Understanding file categories

Each file appears in one of the following categories when using View Categories:

n

Folders

n	Information Objects You Can Query

n

Queries

n	Documents You Can View

n	Items You Can Run

n	Cubes You can View

n	Profiles You Can Run

The following sections describe each of these categories with examples of included file types and the file operations possible for each file type. All file types support viewing the file details.

Additional views include Details, Icons, and Lists views. For more information about views, see Selecting a view.

Figure 1-5 shows the Categories view of Information Console supports.

Figure 1-5  Viewing files organized by categories

Using Folders

Folders are containers where files are organized and are stored in an Encyclopedia volume. Each folder can have access privileges that are the same or different from files within the folder. Users create additional folders as needed. The following folders are available in a new Encyclopedia volume:

n	Dashboard, where shared dashboard files are stored.

n	Home, where each user can store their personal files.

n	Public, where all users can store shared files.

n	Resources, where resource files are stored that are shared among multiple documents and designs. Examples of these files include, BIRT Data Objects, graphic files such as a company logo, and report library and theme files.

Using Information Objects You Can Query

The Information Objects category contains files types that specify how to connect to or how to cache data from external databases. Table 1-1 summarizes the types of Information Object files that Information Console supports.

Table 1-1  Information Object files supported by Information Console 

Icon	File type	Actuate file description	Available operations
	dox	Actuate Basic information object	New Query, Delete, Share
	iob	Information object	New Query, Create Report Design, Delete, Share
	sma	Data source map	New Query, Create Report Design, Delete, Share

The available file operations are:

n

New Query

Opens Actuate Query Wizard to create a new query from the selected information object. This operation creates and saves a Query Definition file. Optionally creates a temporary file for viewing in the DHTML Viewer, in e.Analysis, as an Excel or as a PDF file. The operation in the Query Wizard to create a temporary file is Create Query.

n

Delete

Removes the selected file.

n

Share

Assigns file access privileges on the selected item.

n	Create Report Design

Opens the browser-based BIRT Studio tool to create a new BIRT Design file using the selected information object.

Using Queries

The Queries category contains pre-defined queries of information objects. Table 1-2 describes the type of query file Information Console supports.

Table 1-2  Actuate query type supported by Information Console 

Icon	File type	Actuate file description	Available Operations
	dov	Query definition	Schedule, Edit Query, Delete, Share

The available file operations are:

n	Execute Query

Runs the selected Query file and creates a temporary document that can be opened in the DHTML Viewer, as an Excel or PDF file, or in the e.Analysis tool. Optionally, saves the document as a Query Output file.

n

Schedule

Runs the selected file as a job at a particular time, saves its output as a Query output file, and optionally, sets the job to recur over a fixed period.

n	Edit Query

Opens Actuate Query Wizard to edit the query.

n

Delete

Removes the selected file.

n

Share

Assigns file access privileges on the selected file.

Using Documents You Can View

The Documents You Can View category includes file types such as HTML, PDF, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files. Text files containing text information or data output are in this category, for example TXT files and CSV data files. Files in this category are typically the output of report designs or executable files. Table 1-3 summarizes the types of document files Information Console supports.

Table 1-3  Document types supported by Information Console

Icon	File type	Actuate file description	Available operations
	afp	IBM Advanced Function Printing Document	Delete, Open, Share
	bas	Actuate Basic source file	Delete, Open, Share
	csv	Comma separated values file	Delete, Open, Share
	cubeview	BIRT cube view file	Delete, Open, Share
	dashboard	BIRT dashboard file	Delete, Open, Share
	data	BIRT data object store	Delete, Open, Share
	doc	Microsoft Word document	Delete, Open, Share
	docx	Microsoft Word 2007 document	Delete, Open, Share
	doi	Query output	View in PDF, View in Excel, View in e.Analysis, Delete, Open, Share
	epr	External procedure object	Delete, Open, Share
	gadget	Dashboard gadget file	Delete, Open, Share
	htm or html	HTML document	Delete, Open, Share
	pdf	Adobe PDF file	Delete, Open, Share
	ps	PostScript document	Delete, Open, Share
	psv	Pipe separated values file	Delete, Open, Share
	ppt	Microsoft PowerPoint presentation	Delete, Open, Share
	pptx	Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 presentation	Delete, Open, Share
	roi	Actuate report document	Delete, Open, Share
	rol	Actuate design library	Delete, Open, Share
	rop	Actuate parameter template	Delete, Open, Share
	ros	Actuate search definition	Delete, Open, Share
	rptdocument	BIRT report document	Delete, Schedule, Open, Share
	rptlibrary	BIRT report design library	Delete, Open, Share
	rpttemplate	BIRT report design template	Delete, Open, Share
	rtf	Rich text format	Delete, Open, Share
	soi	BIRT Spreadsheet document	Delete, Schedule, Open, Share, Run, and View
	tsv	Tab separated values file	Delete, Open, Share
	txt	Text file	Delete, Open, Share
	xls	Microsoft Excel spreadsheet	Delete, Open, Share
	xlsx	Microsoft Excel 2007 spreadsheet	Delete, Open, Share

The available file operations are:

n

Delete

Removes the selected file.

n

Open

Opens the selected file in the default viewer for that file. For example, a report document opens in BIRT Viewer, a BIRT cube view file and a BIRT data object store file open in BIRT Data Analyzer, a Query output file opens in DHTML Viewer, and a PDF document opens in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Dashboard and gadget files open in a temporary web page of the user’s web browser unless the user subscribes to the dashboard file or adds the gadget file to an existing dashboard. If no default viewer is available for the selected file format, the option to download the file appears.

n

Share

Assigns file access privileges on the selected file.

n	View in PDF

Views the Query output file as a PDF file.

n	View in Excel

Views the Query output file as a Microsoft Excel file.

n	View in e.Analysis

Views the Query output file in the Actuate e.Analysis browser-based tool.

n

Schedule

Schedules a time to run the selected file as a job, saves its output, and optionally, sets the job to recur over a fixed period.

n	Run and View

Runs the selected BIRT Spreadsheet document as a file job and creates a temporary report document in the Excel or PDF file format. The created file format is not saved. If no default viewer is available for the selected file format, the option to download the file appears.

Using Items You Can Run

The Items category includes document designs and executable files. When an Information Console user runs a file job, the output appears as a document in Documents You Can View.

Table 1-4 summarizes the file types that run in Information Consoles.

Table 1-4  Actuate design and executable files supported by Information Console

Icon	File type	Actuate file descriptions	Available operations
	datadesign	BIRT data object design file	Schedule, Delete, Share
	rov	Report parameter values	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Delete, Share
	rox	Report executable	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Delete, Share
	rptdesign	BIRT report design	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Edit, Delete, Share
	sox	BIRT Spreadsheet executable	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Delete, Share
	vtf	BIRT Spreadsheet template package	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Delete, Share
	vtx	BIRT Spreadsheet template	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Delete, Share

The available file operations are:

n

Run

Immediately runs the selected file as a job, saves its output as a temporary document, and opens it in the default file viewer.

n	Run and Save

Immediately runs the selected file as a job, saves its output.

n

Schedule

Schedules a time to run the selected file as a job, saves its output, and optionally sets the job to recur over a fixed period.

n

Edit

Edits the selected BIRT Report design file in BIRT Studio if that if that option is installed.

n

Delete

Removes the selected file.

n

Share

Assigns file access privileges on the selected file.

Using Cubes You Can View

The Cubes category includes Actuate Analytics data cube files and cube report files.

Table 1-5 summarizes the types of cube files Information Console supports.

Table 1-5  Actuate cube types supported by Information Console 

Icon	File type	Actuate file description	Available operations
	cb4	Analytics cube	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Delete, Open, Share
	cvw	Analytics cube report	Delete, Open, Share
	odp	Analytics parameters for analysis services	Delete, Open, Share

The available file operations are:

n

Run

Immediately runs the selected Analytics cube file as a job, saves its output as a temporary document, and opens it in the default file viewer.

n	Run and Save

Immediately runs the selected Analytics cube file as a job and saves its output.

n

Schedule

Schedules a time to run the selected file as a job, saves its output, and optionally sets the job to recur over a fixed period.

n

Delete

Removes the selected file.

n

Open

Opens the selected file in the default viewer for that file. For example, Analytic cube file types open in the browser-based Analytics Cube Viewer tool.

n

Share

Assigns file access privileges on the selected file.

Using Profiles You Can Run

The Profile category contains design specifications for building an Actuate Analytics cube file. Table 1-6 describes the operations for profile files that Information Console supports.

Table 1-6  Actuate document type supported by Information Console 

Icon	File type	Actuate file description	Available operations
	dp4	Analytics cube profile	Run, Run and Save, Schedule, Delete, Share

The available file operations are:

n

Run

Immediately runs the selected cube profile as a job to generate an Analytics cube, saves the new cube as a temporary file, and opens it in the browser-based Analytics Cube Viewer tool.

n	Run and Save

Immediately runs the selected cube profile as a job to generate Analytic cube file, saves the new cube file.

n

Schedule

Schedules a time to run the selected cube profile as a job, saves the new Analytic cube file, and optionally sets the job to recur over a fixed period.

n

Delete

Removes the selected file.

n

Share

Assigns file access privileges on the selected file.

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