OSR Composer 3.7 User Guide. Updated:

Transcription

1 OSR Composer 3.7 User Guide Updated: Copyright OneStop Reporting AS

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Who should read this manual... 1 What s included in this manual... 1 Symbols and conventions... 1 Installation... 2 OSR Composer Overview... 3 The Composer Toolbar... 3 The Options Window... 5 The Composer Menu... 7 Logging In Connecting to a Database Creating a Report Using Report Composer Modules Functions Data Items Filters Operators Dimension Lookup Composer View Appendix A: Glossary Page i

3 Introduction OSR Composer is the ad-hoc reporting module in the OneStop Reporting product suite. It is an intuitive and easy to use query tool for quick reporting that can work directly on top of the organization s ERP database, OSR Data Warehouse, or any other data source where integration has been or will be set up. In less than an hour, any novice business user without technical background or formula knowledge can use OSR Composer to create report queries by extracting, grouping and filtering data. When OSR Composer is deployed, users can combine data from different ERP modules into reports, including data analysis and reconciliation. The cursor is used to point to fields to be included in the report in the left menu bar. Then, the users may drag these fields into the report area of OSR Composer and group or filter them to create the report. Who should read this manual This manual is designed for OSR administrators who are responsible for creating ad-hoc reports. What s included in this manual This manual is designed to give an in-depth understanding of how to use the features of OSR Composer. The manual is divided into the following parts: OSR Composer overview: Introduction to the OSR Composer user interface. OSR Composer usage: explains how to use each function of OSR Composer such as modules, filters, functions, data items, and report viewer. Symbols and conventions This manual uses the following symbols to make specific types of information stand out. Symbol Description The sunlight symbol indicates helpful tips, shortcuts, and suggestions. The warning symbol indicates situations we recommend to be aware of when completing tasks. Typically, this includes cautions about completing steps in their proper order or important reminders about how other information in OSR may be affected. Page 1

4 Installation Please consult the OSR installation guide for details on installing the OSR Reporting application package. The installation guide can be downloaded from the Downloads area on The first time you go to Downloads you must register an account. You can then immediately log in using the user name and password you registered. Page 2

5 OSR Composer Overview OSR Report Composer is a stand-alone program for quick and easy report creation. It primarily uses drag-and-drop to create meaningful reports. The following sections will explain the interface of OSR Composer (shown in the illustration below) and the function of each button so that users understand how to navigate around the application. Composer Menu Composer ToolBar Composer Filters Composer Groupings Navigation Pane Composer View The two most important navigation tools are the Composer Toolbar and the Composer Menu. From these two areas, users will be able to access all setting and features of OSR Composer. The Composer Toolbar The Composer Toolbar, shown in the illustration below, is located near the top of the OSR Composer window and gives access to many functions such as creating, opening, saving, and exporting a report and configuring options. Page 3

6 Each button and its function are described in the table below. OSR Composer User Guide Button Function New: Creates a blank report in a new tab. By default the new tab is given the same name as the integration, but the user can enter a different name in the View Name window. Open: Allows users to browse and open an existing OSR Composer report (*.rcv) in a new tab. Recent Files: The arrow opens a drop-down list of recently used files in the Composer views Folder configured under Options. Save: Saves the current report to the original file path. Save as: Saves the current report as a new file. Export to Excel: saves the current report as an *.xls or *.xlsx file to a specified location. Export to PDF: Saves the current report as an *.pdf file to a specified location. Export to Report Designer: Saves the current report as a OSR Report Designer template named RCExport to the folder specified as the Composer views folder under Options. By default, the file will be saved to: \MyDocuments\OneStopReporting\Contents\ For each filter, OSR Composer will prompt the user to create a new parameter using the Report Parameter Wizard (see the OSR Report Designer user guide for more information). Configure: Opens the data connection window. System Integration: If you have more than one integration package installed, this option will allow you to choose the integration package you want to work with. Add calculated column: Opens the Formula Builder, where users can create a custom formula into a new column (see the Formula Builder section on page 22 for more details). Options: Opens the Report Composer Options window. Features in the Options menu are explained in further detail below. Clear: Clears all data items and data in the Composer view. Refresh Data: updates the data in the Composer view. Page 4

7 The Options Window The Options window is accessed from the Options button in the Composer Toolbar. The pages of the Options window allows the user to configure various settings for the behavior of OSR Composer. The Style tab The Style tab allows users to customize the user interface of OSR Composer. Users have the option of applying a new style by expanding and selecting from the drop-down list in the Application Style section. Also, users may upload a custom background image by checking the box next to Use Background Image and then browse for the desired image by clicking on the button. The new background will be applied when the user clicks OK in the Options window. The Folders tab On the Folders page users can specify the location of the Composer Views Folder, which is where recent files and the exported files are saved. The file path may be entered manually in the text box or users may browse for the location by pressing the button to the right. Page 5

8 The Application tab The Application page contains many features ranging from the display of tooltips to the creation of logs and setting query time. Show Tooltips in Tree/Show Tooltips in Grid: Can be used for turning on or off tooltips for the elements in the Navigation Pane (Tree) or Composer View (Grid). Show Trace Output: Opens a Trace Output window that displays RQL code that can be sent to Support for troubleshooting. Ask for name when creating a new view: OSR Composer will always ask the user to name the new report view at the time of creation. Query Timeout: Users can set up the duration of time a report should be allowed to query the database before it times out (the default is 300 seconds). Application: The dropdown list allows the user to select application language (the language used for OSR menus, buttons, etc.). Integration Dictionary: The dropdown list allows the user to select the integration package (the names of tables, fields etc. from the ERP system/business system). Always show system integration model dialog at startup: mangler forklaring Always show login dialog at startup: Can be used for turning on or off login dialog at startup. Application Update: the setting for checking for updates to OSR Composer is automatically set to every seven days. The Format and Data tab Mangler forklaring. Date/Time formats: The dropdown list allows the user to choose the date and time formats that will be used in the Composer View. Page 6

9 Fetch data when opening views: By default, when you open a.rcv file (OSR Composer query/report), OSR Composer fetches the data included in the report. If you do not want OSR Composer to automatically fetch data, this option must be unchecked. If this option is unchecked, the user must click the Refresh Data button to fetch the data. The Composer Menu The Composer Menu, shown in the illustration below, is located near the top of the window and gives access to a number of functions. File All functions in the File menu are available in the Composer Toolbar. See the section The Composer Toolbar on page 3 for details on each function. Edit The Edit menu contains options for modifying the data in the Composer View. The Add Calculated Column, Clear, and Refresh Data options can also be found in the Composer Toolbar and you can find more details on these functions under The Composer Toolbar on page 3. The other options on the Edit menu provide further functionality: Add Sum Column: Creates a Totals column for each row in the Composer View, displaying a sum for numerical values. Page 7

10 Show Row Totals: A Totals row will be added at the bottom of the report, displaying a sum for numerical values. Rename View: Opens a new window that allows users to rename the current Composer View. Refresh Data for All Views: Choosing this option will refresh data for all Composer Views that are open. View From the View menu users can choose the Show as Card View option. Selecting this option will change the display of the Composer View as shown in the illustration below. (The illustration at the top shows card view; the lower illustration shows default view.) To toggle Card View on/off, choose the option again. Page 8

11 Tools The menu items Configure and Options are also available from the Composer Toolbar. See the section The Composer Toolbar on page 3 for details on these functions. The other options on the Tools menu provide further functionality: System Integration: This option is only available when multiple integration packages have been configured in OSR Administration. Selecting this option will allow users to switch between the available integration packages. The report created will use data from the specified integration package. Set User: Opens the OSR login window and allows the user to log into as a different user. Virtual Data Warehouse Virtual Data Warehouse is a tool for generating a data warehouse for staging transactional data from the ERP system. The purpose is to achieve higher performance when doing reporting and analysis. Virtual Data Warehouse takes your ERP system s data offline and transforms the data through the OneStop Reporting integration model, thereby removing the performance consuming processing from the actual reporting and analysis process. The illustration below shows the data flow from the ERP system s tables through the integration model and report engine, and finally into the VDW data tables. Once transferred the data will be available for reporting in the OSR reporting and analysis applications in the same way the ERP data is available from the standard integration point of view. Page 9

12 OSR Reporting products OSR Integration meta layer & Report Engine ERP Tabl ERP System VDW Tabl The following main functions are available for Virtual Data Warehouse: Open VDW Configuration: This option will allow you to browse for a VDW package file which contains all information about the ETL process defined in one particular VDW process. This file has the extension.vdw. Save VDW Configuration: This option allows you to save a VDW package you have created or modified. There are several steps to go through before the actual VDW package is saved. The main functionality for specifying the storing, like table names and indexes, are included in these operations. Autoset Aliases (for current view): This option allows you to set the DisplayName (the name you see for all the attributes (fields) in the current OSR Composer data set view) as the VDW SQL Table column name. If you don t use this function you will get the same name as shown in the tool tip for the column, which is a system name. Page 10

13 Run VDW Storage: This option allows you to run a VDW package manually. It will delete the tables (default) and re-create them. Then it will extract and transfer the data defined by the VDW package. Schedule VDW Storage: This option allows you to schedule the VDW process for automatic execution. This is an interface to the Windows Task Scheduler function on your computer. Note that in order to use scheduling the computer must be running at the time the process is about to be kicked off. You can also manage the Windows Task Scheduler from your computer's Control Panel. Open Task Scheduler: This option opens the Windows Task Scheduler interface. Help From the Help menu users can choose the About Report Compose option. Clicking this option will open a new window with details on the version, build, and license of theosr Composer installation. Logging In By default, OSR Composer automatically starts with the previously logged-on user account. However, users may change accounts by selecting Tools >> Set User. Choosing Set User will open the the OSR login window. Page 11

14 OSR Composer utilizes the Access Management configuration from OSR Administration to create a secure environment for the organization. In the same way as in other OSR applications users may log in using the OneStop or Windows User Authentication in the login window. Dependent on the authentication, users will have access to data as described. OneStop Admin: The built-in Administrator has access to all modules and dimensions in the connected database. Windows User: the Windows User will have restricted access as configured in the Access Management in OSR Administration (see the user guide for the OSR Administration for details on configuration). Connecting to a Database On startup or when opening a new view OSR Composer by default connects to the database that was used in the previous OSR Composer session/previous view. However, users may manually change the connection by selecting the Configure option either in the Composer Toolbar or the Composer Menu (Tools >> Configure). In the Report Configuration window users may select the Data Connection and Company for the current report. If a connection to the applicable database has already been configured, the database will be displayed in the drop-down list. If a connection to the required database has not been configured, a connection must be set up as described below: Page 12

15 1. In the Report Configuration window, select Data Connection and then click the Setup button. 2. In the window that opens, click New to add a new connection. Page 13

16 3. In the new window, enter the information required to create a new connection and click Test to confirm access to the database. (See example below.) A new window will display the result of the test. User and Password is only required if an SQL Authentication was created. If the User and Password fields are left blank, Windows Authentication will be used. If the connection test is unsuccessful, consult the organization s IT department for the correct server and database information. After the new connection has been created, click OK to close the windows. In the Report Configuration window, the newly created connection will be generated in the drop-down list and can be selected for the report. If the database contains multiple companies, the company to be used can be selected on the Company page, as shown in the example below. Page 14

17 Creating a Report Using Report Composer Modules Modules can be found in the OSR Composer s Navigation Pane and are available for users to drag and drop into the Composer View to create essential components of a report such as filters and groupings. Modules can be hidden using the Configuration buttons function at the bottom of the module list. Modules Functions Configure buttons Each module contains sub-modules associated with various data items (see the Data Items section for more information). The modules and their data items can be managed through the organization s ERP system or OSR Data Warehouse. Functions Functions available to the user can be accessed by clicking the Functions option near the bottom of the Navigation Pane (see illustration above). The available functions related to periods may be dragged over a measure data item column header to add functionality to that measure. Data Items Data items can be found in the Navigation Pane of OSR Composer. Data items are considered to be sub-groups of modules and contain information pertaining to a specific module. While creating an adhoc report, users will drag different types of data items into the Composer View. Page 15

18 Data Items There are three types of data items. Dimension Dimensions represent a table in the connected database. If the dimension is expanded by use of the expand button to the left of the dimension name, all attributes of the dimension will be displayed. All attributes and the dimension can be used as filters or displayed in the report view. Light Dimension Represents a descriptive field in the transaction table of the connected database. A light dimensions can be used as a filter or be displayed in the report view. Measure Represents a value field in the transaction table of the connected database. A measures can be used as a filter or be displayed in the report view. Filters OSR Composer allows users to set static filters for each report. This feature is highly beneficial as it allows users to create reports for a specific department, account, period, etc. The filters can be created by drag data items to the filter section as shown in the illustration below. In the illustration above, the Period dimension is used as a filter. However, the filter has not been set to the desired period. Since the filter has not been further configures, the report will display all periods. The following sections explain how to configure a filter. Page 16

19 Operators Using operators is one way of creating a filter customized for their need. Similar to operators in mathematics or programming languages, the operators dictate an action or procedure taken by OSR Composer. In the first drop-down box and if this is the first filter in the group - two options are available: Blank: This selection will include all data inside the specified filter. Not: This selection will include all data outside the specified filter. If there are additional filters, the following options are available: And: will filter on the first condition AND the second condition. Or: will filter on the first condition OR the second condition. And Not: will filter on the first condition AND NOT the second condition. Or Not: will filter on the first condition OR NOT the second condition. The filter operators contained in the second drop-down box are explained below: In: dimension is In (the selected parameters) <>: dimension is Not equal to <: dimension is Less than (for numerical values) >: dimension is Greater than (for numerical values) <=: dimension is Less than or equal to (for numerical values) >=: dimension is Greater than or equal to (for numerical values) Page 17

20 Begins with: dimension Begins with (for any phrase contained in the dimension) Ends with: dimension Ends with (for any phrase contained in the dimension) Contains: dimension Contains (any part of the phrase contained in the dimension) Like: OSR Composer will retrieve any data using LIKE in SQL. For more information on the LIKE operator, consult a SQL server guide. The Like operator is for advanced users and requires knowledge of SQL. Dimension Lookup Filters can be further configured by using the Dimension Lookup function. The attributes available to a filter for the specific dimension will be displayed when the user clicks the Dimension Lookup button ( ). From the Dimension Lookup window, the user can define the parameter based on the reporting requirements. Creating a filter 1. To create a filter, select one or more account, department, entity. Use ranges: If this box is checked and multiple data items are selected, the selected data will be displayed as a range in the text box at the bottom of the window. If this box is not Page 18

21 checked, all selected data will be displayed individually in the text box at the bottom of the window. Include empty: If this box is checked, the filter will include data associated with the NULL data set. Current: This option lets the user specify the value current period +/- for single period parameters. This allows OSR Composer to select the correct period based on the computer date which means that report parameters do not need to be updated manually prior to running a report. 2. Click OK to finish. Composer View When designing an ad-hoc report users work in the Composer View area. By dragging-and-dropping data items (as shown in the illustration below), users will be able to create a simple report. More advanced features such as grouping, row totals, and formula builders are available and are explained in the sections below. Page 19

22 Drag and Drop All reports are designed through drag-and-drop action. Data items may be selected from the navigation pane and dragged into the blank area of the Composer View. The columns can be arranged according to the user's requirements. When all relevant column headers have been added to the Composer View and the proper filter is set, the user can click the Refresh Data button in the Composer Toolbar to generate the ad-hoc report. Right-clicking on column headers will bring up several options: Delete [column header]: This option deletes the selected column header from the Composer View. Edit [column header]: Only available for columns built by formula builder. This option will open the Formula Builder window and allow users to edit the formula. Set Alias: This option allows the user to rename the column header. Expand [column header]: This option is similar to the grouping function except it creates a new column for each unique dimension member in the data item. The illustration below shows a non-expanded column header (left) and an expanded column header (right). Page 20

23 OSR Composer User Guide Expand [column header] - with totals column: this selection has the same function as expand column header except that it adds a totals column in the last column. Expanding column headers can be undone by right-clicking and unchecking the Expand [column header] option. Grouping Grouping presents another method of organizing the report in a presentable manner. Columns can be grouped by dragging a column header already in the Composer View to the area where it states Drag a column header here to group by that column. The illustration below shows a grouping by the account dimension. As shown, the image on the right creates a group for each account and nests the column headers per account. Grouped column headers can be ungrouped by dragging the column header back into the original location. Data items cannot be directly dragged into the grouping area. It must first be dragged into the Composer View. In addition, grouping may take place any time before or after the report is generated. Grouping hierarchies can be built by dragging multiple column headers into the grouping area. The illustration above shows an example that organizes the report by Period, then Account. Page 21

24 Row Totals Row totals can be created by selecting Edit >> Show Row Totals. Displaying row totals will create a row titled Totals and sum the values for each column as shown in the image below. Row totals Row totals can be disabled by unchecking the Show Row Totals option in the Edit menu. Expanded Periods Expanded periods are created when a period parameter is included in the ad-hoc report and the user right-clicks on the period column header and then selects Expand Period with totals column. The result will be a report with a column for each unique period value as shown in the illustration below. Formula Builder Formula Builder is accessed by clicking the Add Calculated Column button in the Composer Toolbar or by selecting Edit>> Add Calculated Column in the Composer menu. Formula Builder allows users to create customized formulas to compute values using data items in the report. For each formula created, a new column will be produced. Page 22

25 2 1 3 The formula builder contains three areas. 1. The first is the tabbed section where users will have access to the Operands and Functions tab. The Operands tab area provides access to data items in the ad-hoc report. The Functions tab area gives access to various functions ranging from mathematic to date/time functions. 2. The second area is where the formula is created by dragging operands or functions to the area and using the buttons to create a formula. 3. The third area contains messages that help the user create the formula. If the formula is valid, the message in the area will be Formula Compiled Successfully. Otherwise, the formula builder will display an error message dependent on the error. As an example, if the hourly rate and annual hours are available for employees, formula builder can be used to calculate the annual salary of the employee. The illustration above displays the starting report. The Formula Builder in the illustration below shows the formula used to compute the annual salary. It is important to note that the data fields are displayed with their original system name. Page 23

26 Clicking OK will open a new window asking the user to name to column. After the column has been named, it will be displayed in the report as shown in the image below. To edit a formula, right click on the column header and select Edit. Page 24

27 Appendix A: Glossary OSR Composer User Guide Active Directory: A special-purpose database designed to handle a large number of read and search operations and a significantly smaller number of changes and updates. Most often, it stores user data and system configuration data. Ad-hoc reporting: Ad-hoc reporting is created through the OSR Composer application. As opposed to template-based reporting, ad-hoc reporting means that the report is created specifically for one purpose. Application: An application refers to a product within the OneStop Reporting product suite. The term is used because some of the products are stand-alone programs (OSR Data Warehouse, OSR Composer, OSR Publisher, OSR Administration), whereas others are add-ins to already-existing programs (OSR Planning, OSR Report Designer, OSR Player). Assignment: Users are assigned access to different applications in the OneStop Reporting product suite. If the user is assigned an application, they will be granted access. Built-in Administrator: The built-in Administrator is automatically installed. The initial password is established automatically, but administrators should change the password in OSR Administration as soon as possible to ensure security. Business rules: Any filter, grouping, or functions applied at report, row, column, or cell level. OSR Report Designer allows users to apply business rules at four different levels. Composer View: OSR Composer creates an ad-hoc report on page called a view. It is possible to create multiple views. This is similar to the concept of multiple worksheets in Microsoft Excel. Data item: Data item refers to any item that can be dragged from the Designer Menu or Composer Menu into the report definition or composer view. This includes dimensions, light dimensions, and measures. Design mode: When a user selects the Design tab in OSR Report Designer, the user is in the design mode of the application. Domain: A set of computers running Windows operating system that share the same Active Directory. Dynamic reporting: Dynamic reports are created when Designer or Player users run multiple reports with different parameters from the same report definition. ERP database: The ERP (enterprise resource planning) database contains information for the entire organization. Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, NAV, and SL are all considered to be ERP software. Page 25

28 Integration packages: Integration packages include the logic to integrate OSR with the ERP system and are required for communication between the SQL server and OSR applications. License: A unique code that is provided to the user under a software license agreement. The key grants access to a limited number of users for the specified OSR application. Metadata: The metadata in data warehousing defines the elements in the Data Warehouse and how they work together. It may contain information ranging from data types and indexes to license keys and integration packages. Module: A component of the database, which is organized by financial modeling such as General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc. OSR Publisher: The OSR application which allows users to automatically schedule, run and distribute reports and other documents. Reporting Client: A reporting client is a client computer where OSR is installed and which utilizes a network to access a specified server and database. Report Definition: The report definition is the report template created in OSR Report Designer that users see prior to running the report. Repository: A database that holds metadata information so that the reporting clients will have references to the organization s ERP database. The metadata may contain information on license keys and integration packages. Roles: Roles are used for managing access to data in the database for users in the Active Directory. Run mode: When a user selects the Run tab in OSR Report Designer or OSR Player, the user is in the run-mode of the reporting application. Static reporting: Static reports are created when the Designer or Player user executes the report using the Publish button. The generated report is disconnected from the database. Subscriber: A feature in OSR Publisher that registers a network location or a user s contact information. Then, OSR Publisher can distribute reports to subscribers. Template based: Reports created in OSR Designer are considered to be template based because many reports can be run on the same report design with adjustments to the parameters. Windows User Authentication: Confirms the identity of the user trying to access the domain by prompting for a user name and password. The users must be registered in the Active Directory before they are authorized to access the domain. Page 26