Features Added in FOCUS 7.7.03

In this section:

Active technologies were introduced in FOCUS 7.7.03.

Creating an Active HTML Output File

In this section:

An active report is a report that is designed for offline analysis. When using an active report, you can:

When working with an active report, you can:

The following image shows an HTML active report. The pop-up menu is open for the Quantity column, with the Avg Calculate operator selected.

HTML Active Report pop-up menu

Interactive Features

The HTML page that you generate contains both the JavaScript and the data for the report so that you can interact with the data in a disconnected mode. Internet Explorer detects the JavaScript and issues a warning. If you look at the Internet Explorer warning, it mentions explicitly the detection of “active content,” which is the JavaScript. The same warning appears when pop-ups are blocked in the browser.

Because all post-retrieval processing is performed in the memory of the Web browser, an active report has a processing limit of approximately 5,000 records or 100 pages of output.

Creating an AHTML Output File

In this section:

How to:

An active report provides customizable options for creating an HTML-formatted report that enables users to experience features similar to those found in Excel workbooks. An active report is designed for distribution to users to perform offline analysis and interactive functions without any connection to FOCUS. All of the data and JavaScript code are stored within the HTML file, which also makes the output highly compressible for e-mail and transparent to security systems.

Specific FOCUS StyleSheet commands enable developers to set the initial state of the report and control the options available to users. When you develop active reports, the options that you can control include:

  • Applying calculations to columns and choosing the location to display results.
  • Controlling the display of data by hiding or freezing columns.
  • Limiting the number of rows displayed per page.
  • Adding a graphic visualization column to compare column values.
  • Customizing the colors for most of the report components.

Syntax: How to Create an AHTML Report

To create an HTML active report, use

ON TABLE {HOLD|SAVE} [AS name] FORMAT AHTML

where:

HOLD|SAVE

Saves the report output to a file for later use.

name

Saves the output file under DDNAME name.

Example: Creating an Active Technologies Report

The following code generates an HTML active report.

All customized (non-default) values and corresponding keywords, used to specifically format an HTML active report, are shown in bold.

TABLE FILE CENTURYSALES
SUM
     ORDERNUMBER
     ORDERDATE
     QUANTITY
     LINEPRICE
     BY PLANTCODE AS 'Plant'
ON TABLE SET PAGE-NUM OFF 
ON TABLE SET BYDISPLAY ON 
ON TABLE NOTOTAL
ON TABLE HOLD FORMAT AHTML 
ON TABLE SET STYLE *
     UNITS=IN,
     SQUEEZE=ON,
     ORIENTATION=PORTRAIT, $
TYPE=REPORT,
     GRAPHCOLOR='GREEN',
     GRAPHCOLORNEG='RED', $
TYPE=REPORT,
     FONT='ARIAL',
     SIZE=9,
     COLOR='BLACK',
     BACKCOLOR='NONE',
     STYLE=NORMAL,
     FREEZE-WIDTH=AUTO,
     LINES-PER-PAGE=30,
     CALC-LOCATION=BOTTOM,$
TYPE=TITLE, STYLE=BOLD, $
TYPE=REPORT,
     OBJECT=MENU,
     COLOR=RGB(0 51 102),
     HOVER-COLOR='WHITE',
     BACKCOLOR=RGB(51 204 204),
     HOVER-BACKCOLOR='PURPLE',
     BORDER-COLOR='FUCHSIA', $
TYPE=REPORT,
    OBJECT=STATUS-AREA,
    COLOR=RGB(153 51 0),
    BACKCOLOR='AQUA', $
TYPE=REPORT,
    OBJECT=CURRENT-ROW,
    HOVER-BACKCOLOR=RGB(255 255 153),
    BACKCOLOR=RGB(255 153 0), $
TYPE=REPORT,
    OBJECT=CALC-AREA,
    COLOR=RGB(153 51 0),
    BACKCOLOR=RGB(255 204 153), $
TYPE=REPORT, COLUMN=N2, CALCULATION=CNT, $
TYPE=REPORT, COLUMN=N4, CALCULATION=SUM, $
ENDSTYLE
END

The output is:



Starting at the top of the report, notice the customized background colors, the record status and page navigation bar, the first data row (which is selected), the fourth data row (which is hovered), and the calculation row at the bottom.

Controlling Formatting Options for Active Technologies Reports

How to:

Some of the formatting options can only be controlled or implemented from the user menus in the output of an active report. For more information about these options, see User-Controlled Options in an Active Technologies Report.

You can set the initial state of an active report by customizing many report options with FOCUS StyleSheet syntax. You can enable or disable some options prior to distribution to users. The following syntax sections describe the options you can control.

Syntax: How to Control the Window Display Option

To control how windows display in the report output when multiple windows are open in the Web browser, use

TYPE=REPORT, WINDOW-DISPLAY=wdisplay, $

where:

wdisplay

Enables the report to display multiple open windows as tabs or cascaded windows in the Web browser. Multiple windows are created in the browser when viewing data as a chart, a roll-up table, and so on.

Valid values are CASCADE or TAB.

Syntax: How to Control the Row Selection Colors

To control the colors of the row being selected or hovered over, use

TYPE=REPORT, OBJECT=CURRENT-ROW, HOVER-BACKCOLOR=hovercolor, 
BACKCOLOR=selectcolor, $

where:

CURRENT-ROW

Specifies the object, which is the current row where the mouse pointer is clicked, or is hovering.

hovercolor

Specifies the background color of the row where the mouse pointer is hovering. The default value is RGB(255 252 204), which is a shade of yellow. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'YELLOW', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(255 255 153).

selectcolor

Specifies the background color of the row selected (click anywhere within a row). The default is RGB(51 255 204), which is a mix of green and blue. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'BLUE', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(153 53 0).

Syntax: How to Control User Menu Options

To control the user menu options, which determine the location and color characteristics of the user menu in the report, use the appropriate syntax section that follows.

To control all of the colors of the user menu, use

TYPE=REPORT, OBJECT=MENU, COLOR=textcolor, 
HOVER-COLOR=hovertextcolor, BACKCOLOR=backcolor, 
HOVER-BACKCOLOR=hoverbackcolor, BORDER-COLOR=bordercolor, $

where:

MENU

Specifies the object, which is the user menu.

textcolor

Specifies the color of the text (font) in the user menu. BLACK is the default value. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'YELLOW', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(153 153 153).

hovertextcolor

Specifies the color for the hover text in the user menu. BLACK is the default value. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'RED', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(255 255 153).

backcolor

Specifies the color for the background (non-text) areas in the user menu. SILVER is the default value. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'GOLD', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(153 51 0).

hoverbackcolor

Specifies the color for the background area of the user menu where your mouse pointer is hovering. WHITE is the default value. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'ORANGE', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(51 204 204).

You can use this, along with the hover text color, to visually contrast the menu option where the mouse is currently hovering from the rest of the menu.

bordercolor

Specifies the color for the borders of the user menu. WHITE is the default value. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'BLUE', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(255 255 153).

Syntax: How to Control the Calculations Options

To control the calculations options, which determine the column and the calculation you want to perform, along with the styling characteristics of the calculation results row, use the appropriate syntax section that follows.

  • To perform column calculations, use
    TYPE=REPORT, COLUMN=coldesc, CALCULATION=calc, $

    where:

    coldesc

    Specifies the description (column name or identifier) of the column where you want to perform a calculation.

    calc

    Specifies the calculation to be performed. The default is no calculation.

    For columns containing numeric data, select from: SUM, AVE, MIN, MAX, CNT, CNT.DST, PCT.TOT

    PCT.TOT values appear in a separate column adjacent to the column for which it is calculated, and styling is inherited from the visualization column.

    For columns containing text (alphanumeric) data, select from: CNT, CNT.DST

  • To control the location of the calculation results row, use
    TYPE=REPORT, CALC-LOCATION={TOP|BOTTOM}, $

    where:

    TOP

    Specifies the top row of the report as the location of the calculation results. TOP is the default value.

    BOTTOM

    Specifies the bottom row of the report as the location of the calculation results.

  • To control the colors of the calculation results row, use
    TYPE=REPORT, OBJECT=CALC-AREA, COLOR=color, BACKCOLOR=backcolor, $

    where:

    CALC-AREA

    Specifies the object, which is the calculation results row.

    color

    Specifies the color for the calculation values in the calculation results row. The default value is BLACK and is inherited from the column title font color. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'RED', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(255 255 153).

    backcolor

    Specifies the color for the background in the calculation results row. The default value is WHITE and is inherited from the column title background color. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'GOLD', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(153 51 0).

Syntax: How to Control the Visualization Colors Options

To control the colors of the graphic values used with the visualization option, use

TYPE=REPORT, GRAPHCOLOR=positivecolor, GRAPHCOLORNEG=negativecolor, $

where:

positivecolor

Specifies the color for the positive values displayed in the optional visualization column. BLACK is the default value. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'BLUE', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(255 255 153).

negativecolor

Specifies the color for the negative values displayed in the optional visualization column. BLACK is the default value. Valid values can be either a preset color name in single quotes, for example, 'VIOLET', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(153 153 153).

Syntax: How to Control the Freeze Column Options

To control the freeze column options, which determine the column (and all columns to the left) that will freeze when scrolling to the right to view other columns in the report output, use

TYPE=REPORT, FREEZE-COLUMN=coldesc, $

or

TYPE=REPORT, FREEZE-WIDTH=AUTO, $

where:

coldesc

Specifies the description (column name or identifier) of the column you want to freeze. You can only specify one freeze column, which must be a BY sort field. The default value is none (no freeze column).

AUTO

Enables the report to freeze at a particular column that will be automatically determined by FOCUS for optimal viewing.

If you can view the entire report output on the screen without scrolling, the freeze will not be applied.

Syntax: How to Control Hide Columns Options

To control the hide columns options, which determine the columns that will be hidden from view in the report output, repeat the following for each column you want to hide.

TYPE=REPORT, COLUMN=coldesc, HIDE={ON|OFF}, $

where:

coldesc

Specifies the description (column name or identifier) of the column you want to hide. You can hide multiple columns, but you cannot hide all columns (at least one column must always be visible).

ON

Enables the option.

OFF

Disables the option. OFF is the default value.

Syntax: How to Show or Hide Active Technologies Report Menu Options

To control active report menu options available to the users, use

TYPE=REPORT, ALLOW-feature={ON|OFF}, $

where:

feature

Specifies the feature. Select from:

PAGINATION to enable the use of show records options.

FILTER to enable the use of filtering or highlighting options.

FREEZE to enable the use of freeze column options.

CALC to enable the use of calculation options.

HIDE to enable the use of hide columns options.

CHART to enable the use of chart creating options.

EXPORT to enable the use of exporting options.

VISUALIZE to enable the use of graphical visualization options.

SORT to enable the use of sorting options.

ROLLUP to enable the use of roll-up table options.

PIVOT to enable the use of pivot table options.

COMMENTS to enable the use of comment options.

WINDOW to enable the use of window type options.

RESTORE to enable the use of restore options.

SENDEMAIL to enable the use of send as e-mail options.

SAVECHANGE to enable the use of save changes options.

PRINT to enable the use of print options.

TOOLS to enable the use Chart/Rollup Tool, Pivot Tool, and Grid Tool options.

ON

Enables the option. ON is the default value for all user-controlled options.

OFF

Disables the option.

Controlling the Pagination Options

How to:

For active reports, you can:

  • Determine the number of rows displayed per page and the styling characteristics of the record status and page navigation bar. For details, see Determine the Number of Rows Per Page and Styling Characteristics.
  • Customize the pagination bar to display the range of records that appear on the current page of the report, instead of displaying the default filtered number of records and total number of records. For example, the pagination bar on the first page of an active report might display the following sample values:
    1-25 records, Page 1 of 4

    You can display the range of records that appear on a page by creating a JavaScript file that overwrites the default display. For details, see Display the Range of Records on a Page.

  • Suppress the display of the pagination bar. For details, see Suppress the Display of the Pagination Bar.
Syntax: How to Determine the Number of Rows Per Page and Styling Characteristics

Use the appropriate syntax section that follows.

  • To control the number of rows displayed per page in the output, use
    TYPE=REPORT, LINES-PER-PAGE={n|UNLIMITED},$

    where:

    n

    Specifies the number of rows displayed on each HTML page. The default value is 20 rows when the LINES-PER-PAGE option is used. Otherwise, the FOCUS default value is 57 rows.

    UNLIMITED

    Specifies that you want to show all the results on one HTML page.

  • To control the position, justification, and colors of the record status and page navigation bar, use
    TYPE=REPORT, OBJECT=STATUS-AREA,PAGE-LOCATION={TOP|BOTTOM},JUSTIFY={LEFT|CENTER|RIGHT},
    COLOR=textcolor, BACKCOLOR=backcolor,$

    where:

    STATUS-AREA

    Specifies the object, which is the record status and page navigation bar.

    The record status and page navigation bar show row and page information, where your cursor is positioned, relative to the total number of rows and pages in the report (for example, 10 of 100 records (10.00%), Page 1 of 3).

    PAGE-LOCATION

    Specifies the location of the record status and page navigation bar, which is either at the top of the report above the report header, or at the bottom of the report below the report footer. TOP is the default value.

    JUSTIFY

    Specifies whether you want the information in the record status and page navigation bar to be centered, left-justified, or right-justified. CENTER is the default value.

    textcolor

    Specifies the text color for the record status and page navigation bar. BLACK is the default value. Valid values can be either a pre-set color name in single quotes, for example, 'GREEN', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(153 153 153).

    backcolor

    Specifies the background color for the record status and page navigation bar. SILVER is the default value. Valid values can be either a pre-set color name in single quotes, for example, 'WHITE', or the RGB (red green blue) numeric values, for example, RGB(51 153 102).

Procedure: How to Display the Range of Records on a Page

By default, the strings and parameters used to display the pagination bar are stored in the IRPSTR member of the data set allocated to DDNAME JS.

  1. Copy member IRPSTR from the data set allocated to DDNAME JS to your own data set and concatenate your library in front of the data set delivered with FOCUS in your allocation for DDNAME JS.

    Open member IRPSTR (from your data set) in a text editor and locate the following code:

    'paglinetext':"<%^%rcs of %trcs records, Page %inds of %pgs%>
    <span id='smsg%tn'><\/span>"
  2. Replace the preceding code with this code:
    'paglinetext':"<%^%frcs-%lrcs records, Page %inds of %pgs%>
    <span id='smsg%tn'><\/span>"
  3. Save the IRPSTR member and close the text editor.
  4. Run an active report with format AHTML.
    The pagination bar is displayed as follows. By default, 20 records are displayed on each page. As a result, the customized pagination bar displays a range of 1-20 records on the first page.

    Customized pagination bar

  5. To change the default number of records displayed on each page, use the following StyleSheet declaration:
    TYPE=REPORT,LINES-PER-PAGE=n,$

    where:

    n

    Is the number of lines per page to display.

  6. To change the location of, text justification, text color, and background color of the pagination bar, use the following StyleSheet declaration:
    TYPE=REPORT,OBJECT=STATUS-AREA,
         JUSTIFY=just,
         PAGE-LOCATION=location,
       COLOR=textcolor,
       BACKCOLOR=backcolor,

    where:

    just

    Is the justification for the text in the pagination bar. Valid values are LEFT, CENTER, or RIGHT. CENTER is the default value.

    Is the location of the pagination bar. Valid values are TOP or BOTTOM. TOP is the default value.

    textcolor

    Specifies the text color, either a color name enclosed in single quotation marks, or a color code in the form RGB(r,g,b). The default value is BLACK.

    backcolor

    Specifies the background color, either a color name enclosed in single quotation marks, or a color code in the form RGB(r,g,b). The default value is SILVER.

    For example, use the following StyleSheet declaration and run the report:

    TYPE=REPORT, LINES-PER-PAGE=10,
         OBJECT=STATUS-AREA,
         JUSTIFY=LEFT,
         PAGE-LOCATION=BOTTOM,$

    The pagination bar now displays 10 records per page, as shown in the following image. Based on the styling characteristics, the pagination bar appears at the bottom of the page, and the text inside the pagination bar is left-justified.


    Customized page range and styling characteristics

    Tip: You can also specify the number of records to display per page when a report is run. Click Show Records from a drop-down menu on the report. In the following image, 5 Records per page is selected.


    Selecting the number of records per page

Syntax: How to Suppress the Display of the Pagination Bar

You can suppress the display of the pagination bar using FOCUS StyleSheet code.

ON TABLE SET STYLE *
TYPE=REPORT,
   OBJECT=STATUS-AREA,
   PAGE-LOCATION=OFF,
$
ENDSTYLE

Once you suppress the display of the pagination bar, you can no longer navigate to a page after the first page if the number of records in the report exceeds the records (lines) per page that you set.

User-Controlled Options in an Active Technologies Report

The following options can be implemented only from the user menus in the output of an active report. Basic information for each of these options provides a more comprehensive understanding of this type of report.

  • Sorting data

    If the ALLOW-SORT option is enabled, you can sort columns in either ascending or descending order. For string data types, the sorting is alphabetical. For date data types, the sorting is chronological. When the report view option is tabular, only single column sorts are supported. When the report view option is expandable, an inner sort is also supported.

  • Adding visualization graphics to an HTML active report

    If the ALLOW-VISUALIZE option is enabled, you can display visualization graphics in a new column inserted into the report to the right of the selected column. Negative values appear with colored bars that extend to the left of center, and positive values appear with colored bars that extend to the right of center.

  • Creating charts in an active report

    If the ALLOW-CHART option is enabled, you can create charts using roll-up tables. All applied filters are respected, and all calculation methods are available to create aggregation charts. A selected BY sort field and a measure column are required. There is also an option to open charts in separate browser windows.

  • Exporting active reports

    If the ALLOW-EXPORT option is enabled, you can export all data, or filtered data only. The export method only exports data, not the JavaScript code, which makes exported reports static without the interactive options available in an active report. The export formats supported are: Save as HTML (formatting is preserved), XML export to Excel (formatting is not preserved), and Save as CSV (formatting is not preserved).

  • Filtering or highlighting data

    If the ALLOW-FILTER option is enabled, you can filter or highlight data. Filtering limits the output to display only data that meets the criteria in the WHERE clause specified with the user menus. Highlighting changes the color of the data in the output based on the criteria in the WHERE clause specified with the user menus.

  • Applying global filters to multiple active reports

    When multiple active reports are inserted in the same HTML page, you can apply filters on all reports containing a common BY sort field.

Controlling Expiration of an Active Technologies Report

The AREXPIRE parameter enables you to set the date when an active report expires and the report output can no longer be displayed.

The syntax is

SET AREXPIRE = {yymmdd|xxxDAYS}

where:

yymmdd

Is the expiration date in the format of year, month, and day. For example, if you want the report to expire on January 1, 2009, use 090101.

xxx

Is the number of days from the current date that the report expires. Valid values are 1 to 999.

The command can also be issued from within a request using:

ON TABLE SET AREXPIRE {yymmdd|xxxDAYS}

Setting a Password for an Active Technologies Report

The ARPASSWORD parameter enables you to set a password that is required to view active report output. Prior to opening the report output, the user is prompted to enter a password to unlock the report.

The syntax is

SET ARPASSWORD = password        

where:

password

Is any character string up to 32 characters in length.

The command can also be issued from within a request using:

ON TABLE SET ARPASSWORD password        

Usage Notes for FOCUS Commands and Features

The following is a list of commands and features that are not supported for HTML active reports:

  • OVER, including Financial Modeling Language (FML)
  • PAGE-BREAK
  • RECAP
  • SKIP-LINE
  • HTMLCSS
  • Calling an external Cascading StyleSheet (CSS) file to style reports
  • BORDER
  • OLAP
  • GRAPHLOOK, including conditional styling

Using an AHTML Report

Navigating Between Pages

The following image shows the pagination options in an active report.


pagination options

Use any of the following options to navigate between pages in the active report.

  • The pagination options are located on the top of the report by default. To move the location of the pagination options to the bottom of the page, click the pagination pagination icon icon.
  • Navigate between pages by using the scrolling arrows. A single arrow indicates the previous or next page, and the double arrows indicate the first or last page in the report.

    pagination scroll arrow options

  • The current page number of the report is underlined. Click the current page number to enter a new page number and press the Enter key.
    pagination page display

Filtering and Highlighting Data

How to:

Reference:

You can apply operators to your report data so that you either filter data or highlight data based on criteria you define. You can apply multiple filters to a report and you can apply filters to filtered data.

Operators include:

  • Equals. Equals a specific value or values. If you select more than one value, OR logic is used to retrieve records.
  • Not equal. Does not equal a specified value.
  • Greater than OR Greater than or equal to. Greater than or greater than or equal to a specific value.
  • Less than OR Less than or equal to. Less than or less than or equal to a specific value.
  • Between. Between a set of values.
  • Contains OR Contains (match case). Finds values that include a character string you specify. The string can occur in any position in the value you are testing. You can use this option for case-insensitive (Contains) and case-sensitive strings (Contains (match case)).
  • Omits OR Omits (match case). Finds values that do not include a character string you specify. You can use this option for case-insensitive (Omits) and case-sensitive strings (Omits (match case)).
Procedure: How to Filter or Highlight Data in an Active Technologies Report
  1. Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to filter on. Click Filter and then the operation.

    The Filters Selection dialog box opens. You can change the operation after you select it.

  2. Enter a value or values, depending on the operation you select.

    Values are entered either by typing a value in a text box or selecting a value from a drop-down list.

  3. Click Add Condition if you want to enter additional filters.

    If you are adding additional filters, you can apply either AND or OR logic. AND logic considers all filters and all data must pass all filters in order to be included in the report output. OR logic considers filters independently and includes data that meets any of the applied filters in the report output.

  4. Click Filter or Highlight.

Once you apply a filter or highlight, and minimize the selection dialog box, the selection dialog box appears as a button (Filter Selection or Highlight Selection) in the bottom of the window. You can click the button to access the dialog box. If you close the dialog box, all filters and highlights clear from the report output.

Procedure: How to Remove Filters or Highlighting

In the Filter Selection dialog box, click the X adjacent to the filter/highlight you want to remove. To remove all filters or highlights, click Clear All.

Also note that if you close the Filter Selection dialog box, all filters clear from the report output.

Procedure: How to Filter Selections Using Multiple Values

When you select a value in the Filter Selection dialog box, a value selection dialog box displays if there are over 20 data values. Additionally, when item(s) are selected in the value selection dialog box, the item is highlighted and checked to indicate the selection.

Selecting multiple values is available for Equals and Not Equal conditions.

  1. Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to filter on. Click Filter and then the operation.

    The Filter Selection dialog box opens.

  2. Enter a value or values, depending on the operation you select.

    Values are entered either by typing a value in a text box or selecting a value from a drop-down list.

    If there are over 20 data values for the column, a value selection dialog box appears, as shown in the image below. For more information about selecting values to be filtered, see Usage Notes for Selecting Values.

    value selection dialog box
  3. Select a value, or values, in the value selection dialog box.

    The item(s) selected are highlighted and checked, as shown in the image below.

    While the value selection dialog box appears for both alphanumeric and numeric data, indicated selections only appear for alphanumeric data.

  4. Close the value selection dialog box to add your selections to the Filter Selection dialog box.
  5. Click Filter to apply the filter to the report.
Reference: Usage Notes for Filtering Data

The following apply when filtering data:

  • Filtering data in the Scientific Notation format is not supported.
  • Applying a filter to an active report with a calculation applied to a numeric column correctly displays the filtered percentage. The filtered percentage does not appear for non-numeric columns.
  • If no records are returned after applying a filter, the Status Bar states Page 1 of 1 and, for example, 0 of 10 records.

Reference: Usage Notes for Selecting Values

The following apply when selecting values to be filtered:

  • If there are less than 20 unique values in the matching records to be filtered, they will be displayed in a drop-down list, as shown in the following image.

    You may not type input values in the filter field.

  • If there are more than 20 and less than 1,000 unique values, the value selection dialog box appears, as described in How to Filter Selections Using Multiple Values.

    You may not type input values in the filter field.

  • If there are more than 1,000 unique values, there is no value selection dialog box or filter value drop-down list. Manually type the input value in the filter value field.
    manual entry
Procedure: How to Toggle Calculation Types for Filtered Data

When a filter is applied to a report with calculations, the report refreshes and the calculated column total shows the value for the filtered data. A calculation icon appears on the pagination bar, enabling you to toggle between calculation types for the filtered data.

The calculation icon only appears when a filter is applied to a report with calculations.

Click the calculation icon on the pagination bar to toggle between calculations for the filtered data. Note that the column total value changes accordingly, as shown in the image below.



Reference: Filtering, Highlighting, and Commenting Individual Rows of Data

In addition to using column controls to filter and highlight your report, you may also filter, highlight, and comment individual rows of data in the active report output.

When a row is selected, the context menu offers options to add comments, highlight values and rows, and filter cells.

For example, the image below shows the context menu for a row in the active report output.

context menu
Procedure: How to Add Comments to a Row in the Active Technologies Report Output

You may add multiple comments per row. Comments cannot be edited but they can be deleted.

  1. Select the row of data that you want to add a comment for, click and select Comments from the context menu.

    The Add Comment dialog box appears.

    add comment dialog box
  2. Type in a comment in the Enter Comment field.
  3. Click Add Comment to add the entry and close the dialog box.

    A star (*) indicates that there is a comment in the row.


    comment in a row

  4. To view existing comments:
    • Click the row with comments, and select Comments from the context menu.

      The Add Comment dialog box appears displaying the comment entry and the date it was created.

    • Select Expand from the Comments submenu of any column control.
      expand option

      The comment date and entry is shown in the output.

      comment date entry

    Comments cannot be edited.

  5. To delete an existing comment:
    • Click the row with comments and select Comments from the context menu.

      The Add Comment dialog box appears.

    • Click the X next to the comment date and entry.

      The comment is removed.

    • Click the X on the Add Comment toolbar to close the dialog box.
Procedure: How to Highlight Values and Rows in the Active Technologies Report Output

To highlight a row:

Select the row of data that you want to highlight, click and select Highlight Row from the context menu.

The row is highlighted in an aqua color.


highleted row

You may highlight multiple rows.

To highlight a value:

Select the row of data that you want to highlight, click select Highlight Value from the context menu.

The row is highlighted in an aqua color.

Highlight Value is only applicable for one row. When you apply Highlight Value, any other highlighted rows are unhighlighted.

You may use the context menu to highlight other rows, unhighlight the row, or unhighlight all rows.

Procedure: How to Filter a Row in the Active Technologies Report Output

The filter option enables you to filter the output and only show a selected row of data.

  1. Select the row of data that you want to filter, click and select Filter Cell from the context menu.

    The output refreshes and only shows the filtered row of data.

  2. Select Remove Cell Filter from the context menu to remove the filter and return to the original output results.
    remove cell filter

Calculating Data

How to:

You can perform calculations on data in an active report. Types of calculations that you can apply are:

  • Count all, which counts the number of occurrences of the field.
  • Count distinct, which counts the number of distinct values within a field.
  • Recomputes, which inserts a RECOMPUTE function to show totals for columns containing numeric values, and recalculates temporary fields containing information, such as ratios using subtotals, each time a specified sort field changes values.
  • Summarize, which uses the SUMMARIZE function to recalculate a computed field at every sort break.

For numeric fields you can also apply:

  • Sum, which sums the values of all the fields in the column.
  • Avg, which computes the average value of the field.
  • Min, which generates the minimum value of the field.
  • Max, which generates the maximum value of the field.
  • % of Total, which computes the percentage of a field, based on the total values for the field.

Calculations are applied to the entire data set and to the filtered and/or expanded data in the report. What this means is that reports that have filters applied or are not fully expanded will have multiple results appear for calculations. The first is the calculation for the visible data (that is the data that currently appears in the report output). The second is the result for all values in the report even if they are filtered out or are not currently showing in an expandable report.

Calculations appear in the top or bottom row of the report. When a filter is applied, you can toggle between different displays of calculated data. Calculations are not recalculated on page breaks. Some calculations may initially appear in your report. You can change these.

Calculations on data in the Scientific Notation format are not supported.

The following image shows a report where calculations appear in the top row. If you select the % of Total calculation, the results appear in a new column to the right of the selected column. For example, as shown in the following image, the % Total calculation is selected for the Line Total field.

top row calculations
Procedure: How to Calculate Data in an Active Technologies Report

Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to calculate, click Calculate and then the operation.

Calculation results appear in the top or bottom row of the report, depending on how the report is designed.

Procedure: How to Clear Calculations

Click the arrow in the heading of the column where you want to clear calculations. Select Calculate, then Clear (to clear the calculation for the individual column) or Clear All (to clear all calculations).

Sorting Data

How to:

You can sort data in any row of an active report in ascending or descending order.

Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to sort and select Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.

You can also sort data by adding a Table of Contents (TOC). The TOC enhances the display of groups of data. You can view one section of a report at a time, or you can view all sections at once.

Syntax: How to Add a Table of Contents to a Sort Field

You can enhance navigation within a large executed report by adding a dynamic based Table of Contents (TOC). To take advantage of this feature, the report must contain at least one vertical sort (By) field. Add the following command to the report request:

ON TABLE SET COMPOUND 'BYTOC n'

where:

n

Represents the number of vertical sort (BY) fields to include in the TOC, beginning with the first (highest-level) sort field in the request. The hierarchy of sort fields is determined by the order in which they are specified in the request.

The default value is 1, meaning that only the highest-level sort field and its values are displayed in the TOC. You can omit the single quotation marks if you omit the n.

The following image is an example of an HTML active report with a Table of Contents sort option.

example of an HTML Active Report with a Table of Contents sort option

Using Tab Window Navigation

How to:

Tab window navigation options are available when multiple windows are open in the active report within a Web browser.

Procedure: How to Use Tab Window Navigation in an Active Technologies Report
  1. Run the active report and open multiple windows by viewing data as a chart, or in a Rollup Table, and so on.
  2. Click the arrow in any column heading and select Window.
  3. Select Tabs from the Window submenu.
    selecting tabs from the window submenu

    Tabs show the open windows as tabs across the top of the active report. Click the tabs to navigate between the open windows.

  4. Select Cascade from the Window submenu to turn off tabs and return to the default window navigation.

    You may also select Restore Original from any column heading to return to the original view of the active report.



Controlling Report Display

How to:

You can control the columns and subtitles that appear and the number of records that appear in an active report. When you hide a column in an active report, you can still filter and highlight the report based on values in the hidden column. Hide respects all other report functions. For example, if you have a filter or calculation applied to a report and then you hide a column, the calculations and filters remain unchanged.

You can also freeze report columns so you can keep some data stationary while you scroll to the right in the report output.

If you are working with an accordion active report, the Freeze and Pagination options are not available.

Procedure: How to Show/Hide Report Columns

Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to hide and select Hide Column from the menu.

You can restore hidden fields by clicking the arrow in the heading of the column and selecting Show Columns, then Unhide All or a particular field name.

Procedure: How to Show/Hide Subtitles for SubHeadings or SubFootings

Click the arrow in the heading of the column and select Hide Subtitles from the menu.

You can hide subtitles from any sort column in the report. However, when you sort the report with any other column besides the first sort column, subtitles automatically disappear.

You can restore hidden subtitles by clicking the arrow in the heading of the column and selecting Show Subtitles.

The Hide/Show Subtitles option appears when a SubHeading or SubFooting column is available in the report.

Procedure: How to Control the Number of Records

Click the arrow in any column heading and then select Show Records and a value from the pop-out menu.

The report shows the number of records you select. All report information appears in the record status and page navigation bar, which can be moved from the top to the bottom of the report by clicking the pagination icon.

Important:
  • The Default option shows the number of records per page that were set by the report developer.
  • If a filter has been applied, the Show all option displays only the filtered records.
Procedure: How to Freeze Report Columns

Select Freeze options from the column pop-up menu.

Note that Freeze options are only available when a report does not fit in the current window. Therefore, if your report fits in the current window, Freeze options are unavailable in the menu. If you resize the report, or a column or row extends beyond the proportion of the window, then Freeze options become activated and are available for use.

Pop-up menus sometimes get cut off when freezing columns, depending on which column is frozen and how wide it is.

Using Data Visualization

How to:

Data visualization, or peer graphics, enable you to visually compare the values of numeric columns. When you select the visualization option, bars that reflect the value of the data display in a column to the right of the data. Data visualization bars do not represent true proportions. They are algorithmically scaled to be relative to the other values in the column to make comparisons of similar values simple.

Data visualization bars update dynamically when you add a filter to the report. You can toggle between visualization of filtered data or total data.

The following report shows the Quantity field with visualization applied.

Procedure: How to Apply Data Visualization

Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to visualize and select Visualize from the menu.

The Visualize option only appears for numeric columns.

Viewing Data as a Chart

In this section:

How to:

Reference:

You can view data in your active report as a line, bar, scatter, or pie chart. For example, the following image shows an HTML active report.

The following image shows a chart that was rendered from the data in the report. This is a pie chart that shows the sum of the values in the Quantity field by Plant.

Once a chart is rendered, you can use the chart icons as follows.

Chart Icon

Action

Create new charts to compare values, especially when using the Freeze options.

Change or add fields. You can only add fields to a bar or line chart.

Export charts to another application or open the Chart/Rollup Tool.

Change the chart type to a bar chart.

Change the chart type to a pie chart.

Change the chart type to a line chart.

Change the chart type to a scatter chart.

Scatter charts are available for numeric columns.

View the chart as a report in table format.

Freeze Chart. You can link or unlink a chart to the filters you have applied in your report using the Freeze Chart button. The button indicates whether the report is linked to the filter (Freeze Chart) or not (UnFreeze Chart).

Change the aggregation method.

Procedure: How to View Data in a Chart
  1. Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to chart and select Chart.
  2. Select the chart type (Pie, Line, Bar, Scatter) from the menu.

    Scatter charts are available for numeric columns.

    The menu that appears shows you how the chart is going to be created. The first row tells you the calculation, for example Group By (SUM), then the following rows list the vertical (By) sort fields in the report that you can select for the X-axis. The column title you clicked on is the field that displays on the Y-axis.

  3. Select a sort field.

    The chart is rendered. You may create a new chart from the chart window, create a Rollup Table, change the type of calculation for the column, and view data tips for the chart items.

    Tip: To view data tips in a chart, hover your mouse over the pie slice (or column, or dot, depending on your chart type), to view the data tip for the field. For example, the following image shows a data tip for a column in a bar chart.

    Data tip in a chart

    If you click on a column, the data tip includes the column data and name, as shown in the following image.

Procedure: How to Create New Charts From a Chart Window
  1. From a chart window in the active report output, select New from the first chart icon.

    Another chart window opens with the same chart.

  2. Select the Freeze icon to unlink the chart to the filters you applied in your report.

    Any additional filters that you apply do not affect this chart window.

    Select the Freeze icon again to unfreeze the chart and link the chart to the report when new filters are applied.

  3. Change the type of calculation for data in the column.

    You can select Sum, Avg, Min, Max, Count, or Distinct as the aggregation method (calculation type) for numeric data. You may select Count or Distinct as the aggregation method (calculation type) for non-numeric data.

    aggregation method for calculation data

    For information about the available types of calculation in active reports, see Calculating Data.

Reference: Usage Notes for Charts

The following apply to charts.

  • X-axis labels overlap and are cut off when you reduce the size of a chart.
  • If there are multiple Y-axis fields for a pie chart, the chart uses the first field selected to draw the chart. If adding multiple Y-axis fields to draw the pie chart from the chart window, the chart uses the first Y-axis field selected to draw the pie chart.
  • Scatter charts can represent only detailed data (numeric) without any aggregation method applied.
  • When you create a pie chart using the HTML active report output format (AHTML), the values are sorted alphabetically in the pie slices clockwise, from left to right. When you create a pie chart using the active report for Adobe Flash Player (FLEX) and active report for PDF (APDF) output formats, the values are sorted alphabetically in the pie slices counter-clockwise, from right to left.
Viewing Data in a Rollup Table

How to:

You can view data in an active report in a Rollup Table. For example, the following image shows a partial active report that has the Order Number, Date of Order, Line Total, and Quantity sorted by Plant and by Product. If you need to see only the quantity in stock for each plant, you can create a Rollup Table with only those fields, as shown in the following image.

Procedure: How to Create a Rollup Table
  1. Click the arrow in the heading of the column you want to create a Rollup Table for and select Rollup.
  2. Select the sort field from the submenu.

    The Rollup Table appears in a separate window.

Viewing Data in a Pivot Table

How to:

Reference:

Pivot Tables reorganize and summarize selected columns and rows of data in order to obtain a desired report. A Pivot Table pivots, or turns, the data to view it from different perspectives, without actually changing the data from the report.

Procedure: How to Create a Pivot Table in an Active Technologies Report
  1. Run the active report, click the arrow in any column heading, and select Pivot (Cross Tab).
  2. Select a column and row, respectively, from the Pivot (Cross Tab) submenu.

    The selected column is the vertical sort field and the selected row is the horizontal sort field in the Pivot Table.

    The Pivot Table appears in the same Web browser session.

    The Pivot Table inherits the style used in the original active report.

    You may use the Pivot controls and Pivot Table menu options to select additional values and calculations.

Reference: Pivot Table Menu Options

The following image is an example of a Pivot Table for an HTML active report.

Pivot Table for HTML Active Report

The following icons are available from the Pivot Table:

New

The New New icon icon opens a new window with the same Pivot Table. This Pivot Table window can be used to compare values, especially when you use the Freeze option.

Add additional vertical sort fields (Add (Y)) and horizontal sort fields (Group By (X)) to the Pivot Table.

You may also export the Pivot Table to another application and open the Pivot Tool.

Freeze

Select the Freeze Freeze icon icon to keep the Pivot Table frozen so that additional selection criteria does not reflect in the Pivot Table.

Select the Freeze icon again to unfreeze the table and reflect new selection criteria in the Pivot Table.

Calculation

The Calculation Calculation icon icon identifies the calculation value for the Pivot Table. Options are Sum, Avg, Min, Max, Count, and Distinct.

Sum is the default calculation value.

Reference: Pivot Controls

The Pivot Table has individual controls for each sorting column or row. These controls enable you to alternate the sorting to analyze the data. The following image is an example of the Pivot controls in a Pivot Table.

Pivot Table

The following controls are available from the Pivot Table.

Button

Control

Moves a column sort to a row sort or vice versa.

Up/Down arrows enable you to switch the order of the sorts and moves the column to a new position in the Pivot Table.

Arrows are grayed out if there is only one sort column.

Right/Left arrows enable you to switch the order of the sorts and moves the row to a new position in the Pivot Table.

Arrows are grayed out if there is only one sort row.

Deletes the column or row from the Pivot Table.

Using the Grid Tool

How to:

Reference:

The Grid Tool enables you to change the column order, select multiple columns to sort ascending or descending, hide and show columns, add a calculation result to a column, and add subtotals in the active report.

The Grid Tool is available as long as you do not include the following StyleSheet declaration in the request:

TYPE=REPORT,ALLOW-GRID=OFF,$
Procedure: How to Use the Grid Tool
  1. Run the active report, click the arrow in any column heading, and select Grid Tool.

    The Grid Tool opens as shown in the image below.


    Grid Tool

    The columns are displayed in the order that they appear in the active report.

    Tip: You may left-click and drag the columns in the Column Order section to reorder the list.

  2. To hide/show columns, click the Hide Column icon next to the column name.

    By default, the Grid Tool displays Hide icons for the hidden fields (HIDE=ON StyleSheet setting) and NOPRINT fields in the procedure. The Grid Tool displays Show icons for anything else.


    Grid Tool Show/Hide icons

  3. To add a calculated result to the column, click the calculation icon next to the column name. You may assign a different calculation result for each field.

    There are no calculations set by default.


    calculation numeric fields

    • Sum, Avg, Min, Max, Count, or Distinct are available for numeric fields.
    • Min, Max, Count, or Distinct are available for Date type fields.
    • Count or Distinct are available for non-numeric alpha string fields.
    • None indicates that there will be no aggregation performed or applied for the column in the report. When None is selected, Detail appears next to the calculation icon, implying that the report will display detailed data for this column in the report.
  4. Left-click and drag the columns from the Column Order into the Sort Order section. You may also double-click to add columns.

    When columns are added to the Sort Order section, options for sorting ascending or descending appear. The default sort order is ascending, lowest to highest (A to Z). Click the sort order icon to switch to descending, highest to lowest (Z to A).

    In the example below, COUNTRY is descending and CAR is ascending.


    Sort Order section

  5. You may edit the sort fields by clicking the X icon to delete columns, drag multiple columns into the Sort Order section, reorder the sort fields, and group sort columns.
  6. Click Group sort columns to group the report by columns in the Sort Order section.

    A Subtotal column appears in the Sort Order section. No subtotals are selected by default.

    When Group sort columns is selected, the columns in the report are grouped by the order specified in the Sort Order section. These columns are repositioned to the beginning of the report and override the Column Order list.

  7. To add a subtotal for an aggregated column.
    • Select the Subtotal check box next to the column name.
    • Click Group sort columns again to hide the Subtotal column.

    In the following example, MODEL and SEATS are hidden, DEALER_COST and RETAIL_COST have a Sum aggregation type, COUNTRY, CAR, MODEL, and SEATS appear in the Sort Order column, Group sort columns is selected, and Subtotal is applied to CAR.


    Grid Tool

  8. Click OK to close the Grid Tool.

    The active report is generated based on the sort fields selected.

    In the example below, the subtotal of sum values appear under DEALER_COST and RETAIL_COST by the CAR field. You may select Grid Tool from the column menu to open the Grid Tool again.

    Grid Tool
Reference: Grid Tool Usage Notes

The following apply when you use the Grid Tool in active reports:

  • The same column can appear in both the Column Order and Sort Order section.
  • Column Order displays the order of how columns appear in the report, unless Group sort columns is selected. The Sort Order list overrides the Column Order if Group sort columns is selected.
  • The Column Order and Sort Order sections can contain field names in a different order, as long as Group sort columns is not selected.
  • Columns can be dragged from Column Order to Sort Order but they cannot be dragged from Sort Order to Column Order.
  • Sort ascending is the default sort order, when columns are added to the Sort Order section.
  • There are no calculations set by default. Sum, Avg, Min, Max, Count, or Distinct are available for numeric fields. Min, Max, Count, or Distinct are available for Date type fields. Count or Distinct are available for non-numeric alpha string fields. None indicates that there will be no aggregation performed or applied for the column in the report.
  • When the Subtotal option is selected and an aggregation type is selected in the Column Order, subtotals display by the corresponding sort field (for the fields that have calculations specified).
  • Total plus the aggregation type (Cnt, Sum, and so on) appears with the column in the report output when Subtotal is selected.
  • You may not add additional columns to Sort Order once Group sort columns is selected. Deselect Group sort columns to add additional columns.
  • If a column is hidden and appears in the Sort Order section, the subtotal value will also be hidden if Group sort columns is selected.
  • When a filter is applied to the report, the subtotal will display the filtered value.
  • Subtotals are not supported with date fields.
  • The active report Sort Ascending and Sort Descending menus will override the options set in the Sort Order section of the Grid Tool.
  • The subtotal background color and font color can be changed by using CALC-AREA object in the STYLE section of the procedure. For example:
    TYPE=REPORT,OBJECT=CALC-AREA,COLOR=WHITE,BACKCOLOR=BLACK,$
  • The font style for the subtotal values can be changed by using TITLE type in the STYLE section of the procedure. For example:
    TYPE=TITLE,FONT='GEORGIA',COLOR=RGB(78 137 187),$

Using the Chart/Rollup Tool

How to:

Reference:

The Chart/Rollup Tool enables you to select multiple group fields in the Chart or Rollup Table generated.

The Chart/Rollup Tool contains a list of columns available in the active report and Group By and Measure sort fields. Click and drag the columns into the desired sort field.

Procedure: How to Use the Chart/Rollup Tool
  1. Run the active report, click the arrow in any column heading, and select Chart/Rollup Tool.

    The Chart/Rollup Tool opens as shown in the image below.


    Chart/Rollup Tool

  2. Left-click and drag the columns into the Group By and Measure sort fields.

    For charts, Group By is the column(s) used for the X-axis and Measure is the column(s) used for the Y-axis.

  3. You may edit the sort fields by clicking the X icon to delete columns, drag multiple columns into the Group By and Measure sort fields, reorder the sort fields, and change the aggregation type of the Measure by clicking the Calculation icon.
  4. You can select the Line, Pie, Bar, Scatter, or Rollup icon.

    Pie chart is selected by default.

    In the example below, CAR and MODEL are the Group By sort fields, DEALER_COST and RETAIL_COST are the Measure fields, and Line chart is selected.


    Chart/Rollup Tool

  5. Click OK to close the Chart/Rollup Tool.

    The Chart or Rollup Table is generated based on the sort fields selected. You may click the New icon from the Chart or Rollup Table and select Chart/Rollup Tool to open the Chart/Rollup Tool again.

Reference: Chart/Rollup Tool Usage Notes

The following apply when you use the Chart/Rollup Tool in active reports:

  • The Group By and Measure sort fields are required.
  • You may use multiple Group By and Measure sort fields. Group By is the column(s) used for the X-axis and Measure is the column(s) used for the Y-axis.
  • You may only use one Measure sort field (as the Y-axis) when using a Pie chart.
  • The same column can appear in both the Group By and Measure sort field.
  • Columns can be dragged between the Group By and Measure sections but they cannot be dragged back to the Columns section.
  • The Measure sort field displays Sum for numeric fields and Count for non-numeric fields by default.
  • Headings for the chart are generated using the field name, or column title name. The report HEADING is inherited only if REPORT-VIEW=CHART is set in the procedure.
  • When you use the Chart/Rollup Tool with hidden fields (HIDE=ON StyleSheet setting), the hidden columns will not be displayed in the Rollup Table. To display the hidden columns in the Rollup Table, select Show Columns from the active report menu, and select the column name you want to display.

Using the Pivot Tool

How to:

Reference:

By default, a Pivot Table groups the selected column as the vertical sort field and the selected row as the horizontal sort field. The Pivot Tool enables you to select multiple group fields in the Pivot Table generated.

Pivot Tables reorganize and summarize selected columns and rows of data in order to obtain a desired report. For more information, see Viewing Data in a Pivot Table.

The Pivot Tool contains a list of columns available in the active report and Group By, Across, and Measure sort fields. Click and drag the columns into the desired sort field.

Procedure: How to Use the Pivot Tool
  1. Run the active report, click the arrow in any column heading, and select Pivot Tool.

    The Pivot Tool opens as shown in the image below.

  2. Left-click and drag the columns into the Group By, Across, and Measure sort fields.

    A column must be included for the Group By and Measure sort fields (Measures typically define how much or how many). The Across sort field is optional.

    In the example below, CATEGORY and RATING are the Group By sort field, COPIES is the Across sort field, and WHOLESALEPR is the Measure field.


    Pivot Tool

  3. You may edit the sort fields by clicking the X icon to delete columns, drag multiple columns into the Group By or Across sort fields, reorder the columns in the sort fields, and change the aggregation type of the Measure by clicking the Calculation icon.

    You may not use multiple Measures.

  4. Click OK to close the Pivot Tool.

    The Pivot Table is generated based on the sort fields selected. You may click the New icon from the Pivot Table and select Pivot Tool to open the Pivot Tool again.

Reference: Pivot Tool Usage Notes

The following apply when you use the Pivot Tool in active reports:

  • The Group By and Measure sort fields are required.
  • You may not use multiple Measures.
  • The same column cannot appear in both the Group By and Across sort field.
  • Columns can be dragged between the Group By, Across, and Measure sections but they cannot be dragged back to the Columns section.
  • If a column already exists in the Measure sort field, an additional column that is dropped into Measures section will replace the existing column.
  • The Measure sort field displays Sum for numeric fields and Count for non-numeric fields by default.

Saving, Exporting, and E-mailing Active Technologies Reports

How to:

You can save an active report from your browser to another location. You can e-mail active reports as an HTML attachment. You can also export data in an active report to HTML, CSV (comma-delimited), or XML (Excel) formats. You can export the entire data set or only filtered records. Export does not include the JavaScript that makes interaction possible due to browser security settings, only static data is exported. All data that you see in your report is exported. For example, if you have applied calculations to a column, those calculations appear in the exported data. In addition to exporting data, you may also export charts created in active reports to Microsoft® Excel®, Word, and PowerPoint®.

The active cache feature does not support the Save Changes and Send as E-mail options for active reports.

Procedure: How to Save an Active Technologies Report

In order to save an active report, ensure that your Temporary Internet Files setting is set to Automatic.

  1. From your browser File menu, use the Save Page As option. For example, in Internet Explorer, select Save As.
  2. In the Save as type drop-down list, select Webpage, HTML only.
Procedure: How to Use Save Changes in an Active Technologies Report
  1. Click the arrow in any column heading, select Save Changes.

    The Prompt dialog box opens.

    To use the Save Changes option, you must enable ActiveX® in your browser security settings.

  2. If a filter is applied to the active report, Filtered Only appears as an additional option in the Save as dialog box.
    Click Filtered Only to save only the filtered result instead of the entire report.
  3. Enter a file name and location (or keep the default) and click Save Report.

    The report is saved with the most recent modifications applied.

    The original report name will not show these modifications.

Procedure: How to Print Active Technologies Report Data
  1. Click the arrow in any column heading and select Print.

    You may print All records or Filtered only.

    • Select All records to open an HTML-formatted page, showing all records, in a new browser window.
    • Select Filtered only to open an HTML-formatted page, showing filtered data, in a new browser window.

      Tip: Click the arrow in any column heading and select Filter to filter data. For more information about filtering, see Filtering and Highlighting Data.

  2. The print dialog menu automatically appears when selecting a print option from active reports.

    The data is sent to the printer.

Procedure: How to Export Data

The Mozilla Firefox® browser and the Safari® browser do not support the Export XML (Excel) feature of HTML active reports.

Using Safari as the Web browser has identical functionality to Mozilla Firefox. A limitation for both Safari and Mozilla Firefox is the unavailability of the export directly to Microsoft Excel function in the HTML active report. The export directly to Microsoft Excel function in HTML active reports requires ActiveX controls, which are supported only when you use Internet Explorer as the Web browser.

The active report menu options Export to HTML and Export to CSV (comma-delimited) export data in Unicode only. Exporting data in an encoding scheme other than Unicode is not supported. For instance, in the Save HTML Document dialog box in Internet Explorer, you must select Unicode from the Language drop-down list. The requirement that you export data in Unicode applies to all platforms.

  1. Click the arrow in any column heading, select Export, and then click the format.

    Formatting is only preserved for reports that are exported in HTML format. If you export data to HTML and then change the file extension in the Save as dialog box to .xls, when you open the file in Excel, it retains all formatting.

  2. Select All Records or Filtered only.

    The Save as dialog box opens.

    A new browser window also opens that shows the exported data. This data shows due to browser security features.

  3. Navigate to a location to save the exported file, enter a name, and click Save.
  4. A second window appears in the browser when you export content to XML (Excel). Since exporting content to Excel is done using XML, this second window appears in the browser during the export process, which performs a security check on the data. To prevent this second window from appearing, give the file name an explicit Excel extension (.XLS) in the Save dialog.
    Column titles and field values for ACROSS sort fields are not exported to CSV and XML (Excel) formats.

    Field formats with dollar signs and decimals are not exported to CSV and XML (Excel) formats. They export as plain integers.

Procedure: How to Export Charts to Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint

When you export charts, the selected application opens and a chart is created in a new worksheet, document, or presentation. You must use Internet Explorer as the default browser in order to successfully export data to a Microsoft Office application.

  1. Ensure that ActiveX controls are enabled in your Web browser security settings.
    1. From your Web Browser, select Internet Options from the Tools menu.
    2. Select the Security Tab.
    3. Click Custom Levels.

      Ensure that ActiveX controls and plug-ins are enabled.

  2. Run your active report and create a chart.
  3. From the chart window, select the Export To option from the first chart icon.
  4. Select Excel, Word, or PowerPoint.

    The chart is exported to the selected application.

The chart opens in the corresponding Microsoft Office application.

The following image is an example of a chart exported to Excel.

The following image is an example of a chart exported to Word.

The following image is an example of a chart exported to PowerPoint.

Procedure: How to E-mail Active Technologies Reports

You must use Internet Explorer as the default browser in order to successfully e-mail active reports.

The Mozilla Firefox browser and the Safari browser do not support the Send as E-mail feature of HTML active reports.

Using Safari as the Web browser has identical functionality to Mozilla Firefox. A limitation for both Safari and Mozilla Firefox is the unavailability of Send as E-mail functions in the HTML active report. Send as E-mail functions in HTML active reports require ActiveX controls, which are supported only when you use Internet Explorer as the Web browser.

The HTML file that is created by Active Technologies contains JavaScript so that you can interact with the data in a disconnected mode. When you send an active report in HTML using e-mail, many e-mail client programs on a smartphone or any other mobile device may block the JavaScript in the attachment. A third-party tool may be required in order to correctly view the attachment.

  1. Click the arrow in the heading of a column and select Send as E-mail from the menu.

    The Prompt dialog box opens.



  2. If a filter is applied to the active report, Filtered Only appears as an additional option in the Prompt dialog box.
    Click Filtered Only to send only the filtered result instead of the entire report.
  3. Enter a file name and location (or keep the default) and click Save Report to save the active report as a HTML document.

    If Microsoft Outlook® is your default e-mail system, an e-mail is opened with the AHTML report as an attachment.



    If Microsoft Outlook is not your default e-mail system, save the active report as an HTML document and attach the file to your e-mail message.

    Note: When using Internet Explorer 7 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or 2007 on Windows, you may receive the error message Access is denied, if you click the attached HTML file to preview the active report before you send it. Once the e-mail is sent, the HTML file will open and the active report will be displayed correctly on the machine of the e-mail recipient.


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