advanced alchemex consultant

8/14/2019 Advanced Alchemex Consultant

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Alchemex

Advanced Consultant Training

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MANAGEMENT PACK TEMPLATES .....................................................................3CUSTOM GROUPING & SUBTOTALING .........................................................3

GENERAL INFORMATION:................................................................................................. ...3What is the exception? ......................................................................................... ................ ..3

CUSTOMISING THE GROUPING AND SUBTOTALLING .................................3

Where does one customise the grouping? ........................................................... ................ ..4When does one customise the grouping? ...................................................... ................ ........4What and how must one customise the lookup sheet? ........................................................... 4Example: ....................................................................................................... ................ ........5GL_Cat_Code .............................................................................................. ................ ..........6GL_Cat_Description ............................................................................................... ................6Sign Ctrl................................................................................................................................. .6Variance Sign ................................................................................................... .............. ........7What to do after customising the various columns on the lookup sheet:................................7

Union Reports ........................................................................................................8Pass Through Variables .......................................................................................10

What can Pass Through Variables be used for .................................................10To define a Pass Through Variable - step by step .............................................11

To use a Pass Through Variable within another Container Expressions ..........11To use a Pass Through Variable to Filter Data in a Report............................... 12To use a Pass Through Variable to Filter Aggregated Data in a Report...........12To use a Pass Through Variable within Multiple Union Sub Reports ................12

Workstation License Types ..................................................................................14Assigning Workstation License Types ...............................................................14Running Auxiliary Alchemex Modules from Workstations .................................14

Community ........................................................................................................ ............... ....14License and Upgrade Tool.......................................................................................... ..........14Client Update Tool.............................................................................................. ................. .14DB Manager for Pervasive.SQL ...................................................................... .............. .......14

Drill-Down .............................................................................................................15Using Add-In Functions in a Report .....................................................................17Add-In Functions ...................................................................................................19Maintaining Reports ..............................................................................................21

Locking/Unlocking a Report..............................................................................21Close Book on Completion and Generate Output File ........................................22Run Macros ...........................................................................................................22Scheduling a Report ............................................................................................23Scheduling a Report using the Windows Scheduler ...........................................24Report History ......................................................................................................26

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MANAGEMENT PACK TEMPLATES

CUSTOM GROUPING & SUBTOTALING

GENERAL INFORMATION:

All Management Pack Reports (version S and D) automatically group and subtotal the accountson the layout generated. In order to produce a final income statement or balance sheet, theaccounts are grouped by the Financial Category Description in a predefined order. For thepurpose of this document a final income statement or balance sheet will be referred to as acomplete layout.There is however an exception to this in that Management Packs for certain applications will notproduce complete layouts. The following applications are exceptions:

Sage Line 100Syspro v 6.0

What is the exception?On generating a layout the accounts are still grouped and subtotaled by financial category but thelayout is incomplete. You would need to do the following in order to complete the layouts:

For Income statements you would need to insert your own calculations to create a Gross profitand Net Profit/Loss lines.For Balance Sheets you would need to rearrange the order of the groups if necessary and insertcalculations to form the balancing totals of a balance sheet.

CUSTOMISING THE GROUPING AND SUBTOTALLING

The application code written to automate the grouping and subtotaling within the Management

Pack Template is designed around a specific layout built into each template. This specified layoutenables a complete Income Statement or Balance Sheet to be generated for that specificapplication. From a users point of view it is not custom built, but there is however a way aroundcustomising it should you wish to do so in which case you do at your own risk.

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Where does one customise the grouping?On the Lookup Sheet

When does one customise the grouping?Before or after you generate your first layout, this is dependant on the grouping and subtotalingyou wish to automate.Once you change the original formula on the lookup sheet, you will not be able to generate acomplete layout automatically unless you set the formulae back to its original state.

What and how must one customise the lookup sheet?

You need to customise the formulas or column numbers for the following columns:GL_Cat_CodeGL_Cat_DescriptionSignCtrl

VarianceSign

The order in which the accounts are displayed on the layout generated, is determined by theGL_Cat_Code

The grouping and subtotaling of the accounts is determined by the GL_Cat_Description

i.e. Ascending order by GL_Cat_Code then GL_Cat_Description

The formulas would need to be changed in row 6, (should be the row beneath the row containingcolumn numbers) which is normally set with a very small row height, appearing almost hidden.Adjust the height of all these rows between row 5 and row 9 so you can determine the correctrow. There should also be a row beneath this containing the word RETINC in column A, this isseparate to the formulas used to extend alongside all accounts on this lookup sheet. DO NOToverwrite this row with the formulas/values you change.

Refer to the example on the next page.

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Example:This example refers to a Management Pack designed for Pastel

You need to generate an Income Statement per Ledger Sub-Account No. The sub-account no

already exists on sheet1 in the third column.

Display the Lookup SheetCell F5 should contain the no 7, change this to 3 (3 representing the column no of the sub-account nos on sheet1)

The GL_Cat_Code column should now contain the sub-account nos

Browse through these nos and confirm that you do not have any numbers that are in therange 8 to 38 (these numbers are not allowed in customising)

If you dont then proceed with step 11, if you do then you need to change your numbers inorder for a meaningful layout to be produced.

On the lookup sheet, unhide the hidden rows between rows 5 and 9

Cell F6 should contain the Index formula to return the values from column no (no 3)specified in F5. Since you have invalid nos, you would need to change them. The easiestway is to change the formula so that it increases all your nos by 100.

Change the formula in cell F6 to read : =INDEX(Sheet1!RawDataCols,$C6,F$5)+100

Then copy this formula and paste it to all the used cells in this column from row 9onwards.

Hide rows 6 to 9 again. Thats the only change required in this case

Since you still want a standard income statement there is no need for any further change. Thedescription used for the grouping will still work on the financial category description

Go the Menu sheet

Generate the layout you require.

You should have an income statement layout for each set of sub-account nos on the

same sheet, but listed one below the other. Since you have changed the GL_Cat_Code numbering from its original numbers the

various income statement groups may not appear in the order you wish. You may need tojust move these sets of rows around to correct the order.

Insert your Gross profit and Net profit calculations.

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GL_Cat_CodeRelates to a financial category code present on sheet1 (this is not necessarily the financial codelisted within the accounting application. It may be a forced number to change the sort order of theaccounts so they appear in the correct order for a complete income statement or balance sheet.

Set this to pick up a value (or enter a value manually) you wish to sort by so the accounts appearin a particular order. If the existing formula is using an index function then it is currently picking upthe value from sheet 1, from the column number stated in row 5 above it. You can change onlythe column number in row 5 should you wish to pick up a value from another column on sheet 1.

In order to prevent incorrect sorting and grouping, there are exceptions to the values that you canuse to sort on for some applications. An example of this is the number 10 that may be used togroup all revenue accounts, so should you also have a number 10 in the values you place herethen that set of accounts could end up being grouped as Revenue.

DO NOT USE THE NUMBERS FROM 8 TO 38

GL_Cat_DescriptionRelates to the description applied to the GL_Cat_Code , also looked up from sheet1 theaccounts are grouped and totaled by the value in this column and not by the GL_Cat_Code

Set this to pick up the value you wish to group on or enter a value manually for each account.Here again if the existing formula is using an index function you can pick up a different value fromsheet 1 just by changing the column number in row 5. This value becomes the name assigned tothe total line of the group.

Sign CtrlIn most instances a formula based on the GL_Cat_Code is used to determine whether or not thevalue displayed should be displayed as positive or negative.

1 in this column means do not change the sign of the value-1 in this column means change the sign.

If you customise the Gl_Cat_Code and GL_Cat_Description fields then the sign control maylresult an incorrect values. You would then need to reassign a value next to each account eithermanually of by means of a formula should you wish to apply sign control.

Example:If Sales values are entered as negative and you would like them displayed as positive when thelayout is generated, then ensure that there is a 1 in this column for each sales type account.

(The sign control value is applied to the value of the account in the amount columns on thelookup sheet such as actual, budget, prior where the formula in these columns is multiplied by thesign control value)

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Variance SignThis is similar to the Sign Control value but is only applied to the layouts when generated andonly if they include a variance column. It controls the variance formula in terms of leaving theresult as a positive value or forcing it to a negative.

Example:

For expense accounts, if the actual value is greater than the budget value then the varianceshould be negative.For income accounts if the actual value is greater than the budget then the variance should bepositive.

You would then need to reassign a value next to each account either manually of by means of aformula should you wish to automatically correct the variance formula.

What to do after customising the various columns on the lookup sheet:

Generate the layout you need.

At the end of the layout you may find the words gross profit., Net profit etc on IncomeStatement layouts or other descriptions on Balance sheets - Delete these lines as they will beincorrect and create your own where necessary.

TIP: Should you wish to generate a complete layout for a Balance Sheet but then a custom layoutfor an Income Statement, generate the Balance Sheets first, change the lookup sheet tocustomise it in the way you need it, then generate the Income Statement layouts.

NOTE: There is no upgrade process to upgrade an existing FADD to a Management Pack.

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Union Reports

A Union Report is used to merge rows of data from disparate sources into a single a report. TheUnion Report has pointers to other normal Reports and it simply runs out the raw data from thespecified Reports (referred to as Union Sub Reports when referenced in a Union Report) sequentiallyinto a single Workbook. The Union Report can have its own template file specified and the templatefiles of the Union Sub Reports are not used.

To create a Union Report:

1. Right click on a Folder and chooseAdd Union Report.2. You will be prompted for the reports to include as Union Sub Reports in the Union Report.3. Choose one or more existing reports.

To add subsequent Union Sub Reports to the union report:

1. Double click on the Union Report

2. Select the object Union Sub Reports

3. Right click and selectAdd.

It should be noted that a Union Report will simply pull the raw data from all Union Sub Reports andsequentially output the data sets into the Output Book. All properties set on the source reports areineffective when they are run as Union Sub Reports in a Union Report. All filtering and sorting logic isapplied to each Union Sub Report before it is output into the Union Report Template and the logicbetween Union Sub Reports is unrelated.

Note: By default the data from the Union Sub Reports will be output into the same worksheet. Thisbehavior can be overridden though by setting the Output Sheet property for the individual Union SubReports.

To do this:

1. Open up the Union Report in the Object window (by double clicking)2. Open the Union Reports object so that the individual Union Sub Reports become visible.3. Select each Union Sub Report and then set the Output Sheet property to the number of the

Sheet to output the data to (e.g. 1 for the left most sheet in the book).

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Note that the specified output sheet must exist in the Union Reports output template.

If the data is configured (or defaulted) to the same sheet for the Sub Reports then it makes sense thatthe data is comparable. Although you could specify any reports to be the Sub Reports for the UnionReport, it only makes sense to specify Union Sub Reports that have comparable data and with thecorresponding Display Fields laid out in the same order in all the Sub Reports to go to the sameOutput Sheet, so that in the final Workbook there is like data in each column. If the data is not similarthen it should be output to different sheets.

Process of Creating a Union Report

The union report is made up of two or more individual reports which are then combined using theunion report functionality. You will firstly create the base reports and then create the union report.

Creating a union report is a two part process:

Part 1: Create the base reportswhich will become the basis of the union report.

Part 2: Use the base report's to create a union report.

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Pass Through Variables

Pass Through Variables enable the queries (or SQL statements) that are sent to the DatabaseSystems during report execution to be affected at run time. Where ordinary Parameters are used to

modify the filtering element (or WHERE clause) of a query only Pass Through Variables can be usedwith Parameters to modify other parts of the query. Pass Through Variables must be used inconjunction with a reports Parameters to be effective.

Pass Through Variables are an advanced report writing facility and require a strong understanding ofthe Alchemex Administrator Functions and of basic database query concepts. Pass ThroughVariables are a special type of Container Expression and are defined within containers in theAlchemex Administrator Tool.

Pass Through Variables can also be effectively used to pass common Parameter Values through aseries of Union Child Reports within a Union Report. In this way a Union Report may be configured touse one pop up Parameter screen to parameterise a number of Union Child Reports.

Terminology

Pass Through Variable = A special type of Container Expression used to hold a variable value thatcan be used within a report.Pass Through Variable Code = The Expression Source property defined as a unique code prefixedand suffixed with @ symbols. This code can be used in Report Filters, Report Aggregate Filters andin other Expression Source properties.Where literal values are usually placed in filter comparisonvalues the Pass Through Variable Code may be substituted.Pass Through Variable Value = The value held within a Pass Through Variable during the executionof a Report. Note that the value can only be set through a Report Parameter based on the PassThrough Variable. Note that the lifetime of the Pass Through Variable Value is from when the value isset during report parameterisation to when the report execution completes.

What can Pass Through Variables be used for

Pass Through Variables can thus be used to achieve the following: -

1. Dynamically modify the outcome of a Report Column through Display Fields that are based onExpressions which include Variables.

2. To filter data in a report.

3. Parameterise multiple Union Child Reports in a Report through a single Parameter selection

4. Parameterise multiple Reports in a report batch through a single Parameter selection.

5. Apply multiple Filters that use a single Parameter which is based on a Pass Through Variable.

6. Create Aggregate Parameters by using Aggregate Filters with Pass Through Variable basedParameters.

7. Set Stored Procedure input arguments.

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To define a Pass Through Variable - step by step

1. Add an expression to a container.

2. When prompted for the type of expression choose "Pass Through Variable".

3. You will be prompted for a descriptive name for the Variable. Enter a name e.g. Company Name.

4. You will then be prompted for a Code for the Pass Through Variable. The code is a unique identifierfor the Pass Through Variable. The code must be prefixed and suffixed with @ symbols. e.g.@COMPANY@. This code that you choose for the Pass Through Variable has no relation to anyexisting Expressions in the Container. The Code must however be unique within the Container andshould preferably be unique within your Alchemex System to prevent conflicts when using PassThrough Variables in Union Reports.

Note: having done this you may then use the code @COMPANY@ in any of the containersExpressions or any Report Filters to dynamically effect queries at report run time.

To set the the Pass Through Variable Value you must define a Parameter on a report that uses thePass Through Variable. Add a Parameter to a report in the usual way but specifying the defined PassThrough Variable as the expression to use for the Report. When you run the report you will beprompted for a Parameter which will then set the Pass Through Variable Value and any occurrencesof the variable within the underlying queries will be replaced with variable value.

To use a Pass Through Variable within another Container Expressions

1. Modify the Source Property of the Expression to include the Pass Through Variable Code. See theexample below where a SQL Expression has included a Pass through Variable Code : -

2. Add a Parameter to your report and choose the Pass Through Parameter Expression as thesource.

3. Run your report and enter a value for the Parameter "Company". The value that you enter for theparameter will be placed into the variable @COMPANY@ and substituted into the expression

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created in step 1.

4. On the report "General Ledger" add a Filter based on the Container Field AccNum withComparison Method "Is Equal To" and with Comparison Value as @ACCOUNTNUM@

5. On the report "Transactions" add a Filter based on the Container Field AccNum with ComparisonMethod "Is Equal To" and with Comparison Value as @ACCOUNTNUM@.

6. NB. Make sure that the order of the Union Sub Reports is "Transactions" first and then "GeneralLedger". The reason for this is that Union Reports use a LIFO (Last In First Out) technique withSub Reports and thus the "General Ledger" Sub Report will execute first and the PassThrough Variable will be set upfront and thus also be available to the report "Transactions.

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Workstation License Types

A client workstation in an Alchemex installation can be licensed to run in one of 4 modes. Thesemodes are -Administrator (ADM) - In this mode the workstation can be used to access both the AdministratorTools and Report Manager as well as to run reports from PR1 files.Report Manager (RMG) - In this mode the workstation can be used to access the Report Manageras well as to run reports from PR1 files.Report Viewer (PR1) - In this mode the workstation can be used to run reports from PR1 files.Request Server (WEB) - In this mode the workstation can be used to access both the AdministratorTools and Report Manager as well as to run reports from PR1 files. Additionally the workstation canrun as a Request Server when implemented within the Web Solution framework. This mode is onlyrelevant when using the Web Solution.

NB: Workstation License Type affects only a single Workstation while System License Level affects

all Workstations.

Assigning Workstation License Types

The Workstation License Type is assigned to a workstation the first time that it accesses Alchemex.To change the Workstation License Type for a workstation use the License and Upgrade Tool (alsoreferred to as the License Manager), drill down to the relevant Workstation and change the propertysetting Workstation License Type to the required value.

Running Auxiliary Alchemex Modules from Workstations

Note that these modules can be run from any Alchemex workstation regardless of the License Typeassigned to the workstation: -Security Manager(provided that the installation has been serialised with access to the SecurityManager enabled)Request Manager(provided that the installation has been serialised with one or more RequestServer (WEB) licenses)CommunityLicense and Upgrade ToolClient Update ToolDB Manager for Pervasive.SQLBranding Manager(provided that the installation has been serialised with a Solution DeveloperLicense)

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Drill-Down

The Drill-Down tool allows Alchemex to interrogate data directly from within your Excel Reports. Acommon scenario might be, where one high level Alchemex Report needs to drill down to line leveltransactional Data in other reports. As a fast interrogation method the Drill-Down tool allows individual

Alchemex Reports to be executed with parameters based on Excel Cell values. These reports rendertheir data directly to a fast grid style window rather than to a new Excel Report. From this screen theuser may then choose to dump the data into Excel via the data screen menu. In this form anAlchemex Report definition is being used as the source for an Ad-Hoc data enquiry.To use the Drill-Down tool locate the "Report Tools" menu on your standard Excel Menu Bar. Selectthe Drill-Down Menu. Menu is shown below: -

The Drill-Down tool will appear. To Execute a pre-configured Drill-Down simply Double Click on it or

select it then press the Execute Button.

To configure a Drill-Down select the Drill-Down and press Edit.

The Configure Drill-Down window will appear. This window is shown below.

To Add a Drill Down press the Add button and follow the same process outlined below.

NOTE: A Drill Down definition set is contained within an Excel Book or Template. If you change oradd a Drill Down definition in a Report you should link it back to your Report in the Report Manager tokeep the changes.

The Properties of a Drill-Down Definition are listed below: -

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Drill Down Defined Code: A unique code for the Drill-Down within the Excel Book

Drill Down Descriptive Name: A meaningful name used to identify the Drill Down

Report ID: The Alchemex Report ID to use for interrogation. The Report ID of a report is listed on the

property window of a report in the Report Manager.

Source Sheet: The Source Sheet used to interrogate from. This is the sheet that has the parametersfor the report. This must be the Excel Worksheet name OR the word "ActiveSheet" for the drill downto work from any sheet in the Workbook.

Report Parameter Columns: A semi-colon delimited list of the column numbers or names used todefine where to obtain the report parameters from.

In the example above whenever the Transactions Drill Down is executed the values from theColumns 1 and 3 will be taken for the active/selected row and passed to the report of ID 3. The reportwill run and render the data to screen. The Data Output screen is shown below.

As an interrogation tool the data will most likely not be needed in your Excel report and once viewedthe window can be closed. If you wish to analyse the data in Excel however then use the Data toExcel menu provided to transfer the Data into Excel. A number of options are provided for this.

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Using Add-In Functions in a Report

Alchemex supplies Add-Ins that further enhance Excels reporting capabilities. These Add-Ins aredesigned to tackle common problems that come up during reporting. The list of available Add-In

Functions is regularly updated so for the most comprehensive list of functions update your softwareon a regular basis.To use an Add-In function on a report do the following.

1. Select your report.2. Place a check in the Show Advanced option checkbox.3. Press the lookup button next to the Run Add-Ins field.4. You will be prompted with a box to Select an Add-In function.5. If none have been specified for the report then a single entry will appear in the selection box

as shown below.

6. Select the [Specify a New Add-In Function] item and press OK.7. An Add-In function selection screen will appear. Once selections have been made, the

screen appears as shown below: -

8. Start by selecting the Add-In Library9. A list of Modules for the selected library will then become available in the Select Add-In

Library Module drop down box.10. Select a Module.

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11. A list of Add-In functions will then be displayed in the Select Add-In list.12. To see a description for a Function you can select the function and view the description on

the right hand side.13. Once you have chosen your Add-In function press OK.

A screen will appear for specifying the relevant Function Parameters, as shown below: -

1. Specify your Function Parameters and press OK.2. The Add-In function should now appear in the reports Run Add-Ins property field.3. Whenever this report is run the Add-In will now be executed. To edit the parameters of an

Add-In function that has been specified already simply press the Add-In Function Builderbutton next to the Run Add-Ins box on your report properties and select the Function that youwish to edit, then follow the same steps as above.

4. Add-Ins placed in the "Run Add-Ins" property field will always run before any macros placedin the "Run Macros on Completion" property field.

Should you wish to have an Add-In run after a macro, then either place the Add-In in the "Run Macroson Completion" property field after the macro name or, place the macro name the "Run Add-Ins"property field before the Add-In

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Add-In Functions

Alchemex supplies Add-In modules which are constantly being upgraded. These modules extendthe functionality of Alchemex with Excel. These Add-In modules are supplied as is and are usedat your own risk.

To use the Add-In wizard press the "Add-In Function Builder" button next to the "Run Add-Ins"property of a report. To make sure that you always have the latest set of Add-In functionsavailable keep your Alchemex software up to date.

The Add-in functions available are self documenting. For a description of a given function selectthe function and view the Function Description in the Add-in window.

Example of an Add-In function: Making Reports available on the Internet/Intranet

1. Select the report you want to publish to a website.2. Tick show advanced option on the properties tab.3. Select Run Add Ins.

Run Add-Ins

1. Select an Add-In Function2. Choose an Add-in function3. Select an Add-in Library4. Select an Add-in Library module5. Select an Add-in function (Publish sheet). OK

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Specify function parameters.Name, the name of the sheet to publish (Pivot)Fully qualified path, (with filename & extension) for the HTML file.Example:\\myserver\intranet\reports\ThisReport.htm

The Add-In function should now appear in the reports Run Add-Ins property field.

Whenever this report is run the Add-In will now be executed. To edit the parameters of an Add-Infunction that has been specified already simply press the Add-In Function Builder button next to

the Run Add-Ins box on your report properties and select the Function that you wish to edit, thenfollow the same steps as above

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http://myserver/intranet/reports/ThisReport.htmhttp://myserver/intranet/reports/ThisReport.htmhttp://myserver/intranet/reports/ThisReport.htm


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Close Book on Completion and Generate Output File

UpdAlchemex allows you to automatically close your Excel workbook on completion of your reportand to save the report to a fixed file in a designated folder. This is useful when a report needs to berun to a centralised location on a regular basis or when the report is being run as part of a report

batch. To do this, enable the Advanced Options Menu on the Report Manager Interface by checkingthe Show Advanced check box.

Use the browse button on your Generate Output File property filed to browse to a folder andname the output file. Type the name of your file and click on the Save button. When you refresh yourreport, your Output file will be displayed in the Generate Output File property field.

To automatically close your work book on completion of your report, ensure that you place a check in

the check box.

Run Macros

If a report template that you have created contains macros that you wish to use each time the reportis run, then type the names of the macros you wish to run in the "Run Macros on Completion"property of your report. To do this, enable the Advanced Options Menu on the Report Manager

Interface by checking the Show Advanced check box.

Type the name of your Macros in the "Run Macros On Completion" property field and click on theApply button.

The Macros in your report template that have been specified will now be run every time that thereport is run.

If there is more than one macro that needs to be run then separate their names with semi-colons.If a Macro takes parameters then place these in brackets after the macro name in a commaseparated list.

Macros will always run after any Add-Ins should you have any Add-Ins placed in the "Run Add-Ins"property.

Combine macro names and Add-Ins in the same property to ensure the correct order thereof whenrunning the report. Example: To have a macro run before an Add-In, place the macro name in the"Run Add-Ins" property before the Add-In.

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Scheduling a Report

Alchemex reports can be run unattended, from Operating System batch files or under the control ofexternal scheduling software (such as the Microsoft Windows Scheduler or the Microsoft SQL ServerAgent). This can be useful when you have certain reports that you need to run on a regular basis.When reports are run unattended they are automatically closed on completion. Scheduled reports must usethe Generate Output Advanced report or the Retain Run Instances option to be useful. See AdvanceReport Properties for more information.

Typically reports that are scheduled will have the Generate Output File property set so that the unattendedreports are saved to a specific location. Set this property under the Advanced options on the ReportProperties tab.

To generate the command to schedule a report run:1. Open the Report Manager2. Select the report you wish to generate a schedule command for3. Click on the Schedule Icon .4. If the report expects parameters then you will be prompted to enter these. Enter any necessary

parameters and click OK.5. A message box will then appear that will display the syntax for the running the report. Additionally

this text will be placed on the windows clipboard so that it can be pasted into the application orbatch file that will be controlling it. An example is shown below.

When reports are run unattended the information that is usually sent to the Process Monitor window isredirected to a log file. You should review this log file to make sure that your reports are running asexpected. The log file is named AlchemexUnattended.log and can be found in the Logs folder which is asub folder of the Alchemex Installation folder.

You can view this log file in a text editor application such as Notepad.

The file can also be opened directly from the Administrator Tool. To do this Open the Administrator Tool andchoose the Menu item Tools > Open Log File.

The application returns a process exit code for the scheduled report to indicate Success (0) or Failure (1)allowing the calling process to check the result of a shelled report.

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Scheduling a Report using the Windows Scheduler

1. Select the report that you wish to schedule in the Report Manager.

2. Click on the Schedule Icon on the toolbar or right click on the report and choose Generate

Scheduler Command.3. If the report expects parameters then you will be prompted to enter these.4. A message box will then appear that will display the syntax for running the report.5. Additionally this text will be placed on the windows clipboard so that it can be pasted into the

scheduled task command field.6. Reports that are Scheduled are closed on completion and therefore must use the Generate

Output Advanced report or the Retain Run Instances option to be useful. See AdvanceReport Properties for more information.

7. Open the Windows Control panel and then open the Scheduled Tasks item.8. From the menu choose File > New > Scheduled Task.9. A new Scheduled Task will appear in the explorer window.10. Rename the task with a meaningful name.11. Select the new task12. From the menu, choose File > Properties.13. Place the cursor in the Run text box, right click and choose Paste.14. The run command for the report will be copied from the clipboard into the Run box.15. You can optionally enter a comment describing the scheduled report.16. Leave the Start In box blank.

This Task pane is shown below: -

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In the Run As box enter the user name that should be used to run the report under (for domain useraccounts use the format domain_name\user_name) . The user name must be a valid account on thedomain or local machine with sufficient privileges to run Alchemex.To set the Schedule for the Task click on the Schedule Tab and choose the schedule options for the

report. The Schedule Tab is shown below.

When you have set the schedule options press the OK button. A password box will appear asking forthe password of the user that has been specified to run the Task. Enter the password in thePassword box and the Confirm Password box and press OK.

It is important to understand that the user account that is used for the scheduled report must havesufficient permissions to access all the necessary resources to run the Alchemex report. It is best tolog on to the machine that will be running the scheduled report as that user and test that the reportcan be run interactively under the user account before using the account for scheduled reports.

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Report History

The Report History window lets a user view the details of previous report runs. A report that has beenrun is referred to as an Instance. By selecting an Instance from within the Report History windowdetails of the instance can be viewed through its properties.

Note that History Logging is turned off by default. Should you wish to store report history then youcan turn this feature on by setting History Logging to 1 in the configuration file found in the default

installation folder .

A definition of the report history properties can be found below.

Property Definition

Instance ID

Technical Key Identifier for the Instance

Instance The name of the Instance. This is the name of the report with a date-timestamp in the format:[REPORT NAME]_YYYYMMDD_HH_MM_SS_NNNN.xls

Location

The file path of the instance if it was retained (Retaining Instances is an

advanced Report setting).

Parent Report ID

The Technical Key Identifier of the Instances Parent Report

Run by ID

Not Currently Supported

Parameters Supplied

The Parameters supplied to the report at Run Time

Run on Server The Workstation on which the Report was initiated

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Launch Time (@Server)

The time at which the Report was initiated

Completion Time (@Server)

The time at which the Report completed/failed

Process Exit Code The Technical Exit Process Code of the Report Run Process

Process Error

Errors raised by the Report Run

Process Time (seconds)

The amount of time in seconds for the Run to complete.

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