Create an Advanced Report With the Designer Wizard

Before Opening Advanced Report Designer Wizard in Build Component Mode

Start the PACE Report Viewer from the Results tab in Build Components mode. Click Create Advanced Report to view standard PACE Report results before building the Advanced Report. This command also automatically creates an Advanced Report Rule and Advanced Report Profile, and starts the Advanced Report Designer Wizard.

When you open the Designer Wizard from the Report Viewer, it runs a check against the database to determine if there are any existing Advanced Report Profiles already built against the current PACE Report. If any Advanced Reports exist, you can use that report during the Advanced Report design session instead of creating a new Advanced Report Rule and Advanced Report Profile. If the selected Advanced Report already contains a Designer template, that template is loaded when you start the Designer Wizard.

If you already have an Advanced Report Rule and Advanced Report profile, start the Advanced Report Designer Wizard as described in the following procedure.

Open Advanced Report Designer Wizard in Build Component Mode

To open the Advanced Report Designer Wizard in Build Component mode:

1. From Reporting Center, navigate to General Reporting.

2. Select the Components tab.

3. Right-click and select Advanced Report Designer.
   You see the Advanced Report Design Options dialog box.

4. Select Create New to create a new advanced report.
   You see the Profile Maintenance Designer Wizard Option dialog box. The Advanced Profile contains the Advanced Rule, and the Advanced Report Rule contains the current standard PACE Report Profile.

   Open

   

When the Designer Wizard starts, the Advanced Report is submitted through the PACE Server. This creates a sample data set you can use during the Designer template edit session. The Advanced Report results are also returned to the Results tab in Build Components mode, allowing you to save the results of the report.

Work with Advanced Report Rules, Advanced Report Profiles and Designer Templates

When you open a report from the PACE Report Viewer, a check is run against the database to see if there are any existing Advanced Report Profiles already built against the current PACE Report. If any Advanced Reports exist, you can use that report during the Advanced Report design session instead of creating a new Advanced Report Rule and Advanced Report Profile.

If the selected Advanced Report already has a Designer template, that template is loaded when the Designer Wizard is started. The Designer Wizard searches in the default directory on the local client machine for the template file. If the file is not found in that location, the Wizard prompts you to map to the template file.

If you have to create a new Advanced Report Rule, Advanced Report Profile, and Designer template in the Designer Wizard, click Create New Report Profile on the Select or Create New Advanced Report Profile window.

For more information on Advanced Report Rules, refer to Advanced Report Rules. For more information on Advanced Report Profiles, Advanced Report Profiles.

Design Advanced Reports Using a Default Template

When you create a new Designer template and select an existing sample data set or auto create function, the Designer Wizard queries the target table in the sample data set and constructs a default report based on that table. This default report, shown below, has a DAODataControl object with a query to retrieve data for the report, report groups coinciding with the grouping levels from the PACE Report Rule, group footers with subtotals for all of the numeric fields from the report, and a field layout with all of the report fields displayed based on a portrait report output. If you select to open an existing designer, the designer template is retrieved.

Open

The template contains fields that will appear in your report. Complete the following procedure to modify the template:

1. Click Refresh Fields to display the list of available fields.

2. Drag the field from the Field pane to a new location to add a field to the Designer Template.

3. Use the Cut and Paste commands to move a field from one section of the designer to another.

4. Right-click the space above the report details section to hide or display any additional menu bars and toolboxes.

5. Click Full Window to open the Property Toolbox. Use the options on the Property Toolbox to hide the File, Edit, Format, and View menus.

6. Click Full Window again to return to the original window view.

Retrieve Data

Depending on your settings, the Design window may have an existing report file or default report template loaded and displayed. If there is a default template, a DAODataControl object appears in the Detail section of the report. The DAODataControl is configured with the mdb, which serves as the sample data set, and a simple query to select all records from the output table defined in the Advanced Report Rule. If the Advanced Report Rule is generated via the auto create feature, the table containing PACE Report data is used.

To modify the select statement, right-click the object and click Properties. You see the Properties window. You can modify the SQL select statement to retrieve the subset of data required from the stored PACE report.

Design Advanced Reports

After starting the Advanced Report Designer, the Advanced Report Designer dialog box appears.

1. In the Advanced Report Designer dialog box, select if you want to create a new report from the database, create a new report not from the database, or open an existing designer.
   You see the Advanced Report Designer dialog box.

2. Complete the following options in the Advanced Report Designer dialog box:
   Create New Report from Database. Select to create a new Designer template from an existing data set. After selecting the template file, click OK to start the Designer Wizard. The sample data set populates the designer template with column headings, data fields in the Detail section of the template, and grouping sections. The fields selected as part of the PACE Report are used to generate the column headings and data fields, and the Grouping levels selected determine the Group Headers and Group Footers in the template.
   Create New. Opens the Designer Wizard so you can create a new designer template.
   Open Existing Designer. Starts the Designer Wizard and opens the template you select in the field below. You can then make changes to the existing template, and save it using a different name.

3. Click OK to start the Designer Wizard.
   When you start the Advanced Report Designer Wizard, it opens with default settings. The Property Toolbar displays by default. This toolbar contains the property values for all of the fields, labels, and sections in the Advanced Report Designer.

Designer Wizard Menu

Designer Wizard options are available from the menu bar or right-click menu.

To view this menu, select a control and right-click in the Report Designer. Right-click options are described in the following table.

Preview a Report

To preview the report at design time, click Preview on the View menu. To return to the Design window, click Design. This runs the designer template against the sample data set in the DAODataControl, and allows you to test the report before moving it to the PACE Server.

From the Preview window, you can save report results in PDF, DOC or TXT format. Use this feature to share the report with others, and save the report output without running it through the PACE Server.

Generate a Report Database

You can obtain an updated version of the sample data set without returning to PACE and submitting the Advanced Report separately.

Click Generate Database on the File menu to open the ropertiesAdvanced Profiles dialog box. This dialog box lists the Advanced Profiles you select when generating a new data set.

Resolve COM Errors when Creating Advanced Reports

If the following error message appears when creating Advanced Reports, complete the procedure in this section:

COM Error creating report.

Description:Automation error

Unspecified error

Error Message:Unspecified error

1. Copy these three DLL files to any location:
   ardespro2.dll
EagleAdvancedReports.DLL
regsvr32

2. Register ardespro2.dll and EagleAdvancedReports.DLL using the regsvr32 command.

3. Complete one of the following procedures:
   In three-tab mode:
   From the Components tab, select Adv Report rules.
   Right-click any Advanced Report rule and select the Advanced Report Designer.
   Select Create New, and then click OK.
   
   In two-tab mode:
   Open any report and click Create Advanced Report.
   Select Create New, and then click OK.
   You see an empty report designer.

Add Visual Basic Script to Report Designer

You can add Visual Basic script to the report to perform programming functions and add extra logic in the Designer template, in addition to what the Properties window provides. Click View Script in the main toolbar of the Designer Wizard to open the Script Editor window.

Use the Object and Events drop-down menus to open the Script Editor and select the section of the report to add the Visual Basic Script. Add the script, and click Close to save the code and return to the Designer. Use the Preview command to test the Script and make sure that the logic added does not cause the report to fail when run through the PACE Server.

Upload Template to PACE Server

After completing the report designer template, you can save it locally or directly to the PACE Server. Use the Save command to save the file locally. Use the Upload to Server command to save the designer template file to the Advanced Reporting directory on the PACE Server, designated by the value in the sys_item 39 record in the PACE_SYSTEM table of the PACE_MASTER database. PACE prompts you to update the Available Reports option in the selected rule.

The Upload to Server command in the Designer Wizard uses the EagleFTP process through the PACE Application Server to move the RPX file to the directory designated in sys_item 39. There are no user permissions required on the PACE Server machine. You only need to connect to the Application Server, which is also required to run PACE.

By dropping the RPX file into the designated directory, the Upload to Server command makes the designer template available for the Auto Registry engine. This engine copies the file to all PACE Server machines running the Advanced Reporting engine, and registers the file on those machines so that the Advanced Reporting engine can use the file for imaging.

The Upload to Server command also allows you to have the current Advanced Report Rule automatically updated with the imaging component so that you do not have to edit the Rule to contain the designer template.

When you return to PACE Reporting, you can submit the Advanced Report profile. The Auto Registry engine runs on a timed cycle, so it is recommended to wait for a minute after using the Upload to Server command before you submit the Advanced Report. This ensures that the Auto Registry engine registered the designer template on the PACE Server machines.

Standalone Dynamic Report Design Utility

The Advanced Reporting Dynamic Report Design Utility is a tool that extends the functionality of the ADVTest (Advanced Report Tester) testing tool. This tool is available on the PACE installation CD under the directory EAGLE_APPLICATIONS_DVD\MODULES\PACE\ADVANCED_REPORTING_TOOLS_AND_UTILITIES\Advanced Report Design Utility.

Use this utility to easily create an Advanced Report designer template. When you use this utility, you do not have to have Visual Basic or Active Reports installed on your PC. All of the required design time components are included with the installation package. This utility is intended for creating simple reports. You can create more complex reports using Visual Basic Scripting.

The utility is based on a freely distributable ActiveReports Designer ActiveX control available in the ActiveReports Professional version. This designer OCX has the same look and feel of the designer in Visual Basic. The report creation process is similar with one important distinction. Instead of compiling reports as DLL files, reports are saved into an XML report definition (.RPX) file. This XML file contains all of the report definitions and may even include some Visual Basic scripting code if a more complex report is required. You can move this report definition file to the server and run it through advanced reporting without having to register or compile any additional files.

Develop Reports Using the Designer Utility

To start the utility, run ADVTESTDSR.exe.

In this section, ReportDLL refers to the eglDynamicRpt and UniveralRpt DLL interchangeably. If there is functionality specific to one DLL, that DLL is referenced. Also, Report folder refers to the DynamicReports and registry‑specified folders. Functionality specific to either method is stated.

Select a New Report or Edit an Existing Report

To use the Advanced Report Tester and Designer to select a new report:

1. Launch the utility.

2. On the Advanced Report Tester and Designer dialog box, enter the name of the mdb file created in the Advanced Report Profile. If there is more than one Rule in the Advanced Report Profile, select the correct rule from the Select Advanced Report Rule menu.

3. Enter or select the ReportDLL in the Select Report DLL Name pull‑down menu.
   If the DLL is not available from the pull-down menu, then either the DLL was not correctly registered at installation, or it has become unregistered since installation. If re-registering the DLL fails, consult your system administrator for assistance.

4. If there is an RPX file stored in the Reports folder, then its name will be available in the Select Report Name pull-down menu. Any previously created report (RPX file) stored in the Reports folder can be viewed from this dialog box as shown below.

5. To create or edit a new report, click Designer.
   PACE prompts you to select an existing report definition file or create a new file as shown below.

6. Click Yes to edit an existing file, or click No to create a new one.

Edit Report Definition Template

If you are creating a new report designer, the utility queries the target table defined in the Advanced Report rule, and constructs a default report based on that table, as shown below. This default report has a DAODataControl object with a query to retrieve data for the report, report groups coinciding with the grouping levels from the PACE Report Rule, group footers with subtotals for all of the numeric fields from the report, and a field layout with all of the report fields laid out based on a portrait report output. If you opt to view an existing designer, then a file selection window opens where you can select the report designer you want to open.

You can modify the report by dragging controls. To view the list of available fields, click Refresh Fields in the Fields window. The Designer window appears, containing menu bars and toolboxes. To hide or display any additional toolbox, right-click in the space above the report details section.

Depending on your selections, the Design window contains an existing report file or the default report template. If there is a default template, there is a DAODataControl object in the detail section of the report. The DAODataControl is configured with the mdb information provided in the previous window and a query to select all records from the output table defined in the advanced reporting rule. To modify the select statement, right-click the object and select Properties. You can modify the SQL select statement to retrieve the subset of data required from the stored PACE report, or if there are multiple underlying report tables to join those tables together. To view the fields available for your report, click Refresh. This runs the query defined in the DAODataControl and displays all the columns defined by the query.

To modify the report, drag the fields from the fields list to the appropriate section of the report. You can also configure properties in the report sections, grouping, report and page headers and footers to customize the report output.

To preview the report at design time, click Preview. To return to the design window, click Designer. When the report is completed, save the report to the Reports folder and close the Designer.

When you save the report, the utility defaults to the appropriate Reports folder based on DLL selected on the first window.

The RPX file must not contain spaces, if the server is running a PACE version of Second Edition prior to SP2.

Design Utility Menus

In addition to these menu items, formatting options are also available via a context-sensitive menu. To view this menu, select a control or collection of controls and right‑click in the Report Designer.

Design Utility menu options are described in the following table.

Run Advanced Reports on the Server

Once the report design is complete, return to the Advanced Report Rule dialog box. In the Advanced Report Rule dialog box, enter the ReportDLL and select the appropriate designer from the drop-down menu of dynamic report files. If a list of report designers does not appear, verify the RPX file was saved to the appropriate Report folder. Next, open to the Advanced Report Profiles window, and define and run the advanced report.

Auto Registry Engine Function

The Auto Registry engine can constantly check flagged DLLs via the report enumeration process for new designer or RPX files. This function is used with the Advanced Report Dynamic Design utility where RPX files are created for a static DLL. Since the update date and file size of the static DLL do not change, the Auto Registry engine does not recognize the file during the report enumeration process. The Auto Registry engine reads system setting to determine which DLLs should be constantly enumerated.

Accessing Additional Information and Support

The ActiveReports run time designer has a rich set of functionality. For more information on available features and functionality, visit the Data Dynamics website (http:// www.datadynamics.com) and newsgroups (news.datadynamics.com).