Update on report script commands and more on ODTUG

I was looking through the tech reference the other day (9X) for something and noticed a couple of report writer commands that I had not seen before. They deal with using aliases or member names. AS you might remember we used to use {OUTMBRALT}, {OUTALTMBR}, {OUTALT}, {OUTALTNAMES}, OR {OUTMBRNAMES} sometimes with little success. You had to place one of these commands before the dimension you were defining in the report and change it before the next command if you wanted something different for the next dimension.

When they added duplicate member names, they created new commands
<REPMBR , <REPALIAS, <REPMBRALIAS, and <REPALIASMBR
They offer more flexabilitiy than the old commands. You can dfine multipe dimensions at once that share the same attribute.

For example if you want aliases for Product and Market you would specify
%lt;RepAlias "Product" "Market"

It should be noted you can't use these commands mixed with the old commands (exception bing to select the alias table <OutAltSelect) and you can't use them if you are using rename functions. There are additional commands to get fully qualified names, but by looking the above up in the tech reference you should be able to find them.

You may nave noticed I've been posting a lot about the ODTUG conference. I had a comment about me being crazy(well not as nicely put as that) to suggest that people pay for it themselves if their company won't. I really believe this conference adds so much value and knowledge that it is worth it. I paid my own way last year and would again if my boss were not so supportive. (an amazing compliment. Edward, don't get used to it)
If you need rational to present to your boss to compel him/her to let you go, I suggest looking at Gary Crisi's blog entry. http://garycris.blogspot.com/2009/02/some-tips-for-kaleidoscope-2009.html He has great tips on how to get this conference approved in these tight times.

Exciting news about the ODTUG Kaleidoscope Conference

I just got word that the ODTUG Kelidoscope has confirmed John Kopke for it's Keynote address and Robert Gersten for the Sunday Hyperion Symposium Keynote. In addition, there are hands on sessions planned for OBIEE, ODI, Essbase Studio and Creating your first Java Essbase application. (Standard disclaimer, this is all subject to change). I believe there will also be a "Midnight Madness" for old people (it starts at 8:00 pm.) where you can bring your tough questions to the Essbase Aces and get them answered.

While I realize budgets have been cut this year in many organizations, this is such a good conference with so much in-depth information, it is something you should not miss even if you pay for it yourself. All the cool nerds will be there including all of the Oracle Ace and Ace Directors in the BI space. Last year we were a minority of the coference with one track, this year there will be four tracks including the hands on. You could not pay and get this much training in one week.

While this might sound like an ad, and is some ways it is, if I did not believe this is the best technical Hyperion based conference to go to, I would not be talking about it.