MicroStrategy ONE

Freeform SQL reports versus standard reports

A Freeform SQL report is simply a standard report, which has been built using the Freeform SQL feature. Due to some variations in how standard reports and Freeform SQL reports are built, there are also some varying functionalities between the two.

You can create Freeform SQL reports using your own SQL queries against a data warehouse, or from an Excel file, or a flat text file. Although Freeform SQL reports can only be created on MicroStrategy Developer, once created, they can be executed from both MicroStrategy Developer and MicroStrategy Web like any other MicroStrategy standard reports. Functions that you can perform on MicroStrategy standard reports can also be performed on Freeform SQL reports, including the following:

  • Sorting

  • Auto-styles

  • Caching

  • Exporting

  • Filtering

  • Value prompts

  • Thresholds

  • Graphing

  • Narrowcast Server subscriptions and report execution

  • Object security

  • OLAP services

  • Prioritization

  • Report Services documents

  • Report as filter

  • Scheduling

  • Subtotals

The following features are available for use with Freeform SQL reports if an attribute and fact schema is used to model the data returned from your queries:

  • Element list prompts

  • Security filters

However, due to the nature of Freeform SQL reports, the following functions do not apply:

  • Custom groups

  • Consolidations

  • Transformations

  • Existing filters

  • Save as template

  • Data marting

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