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Querying Symbols

You can use the Longview Add-In for Office to query symbol data such as the balance type, weight, and priority of a specified symbol or symbols from the data server repository.

Understanding symbol query output

A symbol is a plane of data within the database. Symbols identify specific cells within a hierarchy and are used to store information in the Longview database. When you run a symbol query, the results of the query are output to a Microsoft Excel workbook. The symbol query results appear in the following layout:

The following colors and character formats are applied to symbols in the Hierarchy column in the symbol query results:

Colors and character formats Description

Red

Red characters indicate that the symbol is a static symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_SymbolType in the following table.

Blue

Blue characters indicate that the symbol is a carry forward symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_SymbolType in the following table.

Black

Black characters indicate that the symbol is a standard symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_SymbolType in the following table.

Italic

Italic formatting indicates that the symbol is a virtual symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_Virtual in the following table.

Bold

Bold formatting indicates that the symbol is a parent symbol.

Note: Bold formatting is applied to parent symbols in all columns in the symbol query results.

Thick bottom border

If multiple root symbols were specified in the symbol query, a thick bottom border separates the lists of symbols for each root symbol in the query results.

Symbol queries display the following columns in the query results:

Heading

Description

Hierarchy

The hierarchy for your queried symbols appears in this column, including the symbol name and description as specified for Hierarchy in step 3. Symbols are indented to show their relation to other symbols in the hierarchy.

The symbol weight appears to the left of the symbol name:

  • A plus ( + ) indicates that the symbol weight is 1.
  • A minus ( - ) indicates that the symbol weight is -1.
  • If there is no sign to the left of the symbol name, the symbol weight is 0.

For more information, see [DimName]_Weight.

[DimName]_Root

The root symbol of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_Symbol

The symbol name of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_DescE

The English language description of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_DescA

The alternate language description of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_SymbolType

The symbol type of the specified symbol. Possible values for SymbolType include the following:

  • Standard — Standard symbols roll up normally (for example, months adding to quarters adding to years). Most symbols are standard.
  • Carry Forward — Carry forward symbols roll up the last child time period symbol’s value to its parent. This symbol type is used only for account and time period symbols to identify rollup behavior of business accounts in the time periods dimension.
  • Static — Static symbols do not roll up to the parent symbol in any dimension. They override the symbol types of any symbol that they intersect with in other dimensions.

[DimName]_ChildSort

Indicates how child symbols of the specified symbol are sorted in the hierarchy. Possible values for ChildSort include the following:

  • Manual — Child symbols are sorted manually by symbol priority.
  • Ascending — Child symbols are sorted by name in alphabetical order.
  • Descending — Child symbols are sorted by name in reverse-alphabetical order.

[DimName]_BalanceT ype

The balance type of the specified symbol. Possible values for BalanceType include the following:

  • Debit — The symbol is a debit symbol.
  • Credit — The symbol is a credit symbol.
  • Neither — The symbol is not a credit or a debit symbol.

Note: Debit and Credit balance types apply to symbols in the ACCOUNTS dimension only. Symbols in all other dimensions have a balance type of Neither.

[DimName]_Parent

The parent symbol of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_Weight

Indicates the effect that the specified symbol has on its parent. Possible values for Weight include the following:

  • 1 — The symbol is added to its parent.
  • -1 — The symbol is subtracted from its parent.
  • 0 — The symbol has no mathematical effect on its parent.

[DimName]_Priority

The specified symbol’s priority. Priority is a number that designates a symbol's position in the hierarchy relative to its parent. Symbols are listed in order of ascending priority, with zeroes falling at the bottom of the list. A symbol can have multiple parents and a different priority relative to each parent.

[DimName]_Level

The number of levels the specified symbol is below the root symbol of the current symbol query.

[DimName]_NumOfChildren

The number of child symbols that the specified symbol has.

[DimName]_Virtual

Indicates whether the specified symbol is a virtual symbol. A virtual symbol is a parent symbol whose data is not stored in the data server repository like other symbols. Instead, the value for the parent is calculated on the server side when it is queried. The data for virtual parent symbols is calculated only when specifically requested. Symbols for quarters in the TIMEPER dimension are often virtual parent symbols.

Possible values for Virtual include the following:

  • TRUE — The symbol is a virtual symbol.
  • FALSE — The symbol is not a virtual symbol.

[DimName]_AcceptRollup

Indicates whether the specified symbol receives rollup data from its child symbols. Possible values for AcceptRollup include the following:

  • TRUE — The symbol receives rollup data from its child symbols.
  • FALSE — The symbol does not receive rollup data from its child symbols.

[DimName]_Created

The date and time that the symbol was created.

[DimName]_Modified

The date and time that the symbol was last modified.

[DimName]_TotalDescendants

The total number of parent and child symbols below the symbol in the hierarchy.

Querying symbol information

You can query a list of symbols into a Microsoft Excel worksheet that shows the details for each of those symbols.

Longview recommends that you place one query per worksheet in Microsoft Excel. However, if you have to run multiple queries and place them in a single Microsoft Excel worksheet, ensure that the query results do not overlap.

To query symbols:

  1. Click the Longview tab.

  2. In the Insert group, click Symbol Query. The Symbol Query dialog opens.

  3. Complete the following fields:
    Field Description

    Dimension

    Select the dimension containing the symbol or symbols that you want to query.

    Hierarchy

    Select the symbol data to display in the query results, using one of the following options:

    • Name and Description — To display the symbol name and description.
    • Name — To display the symbol name only.
    • Description — To display the symbol description only. The default value for this field is Name and Description.

    Include Alternate Description

    Select this field to include the alternate language description of the symbol in the symbol query results.

    Cell Location

    Type the location of the top left cell of the query results. Keep in mind that the query results overwrite any data in the worksheet cells.
  4. To select the symbol data to appear in your Microsoft Excel worksheet, complete these fields:
    Field Description

    Symbols

    		 Type the name of a symbol that you want to query or click the symbol selector button to search the hierarchy for the selected dimension. For information, see Using the Symbol Selector.

    Spec

    Select the type of symbol to query, using one of the following options:

    • All — To query all symbol types.
    • Leaf — To query only leaf symbols.
    • Parent — To query only parent symbols.
    • Root and Parent — To query only root and parent symbols.

    The default value for this field is All.

    From Level

    Type a number that specifies the start of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to a number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy.

    For example, if you type 0, the list of symbols in the query results starts from the selected symbol. If you type 1, the list of symbols in the query results starts one level below the selected symbol.

    To Level

    Type a number that specifies the end of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to a number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy.

    For example, if you type 3, the list of symbols in the query results ends three levels below the selected symbol.

    Note: The number specified for To Level must be equal to or higher than the number specified for From Level. If you specify 99 levels for To Level, all levels below the level specified for From Level are included in the results.
  5. To add all root symbols for the specified dimension to the symbol query, click Add Roots.

    Note: Root symbols are added to the symbol query in alphabetical order.

  6. If you want to query data for additional symbols, complete the following steps:
    1. Click Symbol. A new row appears.
    2. For the new symbol, complete the following fields:
      Field Description

      Symbols

      Type the name of a symbol that you want to query or click the symbol selector button to search the hierarchy for the selected dimension. For information, see Using the Symbol Selector.

      Spec

      Select the type of symbol to query, using one of the following options:

      • All — To query all symbol types.
      • Leaf — To query only leaf symbols.
      • Parent — To query only parent symbols.
      • Root and Parent — To query only root and parent symbols.

      The default value for this field is All

      From Level

      Type a number that specifies the start of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to a number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy.

      For example, if you type 0, the list of symbols in the query results starts from the selected symbol. If you type 1, the list of symbols in the query results starts one level below the selected symbol.

      To   Level

      Type a number that specifies the end of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to the number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy. For example, if you type 3, the list of symbols in the query results ends three levels below the selected symbol.

      Note: The number specified for To Level must be equal to or higher than the number specified for From Level. If you specify 99 levels for To Level, all levels below the level specified for From Level are included in the results.
    3. Repeat step a and step b for each additional symbol that you want to include in your symbol query.

      Note: To delete additional symbols that you have added, select the row containing the symbol, and click Delete. You can also change the order in which the symbols appear in the query results by selecting the row containing the symbol and clicking Move Up or Move Down.

  7. Click Run Query. The results of the symbol query appear in the worksheet.
  8. Click the File tab.
  9. Click Save.
  10. If you are saving the workbook for the first time, the Save As dialog opens. Enter a name for the workbook and click Save.

Rerunning a symbol query

You can use the Longview Add-In for Office to rerun an existing symbol query. Rerunning a symbol query refreshes data values in the query and also allows you to modify the query as necessary.

When you open a workbook containing symbol queries, the associated values are not updated to show the latest values in the Longview data server repository. The data will be exactly the same as when you last saved and closed the workbook. To see the most up-to-date data from the data server repository, you must rerun your symbol queries.

To rerun a symbol query:

  1. Right-click any cell in the results of the symbol query that you want to rerun and select Rerun Query. The Symbol Query dialog opens.
  2. Make any changes to the symbol query as necessary.
  3. Click Run Query. The results of the symbol query appear in Microsoft Excel, with refreshed data values and any specified changes.

    Note: Any formatting (font, borders, or alignment for example) in the worksheet is retained when you rerun a symbol query. This includes any colors and character formats automatically applied to existing symbol query results.

Saving and loading symbol query selections

You may save the query selections that you have selected in the Symbol Query dialog. This will enable you to quickly pre-populate the Symbol Query dialog in the existing session or within a future session.

The query selections are saved to a file. You can name and save the file in a local or network drive. This enables you to give the query a meaningful name and the ability to share your query with others.

Saving symbol query selections

To save your query selections, you must first specify the selections you wish to save in the Symbol Query dialog. For more information, see Querying symbol information.

To save symbol query selections:

  1. Complete the fields in the Symbol Query dialog.
  2. Click Save Query.
  3. The Save As dialog opens.
  4. Enter a name for the query and click Save.

Loading symbol query selections

You may quickly pre-populate the Symbol Query dialog with selections from a saved query.

To load data query selections:

  1. Click the Longview tab.
  2. In the Insert group, click Symbol Query. The Symbol Query dialog opens.

    Note: You must be connected to the data server to run a symbol query.

  3. Click Load Query.
  4. The Open dialog appears.
  5. Select the query file that you wish to load and click Open.
  6. The fields of the Symbol Query dialog are populated with the query selections from the selected file.

You may modify these selections before running the query.
Published:

Querying Symbols

You can use the Longview Add-In for Office to query symbol data such as the balance type, weight, and priority of a specified symbol or symbols from the data server repository.

Understanding symbol query output

A symbol is a plane of data within the database. Symbols identify specific cells within a hierarchy and are used to store information in the Longview database. When you run a symbol query, the results of the query are output to a Microsoft Excel workbook. The symbol query results appear in the following layout:

The following colors and character formats are applied to symbols in the Hierarchy column in the symbol query results:

Colors and character formats Description

Red

Red characters indicate that the symbol is a static symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_SymbolType in the following table.

Blue

Blue characters indicate that the symbol is a carry forward symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_SymbolType in the following table.

Black

Black characters indicate that the symbol is a standard symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_SymbolType in the following table.

Italic

Italic formatting indicates that the symbol is a virtual symbol. For more information, see [DimName]_Virtual in the following table.

Bold

Bold formatting indicates that the symbol is a parent symbol.

Note: Bold formatting is applied to parent symbols in all columns in the symbol query results.

Thick bottom border

If multiple root symbols were specified in the symbol query, a thick bottom border separates the lists of symbols for each root symbol in the query results.

Symbol queries display the following columns in the query results:

Heading

Description

Hierarchy

The hierarchy for your queried symbols appears in this column, including the symbol name and description as specified for Hierarchy in step 3. Symbols are indented to show their relation to other symbols in the hierarchy.

The symbol weight appears to the left of the symbol name:

  • A plus ( + ) indicates that the symbol weight is 1.
  • A minus ( - ) indicates that the symbol weight is -1.
  • If there is no sign to the left of the symbol name, the symbol weight is 0.

For more information, see [DimName]_Weight.

[DimName]_Root

The root symbol of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_Symbol

The symbol name of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_DescE

The English language description of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_DescA

The alternate language description of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_SymbolType

The symbol type of the specified symbol. Possible values for SymbolType include the following:

  • Standard — Standard symbols roll up normally (for example, months adding to quarters adding to years). Most symbols are standard.
  • Carry Forward — Carry forward symbols roll up the last child time period symbol’s value to its parent. This symbol type is used only for account and time period symbols to identify rollup behavior of business accounts in the time periods dimension.
  • Static — Static symbols do not roll up to the parent symbol in any dimension. They override the symbol types of any symbol that they intersect with in other dimensions.

[DimName]_ChildSort

Indicates how child symbols of the specified symbol are sorted in the hierarchy. Possible values for ChildSort include the following:

  • Manual — Child symbols are sorted manually by symbol priority.
  • Ascending — Child symbols are sorted by name in alphabetical order.
  • Descending — Child symbols are sorted by name in reverse-alphabetical order.

[DimName]_BalanceT ype

The balance type of the specified symbol. Possible values for BalanceType include the following:

  • Debit — The symbol is a debit symbol.
  • Credit — The symbol is a credit symbol.
  • Neither — The symbol is not a credit or a debit symbol.

Note: Debit and Credit balance types apply to symbols in the ACCOUNTS dimension only. Symbols in all other dimensions have a balance type of Neither.

[DimName]_Parent

The parent symbol of the specified symbol.

[DimName]_Weight

Indicates the effect that the specified symbol has on its parent. Possible values for Weight include the following:

  • 1 — The symbol is added to its parent.
  • -1 — The symbol is subtracted from its parent.
  • 0 — The symbol has no mathematical effect on its parent.

[DimName]_Priority

The specified symbol’s priority. Priority is a number that designates a symbol's position in the hierarchy relative to its parent. Symbols are listed in order of ascending priority, with zeroes falling at the bottom of the list. A symbol can have multiple parents and a different priority relative to each parent.

[DimName]_Level

The number of levels the specified symbol is below the root symbol of the current symbol query.

[DimName]_NumOfChildren

The number of child symbols that the specified symbol has.

[DimName]_Virtual

Indicates whether the specified symbol is a virtual symbol. A virtual symbol is a parent symbol whose data is not stored in the data server repository like other symbols. Instead, the value for the parent is calculated on the server side when it is queried. The data for virtual parent symbols is calculated only when specifically requested. Symbols for quarters in the TIMEPER dimension are often virtual parent symbols.

Possible values for Virtual include the following:

  • TRUE — The symbol is a virtual symbol.
  • FALSE — The symbol is not a virtual symbol.

[DimName]_AcceptRollup

Indicates whether the specified symbol receives rollup data from its child symbols. Possible values for AcceptRollup include the following:

  • TRUE — The symbol receives rollup data from its child symbols.
  • FALSE — The symbol does not receive rollup data from its child symbols.

[DimName]_Created

The date and time that the symbol was created.

[DimName]_Modified

The date and time that the symbol was last modified.

[DimName]_TotalDescendants

The total number of parent and child symbols below the symbol in the hierarchy.

Querying symbol information

You can query a list of symbols into a Microsoft Excel worksheet that shows the details for each of those symbols.

Longview recommends that you place one query per worksheet in Microsoft Excel. However, if you have to run multiple queries and place them in a single Microsoft Excel worksheet, ensure that the query results do not overlap.

To query symbols:

  1. Click the Longview tab.

  2. In the Insert group, click Symbol Query. The Symbol Query dialog opens.

  3. Complete the following fields:
    Field Description

    Dimension

    Select the dimension containing the symbol or symbols that you want to query.

    Hierarchy

    Select the symbol data to display in the query results, using one of the following options:

    • Name and Description — To display the symbol name and description.
    • Name — To display the symbol name only.
    • Description — To display the symbol description only. The default value for this field is Name and Description.

    Include Alternate Description

    Select this field to include the alternate language description of the symbol in the symbol query results.

    Cell Location

    Type the location of the top left cell of the query results. Keep in mind that the query results overwrite any data in the worksheet cells.
  4. To select the symbol data to appear in your Microsoft Excel worksheet, complete these fields:
    Field Description

    Symbols

    		 Type the name of a symbol that you want to query or click the symbol selector button to search the hierarchy for the selected dimension. For information, see Using the Symbol Selector.

    Spec

    Select the type of symbol to query, using one of the following options:

    • All — To query all symbol types.
    • Leaf — To query only leaf symbols.
    • Parent — To query only parent symbols.
    • Root and Parent — To query only root and parent symbols.

    The default value for this field is All.

    From Level

    Type a number that specifies the start of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to a number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy.

    For example, if you type 0, the list of symbols in the query results starts from the selected symbol. If you type 1, the list of symbols in the query results starts one level below the selected symbol.

    To Level

    Type a number that specifies the end of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to a number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy.

    For example, if you type 3, the list of symbols in the query results ends three levels below the selected symbol.

    Note: The number specified for To Level must be equal to or higher than the number specified for From Level. If you specify 99 levels for To Level, all levels below the level specified for From Level are included in the results.
  5. To add all root symbols for the specified dimension to the symbol query, click Add Roots.

    Note: Root symbols are added to the symbol query in alphabetical order.

  6. If you want to query data for additional symbols, complete the following steps:
    1. Click Symbol. A new row appears.
    2. For the new symbol, complete the following fields:
      Field Description

      Symbols

      Type the name of a symbol that you want to query or click the symbol selector button to search the hierarchy for the selected dimension. For information, see Using the Symbol Selector.

      Spec

      Select the type of symbol to query, using one of the following options:

      • All — To query all symbol types.
      • Leaf — To query only leaf symbols.
      • Parent — To query only parent symbols.
      • Root and Parent — To query only root and parent symbols.

      The default value for this field is All

      From Level

      Type a number that specifies the start of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to a number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy.

      For example, if you type 0, the list of symbols in the query results starts from the selected symbol. If you type 1, the list of symbols in the query results starts one level below the selected symbol.

      To   Level

      Type a number that specifies the end of the list of symbols to appear in the query results. The number refers to the number of levels of descendants below the symbol selected for Symbols in the hierarchy. For example, if you type 3, the list of symbols in the query results ends three levels below the selected symbol.

      Note: The number specified for To Level must be equal to or higher than the number specified for From Level. If you specify 99 levels for To Level, all levels below the level specified for From Level are included in the results.
    3. Repeat step a and step b for each additional symbol that you want to include in your symbol query.

      Note: To delete additional symbols that you have added, select the row containing the symbol, and click Delete. You can also change the order in which the symbols appear in the query results by selecting the row containing the symbol and clicking Move Up or Move Down.

  7. Click Run Query. The results of the symbol query appear in the worksheet.
  8. Click the File tab.
  9. Click Save.
  10. If you are saving the workbook for the first time, the Save As dialog opens. Enter a name for the workbook and click Save.

Rerunning a symbol query

You can use the Longview Add-In for Office to rerun an existing symbol query. Rerunning a symbol query refreshes data values in the query and also allows you to modify the query as necessary.

When you open a workbook containing symbol queries, the associated values are not updated to show the latest values in the Longview data server repository. The data will be exactly the same as when you last saved and closed the workbook. To see the most up-to-date data from the data server repository, you must rerun your symbol queries.

To rerun a symbol query:

  1. Right-click any cell in the results of the symbol query that you want to rerun and select Rerun Query. The Symbol Query dialog opens.
  2. Make any changes to the symbol query as necessary.
  3. Click Run Query. The results of the symbol query appear in Microsoft Excel, with refreshed data values and any specified changes.

    Note: Any formatting (font, borders, or alignment for example) in the worksheet is retained when you rerun a symbol query. This includes any colors and character formats automatically applied to existing symbol query results.

Saving and loading symbol query selections

You may save the query selections that you have selected in the Symbol Query dialog. This will enable you to quickly pre-populate the Symbol Query dialog in the existing session or within a future session.

The query selections are saved to a file. You can name and save the file in a local or network drive. This enables you to give the query a meaningful name and the ability to share your query with others.

Saving symbol query selections

To save your query selections, you must first specify the selections you wish to save in the Symbol Query dialog. For more information, see Querying symbol information.

To save symbol query selections:

  1. Complete the fields in the Symbol Query dialog.
  2. Click Save Query.
  3. The Save As dialog opens.
  4. Enter a name for the query and click Save.

Loading symbol query selections

You may quickly pre-populate the Symbol Query dialog with selections from a saved query.

To load data query selections:

  1. Click the Longview tab.
  2. In the Insert group, click Symbol Query. The Symbol Query dialog opens.

    Note: You must be connected to the data server to run a symbol query.

  3. Click Load Query.
  4. The Open dialog appears.
  5. Select the query file that you wish to load and click Open.
  6. The fields of the Symbol Query dialog are populated with the query selections from the selected file.

You may modify these selections before running the query.
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