How to write mark-up in the dashboard?

Question

I've been working with Microstrategy for awhile. I was hired into a company to help customize it. All the data is being pulled in by the Dataset Objects correctly. Before I was hired the whole Dashboard was created using the WYSIWYG tool by someone else. I've since created a html container that links to my custom javascript and css. But I've never been able to actually write my own HTML. It's only been the WYSIWYG tool.

I desperately want the ability to not have to use this terrible Design mode WYSIWYG tool and write my own mark-up. Is there a way? When I create a new dashboard is there a .html file that I can edit somewhere on the server?

Any help on customization will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

There isn't an HTML file that you can edit, because a Report Services document isn't (necessarily) just HTML output. Obviously it can be Flash, or if it's mostly static, PDF or Excel.

It actually sounds as though you want to build your own custom page entirely. This isn't a straightforward process, and you need (theoretically) to have an API licence. There is some reasonable documentation included with the product, and you can build an HTML page, using MicroStrategy's custom ASP/JSP tags to display content as you wish.

It's hard to be more specific without knowing what sort of customisation you want to do, but you really need to build a new page, rather than modifying/tinkering with an existing Report Services document.

If you want to do something more sophisticated, then you should be aware that you may need to be conversant in Java, which is the language MSTR has written its web API in.