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Allowing the user to edit a report

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    Allowing the user to edit a report

    I would like to learn how to allow a user to edit a report. The need is surrounding the requirement to let a user modify a copy of a check printing report to match their particular specifications; such as moving the data lines to match their purchased forms. How can I accomplish providing this function within a runtime environment?

    Thanks.

    #2
    If you have a "Runtime Plus" license, then it's doable. Check your RT version, Gene.
    See our Hybrid Option here;
    https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


    Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
    You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

    Comment


      #3
      Gene, I'm pretty sure this can't be done within the user's runtime environment.

      You might create several different versions of the report, using "standard" check formats. The user could pick the desired format at runtime. The user could purchase preprinted forms that match your templates.

      Comment


        #4
        Well the documentation says it is possible, Tom.
        I have V11.5 RT+ but never had a client who wanted to create their own reports.
        See our Hybrid Option here;
        https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


        Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
        You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

        Comment


          #5
          Ted, that's news to me, but I travel in a pretty deep "rut" and can't see "over the top" at times. I don't see a way to do it using V11 RT or V12 RT. The Report menu in control panel doesn't have a "design" option. What am I missing?

          Comment


            #6
            runtime plus documentation

            a5_new_report_dialog()

            a5_layout_design()

            a5_new_report_layout()

            Call these functions from a script or button.
            Last edited by Al Buchholz; 09-13-2021, 08:43 AM.
            Al Buchholz
            Bookwood Systems, LTD
            Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

            Occam's Razor - KISS
            Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
            Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
            When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
            "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
            Albert Einstein

            http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

            Comment


              #7
              This is what the process is, Tom.
              Not like your ususal report editor. Slightly different getting at it.
              Right Click report on the CP and then click on report to be changed.

              Alpha 01.png
              See our Hybrid Option here;
              https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


              Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
              You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

              Comment


                #8
                Thanks. Call me old school, but this would not be useful for most of my desktop clients. Still, it's nice to learn that the feature is there when it's use is appropriate.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Like I said, Tom, it's a support trigger if ever there was one. Never had a client use it, even after some basic training.
                  If you try it yourself you will see what I mean. Changes are easily made but it would confuse some non IT people.
                  Then the call, " Can you fix this for me please?"
                  See our Hybrid Option here;
                  https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


                  Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
                  You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Tom Cone Jr View Post
                    Ted, that's news to me, but I travel in a pretty deep "rut" and can't see "over the top" at times. I don't see a way to do it using V11 RT or V12 RT. The Report menu in control panel doesn't have a "design" option. What am I missing?
                    from the runtime plus documentation

                    a5_new_report_dialog()

                    a5_layout_design()

                    a5_new_report_layout()

                    Call these functions from a script or button.
                    Al Buchholz
                    Bookwood Systems, LTD
                    Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                    Occam's Razor - KISS
                    Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                    Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                    When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                    "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                    Albert Einstein

                    http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I appreciate your input Ted and Al. Wouldn't it be great if it were possible to specify the position of form elements using variables? I expect if this were possible, one could prompt the user for the information without have to open up the can of worms or taking a chance at breaking something. Just food for thought for the boys at home!

                      Gene

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Hi Gene,
                        I believe this is immanently doable. I am not sure which strategy would be needed/best, either to have a report with a bunch of variable fields, not table fields, and you would have to have an upfront dialog to have the user select which variable is assigned to which table field, or base your report off of a temporary table and have the user direct the source table data to the specific temporary table fields that correspond to the positions of the fields in the temp table.-report. These would require a bit of sophisticated xbasic and xdialog coding, I foresee the need for heavily using eval() and evaluate_template(), but I think it completely possible.
                        Mike W
                        __________________________
                        "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Mike, I have seen your superb user configuration set up method years back.
                          The problem is no so much the data, but where it appears on the pre printed report paper from the original question.

                          What would be good would be to scan a report layout and import it to Alpha and work from that. Might be possible to scan in an image, put it in background, position fields over it and then delete the background.
                          See our Hybrid Option here;
                          https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


                          Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
                          You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Gene

                            Would be good to look at what the options are for positioning that you need.

                            Conditional objects are very powerful.

                            So is the html object.
                            Last edited by Al Buchholz; 09-18-2021, 12:38 PM.
                            Al Buchholz
                            Bookwood Systems, LTD
                            Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                            Occam's Razor - KISS
                            Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                            Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                            When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                            "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                            Albert Einstein

                            http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Hi All,
                              So cool are Ted and Al's replies, because I just reviewed an application I helped my partner develop and he used a combination of what Ted described combined with what Al suggested to produce both form layouts and report layouts that delivered really robust configurations. Alpha just has the capabilities to make happen what needs are.
                              Mike W
                              __________________________
                              "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

                              Comment

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