biExport release 2.3

We are happy to announce availability of biExport version 2.3.0!

This blog post shall give you an overview of the new functions. Also, it informs you about

 Let’s start with what you gain from the new version. Of course, there’s a lot more – for detailed release notes, please check the IMPORTANT RELEASE INFORMATION in the Export Plugin download package.

Even better quality of PDF exports

Our PDF exports have already been the best you have seen e.g. for SAP Design Studio / SAP Lumira Designer:

• No restrictions on components that can be exported
• Full support of Custom Components
• Full support of custom CSS and styling
• Full customization of headers and footers
• Full customization of CROSSTAB export
• Straight forward PDF document design with Microsoft Word

However, with the new version we produce even better quality to the very detail – especially when it comes to special styling of CROSSTABs.

Simply set Server Parameter EXPORT_ENGINE_PDF to WEBKIT to see the new results.

Even more features for Broadcasting, Scheduling and Mailing

biExport has already supported scheduling and broadcasting e.g. from SAP Design Studio / SAP Lumira Designer for quite some time.

By the way, did you know that we even allow producing the same Design Studio application for different filter selections, and sending the results to different mail recipients (also referred to as Information Bursting)?

Broadcasting, Scheduling and Mailing now even supports:

• Scheduling via events, e.g. “Data Loaded”, which can be triggered e.g. from the SAP BW system
• Additional parameters to define the schedule, e.g. bi-weekly or every second day
• Enhanced monitoring
• Central administrator entry to create schedules. – Of course, you can still create fully customized scheduling UI’s for your users using a Design Studio application and the biExport script API

Scripting support for complex Booklet Generations (URL parameter iterations)

We not only provide simple Export features, but enable you to create any complex document that your business users might require. Your users are able to export a whole tab strip or a whole page book with just one click. You can even enable them to export multiple applications or different filter selections at the same time.

Now, as a lot of our customers love this feature, they imagine more and more complex scenarios:

• Export entire page books within multiple tabs of a tab strip
• Export multiple product categories and multiple regions at the same time
• Define different filtering for different tabs of a tab strip
• Etc.

We have learnt that defining these complex URL parameter selections (we call them “dependent iterations”) via a JSON string in SAP Design Studio / SAP Lumira Designer script may become quite complex.

This is why we have enhanced our script API so you can create even complex iterations in a guided way.

In the following example, we want to execute the Alternative Export Application twice, once for Germany and once for France. For Germany, we want to show the NORTH and SOUTH sales regions. For France, we only show the overall result:

// Create value object for country FR without Dependent Parameter
var dependent_level1_value1 = OPENBIEXPORT_1.createUrlDependentValue("FR");
// start value object array
var dependent_level1_array = [dependent_level1_value1];

// Create Dependent Parameter for sales regions
var dependent_level2_value1 = OPENBIEXPORT_1.createUrlDependentParameter("XREGION", true, "NORTH;SOUTH");
// Create Dependent Parameter Array
var dependentParameterArray = [dependent_level2_value1];

// Create value object for country DE with Dependent Parameter
var dependent_level1_value2 = OPENBIEXPORT_1.createUrlDependentValueComplex("DE", dependentParameterArray);
// add to value object array
dependent_level1_array.push(dependent_level1_value2);

// Set Country Url Parameter with value object array
var param_region = OPENBIEXPORT_1.createUrlParameter2Complex("", "", "XCOUNTRY", true, dependent_level1_array);

// Create URL Parameter Array
var params = [param_region];

// set all URL parameters on export component
OPENBIEXPORT_1.setUrlParameterArray(params);

Here is an overview of the new script methods – for a detailed documentation, please do not forget to download our newest documentation:

Script Method	Description
createUrlParameter2Complex	Use this method instead of “createUrlParameter2” in order to pass an array of Value Objects to the ivalues parameter.
createUrlDependentValueComplex	Use this method to create a single Value Object by passing an array of Dependent Parameter objects, as well as the values for which it is defined.
createUrlDependentValue	Use this method to create a single Value Object without a dependent parameter.
createUrlDependentParameter	Use this method to create a single Dependent Parameter Object by passing the parameter name, iterative indicator and a string of values.
createUrlDependentParameterComplex	Use this method to create a single Dependent Parameter Object, which itself contains dependent parameters.

Full support of Lumira Discovery 2.x

We have been supporting Lumira Designer 2.x for more than six months now. It was time also for our biExport for Lumira Desktop to support Lumira Discovery 2.x!

For technical reasons, Lumira Discovery does not work with our four existing Lumira Desktop extensions for Export to PowerPoint, Word, Excel and PDF. This is why you can download now a new Extension specialized for Lumira Discovery! Just as you know it from biExport for Design Studio, there is now only one component for all Export formats, and you can

easily switch between these Export formats.

Visit www.lumira-export.com for details – we will also start a blog series there to demonstrate the new extension in all detail!

Important notes for the update

Now you like the new functions and can’t wait to test and use them?

Here is what you have to do (check the IMPORTANT RELEASE INFORMATION in the Export Plugin download package for details!):

1. Make sure .NET Framework 4.6.1 is installed
2. Update OPENBI Framework to version 3.1.0
3. Download and copy the new Export Plugin DLLs
4. Add Server Parameter EXPORT_ENGINE_PDF and set it to WEBKIT
5. Make sure you do not use the deprecated parameters and script methods anymore – the new one’s enable you to do so much more!
6. Update to the new SAP Design Studio / SAP Lumira Designer component (or SAP Lumira Discovery extension)

And enjoy the new release!