Report manager

Reports > Report manager

The Report manager form is used to manage, and run reports. Depending on the Reports form rights of the user, the following actions can be performed in this form:

Create a report template

Click the + icon in the toolbar at the top of this form. On the sidebar that appears, enter the following:

Basic information

  • Report name and Main table are the only required fields.

  • Use the Macro/transform drop-down to select an existing Report macro file that will be automatically used as an Excel template when the report is run. Naturally, this has no effect if the user decides to generate the report output file in a format other than an Excel file.

  • Sheet name is set by default as "DRT" (dynamic report tool), buy you may name it according to what your report will display in Excel format.

  • Hide record name. If checked, record names of the main records are not shown in the report. This is useful if the records have names that do not mean much to the user (for instance, generated series as record names).

  • Force one main record. If checked, the user queuing the report is prompted to a mandatory system filter in the Run report pop-up where one record name of the main table must be specified. Once this is done, the report is queued, and the generated report file will contain only the selected record, and all the related records that are setup in the report configuration, if available.

  • Separate sheet for report information. This checkbox controls whether the report information is placed on a separate sheet in the Excel file. Note that it must be checked for PDF reports.

  • Personal report: The report will only be visible to the creator of the report and by the administrator of the application.

  • Report access group. Available only if the report is not Personal. Select a group, if available (create them in the Report groups form). Only users having roles with access to the selected group will be able to view this report.

  • Role based report. Checking this option will reset the "Personal report" and "Report access group" settings, and will display a new collapsible set of settings. Select the desired "Current roles". Only users who have all the roles specified here will be allowed to access the report. Optionally, set it up as Scheduled report.

    It can be very useful to schedule the execution of a report at non-rush office hours. Otherwise, to generate, for instance, a heavy report during work hours could lead to disrupt the users' other reports and perhaps affect the general performance of the application. Instead, scheduled reports are generated between 2am and 3am to avoid such a disruption (after Scheduled imports), on a given date or interval of execution (e.g., daily, monthly, etc.)

Fields

By default, the Record name is included as the first column of the template once created, named after the main table. To add more fields, click + and:

  • Select the fields of the main table that are shown on the right side of the panel. You may use the filter to find them quickly. Finish the addition by clicking + at the bottom.

  • Click on any Forward or Reverse relation, if available, shown on the left side of the panel, and then select its fields shown on the right side of the panel. You may use the filter to find them quickly. Finish the addition by clicking + at the bottom.

Once added, you may change the order by dragging and dropping them into the desired position, and set a Custom Heading, among other actions.

Filter

Click + AND or + OR to add conditions. The AND operator takes precedence over the OR operator, and is evaluated first. Once added, choose an option as comparison method:

  • Absolute. Compares a field value with a user-specified input value. For example, MyDrop-downField = Item1, MyNumberField > 3, MyDateField ≤ 01-01-2015, etc.

  • Other field. Compares a field value with the value of another field of the same type. This is useful, for instance, when working with Date fields. For example, MyDateField1 = MyDateField2, MyDateField1 > MyDateField2 + 2 days, etc.

  • Has value / Has no value. These options will include in the report those records that have the field in consideration as entered, or as empty, respectively.

  • Keyword. Available for field types Date and Date time, For example, MyDateField = LAST WEEK + 2 days, MyDateField = NEXT WEEK - 2 days (note that days are added from the last day of the week/month, and subtracted from the first day of the week/month).

Tick the Editable filter checkbox, to have the possibility of changing the filter criteria precisely before run time (i.e. the filter is flexible), displayed in the Run report pop-up form previous to the Report queue form (otherwise, the filter will still be applied, but not shown in this pop-up form.

To delete filter conditions individually, click on the Trash icon next to it; otherwise, click on the Remove all button to clear this section.

Run a report

Find and select the report template you wish and then click the Run icon.

Note that filters may be applied per column to find a report in a quick way; e.g. by Type or by Name. Also, you can show or hide the colums you wish by clicking the NDMEhiddenSettings icon place at the top left corner of this form.

The Run action will display the Run report (also called Report batch pop-up) window where you can:

  • Set criteria for editable filters and system filters (Record name and Exclude record name, or Main record).

  • Select the format for the report: PDF, Excel 2007, HTML, XML or File export.

  • Have the possibility of zipping the file (note that this checkbox is disabled for Excel 2007).

Click the Run button.

A new window is displayed, informing you that your report has been placed in queue. Click the Go to report queue button to continue with the Report and import queue form, where you wait for the generation of the report output file, or click the Close button if you prefer to keep working in other forms of the application, while your report is generated, and open the Report and import queue form later to check if it is ready.

Edit a report

Select a report template and click the Edit icon, or simply double-click the template. This action will display the configuration sidebar where you can go through its different properties. Once finished, you may collapse this sidebar with the double arrows on the right.

Other features

Get the list of all the reports displayed in an xlsx file by cliking on the Export to Excel icon.

Also, depending on your access rights, use other icons to create a new report, clone (copy), delete and get detailed information.