1. Finding the Right People: Cognos Report Studio Subqueries and Master/Detail Relationships
OPEN 2 BLANK LIST REPORTS
Database Specialist
Institutional Advancement
Cognos report writing for IA
My examples are from IA but you should be able to take these concepts and apply them to your areas/packages.
Feel free to ask questions as we go!
Presented by Paula Anderson Graceland University
June 2, 2012

2. Why Use Subqueries and Master/Detail Relationships?
Simplifies reports
Easier to understand
Easier to update
Who here . . .
Can do a manual join?
Likes to do a manual join?
Have gotten stung by a manual join?
Many times you can avoid using manual joins by using In cognos.
Not all the time.
Not only does it help avoid manual joins . . .

3. Subqueries – When to use?
In a group
Don’t need to see the data in your report.
Person a football player?
Person an alumni?

4. Example Football players (Involvement) People (Constituent Status)
No Mail or Solicitation Holds (Holds)
Gift to Football (Gifts)
View Tabular Data
Data Items – only the field that you’re comparing to
DEMO
Football Players
Report Data query
ID, First Name only
Involvement = ‘FOOT’
People
Add to Report Data
Category/Group, Don’t need to see the data in report
Subquery
ID IN subquery
Simplifies the report, easier to read, easier to make changes, copy & paste
No Mail or Solicitation Holds
Category/Group, Don’t need to see the data – Subquery
ID IN . . .
Football Player OR Made a Gift to Football
Status = P, Designation = ‘FOOT’
View Tabular Data
Only ID # or the field that your comparing to
ID # IN . . .
Player OR Gift – this will AND them together
Player – Category/Group, Don’t need to see any data – Subquery
Create Player subquery
Change filter in Report Data to OR

5. Subquery Process Create the subquery
Add “ID in (new query)” to Page Query
Page
Query
Subqueries

6. Which group are they in? Are they a Football Player?
Are they a Football Donor?
Add Query calculation
Subqueries work great when you don’t need to see any data from that group – you just need to know if they do or do not belong to that group.
What if you do want to see some data from that group??

7. Master/Detail Relationships
Can view some data from the subquery
1-2 columns
Limited access in report
May be able to manipulate it in Excel

8. Example Date and amount of gifts Add date and amount of gifts
Subquery -- Add Date & Amount to Subquery’s Data Items
Page
Add a List
Select the List
Assign the Subquery
Assign Master Detail Relationship
Specify “No Data Contents”
Hide “Column Titles”
Drag in fields you want to see
Give a Column Heading
Multiple gifts per person
Can’t work with it in Excel
Get it down to 1 record per person (maximum receive date or gift amount)
Can work with it in Excel

9. Process Subquery – Add fields to Data Items Football Donor Subquery
Added fields

10. Process On the Page, Add a List from the Toolbox Select the List List

11. Process Under Properties, edit: Query Master Detail Relationships
Subquery name
Master Detail Relationships
Add a New Link
No Data Contents (optional)
“No Content”
Column Titles (recommended)
“Hide”

12. Process Drag in fields from subquery Column Heading Subquery
Data Items

13. Review Subqueries Master/Detail Relationships Benefits In a group
Don’t need to see the data from the group
Master/Detail Relationships
Can view some data from the subquery
Limited access in report
May be able to manipulate it in Excel
Benefits
Simplifies reports
Easier to understand
Easier to update

14. Questions???

15. Finally Presentation Evaluation
EventsJAM 2012Presentations
Evaluation
Session #144