IBM i2 iBase 8 Quick Start Guide

Transcription

IBM i2 iBase 8
Quick Start Guide
Provided with IBM i2 iBase 8.9
May 2012
Copyright
0.1
This edition applies to version 8, release 9 of IBM® i2® iBase (product number 5725G15) and to all subsequent
releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.
This edition replaces part number 2144.
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2008, 2012.
US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule
Contract with IBM Corp.
Publication number GC19-3742-00
Copyright
2
If you are new to iBase
Introduction
Modes: User and Designer
Populating the Database
Creating Entities
Finding Entities
Linking Entities
Importing Data
Editing Entities and Links
Deleting Items
Merging Entities
Exploring & Creating Data with Analyst’s Notebook
Analyzing the Data
Categories and Notes
Queries
Sets
Browsing
Word Searching
Charting
Reporting
Mapping
Learning More About iBase
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9
10
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14
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21
23
25
27
28
34
35
36
40
43
45
46
48
50
51
New features in this version
Importing Files from a Folder
Using Charts and Chart Item Data in iBase
Transforming Data on Import
Data Sources Task Pane in Analyst’s Notebook
Database Subsets
Alerting
Audit History
Searching with Search 360
Exporting and Importing Data as XML
Notices
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66
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Quick Start:
If you are new to
iBase
Welcome to IBM® i2® iBase 8.9.
iBase provides powerful solutions for accumulating, investigating, analyzing and
displaying complex information and relationships in link and entity data.
This guide aims to introduce you to the key concepts and basic operations of
iBase. Read this guide to familiarize yourself with the software before you start to
read the other product documentation to learn more about iBase.
What is iBase? iBase is both a database application and a modeling and analysis tool.
As a database application you can do all the things you would expect, such as
adding records, deleting records and importing/exporting records.
The modeling and analysis facilities are based upon the concepts of entities and
links. Entities are the things that are being represented, such as people and
addresses. Links represent relationships between entities, such as 'shareholder'
and 'account holder'. For each entity and link there is a database record.
iBase is closely integrated with other IBM i2 products and is a key component of
IBM i2 Analyst’s Workstation, an integrated suite of tools that supports a wide
range of analytical activities at strategic and tactical levels.
Help
If you need more information or help using a specific feature you can press the F1
key at any time to access the help.
IBM i2 Base 8 Quick Start Guide
5
Introduction
Introduction
Starting iBase
0.1
Start iBase as a user from the Start menu, typically:
Start ➧ All Programs ➧ IBM i2 iBase 8 ➧ IBM i2 iBase
Opening a Database
To open a database click the Open Database toolbar button. Choose a database
(.idb file) from the dialog that is displayed. If you do not know where the database
is located, ask your database administrator. Select a database and click Open.
You may find that are logged on automatically using your Windows user name and
password. Alternatively, you may need to enter a different user name and
password in the Logon dialog.
Note: Your database administrator will tell you what User Name and Password to use.
If you have previously opened one or more databases, their names may appear on
the File menu in the most-recently used (MRU) list. You will be offered the
opportunity to open the last database you used when you log on, if you want to
open a different database, click Cancel and then use the Open Database toolbar
button.
Cases
Some databases may contain separate cases, you may need to choose a case in
which to work. Cases allow you to focus only on those records that relate to a
particular investigation or series of investigations. If you select a particular case,
then all the operations you perform will apply only to that case. For example, if you
create a new record, it will be associated with the case you selected and will not be
visible in future when you elect to work in a different case.
User Guide
database
The User Guide database is supplied with iBase. You can reset the User Guide
database to its original state at any time so there is no need to worry if you delete
records or make mistakes as you are learning how to use iBase; you can always
get back to where you started.
To start iBase and open the User Guide database automatically, from the Start
menu, select:
All Programs ➧ IBM i2 iBase 8 ➧ Documentation ➧ iBase User Guide Database
Note: Both the User Name and Password for the User Guide database is general.
6
Introduction
Database
Explorer
When the database is opened, the screen will look similar to that below with the
Database Explorer window to the left and a blank area to the right:
Toolbar
Database Explorer
lists all the items in
your database
Database Explorer
Detail window displays
details of the item
selected
Status Bar
Dialog boxes and other information is displayed in the area to the right.
Some of the most common commands are available from the main toolbar, and
these are shown below:
New Entity
or Link
Browse Create
Report
Find
Open
Database
New
Query
Add to
Chart
New
Set
Add to
Map
Load Text
Chart Visualization
Window
Commands
Note: Some commands may not be visible if the database designer has not made them
available to you.
7
Introduction
Operations
Usually, all general functions are available from the menus or the toolbar; object
specific functions are available with a right-click.
iBase follows standard Windows conventions. If you are familiar with other
Windows based applications, you will be familiar with how to perform the iBase
actions below.
Action
Sequence
Select
Click on the object with the left mouse button.
Move
Select the object, hold down the left mouse button
and drag it to the required position.
Using the online help
Use the iBase help and use it to get answers to any questions that you may have.
Viewing the help
You can view the iBase help in the following ways:
•
from the Help menu, select Contents
•
press the F1 key (when the pointer is over the dialog)
In dialogs, you can display a help topic about a specific item by clicking the Help
button on a dialog to display information about that particular dialog.
For further information on how to use the help, select Help on Help from the Help
menu in iBase.
Tooltips
To see the name of a toolbar button, hold the pointer over it. A pop-up hint, referred
to as a tooltip, appears.
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0.2
iBase can be used by both Designers and by Users. Designers are responsible for
designing databases and setting up the properties of entities and links and for
configuring security, these tasks are referred to as administrative tasks. Users can
use databases, add or import records, and manipulate or analyze the data. For
example if you wanted to add a new type of entity to your database, say an airport,
then the Designer would do that and set up all the required properties of an airport.
But if you wanted to add a new instance of an airport, and then run queries about
airports, these would be user tasks. Typically a database would have maybe one
or two people who carry out the administrative tasks but may have many people
who can carry out user tasks.
iBase has separate modules for Designers and Users so you log on to whichever is
appropriate for you. There may be one or both of the modules available as
shortcuts on your desktop.
The roles of Users and Designers can be summarized as follows:
Users
•
Add, modify and delete records.
•
Create sets and queries to find data of particular interest.
•
Analyze the data using a variety of tools.
•
Create reports or charts based upon the data.
This manual concentrates on the tasks performed by Users, and assumes that
your database has been created and configured for you by a Designer.
Designers
•
Design databases – this process usually involves consulting with the intended
users to decide exactly what information is to be stored and in what form.
•
Create new databases – includes creating all the required entity and link types.
•
Update databases – adding new entity and link types as requirements arise.
•
Configure databases – setting up code lists, labeling schemes and all the other
things that affect how the database is used.
•
Administer the database – for example: adding users, setting security, deleting
old records, and backing up the data.
If you are a Designer and Database Administrator then the online Administration
Center provide the information you need to get started.
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0.3
There are two ways in which data is added to your database: manual entry and
importing. Most databases use a combination of the two methods. Once data has
been stored in your database it can be analyzed and reported on in iBase and
other applications such as IBM i2 Analyst’s Notebook®.
Manual entry
Entities and links can be added or edited on an individual basis. This approach is
particularly suited to an application such as an intelligence database where
information is being received regularly and database records are added or
amended as required.
Importing
The database can be populated by importing records, for either entities or links,
from other applications or sources, either within your organization or from outside.
Importing can effectively be used for small amounts of data up to very large
batches; telephone call records and bank account transaction records are
examples where you may need to import large volumes of data, maybe for case
analysis. iBase allows fine control over the way in which imported data is
interpreted and can accept data from a wide variety of sources. See Importing
Data on page 21 for more information.
When you have set up a successful session you can save all the settings in an
import specification so that it can be used again when similar data is received.
Imported data can be included in a specific set so that you can keep track of the
imported data and analyze or report on it on its own (see Sets on page 40 for more
information).
If you have IBM i2 Text Chart installed, unstructured text from a variety of source
documents can be added to your database using iBase Live, or by importing a Text
Chart visualization; see the Text Chart documentation for more details.
Exporting
10
Data can be exported from iBase in a variety of useful formats; as with importing,
once you have set up a successful export in the format you require, you can save
the export specification for re-use in the future.
Creating Entities
Creating Entities
0.4
One of the most common tasks in iBase is to add a new entity. This can be any of
the entity types that the database designer has made available to you; these could
be for example a person, a telephone, an address, or a vehicle.
The range of entities that are available in a particular database is shown if you click
on the plus sign to the left of Entities in the Database Explorer window.
Note: The examples in this manual are taken from the User Guide database. You can
experiment with iBase using this example database. See page 6 for details.
Right-click on the entity type you want to add, and from the shortcut menu, select
New.
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Creating Entities
A dialog will be displayed where you can add properties to the new entity: in the
following example a new Event entity is being added to the database, and a dialog
is displayed ready for you to add all the details.
Mandatory fields, those that you must fill in, are shown with a blue label. Number
and date fields that are calculated from other data automatically are unavailable. If
you hold the pointer over the field labels you will see a tooltip that will tell you
something about the type of data to enter (if the Designer has made this facility
available).
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Creating Entities
Datasheets
Your database designer may have set up a datasheet for some entities that
replaces the standard dialog with a customized dialog designed especially for your
application.
Datasheets show only the items that you need, arranged in pages that reflect your
way of working. Datasheets can also be used to enter data for related entities and
links. Administrative information, for example the age or source of information, can
be hidden if you do not need to enter such information yourself.
In the example below, the designer has set up a datasheet to enter the details of
an automobile crime. There are pages for entering the details of the crime and an
area where you can specify a link to the vehicle involved.
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Finding Entities
Finding Entities
0.5
Many operations require that you locate and work with a specific record. Use the
Find Entity (or Find Link) command on the Edit menu.
Alternatively, click the Find toolbar button to display the Find dialog.
In the Find dialog, select the type of entity or link using the drop-down list at the top
and then enter some search criteria into the boxes below. You do not have to enter
all the data, perhaps the first few letters of a last name or the first few digits of an
account number would be sufficient, then click Find to display all the matching
records.
The found records are displayed in the Record List.
First few
letters
of required
name
Find
button
Record
List
Note: You can use wildcards to find last characters and so on. Click Help for details.
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Finding Entities
From the Record List you can choose the record that you want. Either double-click
on the record to show the details or right-click, and from the shortcut menu, select
Show.
You can select more than one record at a time (using Shift+click and Ctrl+click) in
which case different options are available on the shortcut menu.
Monitoring
records of
interest
Perhaps the record you found is of particular interest to you or your colleagues, in
which case, you can add an alert to it so that you, and optionally your colleagues,
will be warned when someone else changes, or even views, this record. There is
more about alerting on page 61, however not all iBase databases will support this
feature. Ask your system administrator for details.
Browse or
Find?
You generally use Find when you are searching for a specific record; when you
want to look at lots of records, browsing may be more appropriate. (There is more
on browsing on page 43.) As is often the case in iBase, there are many ways to
accomplish the same task, it does not matter how you locate a particular record,
you can still perform all the normal iBase operations on it once it has been found.
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Linking Entities
Linking Entities
0.6
Many of the entities in a database will be linked together. People may be linked to
companies as shareholders, directors, or employees; a pair of telephones may be
linked by a specific call made between them. Relationships between entities, and
the characteristics of those relationships, are defined by links. The types of link that
are available in a particular database are shown if you click on the plus sign to the
left of the word Links in the Database Explorer window.
Adding a link can be achieved in a number of different ways. Methods for creating a
link include:
16
•
From the New menu, select Link, choose a link type, and then find the entities
to link.
•
Find and view the two records to be linked, then drag and drop.
•
View an entity record and find the second entity, then drag and drop.
•
Select two entities and then, from the shortcut menu, select Create Link.
•
Select a link type in Database Explorer and, from the shortcut menu, select
New, then find the entities to link.
•
Using a datasheet, if one has been set up (see Datasheets on page 13).
Linking Entities
Linking entities
The simplest way to create a link between two entities is to create a new link and
then find the two entities to be connected.
For example you may decide to create an Employee link type and then find the
person and the organization that will be linked.
A new link dialog is displayed, you can fill in the details of the link at this stage.
Select the entities at either end of the new link and click Save to finish creating the
link and add it to the database.
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Linking Entities
Linking entities using “drag and drop”
Another way to link two records is to display the two records and drag the icon
picture from one to the other. The pointer displays a plus sign when it is over the
second icon picture showing that a link will be created if you release the mouse
button. A link is created and you can then set its type and add any properties you
require.
Drag to the tab showing the other link end
When the tab for the other link end comes to the front,
drag the pointer over the icon picture
Pointer displays with
a plus sign
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Linking Entities
The Multiple Links dialog is displayed, choose a link type from the list, and click
OK.
The link is created and the New dialog is displayed, where you can add the details
of the link.
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Linking Entities
When you show links, the details are displayed in a Links dialog that allows you to
see what is linked and how many other links are connected to the same entity.
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Importing Data
Importing Data
0.7
You may already have the data you wish to analyze in electronic form, for example
in a spreadsheet, in a file exported from some other database, or as a text file. You
can import the data into iBase and control exactly how the data is interpreted using
a comprehensive import specification. As part of the specification, you can choose
how to deal with duplicate records, or what to do if existing data is updated. The
import specification can be saved for future use if required (see also Categories
and Notes on page 35).
Create a new import specification in one of two ways:
•
From the File menu, select Data ➧ Import.
•
Right-click on Import Specifications in Database Explorer and select New.
The Import Wizard is started on the first of its five steps; select the type of data to
import and specify a source.
21
Importing Data
Click Next and fill in the details and go through each of the steps in turn; at any
time you can go backwards or forwards through the wizard steps to make changes
as required. The final step allows you to specify how errors are dealt with and
whether to include the newly imported data in a specified set so that you can keep
track of the newly created or updated data.
Click Run to run the import specification using the settings you have chosen.
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0.8
Records in the database can be edited if you have permission to do so, either
individually or collectively.
Editing
individual
records
To edit the details on an individual record, browse for or find the record you want to
change and show the record. Click Edit and all fields that you can change are
displayed with a white background. Make your changes and click Save to store the
changes in the database.
Note that on some text fields your database designer may have set permissions
such that you may not be able to modify the current contents, only append new
text. These fields are shown in the Windows tooltip color (usually pale yellow)
rather than white. You can double-click on multi-line text fields to display a larger
window in which to read and edit the text.
Note: You may be able to see the edits made by other users by clicking History, however,
not all iBase databases will support this feature—ask your system administrator if
you are unsure. There is more about the history feature on page 63.
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Batch editing
You can make changes to many records at a time. All the records need to be of the
same entity or link type and the changes can apply to all records of that type, or
only to those records returned by a query or contained in a set. From the Edit
menu, select Batch Edit.
The field names are displayed in the Update Field area. You can only edit one field
at a time. When you have specified the changes to be made, click Update to
continue. You will be asked to confirm that you really do want to make the edit, you
will see a message stating how many records have been affected.
Audit logging
Before you perform some operations in iBase, you may be asked for a reason
before you will be able to proceed. This is set up by your database administrator
who can decide which operations are affected; batch edit and batch delete (see
page 25) are types of operations where this is most likely to apply.
When you are asked to enter a reason, you must do so to continue with the
operation. The text you enter, along with the date, time, and your user ID, is
recorded in an audit log which can be examined by the database administrator.
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Deleting Items
Deleting Items
0.9
Database records can be deleted individually at any time by selecting the record,
viewing it in a Show dialog, and clicking the Delete button. The only way to delete
more than one record at a time is to use the Batch Delete facility described below.
Note: Your database administrator may not allow you permission to carry out all the
delete, restore, and purge operations described in this section.
Batch delete
To delete more than one record at a time, from the Edit menu, select Batch
Delete. You can delete all records of a specified type, all records retrieved as the
result of a query, or all records in a specified set. You may want to construct a set
or query especially to define a group of records to be deleted.
Warning: Batch Delete is very powerful and, if your administrator has not enabled Soft
Delete, it is easy to delete large numbers of records permanently.
Soft delete
Your database administrator may have decided that iBase users may only use a
soft delete for database records. In this case you can delete records either
individually or by using batch delete but the records can be restored at any time.
When you are sure that you want to make the deletion permanent, you purge the
deleted records. Purged records cannot be restored.
You can check whether Soft Delete is turned on by looking at the database
properties: from the File menu, select Properties ➧ Database Properties and
click the Advanced tab to display the Advanced page.
Soft Delete turned on
25
Deleting Items
At any time between a deletion and a purge operation, some or all of the deleted
records can be restored to the database in exactly the state they were in at the time
of being deleted. From the Edit menu, select Restore Deleted Records.
When you are sure that deleted records are no longer required (or perhaps at
regular intervals) you can purge deleted records. From the Edit menu, select
Purge Deleted Records.
26
Merging Entities
Merging Entities
0.10
When you have two or more entity records that you decide actually relate to the
same person or object, you can merge entities to keep all of your data together in a
single record. From the Edit menu, select Merge Entities to display the Merge
Entities dialog.
On merging record 1 (the merge record in the upper pane of the dialog) with record
2 in the lower pane (there can be more than one record in the lower pane):
•
If the check box is turned on, blank fields in the merge record will be filled with
any data from record 2
•
Link information in record 2 will be transferred to the merge record.
•
Record 2 will be deleted.
27
Exploring & Creating Data with Analyst’s Notebook0.11
In Analyst’s Notebook, the Data Sources Task Pane, contains common tasks to
enable you to use an iBase database with Analyst's Notebook, for example, to find
and query records and to add them to your chart and then to expand them to see
the items to which they are connected.
To open an iBase database from Analyst’s Notebook, start Analyst’s Notebook and
in the Data Sources panel, displayed at the top of the Data Sources Task Pane,
click Open Database.
Note: You may find that the location of the required database is already included in the
list of recently opened databases, click on the name to open it directly. Log on to
the database using your iBase user name and password.
Creating entities and searching the iBase database
When you have opened at least one database, the tab changes to show that you
have an open database, and the New, Selection and Options pages are displayed.
In the Data Sources panel, an icon is displayed next to the database name to
indicate that it is open.
Use the New page of the Data Sources Task Pane, for example, to create entities
or links and to search for records in your iBase database.
Note: The New page is only displayed when one or more databases are opened in the
iBase session.
Selecting an iBase option combination
An iBase option combination contains information, such as how the records in the
iBase database are displayed in Analyst’s Notebook, for example, the entity or link
type to use, or to specify charting schemes, charting styles, labeling schemes and
connection multiplicity.
From the Association & Timeline Options drop-down list, select a Combination.
28
Use the New page, for example, to create new entities or search for entities in your
database:
•
In the Create panel, click New Entity to display the entity types that are
available in the iBase database. Select an entity type and add information to
that entity in the New Entity dialog. For further information about using the New
dialog, see page 12.
•
In the Search panel, click Find to find one or more entities in the iBase
database. For further information, about using the Find dialog, see page 14.
You can also use the following commands on this page, for example to create links
and manage sets and queries:
•
New Link
Creates new links between selected chart items. For further information about
links, see Linking Entities on page 16.
•
iBase Palette
Displays the palette for the iBase database in the Add Chart Items Task Pane,
from where you can add items to a chart.
•
Query Manager
Displays the Query Manager dialog, which lists the existing queries in the
iBase database. For further information about queries, see Queries on page
36.
•
New Query
Creates a new query. For further information about queries, see Queries on
page 36
•
Set Manager
Displays the Set Manager dialog, which lists the existing sets in the iBase
database. For further information about sets, see Sets on page 40.
•
Timeline Assistant
Displays the Timeline Assistant dialog which guides you through the steps to
create, or add to, a timeline chart. For further information about the timeline
assistant, see page 47.
29
Viewing and working with iBase chart items
Use the Selection page of the Data Sources Task Pane, for example, to show, view,
chart and expand records.
Note: The Selection page is only displayed when one or more databases are opened in
the iBase session.
Selecting an iBase option combination
An iBase option combination contains information, such as how the records in the
iBase database are displayed in Analyst’s Notebook, for example, the entity or link
type to use, or to specify charting schemes, charting styles, labeling schemes and
connection multiplicity.
From the Association & Timeline Options drop-down list, select a Combination.
Working with the chart items
Use the commands in the Chart panel, for example, to expand, explore and
populate cards and to use queries to filter the contents of your chart.
Select at least one chart item and select one of the available commands:
•
Expand
You can expand one or more iBase entities on an Analyst’s Notebook chart in
order to chart their links and link end entities. The number of links and linked
entities that are shown (the expansion levels), and the types that are shown, is
determined by the filter and expand drop-down panels. By default, only the
links from the selected entity and their link end entities are shown.
•
Expand to New Chart
If you want to start a new chart click Expand to New Chart. The entities and
links that are added are determined by the current charting settings. Expand
the selected item(s) to a new chart.
•
Find Path
Finds the chain of intermediate links and entities that connect two entities on
the chart, taking the link direction into account, and/or selecting the shortest
path (depending how the options are set).
30
•
Explore
Displays the Explore window, allowing you to interactively browse through your
database, expanding from one entity to the next. While you are exploring, you
can choose to concentrate on specific entity and link types and ignore others.
This can help to simplify the information you are trying to understand at any
given time.
•
Find Connecting Links
Finds all the links that connect two or more entities on the chart. You can use
this as a quick way of selecting multiple links between entities.
•
Find Common Neighbors
Finds any entities that have connecting links to at least two of the selected
items.
•
Find Common Neighbors Linked to All
Finds any entities that have connecting links to all of the selected items.
•
Populate Cards
Click on this to populate cards for item(s) selected on the chart.
Working with the View panel
Use the commands in the View panel, for example, to show records, edit item
properties, open hyperlinks and find matching records.Select at least one chart
item and select one of the available commands:
•
Select Items from Current Database
Selects items from the currently-connected database, on the chart.
•
Filter Selection by Query
You can filter the currently selected chart entities or links using either an
existing iBase query or a new one that you define specifically for this task. After
filtering, only those items within the current selection that match the query
conditions will remain selected on the chart.
31
•
Show
Displays the Show dialog for a selected item, or the Show List dialog if more
than one item is selected.
•
Links
Displays the iBase Links dialog. For further information about completing the
Links dialog, see page 17.
•
Edit Item Properties OR Combined Properties
Displays either the Item Properties dialog, for one selected chart item, or
Combined Properties dialog, for more than one selected chart items. These are
Analyst’s Notebook dialogs
•
Open Hyperlink(s)
If the selected entit(ies) have a hyperlink field, then you can find any other
entities or documents to which it is linked by a hyperlink. The hyperlink may be
to a document stored on a file server or a Web site.
•
Matching Records
Finds any entities that have connecting links to two or more entities, or to all
entities, on the chart (depending how the charting settings are set).
Working with records in the database
Use the commands in the Database panel, to add records to a set and merge
selected items in the iBase database.
Select at least one chart item and select one of the available commands:
•
Add to Set
Displays the Add to Set dialog to add the selected item(s) to either a new or
existing set. For further information about sets, see Populating a Set on page
40.
•
Merge in iBase
Merges selected items in an iBase database. For further information about
merging items, see Merging Entities on page 27.
32
Mapping records
Use the commands in the Map panel to add them to a map or select them in
Google Earth:
•
Add to Map
Adds selected items with coordinates to Google Earth.
•
Select on Map
Selects items with coordinates on a Google Earth map.
For further information about mapping, see Mapping on page 50.
Specifying iBase Options in Analyst’s Notebook
Use the Options page of the Data Sources Task Pane, to specify the options to use
when working with items that were added to a chart from an iBase database.
33
Analyzing the Data
Analyzing the Data
0.1
Once data has been entered in the database a wide range of analysis tools are
available to analyze and present your data. A number of methods are described on
the following pages.
34
•
Queries (page 36)
•
Sets (page 40)
•
Browsing (page 43)
•
Word searching (page 45)
•
Charting in Analyst’s Notebook (page 46)
•
Reporting (page 48)
•
Mapping (page 50)
0.2
You can manage your queries, sets, and browse definitions by displaying them in
categories arranged in hierarchies. In this way you can keep analysis tools
together by user or by case, or make useful sets available for general use.
When you save a query definition, for example, you will be asked to categorize the
definition in a dialog like this:
Create new categories by simply typing in the names you want separated by a
backslash (\). For example:
Operation Crest\Unit B
Adding notes
You can add notes to sets, queries, browse definitions, import/export
specifications, and so on, to provide extra information for yourself or other users.
Click the Description icon to enter a description.
35
Queries
Queries
0.3
Powerful query facilities allow you to identify the records you want to find quickly
and easily. Saving your query definitions allows you to run the query on a regular
basis or to use the results of one query as the source for another. You can define
parameterized queries so you can change the query details each time it is run; you
will be prompted for the values to use.
From the Analysis menu, select Queries ➧ New to display the Query dialog.
Query definitions are constructed in two parts: conditions at the top of the dialog
and a structure below. The structure defines the entities and links to query and
what sort of output is required. The condition defines exactly which records of that
type are retrieved.
Constructing a You start by defining the structure. Use drag and drop to place entity icons, from
new query
the palette bar on the left, onto the Structure area. Then use the toolbar and draw
links as required. Finally you decide which items will be output.
Tools
Set link type
Draw link
Assign source
Set output Delete
Set count
36
Output all
Queries
Here are some examples of structures:
A
B
C
D
E
Structure
Description
Output
A
Addresses that are linked, in any way, to
both people and organizations.
List of addresses
B
Any entities that are linked to a crime.
List of entities
C
People who are linked to an address.
List of people
D
Calls between telephones.
List of calls
E
People linked to an address.
List of people and
addresses that are
linked
As you can see from the examples above, some structures can be very general
and would retrieve a great many records from a large database; a condition can be
applied to narrow the search and retrieve exactly the records you want. Conditions
can specify things like particular text contained in a field, or the items in a list of
values.
More than one part of the structure can be set to provide output, this can be
particularly useful when you want to see the results on an Analyst’s Notebook
chart.
37
Queries
Conditions are set in the top part of the query dialog.
Conditions are set on the entity or link that is selected in the Structure area. You
can include AND and OR statements to set a number of conditions, use brackets
(parentheses) to set the priority of conditions, and use a wide variety of operators.
The example shown above will retrieve records, based upon the structure, where
the selected entity (Person 1 in this case) has facial hair, wears glasses, and has a
last name that starts with either of H or M.
Parameters in
queries
38
You can prompt for information when you run a query or use certain system
information (for example the current date or time) by using the following characters
when specifying field values in the Query dialog:
Value
Meaning
@(default value)
There will be a prompt for this field value when the
query is run. If you specify the optional default value,
for example '@BMW', there will be no user input
required when the query is run to specify 'BMW'
(apart from a confirmation).
@#USER
This represents the logged-on username.
@#NOWDATE(+N/-N)
This represents the current date. Optionally you can
include '+N' which represents a date 'N' days in the
future, or you can include '-N' which represents a date
'N' days in the past.
@#NOWTIME(+N/-N)
This represents the current time. Optionally you can
include '+N' which represents a time 'N' hours in the
future, or you can include '-N' which represents a date
'N' hours in the past.
Queries
Counting in
queries
You can set a count on a link or item in the structure. Items must have a link, and
only one link, before you can set a count on them. You can only set one count in
the structure.
For example, if the structure featured two Account entities linked by a Financial
Transaction link type, the results might include any accounts that have had
transactions between them. By setting a count of, say 'more than 20' on the link
item, then the results will only include accounts that have had more than twenty
transactions with another bank account; this would indicate the most active
accounts.
Counts can be set on the link ends too, for example to find entities that have many
links to several different entities. Click the Set Count button to display the Count
dialog.
Source
records
Setting the source records, or specifying records that are not to be included, in a
query can be a powerful analysis tool. For example you can query records that are
included in a specified import set. Click the Assign Source button to display the
Source Records dialog.
Monitoring
queries
You can add an alert to a query so that you, and optionally your colleagues, will be
warned when someone makes a change that results in a record being added to or
removed from the results found by this query. There is more about alerting on page
61, however not all iBase databases will support this feature. Ask your system
administrator for details.
39
Sets
Sets
0.4
A set is a user specified collection of entities and/or links. Entities and links can
belong to more than one set. Sets can be combined together to form other sets.
When you delete a set, you do not delete the individual records contained in it, you
only delete the definition of the set.
Sets can be used for a variety of analytical tasks, for example:
Populating a
Set
•
keep the entities found as the result of a query together as a group
•
analyze only those records that were imported together
•
define a group of records that you want to add to a chart
•
group records together on a temporary basis; later you can analyze the group
of records or combine it with other sets to form new groupings
•
identify the new records added as a result of importing data
There are two ways to add entities or links to a set, you can add records
individually or you can add groups of records that are the results of a query or
found by a browse definition. In each case you highlight the record or records you
want to add and right-click, from the shortcut menu, select Add To Set.
A dialog is displayed that allows you to create a new set or to append the selected
records to any of the existing sets:
40
Sets
Combining
Sets
You can combine two existing sets, in any way that you want, to isolate exactly the
records that you require, the resulting combination is placed into a new set. From
the Analysis menu, select Sets ➧ Combine to combine sets.
In the example below, two sets are combined to find out which members of the set
called “Key Players” are male, in other words, which records belong in both sets.
The combination you specify is illustrated by the Venn diagram displayed in the
center of the dialog. All of the possible combinations are shown below.
Analyzing Sets You may want to find the links and entities that are common (that is exist in all), or
uncommon (do not exist in all) to a list of sets. For example, if you have many sets
that contain people, and each set is a collection that has some criterion in
common, you can find those records that would match all of those criteria. For
example, if you had sets that comprised: people with connections to Boston,
people connected with the crime of arson, and drivers of BMW cars, you could very
easily generate a list of all the records in the database that shared all three
characteristics.
41
Sets
From the Analysis menu, select Sets ➧ Analyze to find common, or uncommon,
records.
Finding out if a You can find out whether a record belongs to any sets. In a record list, right-click on
record
the record, and from the shortcut menu, select Set Membership. In this example,
belongs to any the record belongs to five sets:
sets
42
Browsing
Browsing
0.5
Many tasks require you to work through a list of entity or link records, reviewing the
data and taking action as required. The tool to use for this is the Browser. To
browse records of a specific type, right-click on the entity type you require and,
from the shortcut menu, select Browse.
Enter a suitable number of records to show and select the fields that you want to
display in the Fields list, then click Browse to retrieve the records. You can also
choose to browse the results of a saved query, or the contents of a set.
You can save browse definitions for later use, storing them in categories if you
wish. You can also specify that a particular browse definition is run each time you
start iBase, turn on the Auto-run check box on your browse definition.
43
Browsing
Autorun is often most useful when the browse presents the results of a
parameterized query, for example a query may be set up to find all the records that
have been entered in the previous week.
Following a browse command you will see a dialog containing a one-line
description for each record.
You can work with the data listed in the browse dialog as follows:
44
•
Double-click on any record to show the whole record.
•
Select one or more records and right-click to see the shortcut menu.
•
Select one or more records and use the toolbar buttons at the top.
•
Hide the configuration area to give more room to display the records.
•
Click on a column heading to sort by the contents of the column.
•
Drag and drop column headings to move them to the left or right.
•
Adjust the width of columns by dragging, or double-clicking, the column
separator.
Word Searching
Word Searching
0.6
Your database administrator may have created indexes of words contained within
the database to allow you to search for records that contain certain words. Word
search allows you to find words in the text fields of your records. Search 360 adds
the ability to widen the search and so catch records where data is mistyped or
entered in a slightly different format.
From the Analysis menu, select Word Search to display the Word Search dialog.
At the bottom of the dialog there is an indication of when the index was generated.
View the Enter Words tab if you are interested in specific words and where they
appear, or view the Word Index tab if you are more interested in the frequency of
occurrence of words.
Note: If your database is SQL Server then you may be able to use the more powerful
features of a Search 360 Search instead. From the Analysis menu, select Search
360. This is new in iBase 8 and is covered in more detail on page 64.
45
Charting
Charting
0.7
Records can be charted on an Analyst’s Notebook chart to assist in visualizing the
contents of your database. Chart items have a reference back to the source iBase
record and changes can be made from Analyst’s Notebook. Records can also be
added to your iBase database directly from Analyst’s Notebook (see Exploring &
Creating Data with Analyst’s Notebook on page 28).
To add an item to a chart, right-click on it and select Chart ➧ Add to Chart.
Analyst’s Notebook is opened if necessary and the record or records are
displayed. The way in which records are displayed is controlled by a charting
scheme and the charting settings in use at the time.
You can also select records and expand them on a chart so that both the selected
records and their linked entities are displayed.
iBase
Suspect
Minnie WORLEY
British
Link
1800198
Sale of narcotics
53 y rs
Analyst’s Notebook
Link
Roma BARTLETT
British
47 y rs
Offender
Robert WARBURTON
British
27 y rs
Note: You can also view a chart in iBase without having to open Analyst’s Notebook first.
See page 55 for details.
46
Charting
You can chart items as Association, Timeline, or Custom (mixed) charts. A
Timeline Assistant dialog can help you to construct timeline charts in a single step.
To use the Timeline Assistant from the Analysis menu, select
Analyst’s Notebook ➧ Timeline Assistant. When you create a timeline chart, you
can choose to create Event Charts or Flow Charts:
•
Event chart
01:00
01:30
02:00
Wednesday September 11th 2002
02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30
05:00
05:30
06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00
08:30
09:00
09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
Thursday September 12th 2002
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00
00:00
14th
15th
16th
September 15--20th 2002
17th
18th
19th
Mr George BENDING : Link
Mr George BENDING
Male
Mr Sean DAVIS : Link
Mr Delroy HOWELL : Link
Final Arrangements
12/09/2002 11:05
DAVIS phones BENDING to confirm
final arrangements for Murder.
Payment
22/09/2002
8000 US dollars transferred from
HOWELL's account to BENDING's
account - payment for Murder?
Enforcer
30/07/2002
30/07/98 - Informant 76 - George
BENDING and Sean DAVIS used to run
drugs together in the USA. It is
believed that BENDING owes a huge
debt to DAVIS. The Circumstances
are not yet known.
Mr Sean DAVIS
Male
Heroin Distribution
12/05/2002
12/05/98 - Informant 981 - Sean
DAVIS and David YOUNG are working
for Gene HENDRICKS they are
distributing Heroin throughout the UK
imported from Jamaica. There is some
connection to Sweden but we do not
know what at this stage.
30-Jul-02 w
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
15:00
15:30
Tuesday September
16:00 16:30 17:0
12-Sep-02 11:05
22-Sep-02 w
Setting up a Murder
11/09/2002 11:34
Sean DAVIS phones Delroy HOWELLS
to discuss the murder of Gene
HENDRICKS, suggests that BENDING
commit the act.
Confirmation of Kill
24/09/2002 14:52
DAVIS phones HOWELL to advise
BENDING has completed the murder of
HENDRICKS.
11-Sep-02 11:34
24-Sep-02 14:52
12-May-02 w
Male UNIDENTIFIED
Male
Mr Delroy HOWELL
Male
•
Flow chart
00
03:00
06:00
09:00
12:00
Tuesday August 11th 1998
15:00 15:32
15:40
15:50 15:55
18:00
21:00
07970 345333
11/08/1998 15:30
11/08/1998 15:32
11/08/1998 15:33
11/08/1998 15:44
11/08/1998 15:52
11/08/1998 15:57
07976 222101
47
Reporting
Reporting
0.8
You may want to provide details from your database for presentation to your
colleagues in written or electronic form. You can create reports at any time; these
are snapshots of the data at the time the report is created. Since you may need to
create the same report many times, for example a weekly status report, you create
report definitions that can be saved and then use an appropriate definition to re-run
the report you want.
Report
definition
To create a new report definition, right-click on Report Definitions in the Database
Explorer window and select New. The Report Definition dialog is displayed.
You specify the main entity type from which records are to be reported upon at the
top of the dialog. Formatting, such as header and footer text style, is specified on
the General page. On the Entity page, specify what records are to be included and
the level of detail, and on the Links page, specify what link and link end entity
records are to be included. You need to save the report definition before you can
create a report. Optionally, you can make the report definition the default definition
for this entity type.
48
Reporting
Running the
report
To create a report based upon a report definition, from the File menu, select
Create Report to start the Report Wizard.
Specify the report definition and the source of the data on page 1; the source can
be a single record, the members of a set, the results of a query, or the entire
database. On page 2, specify the format of the report. Finally click Finish to create
the report. Reports can be displayed in a Report Viewer, or can be output to
Microsoft Word.
You can also run a report from the shortcut menu that is available whenever you
right-click on an entity in a list.
49
Mapping
Mapping
0.9
IBM i2 iBase Geographic Information System Interfaces enable you to send
entities and links from iBase to a GIS mapping application. From the mapping
application you can create sets and queries for further analysis back in iBase, you
can add items to an Analyst’s Notebook chart or you can use statistical analysis
tools such as Data Miner.
iBase
iBase GIS Interfaces
Add to Map
Select on Map
Sets and queries
Mapping application
Add to Map
Select on Map
Add to Chart
Expand
Send data
Add to Map
Select on Map
Analyst’s Notebook
Data Miner
Note: You must have IBM i2 iBase GIS Interfaces installed before you can use them,
contact your supplier for more details. Data Miner is a part of Analyst’s
Workstation.
50
0.10
This guide aims to give a general idea of the terminology and concepts involved in
using iBase. Hopefully it has helped you understand how to perform some simple
operations. However, this guide only describes the most basic concepts, so we
advise you to attend a training course and read the other iBase documentation to
learn about the more advanced techniques which will enable you to get the most
out of your software.
Training
Your supplier holds regular training courses to help you learn how to use iBase.
Help
Comprehensive help is available with an iBase. To display it at any time, select
from the Help menu or press the F1 key.
51
52
New features in
this version
Welcome to IBM i2 iBase 8.9.
For users who are already familiar with iBase, this chapter introduces you to what’s
new in iBase 8:
•
Importing Files from a Folder (page 54)
•
Using Charts and Chart Item Data in iBase (page 55)
•
Transforming Data on Import (page 58)
•
Data Sources Task Pane in Analyst’s Notebook (page 59)
•
Database Subsets (page 60)
The following enhancements are new for SQL Server databases only:
•
Alerting (page 61)
•
Audit History (page 63)
The following enhancements are new for SQL Server 2005/2008 only:
•
Searching with Search 360 (page 64)
•
Exporting and Importing Data as XML (page 65)
If you also use IBM i2 iBase Designer to design, create and maintain databases,
then you can find out about the additional new features of interest to designers and
administrators in the iBase Designer help.
53
0.1
You can import all the charts, documents, images and text files from a folder, or
from a folder and all its subfolders.
To do this type of import, select the Folder Contents option on the first page of the
import wizard and, on the next page, specify the location of the folder and the file
type(s):
You can import:
54
•
Any files into any entity or link type that has a document type field even if you
cannot open that type of file on your computer. The folder can contain any
combination of file types.
•
Pictures that are .bmp, .gif, and .jpg files into any entity or link type that
has a picture type field
•
Text files, provided they all have the same number and type of fields, and are
stored in a folder that only contains text files with a common structure. Once
you have selected the folder to import, you complete the import specification as
if you were importing a single text file.
0.2
You can import batches of charts that can be viewed and searched like other iBase
records. The following chart types can be imported:
•
Analyst's Notebook charts (.anb)
•
Text Chart charts (.tcv)
You import them using a standard import specification and the Folder Contents
option, described on page 54, into any entity type that has a document type field.
You view charts either in the iBase Chart Viewer dialog or in Analyst's Notebook.
This figure shows how you display a chart in Chart Viewer:
In Chart Viewer, you can navigate
the chart, zoom in and out, find text
on the chart, and examine chart
item properties (such as cards), all
as if you were working in Analyst's
Notebook.
55
The information on imported charts can also be searched using the Search 360
dialog (but only in databases that are SQL Server 2005 or later):
Search words are found in imported
Analyst’s Notebook charts
Other matches are found as well depending
on how the search options are set up
Clicking the record in the results list will display the embedded chart in the iBase
Chart Viewer.
Extracting data into iBase
If you have charts that contain information you would like to store in your iBase
database as entities and links rather than just a complete chart, you can extract
this data.
56
You can use the Chart Item Extractor to extract the data. You can extract Analyst’s
Notebook data into iBase directly from Analyst’s Notebook when connected to your
iBase database or from iBase by opening the Chart Item Extractor and browsing to
the required chart.
Before extracting Analyst’s Notebook data, you need to define:
•
how you would like to store general information
•
whether you would like to add a chart as an iBase entity in addition to the data
•
whether you would like to create an extraction set that contains the results of
the extraction
When Analyst’s Notebook items are extracted into iBase, they are scanned for
information that can be aligned to entity types and link types. If the automatic
alignment for an entity or link type is incorrect, you can modify or remove it.
Once an entity or link type has been identified, information that is contained within
item data, attributes, and data records are processed to find matches to
corresponding fields.
Once alignment is complete, the items are checked to ensure they are ready to be
extracted.
57
0.3
iBase now uses the wider range of actions provided in Analyst’s Notebook to
transform data on import. These field actions work in exactly the same way as the
Analyst’s Notebook ones.
1.
Select the
source field
that you want
to transform.
2.
Select the action
that you want to
apply to the source
data—you can apply
several actions.
3.
Specify how the
transformation will
work.
4.
Preview the result.
In this example the data in
the Number-1 field is
prefixed with data in the
Area-1 field.
58
0.4
The Data Sources Task Pane in Analyst’s Notebook 8 replaces the old iBase
toolbar:
Open the iBase database from the
Common Tasks pane. The pane lists
previously-used databases and shows
which ones are currently connected.
Work with the iBase
commands in the usual way.
All the commands are
available on the three pages
of the Data Sources task
pane.
Combinations make
it easier to set up the
charting styles you
need. You can save a
series of
combinations for use
in future Analyst’s
Notebook sessions
59
Database Subsets
Database Subsets
0.5
Your database administrator can create a small database that is a mirror image of
the main iBase database in terms of the entity and link types that it contains. The
database can also contain a small selection of records from the main database.
The records for the new database, the subset definition, are selected by creating
queries and sets and saving them as folder objects:
You can use this database subset in the field in exactly the same way as you would
use the main database. For example, you start a session by logging on to the
security file for the new database and then by opening the new database as usual.
The difference is that on return to base, you can upload new data to the main
database. The database subset can then be refreshed with new data from the
main database or it can be set to expire.
Note: Only administrative users can set up the main database for use with database
subsets. A database is initialized for database subsets by selecting Initialize
Database for Database Subsets from the File ➧ Database Subsets menu.
60
Alerting
Alerting
0.6
You can add alert definitions that will alert you, or other nominated users, when the
data of interest changes or when anyone views that data. Data can be single
records, multiple records or the results returned by a query.
For queries, you
can also monitor
when records
appear and
disappear from the
results
New alerts are displayed in the alerting status bar as soon as they are received:
Go to the Inbox
(7 unread alerts)
Go straight to the detail
for this alert
Deal with the
alert later
61
Alerting
For a summary of your alerts, use the alerting Inbox:
To find out the detail behind an alert, use the Alert Details dialog:
Alerting is only available in SQL Server databases.
Note: A system administrator can choose to deny access to the menu commands for
alerting.
62
Audit History
Audit History
0.7
In SQL Server databases, you can view the history of the changes made to
records in the database. You begin by finding the records of interest and then:
•
In a record list, right-click on one or more selected records, and from the
shortcut menu, select Show History.
•
In the Show dialog, click History.
In the Audit History dialog, you can filter the displayed records by user, entity type,
link type, and time, or you can extend the selection to include other records of
interest.
The Views column shows the number of times the records have been viewed, but
not edited. Viewing includes activities such as listing in a record list, viewing in the
Show dialog, listing or viewing in the Audit History dialog. (The number of views is
only shown if the database is set to audit level 5.)
How far back the history goes depends on how frequently your system
administrator archives this data.
Note: Audit History is also available in Audit Viewer, and is displayed by double-clicking
on records with a Record Added, Record Modified, Record Deleted or Code List
Modified action.
63
0.8
Search 360 is a powerful new way to search text for either exact matches or to
search more widely for iBase data that might possibly match (a fuzzy search).
360 searches are an efficient way of locating data that might be mistyped, have
variant spellings or that might not be in the iBase field that you expect it to be in.
Using a 360 search, you can can search for single records that match the search
criteria or search for related items, that is across end 1 entity — link— end 2 entity.
From the Analysis menu, select Search 360. This example shows a fuzzy search
for the organization Southwest Import and for any records linked to Southwest
Import that contain the name Yochum:
End 1 entity
End 2 entity or link
Note: Search 360 is only available in SQL Server databases (2005 or later). It is the
replacement for Full-Text Search. It requires setup by a database administrator.
64
0.9
There are enhanced facilities for exporting and importing data as XML for SQL
Server databases (2005 or later). This uses iBase’s own XML schema instead of
the MS Rowset Schema supported in previous releases.
Exporting XML
You can export any combination of entity and link records in a single operation. You
select the data to export by creating export definitions that can consist of multiple
queries and sets:
From the iBase File menu, select Data ➧ Export Definitions.
Export to XML is an extension of the new database subset feature, which requires
that a database administrator initialize the database for database subsets.
Note: Before you can make use of the exported XML data, a transform must be applied
in an XML editor in order to convert the data to the schema of the target database.
Importing XML
You can import data from any external data source capable of generating XML
data. However, before you can import the data, a transform must be applied in an
XML editor in order to convert the data to iBase’s own XML schema.
Note: As XML import is a type of bulk import, it can only be run in iBase Designer. It also
requires that Bulk Import is activated.
Generating the XML schema file
XSD files containing the information that will be needed for writing the transforms
that convert XML data from or to the iBase XML schema can be generated in
iBase Designer.
From the Tools menu in iBase Designer, select Tools ➧ Database Design ➧
Generate XML Schema
65
Notices
0.10
Notices
This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A.
IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in other
countries. Consult your local IBM representative for information on the products and services
currently available in your area. Any reference to an IBM product, program, or service is not
intended to state or imply that only that IBM product, program, or service may be used. Any
functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not infringe any IBM intellectual
property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to evaluate and
verify the operation of any non-IBM product, program, or service.
IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter described in
this document. The furnishing of this document does not grant you any license to these
patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to:
IBM Director of Licensing
IBM Corporation
North Castle Drive
Armonk,
NY 10504-1785
U.S.A.
The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any other country
where such provisions are inconsistent with local law: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT,
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statement may not apply to you.
This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are
periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new
editions of the publication. IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s)
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IBM i2 iBase 8 Quick Start Guide

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