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What are the data sources? Can I source from SQL Server, Oracle, DB2? OLAP engines? If not, while still better than nothing, not really a first class solutio

What are the data sources? Can I source from SQL Server, Oracle, DB2? OLAP engines? If not, while still better than nothing, not really a first class solution for most of my users. But great for soccer moms (seriously -- our team mom will flex on you with pivot tables for the soccer team).

thesethings 16y ago
You can import public JSON/XML/CSV/HTML(and other) data. You can connect/import private stuff with the Secure Data Connector, though I don't know all the types supported. http://code.google.com/securedataconnector/docs/1.3/overview.html http://code.google.com/securedataconnector/docs/1.3/overview... You can get everything out w/the API, too.
swaits 16y ago
Yah, it totally doesn't target the 0.1% of people who do this! HOW LAME IS GOOGLE WITH THEIR FREE-TO-USE SOFTWARE!?!?! In all seriousness, this is much more useful than to just soccer moms.
- systems 16y ago
  pivot table is probably the most interesting interface to BI cubes, I've hardly seen them used elsewhere! so i can't really agree on your assumption that "other data sources" would represent 0.1%, in most business places i would say "other data sources" represent 100% of the usage
  - skeletonjelly 16y ago
    Free online tools to do pivot tables on spreadsheet data. Sounds like small business to me. People who already have their data in spreadsheets and don't want to hire a BI engineer to install SQL, Analysis Services, construct cubes, reports etc etc
  - lancewiggs 16y ago
    Not true at all. I could trade anecdotes but pivot tables are an essential tool in the analyst toolkit, without requiring external data. Great opportunity for someone to develop and share a standard spreadsheet for capturing and reporting usefully on iTunes appstore data.
- tvon 16y ago
  A bit of an aside, but because something is free does not mean it is above criticism nor does it mean you can't bitch about things it doesn't do.
dandelany 16y ago
Erm, it's a spreadsheet program, so the data source is your spreadsheet. So if you can get your SQL data into a Google Spreadsheet, you can make a pivot table out of it.
- hboon 16y ago
  Excel can access other data stores such as databases using ODBC.
ajessup 16y ago
There's a number of ways to get data in and out of Google Docs to sync with enterprise services. Start with the Docs API and Google Apps Script API.

thesethings 16y ago

You can import public JSON/XML/CSV/HTML(and other) data. You can connect/import private stuff with the Secure Data Connector, though I don't know all the types supported. http://code.google.com/securedataconnector/docs/1.3/overview.html http://code.google.com/securedataconnector/docs/1.3/overview... You can get everything out w/the API, too.

swaits 16y ago

Yah, it totally doesn't target the 0.1% of people who do this! HOW LAME IS GOOGLE WITH THEIR FREE-TO-USE SOFTWARE!?!?! In all seriousness, this is much more useful than to just soccer moms.

systems 16y ago
pivot table is probably the most interesting interface to BI cubes, I've hardly seen them used elsewhere! so i can't really agree on your assumption that "other data sources" would represent 0.1%, in most business places i would say "other data sources" represent 100% of the usage
- skeletonjelly 16y ago
  Free online tools to do pivot tables on spreadsheet data. Sounds like small business to me. People who already have their data in spreadsheets and don't want to hire a BI engineer to install SQL, Analysis Services, construct cubes, reports etc etc
- lancewiggs 16y ago
  Not true at all. I could trade anecdotes but pivot tables are an essential tool in the analyst toolkit, without requiring external data. Great opportunity for someone to develop and share a standard spreadsheet for capturing and reporting usefully on iTunes appstore data.
tvon 16y ago
A bit of an aside, but because something is free does not mean it is above criticism nor does it mean you can't bitch about things it doesn't do.

dandelany 16y ago

Erm, it's a spreadsheet program, so the data source is your spreadsheet. So if you can get your SQL data into a Google Spreadsheet, you can make a pivot table out of it.

hboon 16y ago
Excel can access other data stores such as databases using ODBC.

ajessup 16y ago

There's a number of ways to get data in and out of Google Docs to sync with enterprise services. Start with the Docs API and Google Apps Script API.