Business Objects ability to place single reports in multiple folders

[Former Member]

The Business Client wanted to know if the same report (Report A) can be placed in two different Folders (A and B). I am certain that you could create a copy of the report and place the copy in the second folder, but the real question isu2026can the link(in each folder) actually be a pointer to the same physical report object?

[ted_ueda · Accepted solution]

Objects in different folders are distinct - technically, it's because each object in the repository holds a reference to an unique parent folder.

For objects referencing files, then the path used by the File Repository Server (FRS) is specified as a property of the object (it's called SI_FILES).

Whenever you copy an object to another folder in InfoView or the CMC, it does a deep copy - i.e., it makes a copy of the physical file via the FRS, and the SI_FILES property is updated to the new path value. So the source and the copy would have different files.

Playing with the SI_FILES to try and make it point to the same physical file via code or any other means is unsupported and absolutely not recommended.

It may not deadlock the FRS, but you'd get unexpected behavior.

Sincerely,

Ted Ueda

[Former Member]

Hi Tim,

I don't understand the response. CU_ID ? What are you talking about?

Rick

[BasicTek]

All objects in the CMS have various attributes (SI_ID, SI_name, and CU_ID). The CU_ID is a unique identifier for a report. You can pull this value in the admin launchpad (query builder)

Once referring to this value you can move the report anywhere you want but the reference will always be true.

When you refer to a report by name (si_name) this isn't true

I may be over complicating things. I don't work in report design too much, this is one of the rules with enterprise and we refer to it when making opendoc calls. Your question seemed similar so I threw that out there.

Regards,

Tim

[BasicTek]

but the real question isu2026can the link(in each folder) actually be a pointer to the same physical report object

If you refer to the link as the report name SI_name or report name? then no it could be 2 different objects.

If you use the CU_ID then it doesn't matter how many folders it goes to the object uses an internal at this point so yes

Regards,

Tim