HTML OLAP Grid is an ASP.NET control that renders OLAP data using DHTML tags. Though HTML version can be perfectly used, it is recommended to use the RIA OLAP Grid instead because its rendering is not tag-oriented, and so it's much more interactive for the end-user. Among the specific features of the HTML-rendered visualization there is the following:

• Complete control over any Grid cell contents and its web-style. A possibility to replace a cell's content with any HTML code.
• The flexible export to the following formats: BMP, CSV, GIF, HTML, JPEG, PDF, PNG, TIFF, TXT, XLS, XML.

Full AJAX support

All Grid operations (like drilling, sorting, pivoting, filtering, grouping) are performed in AJAX mode without any special AJAX library.

Usability

In addition to the flexible settings, the Grid has different popup menus that make it easy to access to the RadarCube numerous functions. The menus are truly context-dependent and have special options for each of the Grid cells, depending both on the cell type. Also you can easily customize any popup menu by using an appropriate event.

Time intelligence

One of the features available in OLAP Grid is Time Intelligence. If the current Cellset has one or several time dimensions, then additional option will be available in the popup menus to allow to compare measure values for different time periods or to display cumulative sum since the given date. Also you can define additional Time Intelligence types.

OLAP Grid's API

The RadarCube core has a detailed and well documented API, which allows you to perform any OLAP-slice modifications from within your application, obtain information about any Cube or Grid cell. You can create your own aggregation functions; define your own rules for calculating dimension members, define your own sorting and context filtering. We can surely say the RadarCube is the constructor you can use to create OLAP-reports of any complication.

Other Features

• 100% managed code (C# 2.0), no ActiveX pieces.
• All ASP.NET 2.0 advantages, including 100% AJAX, Web Parts, etc.
• Fixed columns/rows headers on scrolling the Grid.
• Web-browsers: IE 5.5 +, Firefox 1.1 +, Opera 9.0 +.
• Client-side operating systems: Windows (all versions), Linux, Mac OS.
• Hierarchies of three types:
  • Attribute hierarchies;
  • Parent-child hierarchies;
  • Multilevel hierarchies;
• An ability to create additional calculated measures on the client or server side, using both the information from the fact table and values of the aggregated cube cells.
• Additional calculated members of hierarchies on the client or server side.
• Simultaneous display of a set of measures, each of which can be displayed in several different modes at the same time.
• Interactive drill-down support of all types of hierarchies separately for every hierarchy member.
• Saving and restoring the current OLAP slice.
• Member grouping on any hierarchy level without changing the hierarchy levels structure.
• Separate hierarchy or dimension sorting on any level. Possible overriding of any sorting method.
• Ascending or descending sorting based on any column value in the OLAP grid.
• Hierarchies' page-viewing mode. This feature allows to significantly lessen the network traffic and make the OLAP analysis easier.
• Filtering of any set of hierarchy members with or without applying these filters in the OLAP calculations.
• Auto filtering of the hierarchy members depending on their values in the Grid. Major/minor members selection, either based on their rank or on the Pareto principle.
• Display in the Grid not only the values of measures, but a percent value in terms of total, subtotal, or grand totals. A possibility to create your own context-sensitive rules of measure display (for example, a cumulative sum of measure values for time dimensions only).
• Custom popup menus in the Grid.
• Handy integration with charting and other third-party components.
• Easy localization. It is possible to localize the evaluation version as well.
• Developer requirements: Visual Studio 2005, 2008, Visual Web Developer.
• Medium trust compliance. It can be used on most shared Windows hosting environments.

 

RIA OLAP Grid is a new ASP.NET OLAP control designed to enhance the power of RadarCube ASP.NET users. It is built on RIA (Rich Internet Applications) technology and gives the new way of interacting to the users of RadarCube ASP.NET. In addition to that has all the main functionality of the existing ASP.NET OLAP Grid (HTML OLAP Grid), it also has major advantages of a RIA control:

Richer interface

The RIA OLAP Grid control uses all advantages of the client side visualization Silverlight technology. This makes the users feel like they are working a desktop application, not in a web page. Dragging, smoothing, context-depending menus, transparency, animated elements, selection ranges, and tunable look and feel – this is the incomplete list of the new interface features.

Selections ranges

Working with RIA OLAP Grid the user can select any grid area just like he might have done in a usual desktop application. There are no HTML tags to render and no tag-limited interaction with the end user.

 

Quick Filters

A Quick Filter is a powerful and handy filtering tool that allows you to select some range of data without even opening a dialog box. Quick filter is always at hand - it is located in a separate panel, so you can access it immediately. For example, if the quick filter is applied to the Sales measure, the values that do not meet the filter range will become hazy or invisible, depending on their values.

 

Panel-like block of information

All information is displayed in panels that can be easily reduced to a header or even hidden at all. Whenever some block of information is needed the corresponding panel can be restored.

 

Better sensitivity

The RIA OLAP Grid is much more responsive to what the end user does. This makes the user forget heтАЩs working in a usual web browser. For example if the user moves the mouse along the grid, the current grid cells are highlighted.

 

Higher security

RIA OLAP Grid control is fully PROTECTED. The client receives only visualization data in a form of an XML-string. Any information concerning data sources or the like does NOT get to the client.

More operations on the client side

The client silverlight-application allows to perform many important operations on the client side, without wasting time for additional server requests. For example, such operations like applying visual filters to the rendered data are done completely on the client side, all in dynamic mode in no time at all.

Better organized Client/Server interaction

Being a Rich Web Control, RIA OLAP Grid comprises of two parts: server (ASP.NET control) and client (Silverlight-application). The ASP.NET code provides interaction with data providers, and also prepares the data for the client. The client part provides data visualization and interaction with the end user. The two parts are connected using AJAX technology. So the server is sharing its load with the client and this frees server resources, allowing more client sessions to work concurrently.

Full AJAX support

All Grid operations (like drilling, sorting, pivoting, filtering, grouping) are performed in AJAX mode without any special AJAX library.

Usability

In addition to the flexible settings, the Grid has different popup menus that make it easy to access to the RadarCube numerous functions. The menus are truly context-dependent and have special options for each of the Grid cells, depending both on the cell type. Also you can easily customize any popup menu by using an appropriate event.

Time intelligence

One of the features available in OLAP Grid is Time Intelligence. If the current Cellset has one or several time dimensions, then additional option will be available in the popup menus to allow to compare measure values for different time periods or to display cumulative sum since the given date. Also you can define additional Time Intelligence types.

OLAP Grid's API

The RadarCube core has a detailed and well documented API, which allows you to perform any OLAP-slice modifications from within your application, obtain information about any Cube or Grid cell. You can create your own aggregation functions; define your own rules for calculating dimension members, define your own sorting and context filtering. We can surely say the RadarCube is the constructor you can use to create OLAP-reports of any complication.

Other Features

• 100% managed code (C# 2.0), no ActiveX pieces.
• All ASP.NET 2.0 advantages, including 100% AJAX, Web Parts, etc.
• Fixed columns/rows headers on scrolling the Grid.
• Web-browsers: IE 5.5 +, Firefox 1.1 +, Opera 9.0 +.
• Client-side operating systems: Windows (all versions), Linux, Mac OS.
• Hierarchies of three types:
  • Attribute hierarchies;
  • Parent-child hierarchies;
  • Multilevel hierarchies;
• An ability to create additional calculated measures on the client or server side, using both the information from the fact table and values of the aggregated cube cells.
• Additional calculated members of hierarchies on the client or server side.
• Simultaneous display of a set of measures, each of which can be displayed in several different modes at the same time.
• Interactive drill-down support of all types of hierarchies separately for every hierarchy member.
• Saving and restoring the current OLAP slice.
• Member grouping on any hierarchy level without changing the hierarchy levels structure.
• Separate hierarchy or dimension sorting on any level. Possible overriding of any sorting method.
• Ascending or descending sorting based on any column value in the OLAP grid.
• Hierarchies' page-viewing mode. This feature allows to significantly lessen the network traffic and make the OLAP analysis easier.
• Filtering of any set of hierarchy members with or without applying these filters in the OLAP calculations.
• Auto filtering of the hierarchy members depending on their values in the Grid. Major/minor members selection, either based on their rank or on the Pareto principle.
• Display in the Grid not only the values of measures, but a percent value in terms of total, subtotal, or grand totals. A possibility to create your own context-sensitive rules of measure display (for example, a cumulative sum of measure values for time dimensions only).
• Custom popup menus in the Grid.
• Handy integration with charting and other third-party components.
• Easy localization. It is possible to localize the evaluation version as well.
• Developer requirements: Visual Studio 2005, 2008, Visual Web Developer.
• Medium trust compliance. It can be used on most shared Windows hosting environments.