DataLink list designer

In the DataLink List Designer, you define different modes of query.

The process to define the queries is the same for all query types.

The DataLink List Designer has three tabs: Definition Mode, SQL Mode and Advanced.

You can define a DataLink list on either tab. The changes you make on Definition Mode tab are reflected on the SQL Mode tab.

The Definition Mode tab has a similar structure to the query definition forms in Infor Q&A 10 applications such as XL and Executive. That is, it has these panes in which you specify for what items the query will return values:

Filter: The values that you specify in the Filter pane form the WHERE clause of the SQL query.
Selection List: Table rows for which you can return values.
Output: Contains items which you select from the Selection List.

Definition mode

Initially, the Filter pane displays these fields: Mode, Product and Table.

By default, the selected mode is Summary Report. You can select different modes.

The Product list displays the products to which the DataLink gives access. Select the product on which to report.

The point at which the Table, Selection List and Output pane are populated depends on the DataLink that is used.

For example, for SunSystems, you must select a Business Unit database before you select a table. When you click the Table browse button, a Business Unit field is added to the Filter pane and the Table field moves down one row. The Database dialog is displayed. Select the business unit database on which to report.

Click the Table browse button and select the table on which to report.

When you have selected the table:

The Selection List is automatically populated. It displays all the rows for which you can return values in a report.
Further items are added to the Filter pane. These are mandatory items. They depend on the DataLink that is used.

You must supply values for any further items that you add to the Filter pane. Click the browse button of each filter item to open a selection dialog. Specify the range of values for the selected item. For example, select All Account Codes or select a range of account codes on which to report.

Optionally, you can drag items from the Selection List to the Filter pane, to create additional filters.

Drag items from the Selection List to the Output pane. Values for the selected output items will be displayed in the report.

Each output item has a default extraction type (for example, Sum, or Count). The type depends on:

The type of query
The type of the data item

You can change the extraction type for an output item. For example, instead of calculating the sum of a several transactions, calculate the average value of the transactions.

In the Format field of the Output pane, you can specify a format for each output item. For example, specify that date items are displayed as dd/mm/yyyy.

By default, the names of output items are displayed as column headings in a report. In the Name field of the Output pane you can specify a different name to display.

SQL mode

The selections that you make on the Defintion Mode build a DataLink SQL query which is displayed on the SQL Mode tab. If you are familiar with DataLink SQL, you can specify a query definition directly on the SQL Mode tab.

Advanced tab

The Advanced tab has these options:

Show column names
If you create a hyperblock from a DataLink list, this option displays column names as column or row headers according to whether the hyperblock is horizontal or vertical.
Use row number as index
If the data in the first column returned by the query is not unique, this option adds the row number of each row to the report.
Reduce the number of rows in the result to:
To restrict length of the report, specify the maximum number of rows to be displayed.