Creating a data list

Create a data list to provide better performance in active reports that contain a large data set that is presented in a list format.

About this task

Data lists provide better performance than regular lists because they are rendered on the client workstation or device and not on the IBM® Cognos® server. Data lists include the following features:

  • The list headers are pinned.
  • The list is scrollable.
  • You can apply a sequence of colors to the rows.
  • You can substitute numeric values in a column that are between -1 and 1 with a microchart.

You add or modify features by accessing the properties of the data list or a column in the list.

Procedure

  1. Click the Toolbox icon Toolbox icon, expand the Data Container group, and drag Data list to the report.
  2. Click the Data items icon Data items icon and add the data items that you want to the list.
    The data items appear in the data list flyout, in the appropriate section (Categories, Values).
  3. To add extra data items to the list, add the data items that you want to the Extra Categories or Extra Values sections in the flyout.

    Extra items are items that are used for filtering or setting variables. Extra items do not appear in the data list.

    Tip: You can move items from the data list flyout to the list. In the flyout, you can move items from one section to another section. For example, you can move an item in the Categories section to the Extra Categories section.
  4. To modify data list properties, select the entire data list and click the Show properties icon Show properties icon.
  5. To change the order of extra data items in the data list query, click the Nesting order property.

    You might have to change the nesting order so that extra items are ordered properly in the query. If the items are not ordered properly, the report might not run.

    1. Change the order of items as needed.
    2. If you want the order of items to correspond to the order of the list columns, select the Keep list columns synchronized check box.
  6. To replace numeric values in a column with a microchart, select the column and click the Microchart property.
    1. Click the Type menu and select the type of microchart that you want to add.

      The Colored option produces a microchart that shows a different color for positive, negative, or zero values. The Sized option produces a microchart of different colors and sizes, based on the column values. The HTML option shows HTML that you author.

      Note: The HTML option is available only if you have the HTML Items in Report subcapability enabled. In IBM Cognos Administration, this subcapability is found within the Report Studio capability.
    2. If you selected the Colored or Sized option, select the check boxes of the values for which you want to show a microchart, and then specify the type of microchart that you want to show and the color.
    3. If you selected the Sized option, select the Animate check box to produce an animation effect when users interact with the list.
  7. To specify a different label for a column, select the column heading and set the Override Label property to Yes, and then specify the label that you want in the Label property that appears.