Virtually everything you can do with the product, you can achieve using the appropriate API, URL interface, or command line utility as illustrated in the table below.
| Goal and document | Automation interface | User interface equivalent |
To begin basic reporting with the Cognos 8 SDK Getting Started Guide | BI Bus API | Cognos Report Studio |
To modify a model, or republish it to UNIX or Windows Framework Manager Developer Guide and Framework Manager User Guide | Script Player tool | Framework Manager |
To modify an unpublished model The updateMetadata and queryMetadata methods in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API | Framework Manager |
To retrieve the query items available in the published package The getMetadata method in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API | Cognos Connection |
To grant capabilities Managing Users in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API | Cognos Connection, Server Administration |
To administer and implement security Authenticating Users and Managing Users in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API | Cognos Connection, Server Administration |
To run, view, and edit reports through a hyperlink in an HTML page Using URLs to View, Edit, and Run Reports in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | URL Interface | Cognos Viewer, Query Studio, and Report Studio |
To manipulate objects in the content store Managing Cognos 8 Content in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API | Cognos Connection, Query Studio, Report Studio, and Framework Manager |
To administer reports Managing Reports in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API | Cognos Connection |
To administer servers Managing Dispatchers in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API | Cognos Connection, Server Administration |
To modify a report Authoring Reports in the Cognos 8 Developer Guide | BI Bus API and report specification | Report Studio |
To modify the functionality of Cognos 8 Hide User Interface Elements and Restricting Content Browsing in the Administration and Security Guide | URL Interface | Cognos Connection, Report Studio, and Query Studio |