crosstab reports

[roz graham]

How can I get crosstab reports to stay intact. I have to recreate every time a rerun a crosstab. Currently I have to copy the report to another db - rerun my crosstab then copy my report back to the appropriate db.

[Vince McGinnis]

RE: crosstab reports

I ran into this a couple of months ago. To keep your report from being deleted everytime you run the crosstab:

1. open your crosstab operation in design mode
2. from the menu select: "Edit", then "Properties" (or click the properties button on the toolbar)
3. uncheck the box: "Delete pre-existing dictionary file"

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: crosstab reports

I was glad to see this subject in the topic list.

Never having used a crosstab report, could you take a minute and explain what they're useful for... I mean of what use are they? I think possibly I should be using them from time to time, but don't know any better.

thanks.

-- tom

[Stephen Williams]

RE: crosstab reports

Tom -

when you run a crosstab operation you create a new table, which you name as part of the crosstab operation. A crosstab report is a regular report based on the created table. Depending on your situation you MAY create a table where field names change each time. If they don't, you have the option to save the created tables database dictionary (forms, browses, reports, operations, field rules, indexes).

This stuff is where Alpha Five really rocks in my book - you can create a series of operations (Crosstabs is only one choice) then string them all together in a script, and run the script from a button. It gives you literally unlimited number crunching and reporting power with minimal need to write code.

Warning - it DOES take some smarts to see how to get from where you are to where you want to be, and sometimes to get where you want to be you need to change where you start. This abilty sorts the women from the girls.

Stephen Williams

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: crosstab reports

Thanks. Can you give an example or two of the kinds of situations when the mental light bulb should light up and say 'hey, I could do this with a crosstab!'.

Thanks again. (he said with a girlish smile!)

-- tom

[forskare]

RE: crosstab reports

Hey Tom,

I haven't tired it in A5 but have used it in Access for statistics display.

Columns could be years (or months) and the rows could be the programs in my situation.

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
AF 35 45
MA 23 37
FS 65 53

I'm sure there a several uses but this is what I used it for.

kenn

[roz graham]

RE: crosstab reports

We use crosstabs to generate payroll reports. We have a staff database where we enter program codes, dates and hours worked by employee. Every six months we have to generate crosstab reports by employees/dates; employees/program codes, and dates/program codes.

[roz graham]

RE: crosstab reports

Thanks, Vince. This is exactly what I needed.

[Stephen Williams]

RE: crosstab reports

I do a sales analysis by month and a billable hours by month report to track trends and goals.

I learned from Ira's remarks that left(cdate(Invdate),6) gives a properly sorted month (199908 199909 199910 for 1999 Aug - Oct).

Group by row on this expression, group by column on dept, total by invoice amt and there it is the sales analysis. Are we achieving sales goals?

Group by column on his expression, group by row on Employee, total labor hrs billed, and there is the billable hours analysis. Who has the most billable hrs? When? Are we billing enough hours to meet goals?

Stephen Williams