INFocus Basic Table Reporting

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INFocus Basic Table Reporting About This Document This document provides basic information about the INFocus tool, with specific examples of steps required to create reports.

1 INFocus Basic Table Reporting About This Document This document provides basic information about the INFocus tool, with specific examples of steps required to create reports. The user should log in to InformationNOW and then select Reports INFocus prior to beginning the steps on the sample reports discussed in this document. Reports may be very specific and the samples below showcase different functions within INFocus to aid the user in defining reports. Sample 1: Tabular Student Listing Report Objective To create a table report, listing students by school, grade level and name. Steps On the main INFocus screen, select Add Report. Select Tabular Report with Header and click OK. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 1

2 The Select or Modify Data Source screen will display. On the Add/Remove tab, select the Student data object. While selecting and modifying the data source, the report builder may preview the selected data by clicking on the Preview Select Data button. When finished previewing the data, it is best to choose the Close button. If Select and Continue is selected, look for the Modify Data Source button on the bottom left of screen to return to selecting or modifying the data source. Click OK to save the Data Source. On the Table Columns tab, select the fields (Columns) that will be displayed on the report. For this example, select the following Student.School Student.Grade Level Student.Name Student.Birth Date Student.Ethnicity Student.Gender NOTE: when only one view is selected, the view name does not appear in the window (for example, Student.School will be displayed as School. When multiple views are selected, the view name is always prepended to the field name. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 2

This moves the field/column(s) into the Assigned Columns area.

3 The columns may be added one at a time by double-clicking on the column name in the Available Columns area. Columns may also be added by highlighting one or more columns in the Available Columns and then clicking on the right arrow. This moves the field/column(s) into the Assigned Columns area. The order in which the columns appear on the table may be set by clicking one or more columns and then clicking the up and down arrows. Users are advised to save the report often while in the process of defining it. To do this, click the Save icon or select the File Save menu option. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 3

4 The first time Save is selected, the following dialog is shown. The user may enter a report name, optional report description, optional report expiration date and folder in which to save the report. The Report Expiration option allows the report builder to enter a date where the report is no longer valid. The report will not be deleted; the end users will simply be unable to view the report. The Destination Folder Type allows the members of groups with Maintain INFOCUS rights to store reports either in the personal folder for their use only or in the Shared folder for all users. On the Column Configuration tab, the user may change header descriptions, set columns as sortable and choose other options. Change the Header descriptions (as desired) o o Grade Level to GL Birth Date to DOB Check the all Sortable option and then remove from Birth Date. At this time, save the report. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 4

The Sortable option on this screen allows the user to change the order of the data after the report has been generated. The user will click on the column header to change the sorting.

5 The column order may be changed on this tab as well. Select a field by clicking the box to the left of the field name, then use the up and down arrow controls on the right of the screen to move the field either up or down in sequence order. The Sortable option on this screen allows the user to change the order of the data after the report has been generated. The user will click on the column header to change the sorting. To preview the report, click on the magnifying glass icon at the top of screen or under the File tab at the top of the report builder screen. It is recommended that users preview the report as often as possible to see how the changed options affect the report. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 5

Currently this report is not restricted by filters such as Only enrolled students or Only the current academic session.

6 Notice that some students appear to have duplicate records (records for the same school and grade level). This anomaly may be caused by several data elements, such as a student having multiple enrollment records within the same academic session or dual enrollments. Currently this report is not restricted by filters such as Only enrolled students or Only the current academic session. The user may eliminate these extra records by adding filter controls to the report. To add filters to the report, from the report definition screen, select Modify Data Source (this step may also be done initially when selecting the data source). Select the Filter tab. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 6

7 Click Add a Parameter and choose Academic Session as a column. Select Equal to as the operator and enter a Specific Value of Click OK to save. This will automatically filter the report for only those students who are in the school year. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 7

8 Click Add a Parameter again. Select the column Enrollment Status with the operator of Equal to. Click the magnifying glass next to the blank field to view available statuses. Select Enrolled and click OK to the right of the values box. Click OK to save the second filter parameter. Note: The filter for Enrolled status is not necessary if the Enrolled Student view is selected instead of the Student view in the initial steps of this report. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 8

9 The filter screen should appear again, with the defined parameters showing. Click OK to save. Save the report definition. Preview the report. Notice the 'duplicates are no longer in the report. This completes the basic Student Listing report instructions. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 9

10 Optional Settings Many optional settings are available for repots, such as report titles, record counts, sorting capabilities, etc. Table Settings tab The Table Settings tab allows the user to define a report title, add record counts, and control the number of items on each screen. For this report, add the following table settings: Title: Student Table Listing Show Record Count: Check this option. Include Row Number: Check this option. Rows Per Page: 25 Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 10

11 Preview the report. Notice the changes (if desired, save the report again to store the changes (title, row number, record count, and 25 rows per page). Header Information tab The Header Information tab allows the user to define whether or not a date and time appear on the report. they are selected by default to show. If desired, they can be de-selected. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 11

Default Sort Order To define a default sort order, select Modify Data Source (this step may be done as the user initially selects the data source in the initial steps.

12 Default Sort Order To define a default sort order, select Modify Data Source (this step may be done as the user initially selects the data source in the initial steps. Select the Sort tab and click Add A Column. Add the following columns (selecting Add A Column for each). Set each item to Ascending order. o Student.School o Student.Grade Level o Student.Name Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 12

This will sort the data by school first, then by grade level and finally by student name. The Sort tab controls the default date which will initially appear on the report.

13 This will sort the data by school first, then by grade level and finally by student name. The Sort tab controls the default date which will initially appear on the report. When the report is generated, the end user has no control of this unless the definition allows for columns to be Sortable (as defined on the Column Configuration tab). Click OK to save the sort definition. Preview the report. If the defined sort is desired, save the report. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 13

Settings Menu The Settings menu allows for paging

14 Settings Menu The Settings menu allows for paging controls and a style to be associated with the report definition. Click the Style icon. o Choose any style desired (the one in the sample below is Professional.) Click OK then preview the change. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 14

The Settings Paging icon will allow the report builder to change the size and orientation of the printed paper. For this particular report, the current settings are adequate.

15 The Settings Paging icon will allow the report builder to change the size and orientation of the printed paper. For this particular report, the current settings are adequate. Sample 2: Tabular Student Listing Report - Advanced Objective To create a simple Student Listing report (as demonstrated in "Sample 1: Tabular Student Listing Report" in the preceding section) and update the report with some advanced settings. This includes the ability to copy reports, add calculated columns and update filter parameters with ask parameters. Steps to Copy an Existing Report On the main INFocus screen, scroll through reports (if necessary) so that the one that was created in Sample 1 shows in the list. Hover the mouse over the Action control arrow to the right of the last modified date and time. Select Copy. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 15

16 The Copy Report dialog is shown. Set a new report name (default is Copy of XXX where XXX is the original name of the report being copied) and change the description, expiration date and destination folder as needed. Select Save. Both the original and the copy should appear in the reports list (if the copy was stored in a different destination folder it will not appear on the same list). Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 16

17 Steps to Edit an Existing Report Adding Ask Parameters on Filter Controls On the INFocus reports list screen, scroll through the reports if necessary to locate the one that was created in Sample 1 that was just copied (in this example, Student Listing Advanced ). Hover over the Action control and click Modify. The Report Definition screen is displayed. To edit or add a filter parameter, select Modify Data Source and then click the Filter tab. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 17

18 To edit the existing filter for Enrollment status, click the Edit action icon. Select Ask in Report and enter a Caption. The caption shown below will prompt the user running the report to choose the status of student to view. Select OK to save the filter details, and then select OK to save the modify data source parameters. Preview the report and the Ask Parameter will display prior to the report generating. Since the Control Type was left at Text, the user will type the status in the box. To allow users to select multiple statuses (or to simply select a single status off a displayed list without being required to type it in), the control will need to be changed to another type. Go to Modify Data Source and select the Filter tab. Select the Edit icon on the enrollment status filter. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 18

19 Note: The steps to take below depends upon whether users should be allowed to select one item only or whether multiple items from the list may be selected. To select a single item, set the Control Type to List (single select). An All option is also available, which will allow users to select all items in the list. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 19

To select multiple items, set the operator to In list. If editing an existing parameter, it will be necessary to set the default value again, since these values are automatically cleared.

20 To select multiple items, set the operator to In list. If editing an existing parameter, it will be necessary to set the default value again, since these values are automatically cleared. Click OK to save the filter parameter. If you are editing an existing parameter, a warning message is shown. If your edit is correct, select OK. If not, select Cancel and your changes will not be saved. Select OK to save the Select or Modify Data Source parameters. Select to Preview the report. The screen shot below is for the in list option and allows the user to multi-select (using the CTRL key and the mouse) enrollment status if desired. If the user selects RUN, the report will generate and the parameters will remain on the screen. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 20

If the user selects RUN and Hide Parameters, the report will generate and the parameters will not remain on the screen. Save the changes to the report, if desired.

21 If the user selects RUN and Hide Parameters, the report will generate and the parameters will not remain on the screen. Save the changes to the report, if desired. Steps to Edit an Existing Report and Add a Calculated Field Calculated fields can aid in a variety of situations and have many uses. This example will allow the user to change how the name is displayed on the Student Listing Advanced report. Currently, the student field Name is being used in our report. This field is in Last Name, First Name Middle Name format. In this example, we will change the name to Last Name, First Name (with no middle names). Currently on our report, we see two students near the beginning of the report with middle names showing. On the INFocus reports list screen, scroll through the reports (if necessary) to locate the one that was created in Sample 1 and which was recently copied (in this example, Student Listing Advanced) and hover over the Action control. Select Modify. The Report Definition screen will be displayed. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 21

22 Select Modify Data Source and then click the Calculated Columns tab. Click New. Enter a name for the new field : LastFirst Select Concatenate from the Text drop-list. The following screen will appear: o o Select within the field String1, then select the field LastName from the list of available fields. Select within the field String1, then select the field FirstName from the list of available fields. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 22

23 Click OK. The screen should appear as shown below. Select Test to view the data. Notice the Last Name and First Name are together Close the preview window. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 23

The concatenate function is very literal. So, to add a comma and space between the Last Name and First Name in the definition: o Place cursor after the +.

24 The concatenate function is very literal. So, to add a comma and space between the Last Name and First Name in the definition: o Place cursor after the +. o Type the following:, + (Single Quote( )Comma(,)Space( ) Single Quote( )Plus Sign(+)) ( «Student».«Last Name» +', ' +«Student».«First Name» ) Click Test to verify that the edits provide the desired results. Click Save. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 24

25 After the save, the field should show in the list of available fields. Select OK to save the select of modify data source screen. NOTE: Calculated columns added in this location are limited to this report only and are not available for use by other reports. To add the new calculated field to the report, select the Table Columns tab. Calculated fields will show in the list at the end of the list. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 25

Select the calculated field and move to the Assigned Column area. Adjust the location of the field (using the UP/Down arrows as needed). Remove the Student.Name field if it is no longer needed.

26 Select the calculated field and move to the Assigned Column area. Adjust the location of the field (using the UP/Down arrows as needed). Remove the Student.Name field if it is no longer needed. Save the report and preview the report. The new calculated field is used instead of the name field (no middle names are showing). Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 26

27 NOTE: if a calculated field is defined, but not added as a column on the report layout or used somehow in the report definition, the field definition will not be saved. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 27

28 Sample 3: Add Grouping and Exports to the Report Objectives This example will add group breaks, export capabilities, and column configuration to the report. Steps to add grouping: On the INFocus reports list screen, scroll through (if necessary) your reports so that the one that was created in sample 1 that was just copied (in this example, Student Listing Advanced and hover over the ACTION control. Select Modify. The Report Definition screen is displayed. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 28

29 Select the Grouping tab. Two options are available: Grouped Flat Table and Grouped Drill Down. The definitions are the same for both and once defined can easily be changed from one type to another. For the initial example, Select Group Flat Table, then Add Grouping Layer. To add the first layer based on the Students school, select Student.School from the list of available columns and move to the grouped columns area. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 29

30 Select OK to save the grouping, then select Preview to see the results. It adds a break row on the school. Break row on School Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 30

To add a 2 nd grouping layer on Student grade level and gender (multiple items on same break line), select to add another grouping layer. Select the Student.gradelevel and Student.

31 To add a 2 nd grouping layer on Student grade level and gender (multiple items on same break line), select to add another grouping layer. Select the Student.gradelevel and Student.gender and move to the grouped columns area. Select OK to save. Preview the report to see the results. A secondary group break on grade level and gender is added to the output. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 31

aggregate. Select to add an Aggregate column.

32 To add an aggregate for a grouping (such as a count of records), select to EDIT the group parameter to add the aggregate. Select to add an Aggregate column. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 32

33 The following screen is displayed. Set the aggregate function and Label as desired. Select OK to save. Select the EDIT icon on the Grade Level/Gender group and add an aggregate column. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 33

34 Select OK to save. Preview the report to see the aggregate results. Aggregate on Grade Level/Gender Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 34

Aggregate on Grade Level/Gender To change the grouping from a Flat-Table to Drill Down from the Grouping tab, select the Grouped Drill Down selection.

35 Aggregate on Grade Level/Gender To change the grouping from a Flat-Table to Drill Down from the Grouping tab, select the Grouped Drill Down selection. Select the EDIT icon to see how the system has updated the details on the grouped column. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 35

36 NOTE: Click on Show All Attributes if the screen does not look similar to the above screen shot. Additional options that can be helpful can also be set, such as column headers (instead of the word details in the screen shot below) and suffix (instead of the work rows in the screen shot below. You can also give the user an option to expand or collapse all drill downs. Preview the report to see the difference between a Drill Down report and a Flat Table report. The hyperlink under the Details column can be selected to drill down into the data. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 36

37 Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 37

38 Steps to add export capabilities: On the INFocus reports list screen, scroll through (if necessary) your reports so that the one that was created in sample 1 that was just copied (in this example, Student Listing Advanced and hover over the ACTION control. Select Modify. The Report Definition screen is displayed. Select from the INSERT menu, Exports. The Export tab will appear. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 38

39 The following options are available: Searchable report opens a new browser window and displays the entire report on one page. Allows the browser FIND option to be used easily without have to scroll page by page. Printable paging opens a new browser window formatted for printing, avoiding the "cutoff" scenario that commonly occurs when printing web pages. Export to Excel opens a new browser window, displaying the report in Microsoft Excel (spreadsheet) format. Export to Word downloads the report into a Microsoft Word document. A temporary name is given to the file, with the Word file extension (.doc). Export to PDF opens the report in the current browser window as a PDF document viewable with Adobe Reader. Export to CSV opens a new browser window and displays the report in comma separated values within a spreadsheet (comma delimited text file). Export to XML opens a new browser window and displays all the data presented in the report in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. Send report by (select format) opens a form where the can be composed and recipients specified. It attaches the report in the format selected. Select the desired formats. The icons for each format will be displayed at the bottom of the screen after the report has generated. Steps to add column configuration: On the INFocus reports list screen, scroll through (if necessary) your reports so that the one that was created in sample 1 that was just copied (in this example, Student Listing Advanced and hover over the ACTION control. Select Modify. The Report Definition screen is displayed. Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 39

40 Select the tab Column Configuration. Typical changes to the configuration include column alignment, heads, and width. The table columns may be too narrow by default. Modify the width to increase column width to make the table easier to read or to eliminate word wrapping. The values are in pixels will require trial and error before becoming comfortable on setting up the report. The alignment for text within each column can be set to Left, Right or Center Quick Reference Guide Chalkable_ INFocus Basic Table Reporting 40

11/07 11/08/ /5/2012 Software Technology, Inc. Thomas Murphy

11/07 11/08/ /5/2012 Software Technology, Inc. Thomas Murphy 0 Alabama INFOCUS Webinar 11/07 11/08/2012 11/5/2012 Software Technology, Inc. Thomas Murphy 0 Alabama INFOCUS Webinar OBJECTIVES: Tabular Report Introduce customers to the basics of building reports with