Querying Java Object Data Sources Using InetSoft's Business Intelligence Software

Once a data source is defined, the data source can be used to create object queries. The query building process is identical to the process for XML queries, as the output of the java objects is mapped to hierarchical meta-data and can be selected and filtered using the same mechanism as all other hierarchical data sources.

A query based on the object data source is executed in the following sequence:

1. A data loader object is instantiated if none have been created yet.

2. The request method is invoked with the parameter values either from the data source definition or as were input by the user.

3. The collection of object return values is parsed into an object tree based on introspection.

4. Any user defined filtering and selection in the query is applied to produce the final result set.

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Walkthrough

Define a query on the object data source that you just created:

1. Click on the ‘New Query’ button to create a new query.

2. Type in “Employee” as the name of the query. Select ‘object’ as the data source. Click ‘OK’.

3. Add the ‘getEmployee’ request and click ‘Next’.

4. Add ‘Manager.Name’, ‘Manager.Salary’, ‘Manager.StartDate’, ‘Address.City’, and ‘Address.State’ to the Report Fields list. Click ‘Finish’.

 

InetSoft Viewpoint

 

“So based on this BI platform, our software delivers a host of front-end BI tools including visualization tools, enterprise reporting, monitoring dashboards, and analysis. Those functions were based on a very powerful patent-pending technology we call Data Block.

This Data Block technology is really made up of a back-end data mashup engine and a caching middle layer. There is a front-end we call the worksheet, which is a Web-based, spreadsheet-like user interface that a power user can easily use to combine and transform data blocks.

The data blocks are typically started at the atomic data block level. That is typically created by an IT or a BI specialist. They choose these data blocks and performance tune those data blocks. Then the power users can use those building blocks to build more complex, but more useful structures for answering the questions they have on hand.

And all the data blocks you build, in turn become building blocks themselves. You can build on this architecture, building very sophisticated structures which you can use to answer a wide range of unanticipatible questions.

The real-time access to the data is what this architecture delivers for you. It allows you to access different data sources regardless of whether it’s an operational data store or a data warehouse. It basically gives a means to the domain expert to shape the data on demand for whatever they need.

And so we are very excited about this BI technology that we have had for years. We have been showing this in the beta phase, and recently it has come into production mode. And we have already gotten very good feedback on the technology from customers.” - Luke Liang, CEO

Read the top 10 reasons for selecting InetSoft as your BI partner.