Introduction
Welcome to the online API Reference. To help you get started using
this document, this introduction provides the following information:
- What you'll find in this document, what it intends to accomplish
and how it's organized
- What you won't find in this document and where you might find
what you're looking for in other books or help files
- What you should know before you start using this document
- The formatting conventions used
- Where to go for other sources of information
Who Should Read This Document
This document is designed for engineers and programmers who need
to develop custom front-end programs that access Hyperion Essbase OLAP
server.
What's in This Document
The online API Reference is a comprehensive reference to the functions
and libraries you can use to develop custom front-end programs
that access Essbase application servers. The document provides:
- General information about installing and using the API
- Specific reference material for programmers in C and Visual
Development Environments, such as Visual Basic, PowerBuilder,
and other supported VDE programs
What's Not in This Document
This document describes the Hyperion Essbase API. If you need information
on other topics, see the following manuals.
- For an introduction to installing Essbase, basic data retrieval,
application design, report construction, and for more advanced topics
including security plan design anddatabase administration, see the
Database Administrator's Guide.
- For information about using C, Visual Basic,
or any other computer language, see your program documentation.
What You Should Know Before You Start
To use this book, you need the following:
- A working knowledge of the operating system your server uses
and the ones your clients use.
- An understanding of Essbase concepts and features.
- Knowledge of programming in Windows 95, Windows NT, or UNIX.
- Familiarity with the C or Visual Basic programming language.
Conventions Used in This Guide
To make the online API Reference easier to use, the it uses the
syntax, and text conventions described in this section.
Text Conventions
The following text conventions are used throughout
this guide:
| Convention | Purpose
|
| 1, 2, 3 | Procedures or steps that you follow in order.
|
| ( )
| Bulleted lists provide information, not procedural steps.
|
| This Font | Member names and the names of other Essbase objects.
|
| italics | Titles of books, important terms and special emphasis.
|
| | | Vertical bar separator between pop-up menu items and top-level menu items (shown in the menu bar). For example, Essbase|FlashBack means the FlashBack command on the Essbase menu in the Spreadsheet Add-in
|
| enter | Type characters, then press the Enter key.
|
Syntax and Text Formatting Conventions
To make code and examples easier to understand, this guide uses
the following conventions.
| Convention | Purpose
| Example |
monospace font
| Function, structure, file, directory, and environment variables names in text
| ESS_STS_T, ESSAPIW.LIB
|
| italic | Anything you replace with a value in syntax
| EsbOtlCloseOutline
(hOutline)
|
" "
| Double quotes enclose text parameters or parameters that include a space
| "appName"
SETDEFAULTCALC "CALC ALL";
|
() | Parentheses enclose function parameters, show order of execution for operations
| EsbOtlDeleteMember
(hOutline, hMember);
(a + b) * c
|
// | Comment marker indicates text from // to end of line should be ignored in processing
|
// Gets results
|
| ; | Statement terminator marks end of command
| EXIT;
|
Using Function Reference Entries
API function entries supply the following kinds of information:
Function Name
| Description | Brief description of the function.
|
| Syntax | Function syntax. Function name and required keywords: bold. Parameters: italics.
|
| Parameters | Definitions of the parameters of the function.
|
| Return Value | Value returned by the function.
|
| Notes |
- Bulleted notes on using the function.
|
| Access | Level of security or other access required to use the function.
|
| Example |
How to use the function.
|
| See Also | Related functions
|
Related Publications
The Essbase documentation set includes:
- Start Here. New feature and migration summary for this release,
and platform support information.
- Installation Guide. Installation and configuration information
for the Essbase API server, spreadsheet clients, Application Manager,
and sample applications.
- SQL Interface Guide. Information about all data sources supported
through the Essbase SQL Interface.
- Database Administrator's Guide. Designing, building, and managing
Essbase applications and servers.
- Quick Technical Reference. Syntax and parameters for Essbase functions,
macros, calculation commands, report commands, ESSCMD commands, and
configuration file settings.
- Online Technical Reference. Complete listing and description of Essbase
functions, macros, calculation commands, and report commands.
- Online Spreadsheet Add-in User's Guide for Excel. Using the Essbase
spreadsheet features with Microsoft Excel for Windows.
- Online Spreadsheet Add-in User's Guide for 1-2-3. Using the Essbase spreadsheet
features with Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows.
- SQL Drill-Through Guide. Accessing detail-level data stored
in a remote SQL database.