Apparatus and method for integrating print preview with data modeling document editing

1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

supply, in an editor mode, a first set of data modeling objects in a document, wherein the data modeling objects have a spatial relationship with respect to one another;

accept a user request to enter a print preview mode;

enter the print preview mode, while the editor mode remains active;

overlay the document with a page layout comprising a set of pages, wherein the spatial relationship results in different data modeling objects appearing on different pages of the set of pages;

designate a sub-set of pages of the set of pages to print; and

print the sub-set of pages.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the sub-set of pages include selected data modeling objects appearing on different pages.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions to supply include executable instructions to supply the first set of data modeling objects via user selection.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions to supply include executable instructions to supply the first set of data modeling objects using a rule.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4 , wherein the rule selects a set of data modeling objects based on one or more components selected from name, data source, value and relationship.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4 , wherein the rule selects a set of data modeling objects based on type, wherein type is selected from one of comments, links, tables, aggregate tables, data tables, views, columns, rows, keys, data sources, cubes, measures, measure groups, attributes, dimensions, filters, transforms, logging points, mapping links, data flows, abstraction layers, data targets, rules, users, user groups and stored procedures.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising executable instructions to:

accept a user alteration to one or more of the document and a set of print parameters; and

update the page layout.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising executable instructions to:

exit the print preview mode; and

preserve the user alteration.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the set of print parameters are selected from page orientation, print ratio, printer, paper size, page-to-page ratio, number of copies, number of sides to print on, collation and pages to print.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising executable instructions to compile an overview page comprising at least three of an image indicating how the pages in the page layout should be aligned, a count of pages in the page layout, a document title, a document description, a selection rule definition, a timestamp, a date and a document author.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein a data modeling object is selected from one or more of a table, a view, a comment, a link, a column, a row, a key, a data source, a cube, a measure, a measure group, an attribute, a dimension, a filter, a transform, a logging point, a mapping link, a data flow, an abstraction layer, a data target, a rule, a user, a user group and a stored procedure.

12. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

supply data modeling objects in a document, wherein the data modeling objects have a spatial relationship with respect to one another;

accept a user request to enter a print preview mode;

enter the print preview mode while maintaining an active editor mode;

overlay a document with a page layout comprising a set of pages, wherein the spatial relationship results in different data modeling objects appearing on different pages of the set of pages;

accept a user alteration to a print ratio;

update the page layout; and

display the page layout.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising executable instructions to:

indicate a set of data modeling objects to print; and

indicate a sub-set of the set of pages to print, wherein a page in the sub-set of pages to print overlays a data modeling object.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising executable instructions to:

accept a user edit of one or more of the document and a set of print parameters; and

update the page layout.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , further comprising executable instructions to:

exit the print preview mode; and

preserve the user edit.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein a first data modeling object is associated with a second data modeling object via properties contained within the first data modeling object.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein a data modeling object is selected from one or more of a table, a view, a comment, a link, a column, a row, a key, a data source, a cube, a measure, a measure group, an attribute, a dimension, a filter, a transform, a logging point, a mapping link, a data flow, an abstraction layer, a data target, a rule, a user, a user group and a stored procedure.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the set of print parameters comprises one or more of page orientation, print ratio, printer, paper size, page-to-page ratio, number of copies, number of sides to print on, collation and pages to print.