Note 14 - Employee Stock Option and Retirement Plans (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended							9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended							12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			14 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 15, 2014	Apr. 08, 2013	Jan. 15, 2013	Jan. 13, 2012	Apr. 14, 2011	Nov. 08, 2010	Feb. 09, 2010	May 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2014		Aug. 31, 2013		Aug. 31, 2012	Nov. 08, 2013	Dec. 16, 2008	Aug. 31, 2014 Granted Without Performance Conditions [Member] Minimum [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Granted Without Performance Conditions [Member] Maximum [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Majority of Options Granted with Performance Conditions [Member] Maximum [Member]	Nov. 30, 2010 November 2010 Annual Employee Performance-based Option Grant Review [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 November 2011 Annual Employee Performance-based Option Grant Review [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Other Performace-Based Options [Member] Matrix Data Limited [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Other Performace-Based Options [Member] Revere Data, LLC [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Other Performace-Based Options [Member]	Oct. 31, 2017 November 2012 Annual Employee Performance-based Option Grant Review [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Nov. 01, 2014 November 2012 Annual Employee Performance-based Option Grant Review [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 November 2012 Annual Employee Performance-based Option Grant Review [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 November 2012 Annual Employee Performance-based Option Grant Review [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 In-The-Money Stock Options [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 In-The-Money Stock Options [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Financial Performance Level One [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Financial Performance Level Two [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Financial Performance Level Three [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Financial Performance Level Four [Member]	May 31, 2014 July 2012 Performance Based Option Grant Review [Member] Employee Stock Option [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 July 2012 Performance Based Option Grant Review [Member]	May 31, 2014 July 2012 Performance Based Option Grant Review [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 July 2012 Performance Based Option Grant Review [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 July 2012 Performance Based Option Grant Review [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] After Three Years [Member] Matrix Data Limited [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] After Three Years [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] After Five Years [Member] Matrix Data Limited [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] After Five Years [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] Matrix Data Limited [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member] Revere Data, LLC [Member]	Nov. 02, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 23, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Feb. 09, 2010 Restricted Stock [Member]	Oct. 23, 2009 Restricted Stock [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Restricted Stock [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Restricted Stock [Member]	Feb. 09, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Oct. 23, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Employee Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Matrix and Revere [Member]
Note 14 - Employee Stock Option and Retirement Plans (Details) [Line Items]
Stock Option Expiration Term																7 years	10 years	10 years
Stock Option Vesting Rate After First Year of Grant Date									20.00%
Stock Option Vesting Rate Per Month from Two Years through Five Years of Grant Date									1.67%
Stock Option Vesting Rate for First Two Years for Grant Date									40.00%																		1.67%
Stock Option Vesting Rate Per Month from Three Years through Five Years								1.67%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross	14,424		18,781	20,976					391,478		1,674,966		1,468,513						734,334	665,551	165,949	36,695				1,011,510									241,546
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Lower Range Limit (in Dollars per share)									$ 87.26
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range, Upper Range Limit (in Dollars per share)									$ 110.31
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Number																			0	0		18,553					185,014										48,314	48,314						3,872
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures in Period									849,000		743,000		786,000										791,348
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value (in Dollars)									$ 111,307,000																			$ 111,300,000	$ 82,100,000
Share-Based Compensation Arrangement by Share-Based Payment Award Options Closing Share Price (in Dollars per share)									$ 127.40
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term									3 years 146 days		2 years 292 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Intrinsic Value (in Dollars)									44,000,000		99,100,000		43,000,000
Vesting Percentage		20.00%			100.00%		50.00%		40.00%					60.00%										60.00%	40.00%					0.00%	20.00%	60.00%	100.00%						60.00%	60.00%	40.00%	40.00%							40.00%				100.00%	60.00%
Percent of Performance-Based Stock Options Expected to Vest																											20.00%
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized (in Dollars)																						500,000					2,100,000									900,000								300,000					11,300,000										2,700,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition																							4 years				3 years 36 days									3 years								4 years					4 years 73 days										4 years 109 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award Accelerated Compensation Cost (in Dollars)																																		1,400,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period									135,205	[1]	150,000	[2]	14,258																																					149,741		6,411
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period		26,344			29,087	62,544	17,230		204,000		132,000										7,744																						30,144		153,972	30,144	55,572	87,758			0
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in Dollars per share)									$ 101.95		$ 85.80																																		$ 102.22	$ 102.84
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance															500,000																																									44,881
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Stock Purchase Plans									959,000		2,459,000		825,000																																											74,889	75,281	85,487
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Estimated Quantity of Shares to be Repurchased in Following Period, Maximum																																																							1,000,000
Defined Contribution Plan, Maximum Annual Contributions Per Employee, Percent									60.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Match									4.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Discretionary Contribution Amount (in Dollars)									$ 7,700,000		$ 7,500,000		$ 6,700,000

[1] The 135,205 restricted stock awards that vested during fiscal 2014 were comprised of: 62,544 of awards granted on November 8, 2010, which cliff vested 60% after three years (on November 8, 2013) with the remaining 40% cliff vesting after five years (on November 8, 2015) 29,087 of awards granted on April 14, 2011, which vested 100% after three years on April 14, 2014 26,344 restricted stock awards that were granted on April 8, 2013, which cliff vest 20% annually upon the anniversary date of the grant and 17,230 awards relating to restricted stock granted on February 9, 2010 which cliff vested 50% after four years (on February 9, 2014) and the remaining 50% vesting after six years on February 9, 2016.

[2] Of the total 149,741 restricted stock awards that vested during fiscal 2013, 87,758 related to awards granted on October 23, 2009. These restricted stock awards cliff vested 60% after three years (on October 23, 2012) and the remaining 40% will vest after five years (on October 23, 2014). An additional 55,572 awards that vested in fiscal 2013 related to awards granted on February 9, 2010 which cliff vested 100% after three years (on February 9, 2013). The remaining 6,411 restricted stock awards that vested were previously granted between June 2010 and July 2011 and vesting occurred when certain ASV targets were met in fiscal 2013.