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End-User Custom Reports

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    End-User Custom Reports

    On an application, my user needs to be able to create custom reports if and when needed by the people in her company. Here's where I'm stuck.

    Right now, I've built a button on the Reports Menu labeled 'Custom Reports". When clicked, the Control Panel displays. As I think about it, I'm really uncomfortable with letting my user access the Control Panel and I'm trying to come up with an alternative way to enable her to create any custom reports needed WITHOUT access the Control Panel.

    I'd sure like to hear any ideas to overcome this problem.

    Dave
    Dave Jampole
    www.customalpha.com

    Women and cats will do whatever they want. The sooner men and dogs realize that, the happier they will be.


    #2
    RE: End-User Custom Reports

    Dave,

    You've got a vaild point. This was discussed at one time in v4 forum but I don't recall an answer.

    Wouldn't it be nice if Alpha came up with a way to click a button and you got acces to ONLY the Reports tab of teh control panel. There are some database products that have a feature like that.

    kenn
    TYVM :) kenn

    Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

    Comment


      #3
      RE: End-User Custom Reports

      that would be incredible
      Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

      Comment


        #4
        RE: End-User Custom Reports

        I have not tried this in any way, but would it be possible to create a report that could be opened in edit mode so your user could modify this empty report and then rename it?

        Comment


          #5
          RE: End-User Custom Reports

          the following xbasic commands are not documented, because they are really intended for internal use.

          however, the following two xbasic commands will do what you want.

          ControlPanel.SetFocus("phone list","report")
          ControlPanel.command("system_design")


          this will put the report called "phone list" into design mode, were a user could then edit the report.

          the commands will work even if the control panel has been hidden.

          use these commands at your own risk however, because there is no guarantee that they will work in all future versions of a5.

          Comment


            #6
            RE: End-User Custom Reports

            Will these also work in the runtime? If the answer is yes, WOW ( by the way, is there anything that a5 can't do or that you guys are not willing to help us with). Many, many thanks for this program!!!
            Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

            Comment


              #7
              RE: End-User Custom Reports

              The only problem I see with this is that the user then has access to the alpha menu, which does then provide access to the control panel. Am I missing something? (but even so, this does open up some very exciting new possibilities)
              Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

              Comment


                #8
                RE: End-User Custom Reports


                Dave, unless your data is encrypted third party report generators might be an option that would meet your customer's need, without jeopardizing the integrity of your database. It's also possible to export the desired data in a variety of formats, and then create a mail merge template with a word processor which then behaves like a custom report, using the exported data as the new data source.

                -- tom

                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: End-User Custom Reports

                  Gary,

                  Is it posible to add some code which replaces the menu with a custom menu since the user will need some controls. I haven't looked at it but just wondering?

                  kenn
                  TYVM :) kenn

                  Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    RE: End-User Custom Reports

                    no. it shouldn't work in the runtime.

                    we sure wouldn't want it to work in the runtime either!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      RE: End-User Custom Reports

                      If the main customisation is in the body of a report would another solution be to create a report with a rich text field that could then be entered via a form?

                      Just thinking out loud?

                      Regards

                      Glen
                      Glen Schild



                      My Blog

                      Comment


                        #12
                        RE: End-User Custom Reports

                        Ken:

                        I really don't know how that would be done, but maybe ...

                        Gary
                        Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          RE: End-User Custom Reports

                          Selwyn:

                          Why wouldn't we want it to work in the runtime?
                          Gary S. Traub, Ph.D.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            RE: End-User Custom Reports

                            Selwyn,

                            A thing of beauty.

                            Could you please, please, consider including this as a documented feature in a future build? If you do, displaying the DragDrop list and the Toolbox along with restricting the user to report design/save, would be frosting on the cake.

                            Dave
                            Dave Jampole
                            www.customalpha.com

                            Women and cats will do whatever they want. The sooner men and dogs realize that, the happier they will be.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              RE: End-User Custom Reports

                              Very nice, Tom!

                              Regards
                              Jim

                              Comment

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