Output parameters

The default paths are defined in Report Manager (RMA).

• Store Output - storeOutput

  Determines if the report is stored in the report store.

• Output File Name - outputFileName

  The name of the report when either stored or output to the file system.

• Output Description - outputDescription

  The description of the report when viewed in the report store. If you require a run-time value from a Burst report then you can define another parameter to hold the value then reference this in the expression.

• Output Path - outputPath

  The report store folder where the report is stored when the storeOutput parameter is selected.

• Output To File System - outputToFileSystem

  Determines if the report is stored in the file system. This parameter is created when the Output To File System report property is set to True.

• File System Path - fileSystemPath

  The root folder and path where the report is output to when the outputToFileSystem parameter is selected. This parameter is created when the Output To File System report property is set to True. The root path is displayed in the format FileSystem: and the path within the root folder is appended to it.

  Note: Administrators must give users operating system permissions to the file system folder to be able to save the report.
• Run XSL Transformation – runXSLTRansformation

  Determines if the report is transformed based on the associated xsl file. The parameter is created when the XSL Transformation File report property is set to a value.

• Timestamp - timeStamp

  A freestanding parameter outputting the date and time the report is run.

• Using Expressions

  Paths, file names and the description can be defined as an expression based on system variables and other report parameters. It is also possible to suppress a timestamp suffix by amending the default output name. You can set any of the output parameters at design time to an expression based on system output variables, report parameters or fixed values.

  To define an expression, select the parameter and set the condition type to Expression. The default value is set to the appropriate value, for example for Output Path this is set to $MyOutput, the value of which is defined in Report Manager.

  Amend the Default Value either by manually entering a path or an expression. Where no value has been entered previously, then the default Report Store is used.

  When an output variable is selected from the special fields it has a leading $ sign. However, when a parameter is selected from the special fields, it has a leading @ sign. For example if you enter $BusinessUnit/Invoices/@AccountCode the output will be PK1/Invoices/64001.

• Special Fields

  The system output variables as defined below are all prefixed with $ to distinguish them from the standard parameters of the same name. User defined variables are set within Report Manager and there may be multiples of each of these for each of the three types; Report Store paths, File System paths and Transformed Output paths.

  When you select the fx icon to open expression builder, the available options are limited to:

  • Output Variables as defined above in EXT1, dependent on the output parameter
  • Parameters
    • Output Variables

      The full list of variables available is as follows:

      • $<OutputPath>

        The path to the folder defined as an Output Path in the Report Manager Tools. The variable will optionally take the name of one of the OutputPath variables.

      • $TimeStamp

        The TimeStamp variable can take a format parameter in standard Visual Basic formatting syntax . For example, $TimeStamp("yyyyMMddhhmmssfff"). When the format is not defined the default is applied.

• Run-time Parameter Entry

  You can view the output parameters at run-time. The variables are resolved as much as possible, except for:

  • File System root path
  • $KeyValue
  • $BatchId
  • Any data driven parameter like @Account in the example

  Therefore $MyReports changes to /My Reports.

  You can amend the output parameter in a variety of ways. For example:

  • If the default output path is set to $BusinessUnit, this is amended to /PK1.
  • If the default output path is set to $MyReports, this is amended to /My Reports.
  • If the default output description is set to $ReportDescription-EnterMonthHere, this is amended to Account Listing - EnterMonthHere.
    Note: Although these parameter expressions can be entered at run-time, the administrator can pre-define the path and name, and fix or hide the parameters at design time.
• Run-time Output

  Value expressions are resolved at run-time with spaces within values being taken into consideration.

  When a report is Burst the data driven values of the parameters are used in any output parameter expression. When the report is run without bursting the first in the entered parameter range is used.

  Variables that result in no run-time values are ignored. For example, if the variable is set to /Invoices $BusinessUnit/$KeyValue the output would be /Invoice PK1/.

  Invalid Expressions are replaced with a space, with the exception of "/" in a Path expression.

• Scheduled Reports

  When defining a parameter within a schedule, the output parameters can be amended the same as any other report run.

• Linked Reports

  When defining the parameters within a linked report creation or at run-time, the output parameters can be amended as for any normal report run.

• Transformed Output

  When a report is transformed, the output file path is determined from the fileSystemPath parameter value. If this is blank, the path used is that defined as the Transformed Output default. The transformed output file name is determined from the outputFileName parameter value.

• Adding an Output Variable to a Report

  If you include a special field within the body of a report, you can drag and drop an Output Variable form Special Fields onto the report, or subsequently right click and insert a label or field value. You can use the Output Variable in any expression.