Example - Creating Custom Relative Time Periods - IBM Cognos User Manual

Relative time setting
Last Period
Same Period, Prior Higher-Level
Period
Period To-Date, Prior Period
Custom
Cognos Transformer supports the following mechanisms for setting the current
period:
v automatic, based on the most recent date in the data source that updates the
current period
v manual, as set on the Time tab of the time dimension property sheet, or on the
diagram
v using the command line, by setting the -t option
For more information, see "-t option" on page 232.
v using an MDL script
For more information, see the Cognos Transformer Developer Guide.

Example - Creating Custom Relative Time Periods

This example illustrates how to create a set of custom relative time periods to meet
the specific reporting needs of your users.
Procedure
1. Suppose your first period is for the month 2007/03, which is two months
before the month in which the current period occurs. You specify the following
details:
v Current Period = 2007/05/30
Description
The last period at this level. For example, if the current
date is 2007/05/30
- the Last Month category is 2007/04
- the Last Quarter category is 2007 Q1, assuming a
standard year of four quarters beginning in January
- the Last Year category is 2007
The same period in the most recent higher-level period.
For example, if the current date is 2007/05/30, which
falls in the second month of the second quarter of a
standard calendar year
- the Same Month, Prior Quarter category is 2007/02,
which is the second month of the first quarter
- the Same Month, Prior Year category is 2006/05,
which is the fifth month of the previous year
The periods-to-date in the context of the most recent
higher-level period. For example, if the current date is
2007/05/30, which falls in the second month of the
second quarter of a standard year.
the Quarter to Date, Prior Quarter category is a
specially constructed version of 2007 Q1 that contains
only the first and second months (January and
February) of that quarter
A relative time period that you specify by changing the
predefined category details. For more information, see
"Example - Creating Custom Relative Time Periods."
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Appendix D. Reference