About Logical SQL in Oracle Business Intelligence

The Oracle BI Server accepts SQL SELECT statements from client tools. Additionally, the Oracle BI Administration Tool enables you to define logical columns with complex expressions. This appendix explains the syntax and semantics for the SELECT statement and for the expressions you can use in the Administration Tool to create derived columns.

The abstraction provided by the Presentation layer and Business Model and Mapping layer enables clients to query data with Logical SQL only, so that the interaction with actual physical sources is handled by the Oracle BI Server. The complexity of the multiple source languages needed to communicate with each data source type is hidden from users and clients.

In Answers, you can view the Logical SQL queries issued by Oracle BI Presentation Services for particular analyses by viewing the SQL Issued section of the Advanced tab of the Analysis editor. If you have the appropriate privileges, then you can also view SQL by displaying the Manage Sessions page in the Administration tab. Click View Log from the Manage Sessions page to see further details.

In Answers, there are also several places where you can issue Logical SQL. If you have the appropriate privileges, then you can use the Issue SQL page in the Administration tab to enter any SQL code to send to the Oracle BI Server. If an analysis does not contain hierarchical columns, member selections, or groups, then you can use the Advanced SQL Clauses fields in the Advanced tab of the Analysis editor. You can also enter SQL in the New Filter dialog.

Other clients, like Oracle BI Publisher, Oracle's Hyperion Interactive Reporting, the Oracle BI Add-in for Microsoft Office, and Essbase, also provide their own interfaces to view and issue Logical SQL to the Oracle BI Server.