Using nPlosion

This chapter provides an overview of nPlosion and discusses how to:

 

Click to jump to parent topicUnderstanding nPlosion

You use nPlosion to expand rows or columns containing field criteria. When enabled, nPlosion automatically creates individual rows or columns for each detail value defined in the criteria—whether those values are defined specifically or implicitly (by association with a parent tree node). A detail row or column is generated for the blank [or (None)] value if you are nPloding a tree containing a blank.

You can only enable nPlosion at the row or column level. When you enable nPlosion for a row, PS/nVision inserts the detail or summary value rows immediately above the nPloded row. When you enable it for a column, PS/nVision inserts detail and summary value columns to the left of an nPloded column. If you have intersected label criteria with an nPloded row or column, descriptive text identifies each nPloded amount. (If you do not use labels, you may have trouble identifying the detail rows that are dynamically included in the report.)

Note. For Oracle's PeopleSoft General Ledger, nPlosion is available for detail ledger ChartFields or summary ledger ChartFields that contain detail values. You may also use nPlosion for summary ledger ChartFields accessed through summary trees. nPlosion is not available for summary ledger ChartFields specified as selected summary ChartField nodes.

You cannot use nPlosion for a summary tree ChartField filter if the ledger's corresponding ChartField type is detail. Nor can you use nPlosion for a detail Chartfield filter if the ledger's corresponding ChartField type is summary. Attempting to nPlode in these situations returns a Microsoft Excel error, “PS/nVision returning the Excel error code #N/A to the affected cells.”

For other applications, nPlosion is available for criteria fields that have value tables with field values (usually, this is the prompt table for that field).

nVision does not support duplicate detail values when using nPlosion. Trees with duplicate detail values could return incorrect results in nPlosion. To perform nPlosion in such a case, you need to use different trees for the different parts of the report so that nVision would retrieve the overlapping nodes separately.

When processing nPlosion, PS/nVision uses the Excel outline feature to group the detail or summary rows or columns and associate them with their total. After a report containing nPloded values has been generated, you can use the Excel outlining symbols to collapse and expand the nPloded entries. Outlining symbols automatically appear in the report’s left margin (for rows) or above the worksheet (for columns).

In web-based PS/nVision reporting, you can still use outlining in full nPlosion. Currently, neither Internet Explorer nor Netscape Navigator can display the + and − symbols or expand or collapse an outline if the reports are produced in HTML format. With Internet Explorer and the Excel add-in, reports produced in XLS format can be displayed with full Excel features, including outlining.

The nPlosion feature is particularly useful with the DrillDown feature, which enables you to select cells in your report and expand them to intermediate or detailed levels of summarization in an ancillary subreport.

Click to jump to parent topicDefining nPlosion Criteria

Use these step to access the PeopleSoft nVision nPlosion Criteria dialog box in PS/nVision:

  1. With a layout opens in nVision, select a column or a row to nPlode.

  2. Select nVision, Layout Definition from the nVision menu.

  3. Select the Filter tab.

  4. Select the required fields and click the nPlosion button.

    The PeopleSoft nVision nPlosion Criteria dialog box appears.

This is an example of the PeopleSoft nVision nPlosion Criteria dialog box:

nPlosion Type

There are four different nPlosion types, which can be combined with nPlosion options to create different reports depending on the data you want to retrieve.

None

Select to disable nPlosion for this field.

If you have previously selected a type of nPlosion, you must select the None option to remove the selection.

To bottom of tree

Select to nPlode all the way to the bottom of a tree (including detail values) from a selected node.

If you decide to include detail, all sub-nodes are also displayed with summary values of the rollup for those nodes.

To specified level

Select to nPlode down a tree to the specified node, including or excluding intermediate data.

This option enables you to retrieve any branch of data from a given tree.

To immediate children

Select to nPlode one level below a selected tree node.

To details only

Select to nPlode from a given node to all its detail values.

nPlosion Options

Include Underlying Detail

When trying to nPlode from a node to another subnode or to the bottom of the tree, select to include all of the detail and summary subvalues for each subnode.

Suppress Nodes Without Data

Select to suppress nodes or subnodes with a value of zero from the report instance.

Exclude Intermediate Levels

Select to exclude intermediate subnodes if a report is being nPloded from a node to another level or to the bottom of the tree.

Utilize Outline Feature

Select to roll up summary and detail information using Excel outline functionality. If this option is cleared, none of the information is rolled up.

Click to jump to parent topicDefining nPlosion Defaults

Use these steps to access the PeopleSoft nVision Layout Options dialog box:

  1. With a layout opens in nVision, select a column or a row to nPlode.

  2. Select nVision, Layout Options from the nVision menu.

    The PeopleSoft nVision Layout Options dialog box appears.

This is an example of the PeopleSoft nVision Layout Options dialog box:

To define nPlosion defaults in PS/nVision:

  1. With a layout open in PS/nVision, select any row, column, or cell that does not contain selection criteria—or select the entire worksheet.

  2. Select nVision, Layout Options from the nVision menu.

  3. Select the nPlode Rows tab from the PeopleSoft nVision Layout Options dialog box.

    The PeopleSoft nVision Layout Options – nPlode Rows dialog box appears.

  4. Select whether to enable a default nPloded criteria field for all rows, or columns, or both.

    To define a default nPloded field for all rows, select the nPlode This Criteria Field option in the For All Amount Rows group box. And then enter or select a field name in the editable field below the check box.

    To define a default nPloded field for all columns, select the nPlode Columns tab, and then select the nPlode This Criteria Field option in the For All Amount Columns group box.

    Note. Enabling row- or column-wide nPlosion can be useful when, for example, you have a large layout where you would not want to specify nPlosion for each individual row or column.

  5. Optionally, specify the default fields to be nPloded.

    If a column or row contains multiple criteria fields, nPlosion only occurs for the single field that you select here—unless you have specifically enabled nPlosion for those other fields on the PeopleSoft nVision Layout Definition – Criteria dialog box.

  6. Select the conditions under which you want to suppress nPlosion for rows and columns.

    The Suppress Detail options enable you to suppress the creation of detail rows and columns under certain circumstances, as follows:

    Option

    Effect

    If entire detail column/row is zero

    Creates detail columns or rows for a field value only if there is a corresponding positive or negative amount. Suppresses rows with zero amounts in all columns, or columns with zero amounts in all rows.

    If no data for entire detail column/row

    Creates detail columns or rows for each field value if amounts for that value are present on the query, even if those amounts net to zero.

    Never (show all detail)

    Creates detail columns or rows for all details under the nodes being nPloded.

    The zero suppression options are independent. The node suppression option overrides the detail suppression option when they are in conflict. In other words, if zero nodes are suppressed, their underlying details are also suppressed. To see all details for all nodes, even if zero, you should turn off zero suppression at both levels.

  7. Specify a detail style to be applied to the detail rows and columns.

    Style selection and defaults appear in the Excel Format – Style dialog box. The column format is used for nPloded values if a row style is not specified.

See Also

Setting Tree Performance Options

Click to jump to parent topicEnabling nPlosion for Specific Situations

You can enable or disable nPlosion for specific

To enable or disable nPlosion for a specific criteria field, select a field from the Fields and Dimensions list on the PeopleSoft nVision Layout Definition – Filter dialog box, and then click the nPlode button. This generates underlying details only for the criteria fields you specify.

To enable or disable nPlosion for a query/ledger TimeSpan, select or clear the nPlode TimeSpan option on the PeopleSoft nVision Layout Definition – Source dialog box. This option is only available if you have a TimeSpan specified. This option generates detail rows and columns for the individual periods in the TimeSpan; for example, the periods comprising year-to-date.

To enable or disable nPlosion for a report request, open the PeopleSoft nVision Report Request dialog box and select or clear the Enable nPlosion If Specified In Layout option. You can specify summary rows or columns before or after nPlode rows or columns based on an Excel option in layout. To set this, open your layout in Excel and select Data, Group and Outline, Settings.

See Also

Applying Filter Criteria

Using TimeSpans

Creating Report Requests

Click to jump to parent topicUsing Style Sheets with nPlosion Layouts

This section provides an overview of style sheets and discusses how to:

Note. If a level is missing within the hierarchy, the next-lower-numbered level that is defined takes on the missing level’s style attributes.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicUnderstanding Style Sheets

With nPlosion styles, you can control the layout and appearance of the multilevel hierarchy of rows and columns nPlosion generates. In PS/nVision, the styles for your summary rows and columns come directly from the styles that you have defined in the summary rows and columns in your layout. The styles for all nPloded rows or columns in your report are controlled by nPlosion styles, but not the styles defined in the summary rows or columns. You define nPlosion styles either by using Style Sheet Wizard or by directly applying the styles from the Excel menu bar using PS/nVision nPlosion style naming conventions.

Note. You can also format nPloded detail rows or columns by selecting Format, Cells from the Microsoft Excel menu bar when you create a report layout. However, by default, PS/nVision nPlosion style sheets override any such manual formatting of nPloded detail rows or columns. If you want nPloded details to appear in the format that you applied from the Excel menu bar rather than the nPlosion style sheet, you must define the name NvsSkipDetailStyles using the Define Name dialog box (by selecting Insert, Name, Define from the Excel menu bar), entering the value =1 in the Refers To field.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicUsing the Style Sheet Wizard

You can use the Style Sheet Wizard exclusively to create and edit nPlosion styles, which are stored in a special Excel worksheet provided with PS/nVision.

This is an example of the nVision nPlosion Style Wizard window:

There are two kinds of nPlosion styles:

Seven levels of each style are provided, as well as a separate style for detail values.

The Style sheet Classical.xls is delivered with PS/nVision. You can create your own style sheet wizard by saving the Classical.xls file under a different name in the Style Sheet directory location. Configure the Style Sheet directory location using the Configuration Manager.

Note. You can override the base style by modifying any of the other styles that come after it. For example, you could make a particular field shaded, even though the base style for that row or column does not include shading.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicOpening the Style Sheet Wizard

To open the Style Sheet Wizard:

  1. With an layout opens in PS/nVision, click the Format Style Sheets button on the nVision toolbar.

  2. Select the Classical.xls style sheet and click the OK button.

    The RowStyles tab of the Style Sheet Wizard appears.

The Style Sheet Wizard displays a rollup of data for eight rows and eight columns (Excel has a limitation of rolling data up into only eight outlines).

Heading

An outlined row or column of data has two parts.

When opened, the top portion of the outline is considered the header, and the bottom portion is considered the Label. The Heading does not contain any data; it is strictly for display purposes.

Label

The bottom portion of the outline.

The Label is the only thing displayed if the outline is collapsed.

Amount

Any numeric data that will be a result of an nPlosion.

Base

The formatting options for the Heading, Label, and Amount styles.

Note. If there are style settings for the Label, Heading, or Amount, they will override the Base Style setting.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicModifying a Style

To modify a style:

  1. With an layout opens in PS/nVision, click the Format Style Sheets button on the nVision toolbar.

  2. Select the Classical.xls style sheet and click the OK button.

    The RowStyles tab of the Style Sheet Wizard appears.

  3. Click the button with the name of the style you want to modify.

    The Style dialog box of Excel appears.

  4. Click the Modify button to modify the style’s display attributes, and then click the OK button.

    The Format Cells dialog box of Excel appears.

  5. Make more changes to styles by clicking the appropriate Style button.

  6. If you do not have any PS/nVision report layouts open, you can save the current styles by selecting File, Save from the nVision menu.

    This saving enables you to modify styles globally in the style worksheet, and then apply the new styles to any report layout you want.

    If you have a style at the Label, Heading, or Amount level, this saving overrides the base style.

    Note. All Row Style settings override the Column Style settings.

See Microsoft Excel documentation for more information about how to use the Excel Format Cells dialog.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicApplying Styles to a Report Layout

To apply styles to a report layout in PS/nVision:

  1. Open a report layout in nVision by selecting nVision, Open Layout.

  2. Click the Format Style Sheets button on the nVision toolbar to open the Style Sheet Wizard and modify styles as needed.

  3. When you have finished modifying styles, click the Apply Styles button on the Style Sheet Wizard.

    A list of all open layouts appears.

  4. Select the required layout and click the OK button.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicModifying Styles Using the Excel Menu Bar

The Style Sheet Wizard is designed so you can easily take advantage of the Excel Style formatting settings and properly use the designed nVision Style naming convention. You can accomplish the same thing simply by opening a layout and selecting Format, Styles from the Excel menu bar. The Style dialog appears and you can create styles using the same naming convention as the Style Sheet Wizard.

The following table shows examples of the naming convention for PS/nVision nPlosion styles.

Note. If you apply the styles both from the Style Sheet Wizard and the Excel Menu Bar, the last applied style takes effect.

RxxH

The Header Style for any given level of a Row, where R represents a row, xx represents the number of the level (that is, 01, 02, and so on—00 represents the detail level), and H represents the Header Style.

RxxL

The Label Style for any given level of a Row, where R represents a row, xx represents the number of the level (that is, 01, 02, and so on—00 represents the detail level), and L represents the Label Style.

CxxA

The Amount Style for any given level of a column, where“C represents a column, xx represents the number of the level (that is, 01, 02, and so on—00 represents the detail level), and A represents the Amount Style.

CxxB

The Base Style for any given level of a column, where C represents a column, xx represents the number of the level (that is, 01, 02, and so on—00 represents the detail level), and B represents the Base Style.

Note. Detail Row and Column Style settings are represented by the 00 level.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicConfiguring the Style Sheet Directory Location

Your style sheet directory is indicated by PeopleSoft Configuration Manager for PS/nVision on Windows or by the Process Scheduler configuration file for PS/nVision on the web.

To configure the style sheet directory using the Configuration Manager for PS/nVision on Windows:

  1. Open the Configuration Manager by double clicking the Configuration Manager icon on your desktop.

    Alternatively, select Start, Program, PeopleTools 8.x, Configuration Manager.

  2. Select the Profile tab, select a profile to edit, and then select the nVision tab to view or change PS/nVision settings.

  3. Enter the location of the PeopleSoft style sheets.

The Oracle PeopleSoft application delivers a set of style sheets that can be located at <PS_HOME>\Excel\Style Sheets.

To configure the style sheet directory using the Process Scheduler configuration file for PS/nVision on the web:

  1. Select Start, Command Prompt.

  2. Change the directory to <PS_HOME>\appserv\.

  3. Type psadmin and press ENTER.

    The PeopleSoft Server Administration menu appears.

  4. Select option 2 (Process Scheduler).

  5. Press ENTER.

    The PeopleSoft Process Scheduler Administration menu appears.

  6. Select option 3 (Configure a Process Scheduler Configuration) from the Process Scheduler Administration menu.

  7. Enter the number that corresponds to the desired database.

  8. Press ENTER.

    A message about shutting down the Process Scheduler is displayed.

  9. Enter y to continue.

  10. Reply n to the question Do you want to change any values <y/n> [n]? for all sections until you get to the nVision section, and then answer y.

    Make the following change:

    Parameter

    Description

    StyleDir

    Enter the default location where PS/nVision keeps nPlosion Styles (these are usually inherited by the layout that the user is designing).

  11. Accept the defaults for the remaining options.

See Also

Using PeopleSoft Configuration Manager