I'm fairly new to using the Birt Report Designer and need to figure out how to generate a report from a SQLite database. I have suceeded in getting it to connect to the DB but am now unsure how to generate a report and the tutorials that I have found aren't of much help so far.
I have a template that was given to me by my employer that has a few fields, I'm wondering if these fieldnames (in the template) are supposed to match field names in the DB.
Also, when I go to Run->View Report-> As PDF I am unsure what I am supposed to enter for the field "User Key", does this correspond to a table name in the DB or something along these lines?
As of now, I have tried entering a table name but just a blank report is generated.
If anyone can point me to a good resource or help with this I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
There are two books i could really advice:
BIRT - A Field Guide to Reporting
Integrating and Extending BIRT
and the Eclipse Help containing BIRT documentation.
I suppose the User Key could be report parameter (listed in Data Explorer window), which is passed to Data Set to select appropriate data. If I'm guessing right, check within a Data Set editor ("Parameters" tab and "Query" tab) where the User Key parameter goes in - probably to one of the table field in a WHERE clause. Parameters in a query are represented by question marks: SELECT * FROM fooTable WHERE barColumn = ?. Hope tracking this would lead to find out, what to enter to the parameter.
Additionally, ensure if your Data Set(s) is(are) connected correctly to your SQLite Data Source ("Data Source" tab in a Data Set editor).
Being as new as you are to BIRT, I would suggest building a couple of reports with the sample DB (Classic Models). There are many, many samples out there for you to use as a guide. Additionally, most tutorials will use the Classic Models data so you can follow right along. After you create a couple of practice reports (this should not take more than 30-45 minutes) the template you have been given will likely make A LOT more sense and allow you to make progress almost immediately.
If you are looking for a nice collection of tutorials and samples, be sure to check out Birt Exchange for Dev Share (samples) & tutorials.
As for the "User Key" this is almost certainly a report-level parameter used to filter the data set (as the previous answer points out).
Good Luck!
Related
I am creating a data dictionary and I am supposed to track the location of any used field in a workbook. For example (superstore sample data), I need to specify which sheets/dashboards have the [sub-category] field.
My dataset has hundreds of measures/dimensions/calc fields, so it's incredibly time exhaustive to click into every single sheet/dashboard just to see if a field exists in there, so is there a quicker way to do this?
One robust, but not free, approach is to use Tableau's Data Catalog which is part of the Tableau Server Data Management Add-On
Another option is to build your own cross reference - You could start with Chris Gerrard's ruby libraries described in the article http://tableaufriction.blogspot.com/2018/09/documenting-dashboards-and-their.html
I am trying to add a data source to a "part" of a Report Book. Or I should say passing the information to the fields on that "part" of the ReportBook( or why not, the Main Report). I have come to realize that this is not exactly how things were done with MainReport and Subreport(s). This is a new concept of jasper 6.2.0, so is not exactly the old known subreport and traditional way of doing things(or is it? Do not know..., please if you don't main, explain that too, thanks).
I have read a lot of examples out there ( see one here), of how to pass data source through jasper parameters and then, utilize those parameters referenced in , but it does not seem to be the same way when working with "parts" of a Report Book.
I can provide more information, but essentially what I need is to pass that data source to the part, that refer to my other report (or subreport if you will) named Content.jrxml, so the other report can print/render the right information of those fields. This report contains fields and no information is passing to those fields there went I print the Report Book to pdf. those fields are showing as null.
However I am able to pass parameters successfully is just with passing the fields values and the data source in general, which I have a problem
Does anyone have done or deal with this before or knows of a good example/tutorial that could point me to the solution?
Please help me, I don't know what else to do :(
Thanks in advance!
Sorry, it took me a long time to post back. I find a solution after Theodor (Jasper API main author give me some insights) and here is it!
So, for the Jasper Report engine to handle multiple data sources passed to the report, you have to take into account 2 essential things:
First, for every data source that you want to pass to the Report, you will need to create a new instance. Jasper engine consumes each data source iterating over all the elements in it. When it gets to the next page, there won't be any data, fields or information to read from and fill up the fields on that particular page. Therefore, information won't show up (null) or "blank", depending on the report template configuration.
Last, make sure you pass a new JREmptyDataSource() when filling the report and pass the data sources instance as parameters, and later as sub-parameters for each individual page. Like this:
jasperPrint = JasperFillManager.fillReport(jasperReport, jasperParameter,new JREmptyDataSource() );//new JREmptyDataSource()
That way main report, or the wrapping report (the book), does not use any data source of the pages instances (if it does not need it, of course) and each page will get a data source, through the parameters.
Ultimately, on runtime, it the page of the book can consume individually each data source without affecting each other.
Let me know if this makes any sense?
Thanks
According to the searching I've done over the past couple of days, what I'm trying to achieve should be fairly straightforward but nothing that I've found has solved my problems. This is my first time at using Access, or SQL at all. Apologies in advance for the length of the question.
Essentially I need to pick up a value from one table and multiply it by another in the another table, and then store the result in the second table, via forms and subforms.
The Problem:
I'm attempting to create a database of projects, part of which is a quotation tool. The database has several tables covering all the required inputs for our project managers, most of which are linked to the PKs of their parent tables.
My current attempt has a form (frmJobDetails) giving the details of the each project (linked to tblJobs). This form has two subforms:
frmJobRolesSubform details who's working on the project in what role ( and, notably, their sale rate.
frmJobProcessesSubform details the tasks, who's allocated to which task and the estimated number of hours to complete.
Both subforms link to their own tables (tblJobs_Roles and tblJobs_Processes respectively).
frmJobProcessesSubform obtains the people working on the project and their roles from frmJobRolesSubform so the manager can allocate a person to a task on frmJobProcessesSubform. This is done via a combobox: cboRole.
So far, so good.
I'm needing to obtain the sale rate of the person working on the given task so that I can calculate the cost of the task. Specifically, I'd like a field on the subform to calculate the cost of the task and then store it in tblJobs_Processes.
My Attempts
I've attempted to build a query (qryProcessCost) that calls cboRole, either as an expression in the Field cell or in the Criteria cell ([Forms]![frmJobsProcessesSubform]![cboRole]).
I'm aware this can't successfully when the form isn't active, but I'm getting Access' request for input for [Forms]![frmJobsProcessesSubform]![cboRole] when selecting from the subform. The query runs successfully when example values are hardcoded into the query. The query should, obviously, only return a single value.
I've tried setting the ControlSource of a textbox to [qryProcessCost]![dblProcessCost] (where dblProcessCost is the calculated field), but this can't then write to the table (as far as I can deduce). Also, I get a #Name? error in the cell and I can't seem to get to the bottom of that.
I've tried setting the RecordSource property of a combobox to SELECT [qryProcessCost]![dblProcessCost] FROM [qryProcessCost], and the ControlSource to the relevant field of the table. While this would be a clunky solution, it actually doesn't work anyway as it fails to pick up the value of [Forms]![frmJobsProcessesSubform]![cboRole].
I've tried using an intermediate textbox to determine what value cboRole is passing, and I'm happy with that - the primary key of the role assigned in frmJobsRolesSubform.
The Question:
I'm guessing that I'm probably going to have to resort to VBA at this point to get what I want but I'm unfamiliar with the Access VBA structures (though I've used Excel VBA a fair bit).
Anyone got any ideas, hints, suggestions or pointers?
Cheers in advance,
Aaron
In case anyone else has a similar problem, I've posted my complete solution below:
I implemented Gene's correction to my references, which provided something, but the query wouldn't update when the fields on the form were changed. As I noted in the question, I also really wanted it to be a text box rather than a combo box for usability reasons but wasn't sure how to have a Record Source and Control Source for a text box.
I ended up going round in circles, via VBA and macros and several types of error and happened upon a suggestion to use a DLookUp here. I hadn't been able to get them to work for this particular problem before, but I managed to make it work this time. Specifically, I put the DLookUp in the following macro:
SetProperty
Control Name txtBudgetCost
Property Value
Value =DLookUp("[dblCostRate]","[tblJobs_Roles]","[pkJobs_RoleID]="[cboRole])*[txtBudgetHours]
This macro was used for the After Update event of the relevant fields on the subform.
Setting the value property of a field to a DLookUp meant that I could set the Control Source property of a the text box txtBudgetCost to the relevant field in the table, to obtain the desired behaviour.
Both cboRole and txtBudgetHours are fields on the same subform as the field txtBudgetCost.
The only problem with this solution is that, when the subform is viewed in the Datasheet view, a #Name? error is given for the new record row. I probably just need to enter some error handling somewhere, though I haven't given much thought for what it should be just yet.
Cheers,
Aaron
I have annoying issue with CR 2011. We are trying to upgrade from very old CR8.5 (DBF files are used as source(s) for the reports) to CR2011 and right now strange issue has appeared.
There are several fields on the report and all of them contain some data (as can be seen in the dbf file itself and/or in Browse Field Data) but few of them are never "shown" on the report. (If I, however, browse the data within the preview in CR2011 designer, I can see the data with no problem.)
This report uses two (non-linked) tables.
If I try to create a blank report, add these two tables & format the report again, I'll get what I expect (i.e. all fields shown on the report). (But this is not a solution as we have hundreds of reports.)
It does not matter if I (re)save report in latest format.
Everything is shown when using CR8.5 (designer or "runtime")
Has anyone experienced similar behavior and/or some tips where to look?
Non-linked tables are "less" supported than before (whole support for dbf files is limited). So the only correct solution is to link non-linked tables together. In my case, as the "free" table was parameter table. I had to simply add "paramid" to both tables (always set to 0) and perform the linking.
Is it at all possible using CRM 2011 and SSRS to generate a report on a single record, and only get results for that one record?
EDIT
Additional Info - Must Use:
Custom SSRS report
Custom entity in CRM
Here's a more specific link to your question: link. You're probably looking for pre-filtering (look for "3. Pre-filtering Element" in the link provided) if you want the report to be record specific (context sensitive).
Here's a link describing the 2 types of pre-filters (CRM 4.0 but the theory applies to CRM 2011): link. And here's an example of prefiltering in CRM 2011: link
I have done this successfully in CRM 2011 with a completely custom report made in BIDS, on a custom entity, with full context sensitivity.
Make sure to learn fetchXML as it's going to be the going forward technology for these reports. The existing reports are using SQL which make them bad examples to copy off of.
Here's an example on how to extract fetchXML from an advanced find: link It also has more information on pre-filtering.
Take a look a the report Account Overview.rdl. It could be executed for a single account record or multiple records.
See Reporting for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Create an embedded connection to the CRM database engine for the environment you want to target.
Create an embedded dataset to query the current record. This going to be kind of weird since experience will tell you that you are going to get tons of records, but because of the clunkiness behind CRM it will actually only get the current record. For example, if you wanted to get the current quote you would use "SELECT quoteid FROM FilteredQuote AS CRMAF_Quote"
Add a parameter to store the reference to the entity you just queried. In keeping with this example I created #QuoteFilter which is type text, could store multiple values (even though that's not what we're using it for), and gets its default value from the dataset in step 2. Also, probably ought to make this hidden since GUIDs aren't end user friendly.
Finally, use the parameter discovered in the where clause of the other datasets. For example, a search on quote products for the current quote would look something like SELECT * FROM FilteredQuoteDetail WHERE (quoteid = #QuoteFilter)
As a final note, you should keep in mind that CRM loves to remember everything even when you don't want it, too. On one of my reports I messed up my datasource and CRM was forever convinced that the report should run against all records. I fixed my datasource, but uploading the report did not trigger a refresh and correct the problem. In the end, I deleted the report from CRM, created a new one, uploaded the same exact file with no changes, and everything worked. Go figure.