Problem with Dynamic JOINs

[Jacques]

I have a dataflex database on SQL server with alias and a lot of relations between tables.
The problem I had is when there are related tables in other related table.
For exemple. I have a product related with a producer and the producer is related to a city table.
To allow to do some reports on products coming from a city, I wanted to make a Dynamic join between the producer and the city and than another dynamic join between the product and this join.
If I use the Dynamic Join view, the first join is OK but when I try to do a new join with the table of product with the created join, there are problems:
Some times, the view doesn't show me that there is a join I can use as related table, sometimes well.
When the join seems to be OK and I do an "execute" to create it, there is a message error telling that it was an error in the creation of the SQL.

I solved the problem creating it with the dynamic SQL Views which allow to make a "View" with a restrict number of field, but I wanted to tell you the problem.
I make a suggestion : It would be interesting to make Dynamic AI table similar as a SQL view where only some fields were in the result. It would make the reporting easier for the customer. When we relate 3 tables of 100 or 200 fields, it will be difficullt to manage it in the future.

It's possible that it exists but I am new in Dynamic AI

Jacques

[Bob Cergol]

Hello Jacques,

I don't entirely understand what your are asking and/or suggesting. Mabye some screen prints of the error would help. Also I am wondering what version of Dynamic AI you are using.

I started with the server version 6.3 and I know that some improvements were made in 6.4 and subsequent builds having to do with duplicate column names and behavior of dynamic joins.

I have been able to join different data type sources (tables, dynamic joins and dynamic views) without problems. I do agree when you have many columns in each table that it can become challenging to navigate the long list of available columns in report design -- but it helps that they are sorted according to their join position (J1, J2, etc.) and you can also resort by data type.

That being said, when I knew I only would ever need a specific subset of columns in a data source, I found it very quick and easy to cut and paste the SQL code Dynamic AI generates in join-builder and using the option to generate a Dynamic AI view from each table to create my own optimized view.

If you are using the personal edition (v6.15) to get acquainted with the product I would strongly urge you to quickly move on to the server edition. (You can request a free evaluation license.) It provides a repository to support creation of data dictionaries, user profiles, emailing and scheduling reports for automated delivery, interactive graphs, optimized support for iPad and other smart phones and tablets, and much more advanced functionality.

Regards,
Bob

[Jacques]

I had just downloaded the personal edition. I couldn't do join with joins.
I'll try the server edition.

Jacques

[Jacques]

I don't know where I can find a free evaluation license for server edition.
Anyway my target is to be able to support Oryx to sell dynamic AI in Belgium and France. The first thing is to know toroughly the product and be able to create very easily all sorts of reports.
After that, I can manage the administration level with AI server version.
I have seen that french seems not to be a supported language in the server edition. In the personal edition it does exist. Some traductions aren't very well done but in general it's OK. I'll tell you what is to be upgraded if you need it.
First of all, I try the product in englisch version on personal edition and when it'll be OK, I try it in french and than I try the server version.

Jacques

[Bob Cergol]

Jacques,

I've pinged our European division located in the Netherlands and someone should be contacting you very soon.

If you want to know and evaluate the product thoroughly -- you need to use the server edition. The personal edition is a great introduction -- powerful and quite useful -- but the "real deal" is the server edition. In a real-world business deployment end-users would be accessing a Dynamic AI server, as opposed to a single user connecting directly to data sources and not sharing reports.

Regards,
Bob

[Jacques]

I agree with you but I suppose that it's possible to create the same report in personal edition as in server. The personal edition allows me only to learn how to do all different reports.
I think I need one or twoo week to play with it.
As I suppose that the free license for server DAI is in time limited, I'll take it when I'll be ready with the reporting which is the key element of DAI.
If you cannot play with the reporting, you cannot show the product.
After that, you may speak about security and other possibilities of the product.

Jacques