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Entering Data

When entering data outside the Contributor zone, we suggest that you insert a new worksheet.

In the Contributor zone, you can type, cut, copy and paste, and delete data. When pasting into multiple cells, the target cells must be compatible with the data you are pasting into them. For example, you cannot paste a number into a cell that expects a date.

Note: You cannot paste formulas into Contributor cells that contain totals or subtotals.

If the target selection is a multiple of the source selection shape, the data is replicated to fit the selection.

You can quickly access commands by right-clicking the required data or cells, and selecting the appropriate command from the menu. You can also use Contributor’s cell-based Quick Commands .

On worksheets containing Contributor data, lists showing the page dimensions you are viewing appear in the Contributor Page Selection toolbar. For example, the lists may contain different budget versions or profit centers.

Tip: To view a different page, click the down arrow to the right of the page dimension and select a different page dimension from the list.

Validate Data

Data validation is the process of aligning plans with targets by enforcing business rules and policies and ensuring data veracity on an ongoing basis. These rules, which are defined by the administrator in the Contributor Administration Console, represent a single data entry requirement imposed on a range of cells in a single cube of a model. The validation rules are associated with actions that ensure contributors conform to the required input, output, and target requirements, and that only valid data is accepted. Validation rules range from the basic checks, such as data type (integer or string) and format (dates), to rules that use sophisticated business logic to verify if submitted data is valid.

You can check data integrity for your plan any time by using the Validate Data command from the Contributor menu or the Validate Data button from the toolbar. Because business requirements may change, it is good practice to validate data regularly. If a value is invalid, feedback is provided to assist you with entering information that complies with existing rules.

Steps
  1. Enter new data or change existing data as necessary.

  2. To verify that the data entries or changes conform to existing business rules and data-format restrictions, from the Contributor menu, click Validate Data or click the Validate Data button  from the Contributor toolbar.

  3. If errors are detected, in the Validation Error dialog box, double-click the error to view its location in the worksheet.

    The pointer appears in the first offending cell of the first rule in the rule set.

    Errors that are not resolved may prevent you from saving or submitting the plan. If you are unable to resolve errors based on the error messages, contact your administrator.

  4. Make the necessary changes.

Importing and Exporting Data

You can load data, and export data to and from a text file, or if Get Data is enabled by your administrator, you can load data into Contributor from outside sources and copy data within Contributor.

Import from Text File

You can load a text file into the current tab. The file should be identical in format to a file exported from Contributor as a tab separated file.

Step

Export to Text File

You can save data in the current tab to a tab separated text file.

Step

Get Data

Get Data, if enabled, lets you load data into Contributor, either from other Contributor cubes, or from external sources. If available, click Contributor, Get Data. This option is not available when working disconnected from the server.