 78 UpdateServerUrl................................................................................................................................... 78 Example - code for processing within VBA .............................................................................................. 80 Example - code for processing outside VBA............................................................................................. 80 Macro files for automating Cognos Office................................................................................................. 81 Script files.................................................................................................................................................. 82

Chapter 9. Troubleshooting.................................................................................. 83

Troubleshooting a problem....................................................................................................................... 83 Searching knowledge bases...................................................................................................................... 84 Getting fixes............................................................................................................................................... 85 Contacting IBM Support............................................................................................................................ 85 Exchanging information with IBM............................................................................................................. 86

Sending information to IBM Support................................................................................................... 86 Receiving information from IBM Support............................................................................................ 87 Subscribing to Support updates ............................................................................................................... 87 Common errors.......................................................................................................................................... 88 Configuration Issues............................................................................................................................ 88 Processing Issues.................................................................................................................................93 Security Issues..................................................................................................................................... 99 Cognos Office Numbered Error Messages........................................................................................... 99 Report Data Service Numbered Error Messages...............................................................................101 IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office Numbered Error Messages........................................................... 106

Appendix A. Accessibility features..................................................................... 109

Keyboard navigation................................................................................................................................ 109 Interface Information.............................................................................................................................. 113

Increasing font size for future sessions............................................................................................ 113 Viewing reports or report items in Windows High Contrast Mode....................................................113 Vendor software.......................................................................................................................................113 IBM and accessibility...............................................................................................................................113

Appendix B. Sample reports and packages......................................................... 115

The Sample Outdoors Company............................................................................................................. 115 The Sample Outdoors Group of Companies........................................................................................... 115 Employees............................................................................................................................................... 117 Sales and marketing................................................................................................................................ 117 Sample Outdoors database, models, and packages.............................................................................. 118 Samples in the GO Data Warehouse (analysis) package........................................................................ 119

Employee Satisfaction Workspace.................................................................................................... 120 Return Quantity by Order Method..................................................................................................... 120 Return Quantity by Product Line Chart..............................................................................................120 Revenue Data Workspace.................................................................................................................. 120 Samples in the GO Data Warehouse (query) package............................................................................120

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Baselines............................................................................................................................................ 120 Bursted Sales Performance Report................................................................................................... 120 Samples in the Sales and Marketing (Cube) package.............................................................................120 Revenue by Product Brand................................................................................................................ 121 Samples in the GO Sales (analysis) package.......................................................................................... 121 Sales Summary...................................................................................................................................121 Samples in the GO Sales (query) package.............................................................................................. 121 Horizontal Pagination.........................................................................................................................121 No Data............................................................................................................................................... 122

Appendix C. Access permissions and credentials................................................ 123

Permissions for viewing and importing reports...................................................................................... 123 Permissions for viewing or editing the contents of a package or a folder............................................. 124 Permissions for accessing IBM Cognos Connection...............................................................................124

Appendix D. Rebranding Cognos Office Components........................................... 127

Resource Files..........................................................................................................................................127 Running Cognos Office components in English in a localized Microsoft Windows environment.......... 128 Rebranding or Localizing Cognos Office Components ........................................................................... 129

Editing the resource (.resx) files........................................................................................................ 129 Compiling the updated resource files................................................................................................130 Testing your work............................................................................................................................... 130

Index................................................................................................................ 131

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Introduction

IBM? Cognos? for Microsoft Office is an add-in for retrieving content from IBM Cognos reporting products, such as IBM Cognos Analytics and IBM Cognos PowerPlay? Studio, for use with the Microsoft Office system.

This document contains overview and step-by-step information for using IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office. It provides detailed information about using IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office inside Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word.

Audience

This guide assumes that you are familiar with IBM Cognos products, such as IBM Cognos Analytics, IBM Cognos Connection, IBM Cognos PowerPlay Studio, and Microsoft Office software such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Finding information

To find product documentation on the web, including all translated documentation, access IBM Knowledge Center (). Release Notes are published directly to IBM Knowledge Center and include links to the latest technotes and APARs.

You can also read PDF versions of the product release notes and installation guides directly from IBM Cognos product disks.

Accessibility features

Accessibility features help users who have a physical disability, such as restricted mobility or limited vision, to use information technology products. For more information about the accessibility features in IBM Cognos for Microsoft Offce, see Appendix A, "Accessibility features," on page 109.

Forward-looking statements

This documentation describes the current functionality of the product. References to items that are not currently available may be included. No implication of any future availability should be inferred. Any such references are not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code, or functionality. The development, release, and timing of features or functionality remain at the sole discretion of IBM.

Samples disclaimer

The Sample Outdoors Company, Great Outdoors Company, GO Sales, any variation of the Sample Outdoors or Great Outdoors names, and Planning Sample depict fictitious business operations with sample data used to develop sample applications for IBM and IBM customers. These fictitious records include sample data for sales transactions, product distribution, finance, and human resources. Any resemblance to actual names, addresses, contact numbers, or transaction values is coincidental. Other sample files may contain fictional data manually or machine generated, factual data compiled from academic or public sources, or data used with permission of the copyright holder, for use as sample data to develop sample applications. Product names referenced may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

? Copyright IBM Corp. 2007, 2017

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viii IBM Cognos for Microsoft Office Version 11.0.0 : User Guide

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