AX1675

Creating web reports

You can create web reports to report on Axiom Software data using a lightweight, web-enabled reporting option.

In order to create a web report, you must have read/write access to at least one folder in the Reports Library, as defined in Axiom Software security. Also, if you have access to My Documents, you can create and save web reports there.

The basic web report creation process is as follows:

  • You select a report template and define the name and folder location for the web report. The new web report is created using the selected template, and opens automatically in the Report Designer.

  • You optionally specify an associated file group for the report. This filters the available tables and columns based on the file group, and leverages table variables in the report configuration.

  • You define a data source for the report. All web reports have at least one data source that is used as the basis to query data for the report. The data source consists of a primary table and an optional filter.

  • You configure the components in the report to show the desired data and other display details, like titles. The template determines the components in the report and their layout.

    The Data Grid component is the primary component used to display report data in web reports. To display data in the grid, you must add columns to the grid, set the sum by level for the grid, and configure other grid and column options.

  • You optionally define refresh variables for the report and set up dependencies to the data source. End users can use refresh variables to change the data shown in the report on-the-fly.

You can start the creation of a web report from either the Web Client or the Desktop ClientGeneral term for using either the Excel Client or the Windows Client, both of which are installed to the user's desktop.. However, all web report creation and editing takes place in the Web Client. If you start the creation from the Desktop Client, you are automatically taken to the Web Client.

Creating a web report in the Web Client

In the Web Client, you can create new web reports using the Report Designer page.

To create a web report in the Web Client:

  1. Click the menu icon in the left side of the Task BarThe gray bar that displays across the top of browser-based Axiom files, as well as various feature pages of the Web Client. The Task Bar provides access to various tasks that are specific to the current area, page, or document. to open the Navigation panel. Then, select Report Designer.

    Alternatively, you can go to directly to the Report Designer page as follows:

    Example On-Premise URL

    		 

    http://ServerName/Axiom/Reports

    Where ServerName is the name of the Axiom Application Server, and Axiom is the default name of the virtual directory.
         

    Example Cloud System URL

    		 

    https://ClientName.axiom.cloud/Reports

    Where ClientName is the name of your Axiom Cloud Service system.

    NOTE: If you do not see the Report Designer in the Navigation panel, this may mean that your organization's Navigation panel has not been updated (or that your organization has customized the panel to exclude it). For more information, see Navigation panel.

  2. In the Report Designer page, click the New Report button to the right of the Axiom Web Reports header.

  1. In the Choose a Template screen, select the template that you want to use, and then click Next.

    The template determines the report layout and the available components. Axiom Software provides two templates by default:

    • Standard Template: Standard report configuration with a title and a subtitle, and a data grid to display data.
    • KPI Template: A variation of the standard template that displays key performance indicators (KPIs) plus a data grid.

    Your organization can optionally create additional web report templates, and/or you may have licensed a packaged product that includes additional templates.

  2. In the Report Settings screen, complete the following settings and then click Create:

    • Name: Type the name of the report.

    • Location: Click the folder icon to the right of the box to select a folder location. In the Select Folder dialog, you can select any folder in the Reports Library where you have read/write access . If you have access to the My Documents folder, you can also save the report there.

    Example Report Settings screen

    When you click Create, the new report is created by copying the selected template. The new report is then automatically opened in the Report Designer, with the Report Settings panel active.

    New report in the Report Designer using the Standard Template

    The Report Designer is where you configure the report, including specifying a data source and configuring the components used in the report. For detailed information, see Using the Report Designer.

  3. On the Report Settings panel of the Report Designer, complete the following optional settings as needed:

    • Report Title: Define a title for the report, to be displayed in the browser tab. By default, the file name is used as the report title if no alternate title is defined.

    • File Group Context: Select a file group if you want to associate this report with the file group. If a file group context is specified, the table variables in the file group are leveraged to streamline lists of available tables and to enable dynamic table and column references. For more information, see Associating a web report with a file group.

      NOTE: If you plan to use a file group context, this selection should be made first, before configuring other areas of the report.

    For more information on other report settings, see Defining general properties for web reports.

    Example Report Settings tab of the Report Designer

  4. On the Data Sources panel of the Report Designer, define a data source for the report. The data source is used by Data Grid components to determine the data that can be displayed in grids. Each web report must have at least one defined data source in order to display data in data grids.

    By default, all web reports start with an initial data source, Datasource 1. You can edit this data source to specify a primary table and an optional filter, and you can change the name of the data source. You can also create additional data sources as needed. For more information, see Defining data sources for Data Grid components.

    Example Data Source tab of the Report Designer

  5. On the Components panel of the Report Designer, configure the report components as desired. To configure a component, select the component in the report canvas, or use the drop-down list at the top of the tab. Once you select a component, the properties for that component display in the tab. For more information, see Web report components.

    For example, in the Standard Template provided by Axiom Software, you should configure the following components:

    • TitledPanel_MainTitle and TitledPanel_SubTitle: These Label components define the main title text and the subtitle text for the report. Select each component and type the desired title text into the Text field.

      Example configured title text

    • PrimaryDataGrid: This Data Grid component should be configured to show the desired data. Select the component and then start adding table columns and calculations, set the sum by columns, and configure other grid and column properties.

      Example configured grid after adding columns and setting the sum level

    NOTE: You must have completed the configuration of at least one data source before you can configure components that reference table data, such as the Data Grid component.

  6. Optional. On the Refresh Variables panel of the Report Designer, define refresh variables to allow users to change the data in the report based on selected values. For more information, see Configuring refresh variables for web reports.

    Example Refresh Variables tab of the Report Designer

    For example, you could set up a refresh variable for Entity, so that the data grid would be filtered to only show data for the selected entity. To do this you would first create the variable, then set up a dependency between that variable and the data source used by the grid.

  7. After making configuration changes, click the Save button in the top right corner to save the report.

    You can also click the Preview button at any time to view and interact with the report as end users will see it. When you click Preview, the report is automatically saved. To return to the Report Designer from the preview, click Leave Preview.

Creating a web report in the Desktop Client

In the Desktop Client (Excel Client or Windows Client), you can create new web reports from the Reports menu.

To create a web report in the Desktop Client:

  • On the Axiom tab, in the Reports group, select Reports > Report Designer.

    NOTE: In systems with installed products, this feature may be present on a different ribbon tab.

The Web Client opens to the Report Designer page. From this point, all creation activities take place in the Web Client, and the steps are the same as described in the previous section.

Editing a web report

You can edit existing web reports as needed, as long as the report was not installed by a product package. You must have read/write access to the report file in order to edit it, as defined in Axiom Software security.

Web reports can only be edited in the Web Client Report Builder. Although you can open existing web reports from within the Desktop Client, you cannot edit them in that client. Once the report is open, all editing activities take place in the Web Client.

Only one user at a time can open a web report for editing in the Report Designer. If another user attempts to edit a web report while it is locked to another user, then it can only be opened as read-only. When a report is opened as read-only in the Report Designer, no changes can be saved, but Save As can be used to save a copy of the file. Although the report is locked for editing, other users can continue to view the report outside of the Report Designer as normal.

Product-controlled web reports are locked and cannot be edited. However, if you have read/write access to the locked report, then you can open the report as read-only in the Report Builder for purposes of saving a copy of it with a new name.

To edit a web report:

  1. Open the report that you want to edit.

  2. In the gray task bar, click the wrench icon to open the Tools menu, then select Edit Web Report.

    The web report opens in the Report Designer.

  3. Using the Report Designer panels, edit the web report as needed. For more information, see Using the Report Designer.

  4. After making configuration changes, click the Save button in the right-hand side of the task bar to save the report. If you want to save a copy of the report, click the arrow next to the save button and then select Save As.

    NOTE: If you have opened the report in the editor as read-only, then clicking the save button automatically uses Save As.

    You can also click the Preview button at any time to view and interact with the report as end users will see it. When you click Preview, the report is automatically saved. To return to the Report Designer from the preview, click Leave Preview.

Deleting a web report

Web reports cannot be deleted in the Web Client; they must be deleted in the Desktop Client.

You can delete a web report if you have read/write permission to the parent folder, and if the report was not installed by a product package. Product-controlled web reports are locked and cannot be deleted.

To delete a web report:

  1. On the Axiom tab, in the Administration group, click Manage > Axiom Explorer.

    TIP: You can also use the Explorer task pane to delete a web report.

    NOTE: If you are using an Axiom packaged product, you can access this feature from the Admin tab. Click System Browser to open Axiom Explorer.

  2. Navigate to the Reports Library, and then locate the web report that you want to delete.

  3. Right-click the report and then select Delete.