Eclipse BIRT Report Object Model (ROM)

ColumnHint Structure

# Structure Overview

Provides a number of report-related data attributes about a result set column.

### Details

Display Name: | Column Hint
Since: | 1.0

### Property Summary

alias
  Provides an "alias" name to the column for use within the report.
analysis
  Determines how the column is used when exporting the data to an OLAP cube.
columnName
  The name of the result set column for which hints are defined.
displayName
  The optional localizable display name for the column.
displayNameID
export
  Determines how the column will be used when exporting data.
format
  The format string used to format the column data when displaying the value in the search result UI.
helpText
  The optional localizable descriptive text that explains the column to the end user.
helpTextID
parentLevel
  Specifies the parent of the column when exporting the data to an OLAP cube.
searching
  Indicates how the column will be used when searching.

### Description

A column hint defines report-related data attributes about a retrieved column or a computed column.

# Property Detail

## alias Property

Provides an "alias" name to the column for use within the report.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Alias
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | No

### Description

Provides an "alias" name to the column for use within the report. Useful if the column names are awkward. Optional.

## analysis Property

Determines how the column is used when exporting the data to an OLAP cube.

### Details

Type: | choice (analysisType)
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Analysis
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | auto
Runtime Settable: | No

### Choices

Name | Display Name | Value | Description
auto | Auto | auto | BIRT will attempt to guess the proper use of the column.
dimension | Dimension | dimension | The column is a dimension. Use the Parent Dimension property to define the dimension hierarchy.
measure | Measure | measure | The column is numeric measure.
detail | Detail | detail | The column provides additional information about a dimension. Use the Parent Dimension property to define the dimension for which this column is a detail.
none | No analysis type | none | The column should not be exported for use with OLAP.

### Description

Determines how the column is used when exporting the data to an OLAP cube. OLAP cubes require that the columns be structured into dimension hierarchies. Such hierarchies are formed though a sequence of dimensions. The intersection of hierarchies has one or more numeric measures. Columns that are neither dimensions nor measures can be detail attributes associated with a dimension. Whether any given column is actually available for use with analysis depends on the Export property above.

## columnName Property

The name of the result set column for which hints are defined.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | Yes
Display Name: | Column Name
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | No

### Description

This property keys the column hint to a column within the result set. The name is defined either by the data provider, a result set column definition, or a computed column definition.

## displayName Property

The optional localizable display name for the column.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Display Name
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | No

### Description

The name displayed to the end-user for the column. The display name can be localized. If the display name is omitted, the column name itself is displayed instead.

## displayNameID Property

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Display Name Resource Key
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | Yes

## export Property

Determines how the column will be used when exporting data.

### Details

Type: | choice (exportType)
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Export
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | if-realized
Runtime Settable: | No

### Choices

Name | Display Name | Value | Description
none | No export type | none | The column cannot be exported.
if-realized | If Realized | if-realized | The column can be exported only if it is referenced somewhere in the report.
always | Always | always | The column can always be exported. This setting acts like a column reference, and forces the column to be realized even if the column is not otherwise used within the report.

### Description

Determines how the column will be used when exporting data.

## format Property

The format string used to format the column data when displaying the value in the search result UI.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Format
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | No

### Description

An optional BIRT format string used to format the column data when displaying the value in the viewing UI, especially within the search results.

### See Also

Style `format` properties

## helpText Property

The optional localizable descriptive text that explains the column to the end user.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Help Text
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | No

### Description

Additional pop-up help text associated with the column. This descriptive text can explain the purpose of the column to the end user. The help text can be localized.

## helpTextID Property

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Help Text Resource Key
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | Yes

## parentLevel Property

Specifies the parent of the column when exporting the data to an OLAP cube.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Parent Level
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Runtime Settable: | No

### Description

Used when a column’s Analysis property is set to Dimension or Detail. For Dimensions, this property establishes the dimension hierarchy. Lower (more detailed) dimensions identify their parent (more general) dimensions. For details, this property identifies the dimension for which this column is a detail attribute.

## searching Property

Indicates how the column will be used when searching.

### Details

Type: | choice (searchType)
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Searching
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | any
Runtime Settable: | Yes

### Choices

Name | Display Name | Value | Description
any | Any | any | The column is always searchable, whether it is indexed or not.
indexed | Indexed | indexed | The column is searchable if it is indexed.
none | No search type | none | The column is not searchable.

### Description

Indicates how the column will be used when searching.