Report Manager

VMT software now has custom reports that you as an end user can build. The following information explains the concept of these custom reports, how to use them, and where to find information on how to build them.

Any reports that you build cannot hurt your data. The reports only read your information. If you make an error in building a report, no damage will be done to the program or the data. Knowing this, you can go ahead and try different things and be confident you won't be able to hurt anything, so go ahead and play.

VMT has pre-built the 'views' for your data. So you will see reports under a 'view'. A view is just a way of looking at particular data. For instance, a customer view. We might call it Customer Lists. It will look like a folder. Under this folder, you will see the reports that use this view, for instance, Customer Late List. We will usually have one or two sample reports that you can use, or change them to suit your needs.

If you double click on a report, it will run the report. If you highlight the report and click on change, you can change the report. Each report has a description, and an actual file name that is stored on the disk, and the date and time last modified. Except for the invoices, all report files shipped from VMT will be prefixed with 'VMT_'. For instance, the customer late list file is vmt_custlate1.rpt. All report files have a suffix or extension of .rpt. When you open the Report Manager, it actually looks for the files with an extension of .rpt on the disk, then displays them. That way, if we build new reports, we can just ship you the reports (which are small) over the internet, you put them into the correct folder and they will show up immediately. However, if we add new views, we will need to ship you a new program.

You can change any report under each view. However, when changing reports that have a vmt_ prefix, you should use the 'Save As' the first time you change it. This lets you name it yourself, and will automatically add it to the report manager. That way, when you get an update from us, our install program doesn't overwrite your report. Just don't put 'VMT_' in the front of the name of your report.

You may also add a report by highlighting the view folder, then click on the Insert button or press insert.

The other thing that we have built for your are functions. These are actual programs that let you look up or select information for your report. For instance, you may want your inventory report filtered by date purchased. If the function to select a date exists, you will find it under Report Properties, Name Search.. then in the dictionary, look under Others, functions. These are functions that we have added for your use. Usually you will find the 'Get Date Range' function. This function is a window which displays and lets you select a date range. When you click OK, it will fill the date from and date to memory variables so you can use them in your filters and/or display them on your report. The memory variables are located in the data dictionary under Others, Data. It is usually obvious which memory variables belong to what function as described in the dictionary.

Some functions like the lookups do not return memory variables. You must use the evaluate function, located in the dictionary under calculated fields. To use this, you will click on calculated fields, right click and click on insert, name it, then use the name function to search for the actual function (located under Others, functions), select it, the picture should already be there (like @s3 or @d1), then normally you will select the function to happen when the report first starts. Now when you run the report, the function will happen automatically.

So when you use a filter like that, you can just say INV:DATE_BOUGHT >= Datefrom and INV:DATE_BOUGHT <= dateto.

Inv:date_bought is a variable in the inventory file that holds the date purchased. Datefrom and dateto were filled in when I selected evaluate 'Get Date Range' at the start of the report in the calculated fields section of the data dictionary.

For lookups, no variables are returned, so I would create my evaluation in the calculated fields and my filter would look like: getlocation= INV:LOCATION, because getlocation now actually holds the location I selected. I created 'getlocation' using the evaulate in calculated fields, and select the look_locationfunc(). The best thing to do is go and look at the reports we've already made for you.

TIP: if you are using the Name Search (F2) icon to get into the dictionary, when you click on the checkmark inside the dictionary, it will select whatever you are on... make sure this is correct in the Contents or Filter box before clicking Save. If you wish to add evaluations or do something in the dictionary and not select what you've done, click cancel, it will not hurt the changes you made in the dictionary, it just won't 'Pull' it in to the box you are on (contents or filter).

INVOICES

Using this new report writer, we have created a couple of new invoices, and you can add more. There are a couple of rules to make these invoices work.

First, in the Company setup form, you will select invoice 30, this redirects the program to use the invoices listed in the Report Manager. Then in More Company info, under invoices, select the invoice#. For instance, if the report is called invoice1.rpt, then put a 1 in the more company info. If you create an invoice27.rpt, then you put a 27 in the more company info area.

If you turn on pre-view, it will let you preview the invoice. This is not necessary, as during testing, it will reprint the last invoice information as a preview if you choose the invoice from the report manager. If you process a transaction, it will simply print to your default windows printer if preview is off.  The Preview checkmark only works for invoices.

Instead of creating an entirely new file to hold a memo for the invoice, we are using the letter file located in the standard reports under letters and labels / create text for letters. Here you can create a letter and call it invoice. The text of the letter will be printed under the totals in the invoice if you choose. See invoice2.rpt in the report footer, we've selected ALE:TEXT to be printed after the footer. We have (in our code) pre-selected the text letter called invoice for you, so it is available if you want to use it in this manner. Also, on the disk in the vmtvid folder (or wherever you've installed our program), there is a file called inv14.txt. This file is the standard rental agreement we use in invoice 14. You can copy and paste this into the memo field for invoice, and change it to suit your needs. Also, if you select invoice #24 in the main company setup form (instead of #30 like we've been using), we have a pre-made (cannot be changed) invoice, but it uses this same text in the letter file.

TRYING IT OUT

The only way to learn is to get in there and try it. You have no reason to fear this software, it will not hurt your data. Think of it as a puzzle or a game if you wish, then just go play. There is a complete tutorial if you click on reports, report manager custom reports, Help and Tutorial button. This help file was created by the people that make the custom report builder. We had to read the tutorial ourselves to create the reports that come with it.

IF YOU CALL

If you call with questions on how to make a report or change reports, we will help you with some preliminary information, such as the above information, or tell you how to click on the insert button. But we will probably refer you to the tutorial. This is a report writer, and as such it is made for people that have some computer experience. Therefore please don't expect us to walk you through the actual making of a report. There are over 100 reports that have been pre-built located in the standard reports area. You will probably find what you need there anyway.  If you choose to get creative, we wish you the best, but you must plan on reading or at least skimming through the tutorial. If you are new to computers, go ahead and try it anyway. This is a good place to get started. Building reports can be fascinating and fun. You can get information the way you would like to view it. We want to encourage you to try and build or at least change some reports. But please, plan on reading and don't get mad at us when we don't help you with the details of the report writing.