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End Users and Customizing Reports

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    End Users and Customizing Reports

    I have not had time to play with version 9 to extensively and am just now downloading the runtime for it. However, I do have a question that has been a big issue for me.

    I have runtime plus for v8. A large feature of the app I developed with that it allowed the end user to create or customize report layouts.

    One major issue I had was with distributing updates. I found out the hardway that distributing updates as defined in the Copying a Database Design section in the user guide actually deleted custom reports created by the end user if they were tied to a table/set you need to provide as an update.

    I was pointed to a script somebody had created that would allow an export of forms and reports but it was quite complicated and has made providing an upgrade quite a hastle if not nearly impossible for this novice:)

    Now that this feature is standard in all runtime/run engines...is there hope of a built in solution for this problem?

    Thanks
    Tony

    #2
    Re: End Users and Customizing Reports

    Originally posted by reynolditpi View Post
    I have not had time to play with version 9 to extensively and am just now downloading the runtime for it. However, I do have a question that has been a big issue for me.

    I have runtime plus for v8. A large feature of the app I developed with that it allowed the end user to create or customize report layouts.

    One major issue I had was with distributing updates. I found out the hardway that distributing updates as defined in the Copying a Database Design section in the user guide actually deleted custom reports created by the end user if they were tied to a table/set you need to provide as an update.

    I was pointed to a script somebody had created that would allow an export of forms and reports but it was quite complicated and has made providing an upgrade quite a hastle if not nearly impossible for this novice:)

    Mapped tables are an incredible feature in V9. The add a lot of flexibility.

    Now that this feature is standard in all runtime/run engines...is there hope of a built in solution for this problem?

    Thanks
    Tony

    You should look into mapped tables.

    If you create a mapped table, and then build your reports on the mapped table, then when you distribute an update, you will never overwrite anything because the mapped table never gets overwritten.

    For example, before V9, if you wanted to create a report on the 'customer' table, the report was stored in the customer.ddd file.

    now, you can just create a new mapped table called say 'map_customer'. Build your report using 'map_customer' as the data source and the report is stored in 'map_customer.ddd'. the 'mapped' table is just a virtual table. the real data is always read from the 'customer' table.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: End Users and Customizing Reports

      Great!!!
      I will have to play with the mapped tables so I can futher understand them.

      Thanks for the help Selwyn.
      Tony

      Comment


        #4
        Re: End Users and Customizing Reports

        Selwyn,
        Just had a thought. What if I make changes to the mapped table (ie add fields). The custom reports will still be saved?

        Thanks
        Tony

        Comment


          #5
          Re: End Users and Customizing Reports

          Originally posted by reynolditpi View Post
          Selwyn,
          Just had a thought. What if I make changes to the mapped table (ie add fields). The custom reports will still be saved?

          Thanks
          Tony
          changing the definition of a mapped table causes no problems at all.
          of course, if you change the name of a field that is used in the report, you will have to edit the report.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: End Users and Customizing Reports

            Selwyn,
            You just made me a very happy person! This was a huge issue for me in version 8 and an absolutely wonderful upgrade for v9.
            Thank you so much.
            Tony

            Comment

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