DOC: English Query 2000 Tutorials Errata (289886)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (all editions)
This article was previously published under Q289886

SUMMARY

Microsoft English Query 2000 installs a compiled HTML Help file named Eqtut.chm and adds it to the English Query submenu in the Microsoft SQL Server program group on the Microsoft Windows Start menu under the name "English Query Tutorials." This option also appears on the Microsoft Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) Help menu.

The purpose of this article is to correct certain oversights and typographical errors that are contained in the Tutorials document.

MORE INFORMATION

Clarification

The "Overview of English Query" which precedes the tutorials states that "an English Query application . writes and executes a database query." In fact, the work of the English Query engine is complete once it has translated an English question into a valid SQL or multidimensional expressions (MDX) query. How that query is executed, and how the results of that query are used or displayed to users, are options left to the discretion of the English Query developer.

Although the English Query Model Test window and the sample applications that are installed with or generated by English Query can execute queries and display results, note that this is accomplished by using ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), the standard data access technology, and not English Query components.

General Reminders

  1. The results of your questions may not match the sample results that are printed in the tutorial. For example, when you ask "How long has each employee worked?" while completing the section by that name in the "Complex Model" tutorial, the results in the "tenure" column differ from the printed results because additional time has elapsed since the tutorial was written.
  2. Whenever you are asked to test a question, you may need to open the Model Test window by clicking the Start button on the toolbar or an equivalent, such as the F5 key.
  3. Whenever you begin a new set of numbered steps, you may need to close the Model Test window and to clear the Canvas from the previous set of steps.

Entity Type Error

The tutorial only contains one error that prevents the subsequent steps from working as described. This occurs in the "How long has each employee worked?" section of the "Complex Model" tutorial. Step 3b under "Create a new entity, tenure" should read:

b. In Entity type, click Measure.

If you assign an Entity Type of When to tenure, as instructed by the tutorial, you are not able to specify tenure as the Duration entity in the series of steps that follows, and questions that depend on this setting are not answered correctly.

Warning Messages and Other Errata

The remaining issues are described as follows in chronological order as a user encounters them while working through the tutorials in the order presented.

Basic SQL Model

  1. In the section "Considering Potential User Questions," the first diagram of database objects represents the Northwind sample database, but the second diagram of semantic objects erroneously depicts the PUBS sample database.
  2. In the section "Creating a Relationship Using the Canvas Pane," if you follow the steps as described to create the relationship, supplier_contact_titles are adjectives describing suppliers, the results appear as expected. However, when you test or build the project, a warning message appears that this new relationship phrasing is effectively a duplicate of the existing relationship, suppliers have supplier_contact_titles. This occurs because the new phrasing has been added to the model as a new relationship, not as an additional phrasing for the existing relationship.

    In order to avoid this warning message, locate and delete the new relationship, supplier_contact_titles are adjectives describing suppliers, and repeat steps 2-6, modifying step 2 as follows:

    2. Drag supplier onto the Canvas pane, near but not onto supplier_contact_title. The two entities should appear on the Canvas with the existing relationship, suppliers have supplier_contact_titles. Double-click the relationship balloon to open the New Relationship dialog and continue with the remaining steps.

Complex SQL Model

  1. In the section "Show the customers (who have placed orders since 1997)," in the series of steps to set the entity default, step 1 says:

    1. In the canvas pane, click on customer.

    However, the customer entity is not displayed on the Canvas pane at this point. Either clear the Canvas, drag the customer entity to the Canvas, and double-click on customer; or select the customer entity in the Entities list on the left and double-click it.
  2. In the section "How many units of seafood are in stock?," after creating the subset phrasing, categories categorize products, when you test or build the project, you see a warning that a Proper Name entity (category_name) has been used as the object of a subset phrasing.

    Edit the category_name entity by changing its Name Type from Proper Name to Common Name, or you can disregard this warning. Because the CategoryName field values are capitalized in the source database, the SQL Project Wizard has incorrectly assumed that they are Proper Names.

OLAP Model

  1. In the section "What are the three most popular products?," in the steps for creating the relationship unit_sales indicate how popular products are, the note following step 2 states:

    "The New Relationship dialog box appears with products_have_unit_sales in the Phrasings list. The OLAP Project Wizard created this phrasing when you created your project."

    In fact, this existing relationship is not visible in the dialog box. When you drag one entity on top of another in the Canvas pane, the New Relationship dialog box automatically appears, but does not contain existing relationships, although these same relationships are displayed on the Canvas.
  2. In the section "Which one sold the most coffee?," in the steps for creating the relationship stores sell products, the note following step 8c states:

    "The phrasing, products_have_stores, appears in the Phrasings list. The OLAP Project Wizard created this phrasing when you created your project."

    In fact, this existing relationship is not visible in the dialog box. See the explanation in #1 of this section.
  3. In the section "Which one sold the most coffee?," in the steps for creating the relationship product_subcategories categorize products, the note following step 4 states:

    "The New Relationship dialog box appears with the relationship products have product_subcategories in the Phrasings list."

    In fact, this existing relationship is not visible in the dialog box. See the explanation in #1 of this section.
  4. In the section "Which one sold the most coffee?," in the steps for creating the relationship products have product_subcategories, the note following step 4 states:

    "The Phrasings list now contains two phrasings that contain the same entities. When creating multiple phrasings for the same relationship, English Query is better able to answer questions asked in different ways."

    In fact, only the newly-created relationship will be visible in the dialog box. See the explanation in #1 of this section. (After you implement the correction described in #5 following, there is total of three, not two, alternate phrasings for this relationship.)
  5. In the section "Which one sold the most coffee?," if you follow the steps to create the relationship product_subcategories categorize products as a new phrasing, the results appear as expected. However, when you test or build the project, a warning message appears that this new relationship phrasing is effectively a duplicate of the existing relationship, products have product_subcategories. This occurs because the new phrasing has been added to the model as a new relationship, not as an additional phrasing for the existing relationship.

    In order to avoid this warning message, locate and delete the new relationship, product_subcategories categorize products, and repeat the steps beginning with step 4 of "create the relationship," modifying step 4 as follows:

    4. Drag product_subcategory onto the Canvas pane, near but not onto product. The two entities should appear on the Canvas with the existing relationship, products are in product subcategories. (This is an alternate phrasing that the OLAP Wizard created for you for products have product_subcategories.) Double-click the relationship balloon to open the New Relationship dialog box and continue with the remaining steps.

  6. In the section "Which one sold the most coffee?," after adding the phrasing product_subcategories categorize products, when you test or build the project, you see a warning that a Proper Name entity (product_subcategory) has been used as the object of a subset phrasing.

    You can edit the product_subcategory entity by changing its Name Type from Proper Name to Common Name, or you can disregard this warning. Because the product_subcategory field values are capitalized in the source database, the OLAP Project Wizard has incorrectly assumed that they are Proper Names.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/30/2003
Keywords:kbdocerr kbinfo KB289886
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