Process variable

Variables are intended to be used for reports that require a SunSystems process to run before they will produce any output. Such reports require Document Format (DFS) records to link the business function, which identifies the process, to the report file. When any process with a report output is run, one of the Document Formats available for the function must be selected.

When the Path to Executable field in the selected Document Format (DFS) is set to /$Process/, SunSystems runs the report specified in the Executable Name field from the folder specified for this variable.

When a process report is run, records are written to a temporary interface table and the unique id of the process is passed to enable the correct data set to be selected in reporting.

To avoid users running this type of report directly from Report Manager and returning a blank data set, operational process reports may be deployed to a folder within Central Files and the process variable set to specify that folder since such folders are not visible in Report Manager.

The folder value for Central Files must be specified as /$CentralFiles/ when entering it in the File Locations dialog. If you wish to use the issued example Document Format records, you must leave Process as the default variable. Otherwise, create new Document Format records with appropriate values in the Path to Executable field.