How to access comments in BW/4HANA for reporting purposes

[Bjoern_Weidemann1]

I have used the commenting function in #BW/4HANA for data point comments in a query. Technically, the document store object is used. The following image shows my architecture

I have recorded two comments. Now I would like to evaluate the comments in a separate report or process them with machine learning later.

The question now is how I can access the comments in the #BW/4HANA backend. When I look at the data (tables via SE11) in DSO /1BW/DOAHD5Z, I see all the data around the comment, but not the comment itself.

The question now is, in which table or where are the comments themselves stored and how can I access them to build a report based on them. The report shall give me only all comments.

[gregor_dieckmann]

Hi Bjoern,

by now there exists no API to access the storage table of a DocumentStore because this table too technical and was designed to allow an optimized access by the OLAP and the BW data manager. The table looks like simple table containing many fields, but even the fields with InfoObject field names are not really simple. In addition, a document is assigned to query result set cell (independent of the query), i.e. the semantical key of the document is contained in SELDR, a serialized complex filter description of the BW Analytic Engine (OLAP). 

It would be helpful to have more details about your scenario, i.e. what do you want to achieve with the contents of the comments table. The payload, i.e. the comment itself, is not the problem. But comments are described by the complex filter table (SELDR) that allows to assign the comment to a result set cell of a BW query.

Would a 'flat' standard reporting be sufficient? Since the storage table of a DocumentStore is a generated aDSO, say D, it is also an InfoProvider. As a result, the default query D/!D works out of the box, but it will not contain the payload since this is a RAWSTRING on DB. One idea might be to create a SAP standard default query for documents, this query might be the same as a flat default query but also display the documents in the same way as a modeled query with DocumentStore assignment.

Best Regards,

Gregor

[gregor_dieckmann]

Hi Bjorn,

in the BW Modeling Tools it also possible to display the comments, but this only works in BW/4 (since commenting was developed in BW/4 and later downported to BW NetWeaver 7.50 where the web UIs are not available). An administrator might also use report RSDOC_CORRECT_DOCUMENTS where you can get a list as you described. The report was shipped with note 3417482 (check also more recent notes: 3454642, 3466877, 3494247, 3503036).

I am still not sure whether a special default query on the generated aDSO of a Document Store is a good idea since even the InfoObjects in this aDSO are not easy to interpret and thus might lead to more questions than answers.

Regards,

Gregor

[Bjoern_Weidemann1]

Hi Gregor,

First of all, I would like to thank you for your extremely helpful reply and your valuable support. I really appreciate your helpfulness! Please find my answer below.

When I evaluate the Document Store /1BW/DOAHD5Z, I get all the necessary information. What is missing, however, are the comments themselves.

For example, I can see the combination of characteristics and key figures for the query. I can also see who entered a comment on the combination of characteristics and key figures for the query and when. Here is an example:

What is still missing here is the column of the respective comment. The table should look like this:

That would also be the requirement. A query or a table that displays all the comments entered.

I have understood that there is no way to display the above table using ABAP or BW tools, because the mapping between the Document Store and the DataSore object is too complicated and there is also no API that could realize this. Have I understood this correctly?

Best regards and thank you again for your great support.

Björn