2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a master data set with respect to each report specified in the report layout specification, the master dataset providing access to a dataset informational object and a partial dataset data retrieval object.
1. A method comprising: receiving a query that is based on a predefined format of an arbitrary query language; performing, with a data analyzing component, the query to obtain a query result; providing the query result and a report layout specification from the data analyzing component to a data processing component, the data processing component being on a computer; associating, with the data processing component, the query result with at least one element of the report layout specification to generate an association; providing the query result from the data processing component through an interface based on the report layout specification without reliance on the type of the arbitrary query language to a rendering component; and providing the report layout specification from the data analyzing component to the rendering component to render the query result in a report according to the association without reliance on the type of the arbitrary query language, wherein a report specified in the report layout specification is one of a chart, a detailed list report type that is tabular with each row including a detailed fact value that corresponds to a combination of non-fact columns in each row, a grouped summary report type that is tabular with at least one grouping column and at least one fact column, a grouped detail list report type that includes detail and summary fact values, a cross tab report that includes a set of members along a row and column axis, and a master detail report that associates rows within a report with other reports including parallel detail information.