Building a query using alternative data access methods

Freeform SQL and Query Builder are MicroStrategy tools that provide you alternative methods to access your business data and create reports.

Freeform SQL

Freeform SQL is a MicroStrategy tool that allows you to write your own SQL statements to run directly against a data warehouse or operational data store, giving you full control over accessing your data.

Traditionally, you use the MicroStrategy Engine to generate SQL to run against one specific relational database to return results for a desired report. In addition to generating reports in the traditional way, you can also use your own customized SQL statements to generate reports from operational systems included in a MicroStrategy project. This capability can save you time since you do not need to place the data into a data mart or data warehouse first.

The Freeform SQL feature allows you to use your own SQL statements to access data from various ODBC data sources, including relational databases, Excel files, and flat files, as long as they are included in the MicroStrategy environment. Since you create your own SQL statements to create reports with Freeform SQL, a strong knowledge of how to create and use SQL statements is essential.

For detailed information on how to create a Freeform SQL report, see the Custom SQL Queries chapter in the Advanced Reporting Help.

Query Builder

Query Builder is a graphical user interface that helps guide you when building SQL queries that can adapt to different data models. Query Builder allows you to run queries against ODBC data sources that are not easily modeled to an attribute and fact schema. This includes databases that are a collection of flat tables rather than being defined into fact and lookup tables.

Query Builder provides an easy way to quickly access your ODBC data sources without having to write any SQL, which is required by the Freeform SQL tool. You can create queries to be run against imported database tables, which allows you to begin reporting and analysis with MicroStrategy without performing the project creation step of modeling attribute and fact schemas. (The modeling step is necessary for MicroStrategy's ROLAP Engine to define attribute and fact schemas.) You can also import tables into a project's Warehouse Catalog using the Query Builder feature.

Query Builder allows you more control over the SQL generated against your database systems, without the need for extensive knowledge on how to create SQL statements. A basic knowledge of how SQL statements use tables, columns, and joins to build queries is essential.

For detailed information on how to create a Query Builder report, see the Custom SQL Queries chapter in the Advanced Reporting Help.