Xmla4js is a standalone javascript library that provides basic XML for Analysis (XML/A) capabilities, allowing javascript developers to access data and metadata from OLAP provides for use in rich (web) applications. Xmla4js can be used inside a webpage or in a server environment like node.js

1. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
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OLAP for Web applications
X4js
MLA

2. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
2
Welcome, thanks for attending!
● Roland Bouman; Leiden, Netherlands
● Ex MySQL AB, Sun Microsystems
● Web and BI Developer
● Co-author of “Pentaho Solutions”
● Blog: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
● Twitter: @rolandbouman

3. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
3
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

4. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
4
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

5. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
5
In a nutshell...
● XML/A = XML for Analysis
● Industry standard for OLAP over HTTP
● Xmla4js = javascript API to enable XML/A
● OLAP data for your web applications

6. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
6
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

7. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
7
XML/A Overview
● XML for Analysis is a communication
protocol
– SOAP Webservice: XML, HTTP
● Initiated by Microsoft
● Supported by multiple vendors and products:
– Microsoft Analysis Services
– Oracle Essbase
– SAP BW
– PALO Server (EE)

8. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
8
XML/A is SOAP
● Standard HTTP request/response:
– Client sends a request using an URL
– Server sends a response
● SOAP Webservice
– simple object access protocol
– request and response are XML documents
– XML format is more or less predefined
● Method invocation analogy

9. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
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XML/A Methods
● Discover:
– Obtaining metadata
– Request: request type, properties, restrictions
– Response: Tabular schema rowset
● Execute:
– Performing queries
– Request: MDX statement, properties
– Response: Multidimensional resultset

10. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
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Typical XML/A Calling Sequence
ServerClient
Discover
Schema Rowset (metadata)
Model
(metadata)
Visualization
(data)
Request type, restrictions
Statement (MDX)
Execute
Multidimensional Resultset (data)

11. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
11
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

12. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
12
Using XML/A in webpages
● Webpage client-side programming:
– Javascript
● HTTP requests: AJAX
– XMLHttpRequest
● Working with XML:
– Document Object Model (DOM)
– XPath, XSLT
– Framework like jQuery

13. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
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XML/A in webpages: Example
SELECT [Measures].[Profit]
ON COLUMNS,
[Product].[All Products].Children
ON ROWS
FROM [Sales]
Measures
Profit
Drink $ 29,358.98
Food $245,764.87
Non-Consumable $ 64,487.05

14. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
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XML/A with raw javascript
<script type=”text/javascript”>
var url = "http://localhost:8080/pentaho/Xmla?userid=joe&password=password";
var datasource = "Pentaho Analysis Services";
var catalog = "FoodMart";
var mdx = "SELECT [Measures].[Profit] ON COLUMNS," +
" [Product].[All Products].Children ON ROWS " +
"FROM [Sales]";
var request = "<SOAP-ENV:Envelope" +
" xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"" +
" SOAP-ENV:encodingStyle="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/">" +
" <SOAP-ENV:Body>" +
" <Execute" +
" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-analysis"" +
" SOAP-ENV:encodingStyle="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/">" +
" <Command>" +
" <Statement>" + mdx + "</Statement>" +
" </Command>" +
" <Properties>" +
" <PropertyList>" +
" <DataSourceInfo>" + datasource + "</DataSourceInfo>" +
" <Catalog>" + catalog + "</Catalog>" +
" <Format>Tabular</Format>" +
" </PropertyList>" +
" </Properties>" +
" </Execute>" +
" </SOAP-ENV:Body>" +
"</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>";
var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open("POST", url, false);
xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "text/xml");
xhr.send(request);
var response = xhr.responseXML;
var rows = response.getElementsByTagNameNS(
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-analysis:rowset", "row"
);
var colHeaders = response.getElementsByTagNameNS(
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-analysis:rowset", "row"
);
var rowArray = [];
for (var i=0; i<rows.length; i++){
var row = rows.item(i);
var cols = row.getElementsByTagName("*");
var rowArrayEntry = {};
rowArray.push(rowArrayEntry);
for (var j=0; j<cols.length; j++){
var col = cols.item(j);
rowArrayEntry[col.nodeName] = col.firstChild.data
}
}
</script>

15. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
15
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

16. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
16
Xmla4js sample code
<script type="text/javascript" src="../src/Xmla.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var rowArray = new Xmla().execute({
async: false,
url: "http://localhost:8080/pentaho/Xmla",
statement: "SELECT [Measures].[Profit] ON COLUMNS," +
" [Product].[All Products].Children ON ROWS "+
"FROM [Sales]",
properties: {
DataSourceInfo: "Pentaho Analysis Services",
Catalog: "FoodMart",
Format: "Tabular"
}
}).fetchAllAsObject();
</script>
[
{"[Product].[Product Family].[MEMBER_CAPTION]":"Drink",
"[Measures].[Profit]":29358.9754}
, {"[Product].[Product Family].[MEMBER_CAPTION]":"Food",
"[Measures].[Profit]":245764.86650000003}
, {"[Product].[Product Family].[MEMBER_CAPTION]":"Non-Consumable",
"[Measures].[Profit]":64487.0545}
]

17. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
17
Xmla4js Library Overview
● One file (< 20 kb minified but uncompressed)
● Cross browser
● Standalone (no dependency on framework)
● LGPL

18. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
18
Xmla4js API Overview
● Just three “Classes”
– Xmla
– Xmla.Rowset
– Xmla.Exception
● YUI Doc documentation

19. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
19
Xmla4js Methods:
● Xmla:
– addListener()
– request()
– discover()
– execute()

20. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
20
Xmla4js Methods:
● Xmla.Rowset:
– hasMoreRecords(), curr(), next()
– getFields()
– fetchAsArray(), fetchAsObject()
– fetchAllAsArray(), fetchAllAsObject()

21. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
21
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

22. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
22
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

23. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
23
Program
● In a nutshell...
● XML/A overview
● Using XML/A in webpages
● Making life a little easier – Xmla4js
● Demonstration
● Questions and answers
● Links and resources

24. Roland Bouman: http://rpbouman.blogspot.com/
Xmla4js: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
24
Links and resources
● Project: http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/
● Specification: http://www.xmlforanalysis.com/xmla1.1.doc
● Docs: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187178(SQL.90).aspx