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Query Definitions

The Reporting Framework Management Console Query Definitions tab, showing the Create Query Definition button and the Type, Handle, Name, Description, Data Source, Modify, Delete. and Export columns.

The Query Definitions tab allows users to create new queries and view and manage previously created queries.

Type

Standard: a query used by a report you have subscribed to.

Custom: a query built on your system.

Handle

Typically a guid (some older queries may have descriptive handles) that is system-generated and used as a unique identifier for the query.

Name

The name of the query for reference purposes.

Description

A brief description of the query.

Data Source

The connection source used for the query; standard connections are BBLEARN, CMSDOC, and BBSTATS.

Modify

A link to edit the query.

Delete

A link to delete the query.

Export

A link to export the query definition as a JSON text file.

The Create Query Definition tool allows a user with SQL query writing knowledge to write and save a query that an end user can execute to populate a report. The tool has some built-in security features to prevent malicious code from being written (for example, you cannot use this to update Blackboard data), but you are still writing SQL to run against a database. Keep this in mind as you develop queries because you could write a bad query and bring down your system. The tool is basic, but it does have power.

Bad queries will consume database resources and bring down your system. This cannot be said strongly enough. You can write a query against the Blackboard transaction database that will affect system performance. The best practice is to develop a query using another tool against a non-production database (for example, Snowflake or pgAdmin against a test instance).

There is no mechanism to stop a query on the server once it has been executed. This is an excellent reason to develop on a different system and paste the query definition when you know it will run appropriately.

To find more information about writing queries, visit Anthology Support and log in. Search for article 89873 and download the Reporting Framework Extension Report Manager's User Guide.