From COMPanion

Video Tutorial: Report Writer Window - Help Video
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- NOTE -
The Reports window has been drastically improved for Alexandria v6.21 and Textbook Tracker v4.21 (and higher). If you haven't yet updated to the newest version or are intentionally running an outdated version of Alexandria/Textbook Tracker (v6.20/v4.20 or prior), you can access the previous Reports window documentation by clicking here.

The Report Writer window allows you to create a nearly endless variety of reports. You choose the information you want to include and how it’s arranged and organized. In other words, you write the report!

Essentially, this window provides general templates that help you build reports that meet the form, content, and organizational requirements for your school, management, department, or district. Once you've created your own custom reports, there won't be a need to adjust the particulars very often.

Each report can output “.pdf” or “.vwp” documents that provide detailed and contextually relevant information about account and financial activity, and more—all the way down to the transaction level.

The following section provides a brief overview of the Report Writer window and then guides you through the process of creating a report.

The Reports Writer Window In More Detail

At first glance, faced with an abundance of tabs and large fields crammed with lists of report names, the Report Writer window may likely seem overwhelming. Don’t panic! Although it may look complicated, the Report Writer interface was designed with simplicity in mind; placing everything in one easily navigable window that allows you to quickly find, modify, create, and print reports.

Additionally, the Report Writer window allows you to customize reports to only include pertinent information: records of interest, transaction types, balance selections, and personalized text on circulation notices. You can also schedule reports and deliver their output via email, FTP, etc.

In order to become a report wizard, there are only three essential things you need to understand: category searching, report templates, and creating custom reports.

The Report Writer window was developed using the familiar three-panel layout found in many of the application’s main management windows.

• The left-hand side of the window is home to the report Categories pane, containing an organized list of all existing report categories (e.g. Titles) and subcategories (e.g. Publication Date Summary). Selections from this pane act as filters, allowing you to narrow your focus and display only relevant reports.

• The upper-right section of the window contains the Tools / Search pane along with the Report Selection pane (i.e. the Reports and Saved tabs), which allow you to select the specific report you would like to view, modify, or print.

• The Selected Report pane—the bottom-right area of the window—contains options for the highlighted (i.e. selected) report, housed in the following tabs: Overview, Selection, Sites (Distributed Union), Schedule, and Locations.

Report Categories Pane

The first step in producing meaningful reports is picking the proper report category. The report Categories pane on the left-hand side of the window is a collection of categories and subcategories that can reduce the number of results that appear in the Report Selection pane (i.e. the Reports and Saved tabs) on the right. You are able to expand or contract associated subcategory sections by clicking the icon (“”, “”) located to the left of the main category name. Selecting (highlighting) one of the main category—or subcategory—names (e.g. Titles) will reveal all of the reports available for that category (or subcategory). For example, if you want to print a Charges and Overdue Fines report, you can’t do it with the Patrons category selected—it’s a Circulation (category) report that you’ll find under the Charges and Payments or Listings subcategories. Selecting All Reports at the top of the categories filter will populate the Reports and Saved tabs with all available report options.

The Search bar (described in the section below) works in close conjunction with the report Categories pane. In some ways, the Search bar acts as the consummate report filter—usurping the Categories pane; operators may find themselves never using the report Categories filters, preferring to use the Search bar instead.

The Search bar is used to further reduce the number of results shown in the Reports and Saved tabs. For example, if you have the All Reports category selected from the report Categories pane and then type “budget” in the Search bar, you will only see reports related to budgets in the Reports and/or Saved tabs. The Search bar is described in more detail in the following section.

Reports Tools / Search Pane

The greater half of the Report Writer window is mostly dedicated to the currently selected report (filtered using the report Categories pane on the left), which contains all of the report's configurable options and editable fields.

Topping this section of the window is a long, rectangular area containing the Save All and Revert All buttons^[1], the Print button, the Online Help icon, the Lock/Unlock icon and the primary Actions (“”) icon which performs functions related to the selected report.

Unlock/Lock Icon (“”)—When the Reports Writer window is opened, the default state of the Saved tab is usually “locked”. When locked, Saved reports can be viewed and printed, but modification to any of the report settings is disabled until unlocked. Clicking the lock icon unlocks the Saved tab; it stays unlocked until you click the lock icon again or the window is closed. You can choose whether you want to have the Reports Writer window automatically locked or unlocked by default using the Database Management Windows Locked By Deafult option in the Site Information System Preferences.

Actions (“”)—The Actions menu contains report-specific functions and other tools; the options available in the Actions menu differ based on whether the Reports or Saved tab is selected.

• Lock/Unlock Report (Ctrl+U) (+U)—The lock icon only appears in the current report Tools / Search pane when the Saved tab is selected and prevents an operator from making any changes to the currently selected report. When the Saved tab is locked, reports may still be viewed and printed, but modification of any of the report settings are disabled until the report is unlocked. The Saved tab will remain unlocked until an operator makes the Lock/Unlock Report (Ctrl+U) (+U) selection again, or the window is closed.

• Save Report (Ctrl+S) (+S)— Saves only the currently selected (i.e. highlighted) Saved report.

• Save Report As… (Ctrl+D) (+D)—Duplicates the currently selected report and asks that you provide a new name; available in both Reports and Saved tabs.

• Save All Reports (Ctrl+Shift+S) (++S)—Saves all changes made to multiple Saved reports in the Report Writer window; this option only appears when changes have been made to the selected—or any formerly selected—report in the Saved tab.

• Revert Report—Reverts only the currently selected (i.e. highlighted) Saved report.

• Revert All—Reverts all changes made to multiple Saved reports in the Report Writer window; this option only appears when changes have been made to the selected—or any formerly selected—report in the Saved tab.

• Add to/Remove From Favorites—This option will “favorite” or “un-favorite” the selected (i.e. highlighted) report in the Saved tab; essentially, this option will either check or uncheck the Favorite box in the Overview tab of the selected report.

• Delete Selected Report (Ctrl+R) (+R)—This selection completely removes the selected (i.e. highlighted) report from the Saved tab. This can not be undone, so think twice before making this selection.

• Delete All Reports Shown—This selection will completely remove all of the reports currently shown in the Saved tab; those in the Reports tab will remain unaffected. This can not be undone, so use caution before making this selection.

Search—The Search bar, in correlation with the report Categories pane, can be used to further filter the list of results shown in the Reports and Saved tabs. To illustrate, if you select (highlight) the Copies category from the report Categories pane and then type “labels” in the Search bar, you would only see copy label-related reports in the Report and Saved tabs. If you have All Reports selected from the Categories pane and then type “labels” into the Search bar, you would see results for all types of label reports.

Faded text appears in the Search bar prior to entering text of your own to remind you what report category/subcategory filter is being applied to your results. For example, if you’ve selected Patrons (category) ⇒ Status (subcategory), the default shadow text in the Search box will read: Patrons – Status.

If you would like to search the entire collection of reports you will first need to select (highlight) All Reports from the top of the report Categories section and then provide a term in the Search bar. For instance, if you’re looking for a simple Copy List report and don’t want to bother with the category/subcategory filters, simply select All Reports and start typing “Copy List” in the Search bar.

- NOTE -
The Search bar is extremely helpful in that it actually searches every editable field of the Overview, Selection, Sites (Distributed Union), Schedule, and Locations tabs and even multiple fields if search terms are separated by a space.

Filter by Favorite (“”)—This button only appears when the Saved tab is selected and will only show currently favorited reports. Once clicked, the filter remains enabled until it is manually disabled.

Filter by Site Code (“”)—This button only appears when the Saved tab is selected. Once clicked, it opens the Site Filter window, allowing you to enter a valid site ID code. After typing the first few characters, the site ID code will auto-complete—provided you have a matching site in your Site Management System Preferences. After clicking Add Filter, every search performed from the Search bar will filter your results by matching Site ID Code(s). The filter remains enabled until it is manually disabled.

Filter by Operator (“”)—This button only appears when the Saved tab is selected. Once clicked, it opens the Operator Filter window, allowing you to enter a valid operator(s) name. After typing the first few characters, the operator name will auto-complete—provided you have a matching operator in your Operators System Preferences. After clicking Add Filter, every search performed from the Search bar will filter your results by matching Operator(s) names. The filter remains enabled until it is manually disabled.

Save All—Saves all changes made to multiple Saved reports in the Report Writer window; only appears when changes have been made to the selected—or any formerly selected—report in the Saved tab.

Revert All—Reverts all changes made to multiple Saved reports in the Report Writer window; this option only appears when changes have been made to the selected—or any formerly selected—report in the Saved tab.

Print—Clicking the Print button at the top of the window opens the Operation Management window and outputs a “.pdf” for the selected report (which will then open automatically); however, report PDFs are also saved to the Alexandria/Textbook Tracker Support directory in a folder named Operation Files. The Print button is replaced by the Revert All and Save All buttons once a report record has been modified and will remain that way until the report is saved. Every time you print a report, it will be documented in your Transaction log.

Online Help (“”)—Performs an online Report Writer help query in an external browser window—corresponding to the current report selection.

Report Selection Pane

Directly below the current report Tools / Search pane is the Report Selection pane, home of the Reports and Saved tabs. Remember, the reports that appear in the Reports and Saved tabs directly relate to the category (or subcategory) that is selected from the report Categories pane on the left-hand side of the window and/or to the text that is entered into the Search bar.

The Reports tab

The Reports tab houses the complete list of all available report types and their related categories; essentially, an exhaustive report depository, containing every existing report template—used for quickly printing in an “ad-hoc”^[2] style or reconfigured and conveniently saved (as a Saved report) for future use. These templates store no customized selection settings and should not be confused with default (or operator-created) Saved reports. If you haven't been able to locate the report template you are looking for, chances are you will find it here.

Using the report Categories pane and/or the Search bar, the Reports tab results can be filtered to only show reports pertaining to selected categories/subcategories. For example, if you select Circulation from the report Categories pane, the Reports tab will only display Circulation reports; if you select a Circulation subcategory (e.g. Listings, Notices, Holds, etc), your results will be further refined.

Selecting a report type from the Report Selection pane automatically populates the bottom portion of the window (i.e. Selected Report pane) which contains report information in the following tabs: Overview, Selection, Sites (Distributed Union), Schedule, and Location. These tabs contain the essential selection criteria that is crucial to how information in the report is ordered, organized, and presented. By default, the Selection tab has focus when the Selected Report pane is first made active.

Reports performed from the Reports tab are considered “quick” or “impromptu”; any modifications made to the Overview, Selection, Sites (Distributed Union), Schedule, or Location tabs are discarded immediately after switching to another report category.

For example, if you have the Titles (category) ⇒ General (subcategory) ⇒ Title List (report type) selected and then click on the Copies category, all information that you may have modified or provided to the Title List report will be lost. Even if you were to immediately return to the Titles (category) ⇒ General (subcategory) ⇒ Title List (report type), you would find all your changes missing.

However, if you would like to save the ad-hoc report you’ve just been modifying in the Reports tab, click Create New Saved Report at the bottom of the Selected Report pane; this will add the current report type—including your modifications—to the Saved tab as a brand new report.

If the new report has not been given a Name in the Overview tab, a query window will appear, asking for you to provide a name for the new Saved report. By default, the Report Type name (appended with the word “copy”) will automatically populate the Name field.

The Saved tab

Alexandria and Textbook Tracker make it easy to create your own frequently-used, custom reports. The Saved tab contains a list of previously created reports; these can be system defaults or operator-created. Individual Saved reports can be “favorited” by checking the Favorite box in the Overview tab; if the check is removed, it will no longer be marked as “favorite”.

Keep in mind that a Saved report is only the selection criteria that was used to create the report and not the results of the report itself. However, by default, all reports output to “.pdf” or “.vwp” are saved to the Alexandria/Textbook Tracker Support directory in a folder named Operation Files.

The Saved tab contains system defaults as well as custom reports that operators have created and saved. You can click on the column headers (e.g. Name, Operator(s), Site, Scheduled, and Favorite) in the Saved tab to change the sort order. When the Saved tab is selected, the Filter by Favorites, Filter by Site ID Code, and Filter by Operator buttons (described here) become available in the report Tools/Search pane.

Using the report Categories pane, Saved tab results can be filtered to only show reports from selected categories/subcategories. For example, if you select Patrons from the report Categories pane, the Saved tab will only show operator-created Patrons reports; if you select a Patrons subcategory (e.g. Forms, Labels, Usage, etc), your results will be filtered further.

When a report appears red in the Saved results, it indicates that unsaved changes have been made to the report. When a Saved report has been changed, the Revert All and Save All buttons appear in the Report Tools/Search pane in place of the Print button; these buttons will save or revert all of the currently modified reports. If you try to close the Reports Writer window with unsaved changes, the program will ask that you save or revert all your changes; otherwise, click Cancel to return to the Report Writer window.

When you make a report selection from the Saved tab, the Selected Report pane (i.e. the bottom-half of the window) is populated with the following tabs: Overview, Selection, Sites (Distributed Union), Schedule, and Location. By default, the Overview tab has focus when the Selected Report pane is first made active.

Once a Saved report has been selected, it can then be printed, modified, duplicated, or removed.

Selected Report Pane

The lower-right area of the Reports Writer window is home to the following tabs: Overview, Selection, Sites (Distributed Union), Schedule, and Location. These tabs allow you to configure selection, schedule, and output options for the report currently selected in the Reports or Saved tab. Not only that, they contain the essential selection criteria that is crucial to how information in the reports is ordered, organized, and presented.

Be sure to always Save All changes you make to the Saved reports in the Reports Writer window so that you're guaranteed have full, working, and scheduled reports.

Should you want nearly identical settings for each new operator-created report, you can Duplicate (Ctrl+D) (+D) them, give them a new name, and make whatever modifications you require (name, boolean, email, etc).

Click on the links below to view these tabs in more detail:

• Overview tab
• Selection tab
• Sites tab (Distributed Union)
• Schedule tab
• Locations tab

Printing Reports

Clicking the Print button at the top of the Reports Writer window opens the Operation Management and outputs a “.pdf” for the selected report. This button simply prints the report to the screen and ignores any Locations settings.

However, the Print button at the bottom-right of the window is dynamic; its functionality depends on what you choose from the “” selection menu located to the right of button. Making a selection from this menu will change the appearance and/or description of the lower-right Print button and retain those changes until manually adjusted.

Clicking the “” arrow reveals a selection menu containing the following dynamic options:

• Print (to PDF)—Prints the report to screen in “.pdf” format and dynamically changes the Print button to Print (to PDF).

• Print as VWP—Prints the report to screen in “.vwp” format and dynamically changes the Print button to Print as VWP.

• Print to Output—The third selection from this menu (generally referred to as the Print to Output button for illustrative purposes) dynamically changes the Print button to match the Output setting of the Locations tab. In other words, this selection allows you to emulate—and deliver—the report according to the Output settings of the Locations tab. For example, let's say you've built a report that saves a “.pdf” to your desktop. In this scenario, the Output selection of the report's Locations tab would necessitate the Save As File option. Therefore, if the Print to Output selection is made, Save As File would appear in place of the Print button. Clicking Save As File (i.e. Print to Output) will immediately run the report and save a “.pdf” to your desktop.

All reports printed to “.pdf” or “.vwp” will open automatically; however, they are also saved to the Alexandria/Textbook Tracker Support directory in a folder named Operation Files.

Every time you print a report, it will be documented in your Transaction log.

In Conclusion

In closing, take some time to explore the categories and subcategories and set up some favorite reports that you’d like to easily access and run. In the end, if you still have questions, remember you can always call or email COMPanion’s Technical Support team at any time.

Remember, should you want nearly every setting the same for each report, you can duplicate a selected report, give it a new name, and make whatever changes you need (name, boolean, email recipients, etc).

If you decide to delete a report, find it in the Saved tab, select (i.e. highlight) it, and choose Delete Selected Report (Ctrl+R) (+R) from the primary Actions menu. Additionally, you may remove all Saved reports in a particular category/subcategory by selecting Delete All Reports Shown from the primary Actions menu. Before deleting any reports, the program will ask you to confirm—just in case you accidently selected that option. COMPanion defaults can be restored by selecting Restore Missing Defaults from the primary Actions menu; however, custom-made Saved reports can not be restored.

Related Report Window Topics

• Report Window: Step-by-Step: Printing A Quick Report
• Report Window: Step-by-Step: Creating A Saved Report
• Report Window: Full Report List

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Notes, Footnotes, and/or References

1. ↑ The Save All and Revert All buttons are conditional and only appear when a changes have been made to various fields of an export selected from the Saved tab.
2. ↑ Often improvised or impromptu; for a particular or specific purpose only, and for no other.