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Report format

This section allows you to choose the output format of your report. To select the desired format, click on the drop-down list and choose from the available options: Web, PDF, Excel, CSV and XML.

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All the formats available are described in the table below. Note that any report can be run several times with different formats selected for the output if required.

FormatDescription
Web

The Web format is the common interface for all reports. The results will be displayed in the Report Output window, which is a mini web-browser containing the HTML output generated by the report engine.

The report body is shown in a window that can be panned around by using the horizontal and vertical scrollbars. If the report is made up of multiple pages, you can navigate through it, by using the Back and Fwd buttons at the bottom of the page. You can print the report by pressing the Print button, or save it to an HTML file.

Universally-accessible, this format provides click-able column headers for dynamic sorting of table data, with clean graphical charts in the popular Flash format, so you can zoom in for more detail. Each report is fully customisable right down to the individual table fields. To view these reports, all that is required is your favourite web browser, with no need for obscure add-ons!

PDF
(Portable Document Format)
PDF is a file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 for document exchange. PDF is used for representing two-dimensional documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware and operating system.

PDFs will run over several pages depending on the report selected. Due to the nature of the format, headers are fixed and not selectable as in the web reports above. You may however pre-sort before running or scheduling, using the filters available

PDFs are ideal for producing reports like Phone Bills or when the report has to be distributed to colleagues inside and outside of your organisation, while guaranteeing they'll look identical across all operating systems when viewed on the screen or printed out.

ExcelSelect Excel as your preferred report format, if you would like to manipulate the data and possibly integrate this in other Excel spreadsheets.
CSV
(Comma Separated Values)
A CSV file is used for the digital storage of data structured in a table of lists form, where each associated item (member) in a group is in association with others also separated by the commas of its set. Each line in the CSV file corresponds to a row in the table. Within a line, fields are separated by commas, each field belonging to one table column. CSV files are often used for moving tabular data between two different computer programs, for example between a database program and a spreadsheet program.

This option is ideal for interacting with your own back office systems, all CSV data is fully customisable using XSLT from the report's original XML format.

XML
(Extensible Markup Language)
XMLs purpose is to aid information systems in sharing structured data, especially via the internet, to encode documents and to serialise data. XML, in combination with other standards, makes it possible to define the content of a document separately from its formatting, making it easy to reuse that content in other applications or for other presentation environments. Most importantly, XML provides a basic syntax that can be used to share information between different kinds of computers, different applications, and different organizations without needing to pass through many layers of conversion.

Since all reports are derived from this native format, we pack each one with all the data you'd ever need, so you'll always be able to extract the report data into your favourite reporting packages, such as Business Objects, Crystal Reports, or even your favourite Office spreadsheet.

Run or schedule the report

This is the final screen of the report wizard. Click on the Run now button to diplay the report or on the Schedule for later button to schedule the report to run at a later time. To revise the parameters of the report you have entered, click on the Back button, which will lead you to the previous report options.

 

HTML
<h2>Report format</h2>

<p>You have already selected the report that you want to configure and 
the pop-up window that appears allows you to set the parameters of the report 
wizard. Click on the <span class="button">Next</span> button at the bottom right of 
the window, until you reach the <span class="reference">Formats</span> screen. 
This section allows you to choose the output format of your report between Web, 
PDF, Excel, CSV and XML. Just click on the down-arrow at the right-hand side of 
the pop-up window.</p>

<img class="screenshot" src="http://www.tri-line.com/common/img/documentation/tim_plus/report_formats.png" alt="Report formats" />

<p>All the formats available are described in the table below. Note that any report can be run several times with 
different formats selected for the output if required.</p>

<table class="confluenceTable">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th class="confluenceTh" width=196>Format</th>
			<th class="confluenceTh">Description</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td class="confluenceTd"><img class="icon" src="http://www.tri-line.com/common/img/documentation/tim_plus/web_icon.gif" /> <b>Web</b></td>
			<td class="confluenceTd">When a report is run, its output is displayed in the Report Output 
				window, which is a mini web-browser containing the HTML output generated
				 by the report engine. It is the common interface for all reports.  The
				 report body is shown in a window that can be panned around by using the
				 horizontal and vertical scrollbars. If the report is made up of 
				multiple pages, you can navigate it by using the <span class="button no_margin">Back</span> and <span class="button no_margin">Fwd</span> buttons at
				 the bottom.  You can print the report by pressing the <span class="button no_margin">Print</span> button, or 
				save the report to an HTML file by pressing the <span class="button no_margin">Save</span> button and choosing
				 a filename and location.
				<p>Universally-accessible, this format provides clickable column headers 
				for dynamic sorting of table data, with clean graphical charts in the 
				popular Flash format, so you can zoom into them for more detail.  Each 
				report is fully customisable - right down to the individual table 
				fields.  To view these reports, all that's needed is your favourite web 
				browser - with no need for obscure add-ons!</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td class="confluenceTd"><img class="icon" src="http://www.tri-line.com/common/img/documentation/tim_plus/pdf_icon.gif" /> <b>PDF <br/></b>(Portable Document Format)</td>
			<td class="confluenceTd">PDF is a file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 for document 
				exchange.  PDF is used for representing two-dimensional documents in a 
				manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating 
				system.

				<p>PDFs will run over several pages depending on the report selected. 
				Because of the nature of PDF reports, headers are fixed and not 
				selectable as in web reports above.  You may however pre-sort before 
				running or scheduling using the filters available in the <span class="reference">Options</span> 
				section. PDFs are ideal for producing reports like <span class="reference">Phone Bills</span>. PDFs 
				are ideal when distributing to colleagues inside and outside of your 
				organisation - while guaranteeing they'll look identical across all 
				operating systems when viewed on the screen or printed out.</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td class="confluenceTd"><img class="icon" src="http://www.tri-line.com/common/img/documentation/tim_plus/excel_icon.gif" /> <b>Excel</b></td>
			<td class="confluenceTd">Select Excel as your preferred report format, if you would like to 
				manipulate the data and possibly integrate with data in other Excel 
				spreadsheets.
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td class="confluenceTd"><img class="icon" src="http://www.tri-line.com/common/img/documentation/tim_plus/csv_icon.gif" /> <b>CSV <br/></b>(Comma Separated Values)</td>
			<td class="confluenceTd">A CSV file is used for the digital storage of data structured in a table
				 of lists form, where each associated item (member) in a group is in 
				association with others also separated by the commas of its set. Each 
				line in the CSV file corresponds to a row in the table. Within a line, 
				fields are separated by commas, each field belonging to one table 
				column. CSV files are often used for moving tabular data between two 
				different computer programs, for example between a database program and a
				 spreadsheet program.

				<p>This option is ideal for interacting with your own back office systems, 
				all CSV data is fully customisable using XSLT from the report's original
				 XML format.</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td class="confluenceTd"><img class="icon" src="http://www.tri-line.com/common/img/documentation/tim_plus/xml_icon.gif" /> <b>XML <br/></b>(Extensible Markup Language)</td>
			<td class="confluenceTd">XMLs purpose is to aid information systems in sharing structured data, 
				especially via the internet, to encode documents and to serialise data. XML, in combination with other standards, makes it possible to define 
				the content of a document separately from its formatting, making it easy
				 to reuse that content in other applications or for other presentation 
				environments. Most importantly, XML provides a basic syntax that can be 
				used to share information between different kinds of computers, 
				different applications, and different organizations without needing to 
				pass through many layers of conversion.

				<p>Since all reports are derived from this native format, we pack each one 
				with all the data you'd ever need, so you'll always be able to extract 
				the report data into your favourite reporting packages, such as Business
				 Objects, Crystal Reports, or even your favourite Office spreadsheet.</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Run/Schedule the report</h2>

<p>This is the final screen of the report wizard. To run the report without setting any further parameters, 
simply click on the large <span class="button">Run now</span> button. In case that you want to schedule your 
report, just click on the <span class="button">Schedule for later</span> button, respectively. To set more 
parameters, click on the <span class="button">Back</span> button, which will lead you to the previous report options.</p>