Essbase Text Entry – SmartList

You might all have known that Essbase does not store text. Yes, in a sense it doesn’t but it stores SmartList. In a way, smartlist are numbers that are tied with text. Payment terms maybe a good example to demonstrate this.

First, in your BSO / ASO outline, open up the Properties tab like below and ensure Typed Measures enabled is true (which is not by default). Then you will have a Text List Manager tab.

Then next step would be to go to the Text List Manager tab. Add a new list called Payment Terms like my example and create 10 Days Term and 30 Days Term like below. Assign 21 and 28 respectively.

Although you can assign any number you like, but let’s keep in sync and follow my numbers for now. You can play around later.

Now go back to your Outline tab and create an account called Payment Terms. Then edit it’s properties.

There are 2 things you will need to set for this member.

1. To change it to Type: Text instead of Numeric

2. Then Select Text List: Payment Terms

Once done. Open up your excel and use either SmartView or Excel Addin. I used SmartView since I’m on 11.1.2.3 and Excel Addin is not supported says Oracle. My server environment is also on Windows 7. Anyway, the idea is to connect to that database and enter up a level 0 member for data entry. Your combination will be different from mine obviously. But the idea is to submit (or called lock and send in the old fashion way) 28 to Essbase for Payment Terms, like below. My Total Product is actually level 0 so don’t wonder why I’m on ASO and submitting on non-level 0 members.

Then refresh or retrieve after you have submitted the number. You should not get 30 Days Term.

The interesting part is that OBIEE doesn’t seem to support SmartList for some reason.

Update August 19th, 2014

From Oracle Support, OBIEE does not officially support Text List from Essbase. It has been raised as enhancement from Bug 18464580.