Creating reports
- Kiss, Mate
- Szilagyi, Attila
This article is a detailed guide on report generation in the Verba Recording System.
There is only one essential step: Select Report Type. Once a report type is selected, the user can start report generation. However, there are several ways to customize the report generation process.
Select report type
The first step of the report generation process is the report type selection. You can find the available report templates in the drop-down list.
You can customize the report settings by using the following configuration options, available under the Select report type and properties section of the Report Generation screen:
| Name | Function |
|---|---|
| Report Name | Defines a custom name for the report template to save on. |
| Description | Allows you to add a short custom description to the report template. |
| Private | Sets the Private attribute of the report template. This option allows the users to save the settings only for themselves. Otherwise, every user with the Reporting right is allowed to see the saved report template. |
Configure Scheduling
Scheduling can be set up by choosing from three Scheduling Type options found under the Scheduling section of the Report Generation screen:
- Generate report now: allows instant report generation. The report is generated when the user clicks on the Create button on the bottom of the Report Generation page.
- Generate report once at...: provides a way to schedule the report for a "one-time-only" run. The date and time can be set with the date picker.
- Generate report periodically: allows recurring report generation. You can set how often you would like to generate reports (daily / monthly/annual) and specify when the reports should be created during the day.
Set query interval
In the Set Query Interval section of the Report Generation screen, you have to choose the timeframe, which you want to apply in the report. The following query interval options are available:
- Current: This option lets you select the entire current (momentary) hour, day, week, month, quarter, or year for the query interval.
The system dynamically calculates the current date and time, every time the widget is displayed.
E.g., the current week on Tuesday at 10:15 AM will correspond to a date and time interval between Monday 00:00 AM and Sunday 11:59 PM. - Last: This option lets you select the entire previous hour, day, week, month, quarter, or year for the query interval.
The system dynamically calculates the last date and time, every time the widget is displayed.
E.g., last week on Tuesday at 10:15 AM will correspond to a date and time interval between Tuesday 10:15 AM on the week before and Tuesday 10:15 AM (momentary time). - Previous: This option lets you select the entire past calendar hour, day, week, month, quarter, or year for the query interval.
The system dynamically calculates the previous date and time, every time the widget is displayed.
E.g., the previous week on Tuesday at 10:15 AM will correspond to a date and time interval between Monday 00:00 AM on the week before and Sunday 11:59 PM on the week before. - Fixed Date Interval: This option allows you to use the date picker to specify a custom time interval on which you want the report generated.
The 'Display results according to time zone' drop-down list allows you to select the desired time zone. Please note that this setting will impact both the report generation scheduling (if any) and the query interval dates set in the previous sections.
Set filtering criteria
In the Set Filtering Criteria And Report Configuration section of the Report Generation screen, you can apply additional filtering criteria. This allows you to use rich filtering criteria, enabling you to create highly customized reports.
If you have multiple filters, then the logic between them is and. Should you want to add, for example, multiple users, you would have to use the Matches a value in the list operator instead of adding them one by one with an Equal operator.
Report specific settings
Every report template can contain specific filtering fields. The filtering options are discussed in every report type's datasheet in the Reporting Guide.
Select display and export options
In the last section of the Report Generation screen, under Select Display and Export Options, you can select the target of the generated report. Verba Recording System's Reporting component supports the creation of reports in various file formats.
The following table contains detailed information on supported display and export options:
| Display and Export options | Description |
|---|---|
| PDF is optimized for saving the report into a file and for printing. This displaying method uses rich report layout design. | |
| Encrypted PDF | Encrypted PDF provides 128-bit encryption for PDF file, a valid username and password are required to open the document. PDF is optimized for saving the report into a file and for printing. This displaying method uses rich report layout design. |
| RTF | RTF is optimized for later editing of the report in MS Word. This displaying method uses rich report layout design. |
| XLS | XLS is optimized for later editing of the report in MS Excel. This displaying method uses a simplified report layout design. |
| XLSX | XLSX is one of the Office Open XML file formats introduced in Excel 2007 and provides a way to store the spreadsheets in a zipped, XML-based file format. This displaying method uses a simplified report layout design. |
| DOCX | DOCX is Word 2007's Office Open XML format for storing word processing documents. This displaying method uses rich report layout design. |
| ODT | ODT (OpenDocument Text) is an XML based file format for representing word processing documents. This displaying method uses rich report layout design. |
| ODS | ODS (OpenDocument Spreadsheet) is an XML based file format for representing spreadsheets. This displaying method uses a simple report layout design. |
| PPTX | PPTX is PowerPoint 2007's (or later) presentation storing method, using an XML based Office Open XML file format. This displaying method uses rich report layout design. |
| CSV | CSV (Comma Separated Values) is optimized for text file based report export. This displaying method uses a simplified report layout design. |
| TXT | TXT (text) is optimized for text file based report export. This displaying method uses a simplified report layout design. |
| XML | XML is optimized for further usage of the report. This displaying method uses a simplified report layout design. |
Configure automatic report delivery by email
The Display group logo in report option provides you the opportunity to display your individual group logos on the top of the generated report document.
The Send generated files by email option enable you to send the generated reports as an email attachment automatically. The subject and body fields of the email are customizable.
Upload Report
By selecting the Upload Report option, you can specify a folder where the generated report gets automatically uploaded. The connection and the credentials can be tested by click on the Test connection button.
| Configuration Parameter Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Upload Folder Path | The folder where the reports will be saved. Both local and shared network locations are supported |
| Login Name | In the case of shared folders, please provide a username and password that has proper access to the selected Upload Folder |
| Password | In the case of shared folders, please provide a username and password that has proper access to the selected Upload Folder |
Access generated reports
You can initiate the report generation procedure at the bottom of the Report Generation screen with the Create or Schedule button, depending on the Scheduling settings.
Once you click the Create / Schedule button, and the report generation configuration is done, the system automatically displays the Scheduled reports screen, to show all the reports that are scheduled for the future generation or are currently processed.
When a report is currently being processed, the system indicates the report generation process with a spinner in the name column of the report in the table.
Once the report generation is finished, a file icon, according to the user's export option selection is displayed in the download column.
When you click on the report's row, the Generated Files popup window is displayed, showing the file information for the corresponding report, and the actions for each file which are Download and Delete.
Single file download is also possible, by clicking on the file icon in the Actions column, but when multiple files are present for the report, the system automatically displays the popup window with multiple download links.
You can also create a report template quite easily by using the Save button on the Report Generation screen. The report template gets saved with all effective configuration options and values. You can use the report templates to quickly re-run a report that would usually require more time to reconfigure again. You can find all the saved report templates under Reporting / Saved Templates.