Harvard University Library Office for Information Systems Contents Reporting with COGNOS: Introduction to Query Studio 1. How to create a basic report in Query Studio... 2 a. Launch Query Studio... 2 b. Choose a package... 2 c. Insert data... 3 Exercise 1: Create a basic report... 4 2. How to Filter, sort and group data... 4 a. Filter on a Single Item... 4 Exercise 2: Add another Filter... 5 3. Sorting... 7 Exercise 3: Sort by Author... 7 4. Grouping... 7 5. Creating Sections... 8 6. Report Formatting... 8 a. Rearrange Columns... 8 Exercise 6a: Rearrange columns... 9 b. Remove columns... 9 Exercise 6b: Remove a column... 9 c. Format a Column... 10 Exercise 6c: Format columns... 10 d. Change the Title... 11 e. Control the number of rows on a page... 11 f. Add Row Numbers... 11 Exercise 6f: Add row numbers... 11 g. Change the report output format... 11 Exercise 6g: Change report format... 12 7. Summarizing data... 13 Exercise 7a: Create a summary report... 13 Exercise 7a: Creating Counts... 14 8. How to get help using Query Studio... 15 a. Reporting Working Group... 15 b. Aleph Support Center... 16 c. Training Documentation... 16
1. How to create a basic report in Query Studio Use Query Studio to create your own reports. Only report authors have access to Query Studio. Query Studio may be used with either Internet Explorer (version 8 recommended) or Mozilla Firefox. Login to Cognos at this address: http://reporting.lib.harvard.edu/ibmcognos a. Launch Query Studio From the Welcome screen, click Open Query Studio: Or, from Public Folders, click Launch and select Query Studio from the upper right corner of the screen: b. Choose a package Each package name describes the type of data it contains. Packages are arranged based on the Aleph modules. For example, to create a report about monograph orders choose Acquisitions Reporting, for circulation loan count information, choose Circulation Reporting, for bibliographic, holdings or item data select Core HOLLIS data. Verde Reporting contains data from the Ex Libris Verde product that is used to manage electronic resources. Some content is duplicated across multiple packages. Acquisitions, Circulation, Reserves, Verde, all incorporate the Core HOLLIS data package. The Acquisitions Reporting package is the most comprehensive in terms of content. Page 2
When the package opens, users will see the menu column in the upper left corner of the screen: The menu contains the following options: Insert Data - Select data from the package Edit Data Change display of query items (add filters, calculations, etc.) Change Layout - Edit properties of your report (group data, pivot to crosstab format, change appearance, etc.) Run Report - Processing or preview data and/or export data in various formats Manage File - Create and save report and view a report definition c. Insert data Select Insert Data and expand the tree under Core HOLLIS Data as shown below: There are five different ways to insert data: Single-click a query item and click the Insert button Double-click a query item Click and drag a query item Click and drag a query subject to add all of its query items CTRL+Click to select multiple items Page 3
Exercise 1: Create a basic report 1. Select Insert Data from Menu, and expand Core HOLLIS Data to reveal the list of query items in 2. Add the following query items to the report area: BIB_DOC_ID, AUTHOR, TITLE_DISPLAY, IMPRINT, and FMT_FORMAT. 3. Select Run Report > Run with All Data 4. Select Preview with No Data to return to design mode. Note: Preview with Limited Data is not enabled. It will return the same results as Run with All Data. 2. How to Filter, sort and group data a. Filter on a Single Item 1. Click on FMT_FORMAT column to filter. Notice that the column turns yellow when selected. 2. Click Edit Data in the Menu and click on the Filter icon. Page 4
3. Filter the report to list only visual materials. Enter VM and select Insert to add the filter. Codes such as VM or BK or CF must be entered exactly as they appear in Aleph. 4. Select OK to save the filter. Exercise 2: Add another Filter 1. Select Insert Data and add the field 008_LANGUAGE to the report. 2. Highlight the new column, select Edit Data and click the Filter icon 3. Enter selection criteria: add fre, ita, and spa (exactly as they appear in Aleph). Page 5
4. Click Insert and then OK to add the filter: 5. A widow called Combine filters appears at the bottom of the screen. This is where you can review your filters and make any needed adjustments. 6. Click OK to add the filters. 7. Notice that the two filters are now listed above the data fields at the top of the report. 8. Select Run Report > Run with All Data to view the report. Reminder: Return to design mode anytime by selecting Run Report > Preview with No Data Page 6
3. Sorting To sort a report, highlight the column that you want to sort on, then select Sort from Edit Data under Menu. Choose the radio button that corresponds to the sort order you want for the report. Click OK to save your selection. Exercise 3: Sort by Author 1. On the report from the last exercise, highlight the Author column. 2. Click the sort icon and choose a sort order. 3. Run the report. 4. Grouping Cognos uses a process called grouping to organize data into clusters based on the content of the column. To create groupings, click on the target column in the report. Select Change Layout then Group. Query Studio will move the grouped column to the left-most position in the report. Exercise 4: Group by language code 1. Select field 008_LANGUAGE and then click on the Group under Change Layout. 2. Run the report. Page 7
5. Creating Sections Sections are similar to grouping, but a section shows the query item as the heading of a separate area within the report rather than presenting it in the first column on the report. To create a section, select the target column. From the toolbar or Change Layout menu, click on Create Sections. Exercise 5: Create a section for language 1. On the report from the last exercise, create a section for language. (Hint: you do not have to ungroup language first, but you can if you want to try that, too). 2. Run the report. 3. Save the report in My Folders if you want to keep it. 6. Report Formatting a. Rearrange Columns Use Cut under Edit Data or the icon another. Highlight the target column. Click Cut. on the Toolbar to move columns from one part of the report to Highlight the column on the list that will follow the inserted column. Click Paste. The cut column is inserted to the left of the highlighted column. Page 8
Exercise 6a: Rearrange columns 1. Start a new report by selecting the New Report icon 2. Expand the package called Data for Acquisitions Reports under Acquisitions Reporting. 3. Expand the Orders query subject. 4. Create a report that contains the following query items: ORDER_NUMBER_1, ORDERING_UNIT, and VENDOR_ID 5. Move ORDERING_UNIT to the first column in the report using cut and paste. b. Remove columns There are two options for removing a column. Remove both the column and its filter (if applicable) Remove the column from the report but keep the filter. Sometimes a column can be removed when the data it contains is the same for every row. Exercise 6b: Remove a column 1. On the report from the last exercise, create a filter on ORDERING_UNIT for LAW01. 2. Select ORDERING_UNIT column, and click on Delete. 3. To retain the filter, uncheck the box next to the filter description. Page 9
c. Format a Column Format numbers (adding currency symbols, etc.), using the Format data icon on the Edit Data menu. Format attributes (font, background color, and text alignment) using the Style toolbar icons Exercise 6c: Format columns 1. Add E_LOCAL_PRICE to the report. Notice that Cognos recognizes that it contains quantity data and automatically adds a Summary. 2. Highlight E_LOCAL_PRICE then select Format Data from Edit Data options. 3. Select Currency under Category: and then select from each drop down list as shown below. 4. Click OK to save. Notice that data is formatted with a $ sign and thousands separator is gone. 5. Highlight the column header VENDOR_ID. Increase the font size to 12pt and change the text color to red using the Style toolbar icons. 6. Run the report. Page 10
d. Change the Title Select Change Layout from the Menu then click on Edit Title Area... Enter a title (and subtitle if desired) for your report. Notice that you also have the option to show or hide the filters, sorts, and suppression in the report. Show suppression is checked so that all data in the report will display, even if the content is duplicated. e. Control the number of rows on a page Select Change Layout menu, then Set Web Page Size... to control the number of rows on a page. f. Add Row Numbers Choose Set Web Page Size...as described above and then click the checkbox Show row numbers. Exercise 6f: Add row numbers 1. Add row numbers to your report as described above. 2. Run the report g. Change the report output format Once you have run the report using Run with All Data formats such as PDF and Excel., you can run the report in other output Page 11
Exercise 6g: Change report format 1. Run the report with all data 2. Select View in PDF Format from the same menu. Other output format options include Excel 2007, CSV (comma separated values). 3. Select Run with All Data to view in HTML. Page 12
7. Summarizing data Query Studio contains built-in functionality that makes it easy to perform basic summarization. Query Studio automatically summarizes any numeric data types that are defined as Measures (or facts ) in the data model. Measures are identified by the icon next to a query item name. Examples: Other types of query items: Identifiers Attributes Identifiers are generally indexed elements that you would use for grouping, or that define a unique key for a row in the database. Examples: Attributes generally provide descriptive information and are not used for grouping. Examples: When Measures and Identifiers are added to a Query Studio report, subtotals and overall totals are automatically added to the report. Exercise 7a: Create a summary report In this report, we will look at the estimated dollar amount for all orders placed by one order unit. The report will show ORDERING_UNIT, VENDOR_ID, ORDER_NUMBER_1, DATE_ORDER, and E_PRICE and will be grouped by vendor. 1. Select Manage File, New. 2. Select Insert Data then expand the nodes for Data for Acquisitions Reports and then Orders. Page 13
3. Add these query items to the report: ORDERING_UNIT, VENDOR_ID, ORDER_NUMBER_1, DATE_ORDER, E_PRICE. 4. Create a filter on ORDERING_UNIT for: DDO01 5. Create sections by vendor. Highlight VENDOR_ID then select Create Sections under Change Layout. 6. The report layout will display your filter and the section headings. 7. Run the report Exercise 7b: Creating Counts Ad hoc reports are often used to count records having certain criteria counts of items in certain collections, the number of orders placed in a certain time period, the number of loans in the last fiscal year, etc. The library reporting database contains special counters measures that have been defined in each query subject to generate counts in ad hoc reports. These query items are always found at the bottom of the list of fields that can be inserted in a report. For example, the Orders query subject, is the last item in the ITEMS query subject, and is last in the list of data in the Active Loans query subject. 1. Select Manage File, New. 2. Select Insert Data then expand the nodes Core HOLLIS Data then Items. 3. Add the following query items to the report: SUB_LIBRARY, ITEM_STATUS, ITEMS_COUNTER 4. Filter SUB_LIBRARY by: MUS 5. Run the report is the last item in Page 14
8. How to get help using Query Studio a. Reporting Working Group The Reporting Working Group is currently an informal group of volunteers who encourage and support the use of the Hollis Library Reporting system, including development of report author skills and other activities such as testing of new releases, evaluating changes to the data model, and defining new reports of general interest. The RWG isite is http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k35102. Check the site for helpful documentation, tips, and resources including IBM documentation for Cognos Connection, Query Studio and Report Studio. IBM documentation for Query Studio is located on the isite under Documentation and Tips. The Safari Ebook collection in HOLLIS includes Cognos manuals and guides to v10. The isite is also accessible from within Cognos by selecting the tab for Reporting Working Group isite. Page 15
b. Aleph Support Center Please contact us via the Aleph Support Center for: Questions or problems using the reporting system Suggestions for new or existing reports Other enhancement requests The Aleph Support Center can be accessed from within Cognos by selecting it from the tabs. Fill out the form and click Send to open a support ticket. c. Training Documentation A copy of this document can be found on the Training tab of the Aleph Documentation Center at: http://hul.harvard.edu/ois/support/docs-aleph-train.html Page 16