Creating a report from a report template

You use the Report Wizard:

To create and edit reports created from templates
To specify parameters for reports designed to be used in dashboards.

To create a report from a template you access the Report Wizard from the Extras menu, or from the Create Report dialog box. If you access it from the Create Report dialog box, Step 3 of the Wizard is displayed.

See Creating reports, report templates, and style sheets.

To be editable in the Report Wizard, the value of the 'Editable with the Report Wizard' option must be 'True' on the Options tab of the report properties pane. To edit a report in the Report Wizard, click the report in the Report Catalog and select Edit > With Report Wizard.

This topic describes how to access and use the Report Wizard from the Extras menu.

To create a report from a template:

Select Extras > Report Wizard (New Report).
The Report Wizard is displayed.
Select a report template and click Next.
Specify the Report name.
Optionally specify a description of the report.
Select the Target folder in which to create the report.
Optionally, click Use Style Sheet and select a style sheet.
See Style sheets
Note: If the Use Style Sheet option is not available, it has been disabled by the designer of the template.
Click Next.
The database alias parameter is displayed.
In the Value column, select the database alias to use.
See database alias.
Select the cube to use.
A field for each dimension required by the template is displayed. The required dimensions have the generic names 'Measure', 'Version', 'Time' and 'Filter'. The specific dimensions which you assign to the fields vary according to the database alias which you selected.
For example, the Best Practices sample database has several cubes. Each cube has a Measures dimension. For the Analysis cube the Measures dimension is called Measure and, for the Sales cube, the Measure dimension is called Profit. Both include measures such as Gross Margin, Net Revenue etc. Similarly, each cube has a version dimension. This is a dimension which includes planning scenarios such as Actual, Budget and Forecast. In the Analysis cube of the Best Practices sample, the Valtype dimension is the Version dimension. In the Sales cube, the version dimension is called Version.

Typically, a template requires several filter dimensions, which are displayed in combo boxes in reports. Filter dimensions affect the slice of data analyzed in a report. For example, in a report on product sales by region, a time dimension used as a filter dimension would enable you to select the year for which to view the sales. Or, in a report on product sales in a particular year, a region filter dimension would allow you to view the sales in different regions.
Assign the appropriate Measure, Version, Time and Filter dimensions.
As you assign each dimension, a hierarchy field for that dimension is displayed. If each dimension has only one hierarchy (in the Best Practices sample database, for example), the hierarchy field is automatically populated. If the dimension has multiple hierarchies, specify the hierarchy to use.
Specify any elements required by the template.
For example, when you assign the Version dimension, the template can require to specify the scenarios to use in the report. For example, Actual, Budget and Variance. Or, the Time dimension can require to specify whether to display Years, Quarters or Month, etc.
Click Finish.
The report is created in the specified folder. A number of report variables are also created. To display the report, double-click it in the Report Catalog.
Note: By default, template-based reports remain editable with the Report Wizard but you can disable this property. Right-click the report and select Properties. Specify False as the value of the Editable in Report Wizard property.