1

INFO ASSIST REPORT WRITING

AN INTRODUCTION TO USING AND BUILDING REPORTS USING

INFOASSIST

2

Course Outline• 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

3

Module 1Know Your Data

• ODS Reporting View Meta Data Reportshttps://banneraux.appstate.edu:9013/metadata/ODS_index.html• Dynamic Help on the Banner Form

4

Module 2WebFOCUS Components

DATA

User Environment

Developer Studio

BrowserManaged Reporting

Web ServerWindows

Reporting ServerUNIX

DATA:ORACLEMSSQLSYBASE

5

Module 3Introduction to INFO ASSIST

• With INFO ASSIST you can quickly and easily1. Create highly complex reports, charts and documents without IT intervention. 2. Complete building a report with minimal

clicks. 3. Publish and Share documents4. Convert Reports to Charts and Charts to

Reports5. Output report data in a variety of formats

6

Accessing INFO ASSIST

• http://wfclientmre-test.appstate.edu:8080/ibi_apps/bid-login?

7

• Login Screen

8

Business Intelligence Dashboard.

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Exercise 3.1

• In this exercise you will create your first report using InfoAssist.

16

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.

17

Exercise 3.2

• Sorting your report• Page Headings and Footings• Change a column heading

18

Exercise 3.3

• Sorting• Summing• Across

19

Module 4: Using Filters

• Testing for NULL values• Testing for a range of values• Testing for certain values in a field.

20

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 fieldsPhase 3 – Process the internal table

21

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.

22

Compound Filters

• The filter statement supports the use of compound nested conditions

• A single filter can be comprised of multiple values.

23

Numeric Field Selection• 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

24

Exercises Module 4

• 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

25

Module 5Using PROMPTS

• Dynamic• Static• Simple

26

Exercise 5.1Creating Prompts

27

Module 6:JOINS

• A JOIN is a temporary virtual connection between two or more physical data sources that share at least one common field.

28

Types of JOINS

• Single

• Left Outer

29

SPRIDENSARADAP

30

SPRIDENSARADAP

31

JOIN Exercises

• Exercise 6.1 - Single Inner JOIN• Exercise 6.2 – Left Outer JOIN

32

Module 7:Using DEFINE and COMPUTE

• Virtual Field (DEFINE)

• Calculated Field (COMPUTE)

33

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

34

35

Exercise 7.1

• Create a DEFINE field

36

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.

37

38

Exercise 7.2

• Create a COMPUTE field

39

Module 8:FUNCTIONS

40

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’)

41

HDATE

• Converts the format of a date time field to MDYY

• Syntax: HDATE(value, ‘MDYY’, outfield)

42

SUBSTR

• Extracts a substring from a character string by position.

• Syntax: SUBSTR(inlength, parent, start, end, sublength, outfield)

43

HGETC

• Stores the current date and time in a date-time field.

• Syntax: HGETC(length, outfield)

44

Functions Exercises

• 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

45

Module 9Customizing and Styling

• Excel Output for Reports• Styling Reports• Using Custom Reporting Features• Creating Customized Report Outputs

46

• Excel Formats Available– Excel 2007– Excel 2000– Excel Formula– Excel Pivot

47

Styling a report

• 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.

48

Custom Reporting Features

• 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

49

Customized Report Outputs

• Table of Contents• Freeze Column titles in a report• Create pages on Demand reports

50

Styling Exercises

• 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

51

Module 10INFO MINI

• Built from an InfoAssist Report• Contains a subset of InfoAssist Functionality

that is available at runtime.

52

• 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

53

54

55

Exercise 10.1

• Create an INFO MINI application

56

Module 11Compound Document

• Build a new Compound document.• Open an existing Compound document.• Generate a new Compound document from an

existing single report.

57

58

Exercises Module 11

• Exercise 11.1 - Build a compound document from an existing report.

59

Module 12Charting

Category 1Category 2

Category 3Category 4

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Series 1Series 2Series 3

60

Type of Charts Available

• BAR Charts• PIE Charts• LINE Charts• AREA Charts• XY PLOT Charts• 3D Charts

61

Exercise 12.1

• Create a Chart using InfoAssist.

62

THE END