ACL London User Group - Question Box Session

Alex Psarras

Question Box

Alex Psarras, ACDASenior Data Insight Analyst

3 Appleton Court, Calder Park, Wakefield WF2 7AR

T +44 (0)1924 254101 F +44 (0)1924 253358 M +44 (0)75 8596 7438

E: [email protected] W: www.dataconsulting.co.uk

Top Queries

1.Calculate number of months between dates

2.Identify duplicates over multiple fields

3.Automating SAP Direct Link background query retrieval

Calculating months between dates

Quick and dirty way• Months = (End Date – Start Date) / 30.00 (2 d.p.)• Months = (End Date – Start Date) / 30 (0 d.p.)

= (08/11/2014 – 28/08/2014) / 30.00 = 72 / 30.00 = 2.40 (2 d.p.) = 2 (0 d.p.)


Quick and dirty way• Months = (End Date – Start Date) / 30.00 (2 d.p.)• Months = (End Date – Start Date) / 30 (0 d.p.)

= (08/11/2014 – 28/08/2014) / 30.00 = 72 / 30.00 = 2.40 (2 d.p.) = 2 (0 d.p.)


A better approach*Months = MONTH(End Date) – MONTH(Start Date)

= MONTH(08/11/2014) – MONTH(28/08/2014) = 11 - 8 = 3

* version 10 onwards


A better approach*Months = MONTH(End Date) – MONTH(Start Date)



A better approach*Months = (YEAR(End Date) – YEAR(Start Date)) * 12 + MONTH(End Date) – MONTH(Start Date)

= (YEAR(15/01/2015) – YEAR(08/11/2014)) * 12 + MONTH(15/01/2015) – MONTH(08/11/2014)

= (2015 – 2014) * 12 + 1 - 11 = 1 * 12 + 1 - 11 = 12 + 1 - 11 = 2



Pre-version 10

• MONTH() = VALUE(SPLIT(DATE(Date), “/”, 2), 0)• YEAR() = VALUE(SPLIT(DATE(Date), “/”, 3), 0)

Day / Month / Year

Segment 1 Separator Segment 2 Separator Segment 3

05 / 01 / 2015

Duplicates in different fields

Vendor ID

Name 1 Name 2 Address #

1st Line Address

Post Code

45463 Clownfish Telecom

Finance Department

3 North Forest St

TT8 9UX

48923 Clownfish Ltd (DON’T USE)

Clownfish Telecom

3 North Forest Street

TT8 9UX

48782 Death Star Enterprise

Mos Eisley Cantina

8 SW1 3PO

49969 A.Skywalker aka Darth Vader

8 Mos Eisley Cantina

SW1 3PO


Combine all key fields into one field:• Name 2 + Post Code• Address # + Post Code• 1st Line Address + Post Code• “Clean” versions of the above

45463 – TT8 9UX Digits 1st Line

45463 NorthForestSt – TT8 9UX Chars 1st Line

45463 North Forest St – TT8 9UX 1st Line

45463 3 - TT8 9UX Digits Address #

45463 - TT8 9UX Chars Address #

45463 - TT8 9UX Digits Name 2

45463 FinanceDepartment - TT8 9UX Chars Name 2

45463 Finance Department - TT8 9UX Name 2

Duplicates in different fieldsVendor ID Address Address Type

45463 3 - TT8 9UX Address #











48923 3 – TT8 9UX Digits 1st Line

48923 3 North Forest Street – TT8 9UX 1st Line

48923 Clownfish Telecom - TT8 9UX Name 2












• 45463 & 48923 (1 match)– Address # vs Digits 1st Line

• 48782 & 49962 (2 matches)– Name 2 vs 1st Line– 1st Line vs Address #

Vendor ID Address Address Type


48923 3 – TT8 9UX Digits 1st Line

48782 Mos Eisley Cantina - SW1 3PO Name 2

48782 8 - SW1 3PO 1st Line

49969 Mos Eisley Cantina - SW1 3PO 1st Line

49969 8 - SW1 3PO Address #

Duplicates in different fieldsCOMMENT ** Extract all fields to Combined_Addresses

EXTRACT FIELDS TO "Combined_Addresses"Vendor_Number SUBSTRING(Name_2 + "-" + Post_Code, 1, 50) AS "Address" SUBSTRING("Name 2", 1, 20) AS "Type"

EXTRACT FIELDS TO "Combined_Addresses" APPENDVendor_Number SUBSTRING(INCLUDE(UPPER(Name_2), "A…Z") + "-" + Post_Code, 1, 50) SUBSTRING("Chars Name 2", 1, 20)

EXTRACT FIELDS TO "Combined_Addresses" APPENDVendor_Number SUBSTRING(INCLUDE(Name_2, "0123456789") + "-" + Post_Code, 1, 50) SUBSTRING("Digits Name 2", 1, 20)

COMMENT ** Repeat for next field

Auto-retrieve SAP Direct Link jobs

• ACL Direct Link has two modes:1. Extract Now

• For small queries, 488 KB or less• ACL retrieves data as soon as possible

2. Background • For larger queries• User has to manually retrieve data

• Background retrieval can be automated by using SAP table TBTCO - Job Status Overview

Job Name Start Date Start Time User Status End Date End Time

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 APsarras F 13/01/2014 13:49:02

BKPF.DAT 13/01/2014 09:58:34 APsarras R


How to automate SAP retrievals

1. Submit all queries in background mode2. Capture and log the SAP job names3. For each un-retrieved table

a) Check TBTCO and see if the data is readyb) If ready then retrieve data and log findingsc) Move on to next un-retrieved table

4. Wait X minutes and repeat step 3 5. Continue once we have all files


1. Submit all queries in background mode

EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 N

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N


2. Capture and log the SAP job names

Job Name Submit Date

SubmitTime

Complete Complete Date

Complete Time

Records


3. For each un-retrieved table

TBTKO

EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 N

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N


SubmitTime


Complete Time

Records


BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 APsarras R



TBTKO

EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 N

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 Y

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N


SubmitTime


Complete Time

Records


LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 APsarras F 13/01/2014 09:52:59

13/01/2014 09:52:59 52,485



TBTKO

EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 N

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 Y

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N


SubmitTime


Complete Time

Records


EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 APsarras R

13/01/2014 09:52:59 52,485


4. All tables retrieved?

No - so wait 10 minutes

EXECUTE "TIMEOUT /t 600“

Then go back to step 3



EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 N

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 Y

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N


SubmitTime


Complete Time

Records

13/01/2014 09:52:59 52,485



Wait 10 minutes!

EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 N

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 Y

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N


SubmitTime


Complete Time

Records

13/01/2014 09:52:59 52,485



Wait 10 minutes!

EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 N

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 Y

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 N


SubmitTime


Complete Time

Records

13/01/2014 09:52:59 52,485



EKKO.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:19 Y

LFA1.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 Y

BSEG.DAT 13/01/2014 09:52:18 Y


SubmitTime


Complete Time

Records

13/01/2014 09:52:59 52,485

13/01/2014 11:38:12 11,848,179

13/01/2014 18:08:32 89,711,009

Questions?

Alex Psarras075 8596 [email protected]

Data & Analytics

ACL London User Group - Question Box Session