INFO ASSIST REPORT WRITING
AN INTRODUCTION TO USING AND
BUILDING REPORTS USING
INFOASSIST
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Course Outline
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Module 1: Most Important Part of Reporting
Module 2: WebFOCUS Components
Module 3: Introduction to INFO ASSIST
Module 4: Using Filters
Module 5: Using Prompts
Module 6: JOINS
Module 7: Using DEFINE and COMPUTE
Module 8: Functions
Module 9: Customizing and Styling a report
Module 10: Creating an INFO MINI Application
Module 11: Creating a Compound Document
Module 12: Charting
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Module 1
Know Your Data
• ODS Reporting View Meta Data Reports
https://banneraux.appstate.edu:9013/metadata
/ODS_index.html
• Dynamic Help on the Banner Form
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Module 2
WebFOCUS Components
User
Environment
Developer Studio
Web Server
Windows
Reporting Server
UNIX
Browser
Managed
Reporting
DATA
DATA:
ORACLE
MSSQL
SYBASE
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Module 3
Introduction to INFO ASSIST
• With INFO ASSIST you can quickly and easily
1. Create highly complex reports, charts and
documents without IT intervention.
2. Complete building a report with minimal
clicks.
3. Publish and Share documents
4. Convert Reports to Charts and Charts to
Reports
5. Output report data in a variety of formats
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Accessing INFO ASSIST
• http://wfclientmretest.appstate.edu:8080/ibi_apps/bid-login?
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• Login Screen
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Business Intelligence Dashboard.
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Exercise 3.1
• In this exercise you will create your first report
using InfoAssist.
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Sorting
• Sorting enables you to display the report
information grouped in a particular order.
This way information can be organized by
rows or columns.
• InfoAssist Sorting options include:
• BY—for sorting rows
• ACROSS—for sorting columns.
• BY and ACROSS together—for creating a cross
tabulation report.
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Exercise 3.2
• Sorting your report
• Page Headings and Footings
• Change a column heading
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Exercise 3.3
• Sorting
• Summing
• Across
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Module 4:
Using Filters
• Testing for NULL values
• Testing for a range of values
• Testing for certain values in a field.
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3 Phases of Processing a Selection
Phase 1 – Analyze and Parse the request.
Phase 2 – Build the internal table
a. Selection of real data
b. Selection of virtual fields
Phase 3 – Process the internal table
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Masking in Filters
• Filters can accommodate the use of a masking
character ($) accompanied by a wildcard (*)
when performing a selection on part of an
alpha numeric field.
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Compound Filters
• The filter statement supports the use of
compound nested conditions
• A single filter can be comprised of multiple
values.
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Numeric Field Selection
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Selection can be performed on numeric fields
Minus sign and decimal point are allowed
Don’t use a dollar sign or a comma
Do not use LIKE or NOT LIKE
Only a single value may be specified when using:
> greater than
>= greater than or equal
< less than
<= less than or equal
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Exercises Module 4
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Exercise 4.1 – create a simple filter
Exercise 4.2 – Using masking in a filter
Exercise 4.3 – Compound filters
Exercise 4.4 – Numeric filters
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Module 5
Using PROMPTS
• Dynamic
• Static
• Simple
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Exercise 5.1
Creating Prompts
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Module 6:
JOINS
• A JOIN is a temporary virtual connection
between two or more physical data sources
that share at least one common field.
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Types of JOINS
• Single
• Left Outer
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SARADAP
SPRIDEN
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SARADAP
SPRIDEN
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JOIN Exercises
• Exercise 6.1 - Single Inner JOIN
• Exercise 6.2 – Left Outer JOIN
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Module 7:
Using DEFINE and COMPUTE
• Virtual Field (DEFINE)
• Calculated Field (COMPUTE)
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The DEFINE Tool
• This tool provides a graphical way in which
temporary fields (DEFINES) can be created for
use in reports.
• Located on the data tab in InfoAssist
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Exercise 7.1
• Create a DEFINE field
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COMPUTE
• Evaluated at the report level after all data is
retrieved, summed, and sorted.
• Created within the report itself and
automatically listed as a column in the report.
• It CANNOT be used as a primary sort field.
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Exercise 7.2
• Create a COMPUTE field
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Module 8:
FUNCTIONS
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EDIT
• The EDIT Function is used to change the way a
Fields values are displayed in a report.
• Used to extract characters from or add
characters to an alpha field
Syntax – EDIT(fieldname, ‘mask’)
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HDATE
• Converts the format of a date time field to
MDYY
• Syntax: HDATE(value, ‘MDYY’, outfield)
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SUBSTR
• Extracts a substring from a character string by
position.
• Syntax:
SUBSTR(inlength, parent, start, end, sublength,
outfield)
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HGETC
• Stores the current date and time in a datetime field.
• Syntax: HGETC(length, outfield)
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Functions Exercises
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Exercise 8.1 – An example of EDIT
Exercise 8.2 – An example of HDATE
Exercise 8.3 – An example of SUBSTR
Exercise 8.4 – An example of HGETC
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Module 9
Customizing and Styling
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Excel Output for Reports
Styling Reports
Using Custom Reporting Features
Creating Customized Report Outputs
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• Excel Formats Available
– Excel 2007
– Excel 2000
– Excel Formula
– Excel Pivot
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Styling a report
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Global Styling
Style of Data and Column Fields
Style Headings and Footings
Style rows of data with alternating colors
Apply traffic light conditional styling to data
Increase or decrease amount of space
inserted between rows and columns.
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Custom Reporting Features
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Rank
Limit the variables of a column in a report
Add page and line breaks
Add subtotals
Add column totals
Add row totals
Add subheadings and subfootings
Pop-Up titles
Add data visualization
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Customized Report Outputs
• Table of Contents
• Freeze Column titles in a report
• Create pages on Demand reports
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Styling Exercises
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Exercise 9.1 – Excel outputs
Exercise 9.2 – Styling, headings and footings.
Exercise 9.3 – Rank, Line breaks, Pop-up Titles.
Exercise 9.4 – Table of Contents, freezing
columns, page on demand
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Module 10
INFO MINI
• Built from an InfoAssist Report
• Contains a subset of InfoAssist Functionality
that is available at runtime.
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• INFO MINI opens in it’s own browser window
• Almost like working in InfoAssist for the end
user except for the following
– Main menu not accessible
– View, open and code buttons not available on the
quick access tool bar
– Status bar not accessible
– Navigation taskbar not accessible
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Exercise 10.1
• Create an INFO MINI application
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Module 11
Compound Document
• Build a new Compound document.
• Open an existing Compound document.
• Generate a new Compound document from
an existing single report.
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Exercises Module 11
• Exercise 11.1 - Build a compound document
from an existing report.
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Module 12
Charting
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Series 1
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Series 2
Series 3
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Series 3
Series 2
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Category 1
Category 2
Series 1
Category 3
Category 4
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Type of Charts Available
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BAR Charts
PIE Charts
LINE Charts
AREA Charts
XY PLOT Charts
3D Charts
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Exercise 12.1
• Create a Chart using InfoAssist.
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THE END
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