Working with items in a volume : Working with file types
 
Working with file types
Information Console provides access to several different types of files stored in folders in a volume. An Information Console user having Write privilege can add a file to a folder. Contact your Encyclopedia volume administrator for information about any file type not described in this document.
A typical Information Console user works with the following types of files:
*BIRT design and document files
A developer creates a BIRT design file using Actuate BIRT Designer Professional or Actuate BIRT Studio, and publishes the file. Running a design job updates data and generates a final document format, for example, an Adobe PDF, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, or BIRT document file.
Users interact with the data and format of BIRT document files using browser-based tools such as Actuate Interactive Viewer. Users schedule these files for conversion to a final document. BIRT documents embed their data into the file to avoid additional database queries.
*BIRT data object files
Data object files contain one or more data sets and data cubes. There are two types of data object files, a data object design file or a data object store file. Data object design files do not contain data but make queries on demand to their data sources.
Administrators can cache this data as data object store files to avoid on‑demand queries of external databases and to ensure that multiple dashboards use the same data. Data object store files support multiple versions. A data architect creates data object files using BIRT Designer Professional, and publishes the file to the Encyclopedia volume.
*BIRT dashboard files
Dashboard files contain one or more dashboards built with various gadgets. Dashboards present data from BIRT documents, BIRT data objects, and external web-based sources for user analysis and interaction. Dashboards appear as a file or as a subscribed web page in Information Console.
Users can interact with dashboard data using charts, Adobe Flash objects, cross tab gadgets and tables. Data selection gadgets enable users to filter multiple data displays at the same time.
*BIRT information object files
A BIRT information object is a pre-defined SQL query that retrieves and optionally caches data from external databases. A data architect creates an information object using BIRT Information Designer, and publishes the object. A developer uses an information object as a data source for document designs.
BIRT design files that use an information object as a data source to request new or cached data from the information object. The developer makes this choice when building the document design.
For more information about each file type and other tools that support it, consult the complete set of Actuate documentation, included with Actuate software.