How to implement Type Ahead/Auto Complete Functionality

OBIEE 11.1.1.6 has come up with some new features. Auto Complete is one of the new features which is being introduced with this version.

Oracle BI EE provides auto-complete functionality for prompts, which, when enabled, suggests and highlights matching prompt values as the user types in the prompt selection field. Auto-complete can be excluded or included on dashboards, and users can turn auto-complete off for their accounts.

Constraints :-

1. Option is available with OBIEE 11.1.1.6 version only.
2. Available only for the Choice List prompts.
3. Must select the "Enable user to type values" in the prompt dialog.
4. Auto Complete is not available for hierarchical prompts.

Options available are :-

1. case-sensitive or case-insensitive
2. Matching level can be set up as Starts With, Word Starts With, Match All.

Steps to configure Auto Complete Option :

A. System Settings 

Administrator will modify the system configuration file to enable this option. 

When  this functionality is turned on, all users can view this functionality.

1. Open the instanceconfig.xml file located at $OBIEE_HOME\instances\instance6\config\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\ instanceconfig.xml
2. Include elements and their ancestors as shown below. (should be put before end of </ServerInstance>

 

Syntax :-
<Prompts>

<MaxDropDownValues>256</MaxDropDownValues>

<AutoApplyDashboardPromptValues>true</AutoApplyDashboardPromptValues>

<AutoSearchPromptDialogBox>true</AutoSearchPromptDialogBox>

<AutoCompletePromptDropDowns>

<SupportAutoComplete>true</SupportAutoComplete>

<CaseInsensitive>true</CaseInsensitive>

<MatchingLevel>MatchAll</MatchingLevel>

<ResultsLimit>50</ResultsLimit>

</AutoCompletePromptDropDowns>

</Prompts>


Matching level can be set as “MatchAll “, “StartsWith”, “WordStartsWith”

ResultsLimit: - Specifies the number of matching values that are returned when the auto-complete functionality is enabled.

 3. Save your changes and close the file.

 4. Restart Oracle Business Intelligence.

B. Dashboard Settings : 

While creating a new prompt, choose user input as choice list and click on Enable user to type values. Save the prompt and Navigate to Dashboard.


C. Dashboard Execution :

As shown above, when user starts typing the values, OBIEE will generate matching values and display in the drop
downlist. Goal Achieved :-).

Now, I will describe what if we only need to enable it for specific dashboard/user.

D.Steps to disable the functionality from dashboards:


 1. Dashboard Settings:

     This functionality can be disabled for an individual dashboard as shown below.

    i. Click on Edit Dashboard -> Dashboard Properties

       ii.      Change Prompts Auto Complete as “Off”

  

      2 User Level Settings: - Individual user can set turn off this feature by going to  

                                                   My Account as shown below.

      Click on My Account -> Preferences. Select Prompt Auto Complete as Off.

Cheers... I hope this helps..