As a general rule, Web Intelligence does not allow you to place dimensions from different data providers in the same table. This is to avoid Cartesian products (the display of all possible combinations of values from unrelated objects) or other ambiguous results, depending on the universe structure.
You can always place measures from different data providers in a table. Web Intelligence calculates the measure depending on what dimensions are available. For example, if you place a measure in a table that contains no dimensions from the same data provider as the measure, Web Intelligence displays its total value in the table.
You can place a merged dimension in a table as long as the table contains other dimensions from a data provider that participates in the merge. You can also place details from different data providers in a table, as long as the details are associated with dimensions that participate in a merged dimension.
In certain situations, it can be valid to place a dimension from another data provider in a table, even when Web Intelligence does not permit this. This occurs when the incompatible dimension has a one-to-one or one-to many relationship with a dimension already in the table. The important point is that there is only one value of the incompatible dimension associated with the dimension in the table (one-to-one). On the other hand, the same value of the incompatible dimension can be associated with multiple values of the dimension in the table (one-to-many).
In the table below, the relationship between Address and Name conforms to these rules: Address has a one-to-one or one-to-many association with Name. There is no one-to-many association in the other direction, between Name and Address (one name with more than one address):
| Dimension in table (Name) | Incompatible dimension (Address) |
|---|---|
| John | London |
| Paul | London |
| George | Liverpool |
In this case the universe design is incorrect - the incompatible dimension (Address) should be defined as a detail of the dimension in the table (Name). If you encounter this situation, see your Business Objects administrator and ask for a redesign of the universe.
If it is not practical to change the universe, create a variable at the report level. Define this variable as a detail, associate it with the dimension in the table, and supply the name of the incompatible dimension as the variable definition. The variable simply returns the same values as the incompatible dimension. Because it is defined as a detail of the dimension in the table, Web Intelligence allows you to place it in the same table as the dimension.