To use the BXBmaster to analyze data available in spreadsheets supplied by MS-Excel, you must:

1) Take a worksheet data arranged in a database, in other words, in one column for each data (example in Figure 1);

2) Create an ODBC data source via the "Administrative Tools" from the "Control Panel" window. Note that it must be a "System Data Sources" and not "User Data Sources" (see example in Figure 2).

figura 1

figura 2

In the example above was recorded a file named SalesOrders.xls ODBC and a data source named SalesOrders.

Note that we until not entered the environment BXBmaster. All part described above was done within the Microsoft environment.

Now run the BXBmaster:

a) The option Cube setting / New setting "Step 1" of the Cube settings wizard displays SalesOrders in the list of connections;

b) Select SalesOrders in that list and click on <Next>, which will lead to "Step 2";

c) In the left of the screen of "Step 2" click on "Show tables" and the names of three tabs (worksheets) of SalesOrders.xls file (data source associated with the SalesOrders) will be displayed;

d) Click on the + sign to the left of SalesExample and the title of the columns of this spreadsheet will appear;

e) With this you will notice that the data source named Sales_example.txt treats SalesOrder.xls as a database, a spreadsheet SalesOrders.xls as a table and columns as fields. Write, then, the following "program extractor" in SQL script within the central panel of "Step 2" in the cube setup wizard, as illustrated in Figure 3;

SELECT
CATEGORY,
CUSTOMER,
PRODUCT,
ORDER,
[SALE VALUE],
[COST VALUE]
FROM
[SALES_EXAMPLE.TXT]

figura 3

f) To get a preview of the result, click on "Show [100] first lines”. To continue, close the preview window, click on <Next> and will be taken to "Step 3";

g) Note that in "Step 3" all numeric columns are displayed in the Metrics tab, while only cost should be treated as Measures. You can follow the guidance of Chapter 3 of the roadmap for the creation of the cube (pdf file);

h) A click on <Next> will lead to "Step 4", where you should enter the address and name of the configuration of the cube, preferably within the folder metadata set during installation BXBMASTER (for example C: \ BXBMaster \ MetaData \ SalesData.cfg). That done, just click on <Next> one more time and in "Step 5" <Finish>;

i) With this, you left a cube (multidimensional database) set up and ready for use;

j) To begin the analysis select File / New / Cube Analysis menu bar BXBmaster;

k) In the new window that opens, select the "Path and name of the  configuration of the cube" and enter the cube's configuration file (C:\BXBMaster\MetaData\SalesData.cfg, for example), the same recorded in "Step 4" described above (see Figure 4)

figura 4

l) Click on <Confirm> and it is ready for you to do your analysis. If not already familiar with all the resources that BXBmaster can provide, see the User Guide.