Reports and Labels in iReport

Documentation Labels & Reports
1

Reports and Labels

Members can access extensive documentation for creating reports and labels

Specify has utilized the power of iReport, an open source report writing software package, by changing the original iReport version to interact with Queries created in Specify 6 and the Specify 6 database. The resulting application is called SpecifyiReport.

The following documentation discusses the Report components on the reports side bar and assumes that reports have already been created using SpecifyiReport. To access these click the Reports20x20 Reports button on the task bar.

When reports are created they can be saved at either a User or Discipline level, limiting access to the User only or making the report available to all Collections within the Discipline. Reports can also be exported and re-imported at a different level, thus granting a greater access and use of the report. Please refer to Importing and Exporting Resources for more information.

The permissions for Report includes SpecifyiReport. The default permissions that Specify ships with allow Guest users to View the reports, but not modify, add or delete them. All other users can use forms in their entirety.

 

Side Bar Items

It is important to note that the distinction between reports and labels in Specify 6 is purely an organizational function allowing users to list these items separately on the Sidebar. Reports and labels are created in exactly the same way in iReports and run and print the same from within Specify.

Actions

Run Report also refers to labels and invoices.

  • Drag a report, label or invoice and drop it on this button or click the button to open a dialog and choose a report/label/invoice from the resulting dialog, or drag a record set onto a report/label/invoice in the side bar.
  • If the Prompt box was selected in the report query a dialog will open allowing the query expressions to be edited before running the report.
  • The report will display in the Workspace. A tool bar at the top of the Workspace offers buttons for saving, printing and view.

print_bar

 

A. Save the report to disk. This will offer a file system dialog to choose the path for saving the report. Several file formats are offered for saving the report, but a PDF is recommended. Reports can be saved as:

  • PDF (.pdf); this file format has the best output.
  • RTF (.rtf); this format is typically read in a text viewer.
  • ODT (.odt)
  • HTML (.html); this will view on a web site, but depending on the layout of the report a PDF may provide a better display of the report.
  • Single Sheets MS Excel (.xls)
  • Multiple Sheets MS Excel (.xls)
  • CSV (.csv)
  • XML (.xml)
  • Jasper Reports (.jrprint); this is an intermediate file format created by iReport.
  • Embedded XML Images (.jrpxm); this format is created by iReport.

B. Print

C. Refresh is sometimes necessary when resizing the report view.

D. Navigation Controls for jumping to the first page, going back one page, going forward one page and jumping to the last page.

E. Page Number displays the page number and allows users to type a page number into the field and press the return key to view the desired page.

F. Actual size

G. Fit Length

H. Fit Width

I. Zoom In

J. Zoom Out

K. Zoom Ratio displays the ratio of the display compared to the actual size of the page. This is a drop-down menu as well as a number field. Simply click on the arrow and choose a zoom ratio from the list, or type the desired ratio into the number field and press the return key.

 

Refresh

Reports created in SpecifyiReport are saved in the database and will not automatically appear on the Reports side bar. Click the Refresh button to add recently saved reports to the side bar.

 

Reports

Saved Reports are listed under this heading.

  • Click on a report, then select to either run the report on a Record Set or first run the query then run the report with the results from the resulting dialog.
  • Drag and drop a record set onto a report to run it.
  • Drag and drop a report on a record set to run the report.

 

Labels

Reports can be saved as Reports, Labels, or Invoices. Labels are listed under this heading. Specify also provides a basic label report.

  • Click on a label, then select to either run the report on a record set or first run the query then run the report with the results from the resulting dialog.
  • Drag and drop a record set onto a label to run it.
  • Drag and drop a report on a record set to run the label report.

 

Record Sets

Reports can be executed by dragging and dropping a record set onto the name of the report in the side bar. Reports that can accept a record set will include a colored outline. An arrow will also appear within the outline when the record set can be dropped onto the report.

Reports and labels can also dragged and dropped onto a record set to execute the report/label.

 

2

I am unable to save a report in SpisReport, I click File > Save, in Report Properties I click OK.

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Then File > Quit

image

Clicking yes takes me back to the Report Properties box.

Steve

3

Hi @sginzbar,

If you click No, are the changes you made saved?

4

In I click no, the report closes. Then if I click File → Open I get

image

Steve

5

Does this behavior happen with existing reports or labels? Does it occur with every query you use to compose a new report?

6

I don’t have any existing reports or labels. It occurs on reports based on different queries and also if I create a document not based on any query. I’m reinstalling Specify now. Hopefully that will fix the problem.

7

After reinstalling Specify I still have the same problem.

8

It sounds like you need a bit more assistance with setup than the instructions offer. Members can contact us at support@specifysoftware.org.