Info Maker

1Customizing Primavera Reports using InfoMakerPrimavera provides flexible reporting features In this chapterto meet your reporting requirements. In addition to the predefined reports included Starting InfoMaker with Primavera, you can use InfoMaker to Getting Started Basicscustomize existing reports.Anatomy of a Primavera ReportUsing InfoMaker’s Design Mode to This chapter includes instructions for Edit Primavera Reportsmodifying and formatting an existing Organizing Information in a Primavera report and dunning letter, as well as Reportcreating an executable to run a series of reports Formatting Elements in a Reportusing InfoMaker. You can follow the same Previewing Reportsbasic steps to customize or create forms. For Running a Report Series and Multiproject Reportsmore detailed information about InfoMaker, consult the InfoMaker online manuals.2 Part 6: Working with Primavera Reports and FormsStarting InfoMakerTo start InfoMaker, from the Windows desktop click Start, then choose Programs, Primavera, Expedition Professional Utilities, InfoMaker.For more information about To make sure InfoMaker can connect to the Primavera the InfoMaker workspace, see database, you must start Primavera at least once before Chapter 1, The World of opening InfoMaker. Close Primavera before you launch InfoMaker in the InfoMaker User’s Guide.InfoMaker.The InfoMaker PowerBar enables you to access InfoMaker functions.ButtonFunctionManage and organize reports—you can store several reports in one InfoMaker environment, copy or move reports between environments, or create an executable that enables you to run one or more reports without opening InfoMaker or Primavera.Create, modify, run, and print reports.Run and print reports.Define database connections and connect to a different database.View the database to which your computer is currently connected, create and update tables in the database, or save a table in the database to a different format.Create or edit ODBC data sources.Run the Query Painter.Select query options.Customizing Primavera Reports using InfoMaker 3ButtonFunctionSearch the Help.Tile open reports vertically.Tile open reports horizontally.Tile open reports in layers.Tile open reports in cascaded windows.Learn details about InfoMaker tasks.Exit InfoMaker.InfoMaker manuals are provided on the Primavera CD-ROM. To open the online documentation for InfoMaker, you must have access to a CD-ROM drive and you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. To view the online documentation, place the Primavera CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive. On the Windows desktop, click Start, then choose Programs, Primavera, Expedition Online Documentation. Click InfoMaker User’s Guide.To purchase printed InfoMaker manuals, contact Primavera Sales at 1-610-667-8600 or send your request via e-mail to info@primavera.com in the United States. In the United Kingdom, call 44-20-8563-5500 or e-mail your request to intlinfo@primavera.com. In Hong Kong, call 852-2111-8288, or e-mail your request to hkinfo@primavera.com.4 Part 6: Working with Primavera Reports and FormsGetting Started BasicsInfoMaker uses special libraries, called environments, to hold similar reports and forms; each environment is a separate .PBL file. Each module in Primavera has one environment for its reports and another environment for its forms. By default, Primavera stores form environments in C:\Expwin\Forms and report environments in C:\Expwin\Reports. To locate your reports and forms folders, open Primavera, choose Define, User Preferences, then click the General tab and review the Path to Reports and Path to Forms fields at the bottom of the User Preferences dialog box. The name of each form environment starts with f_, while report environ-ments start with r_. Report environments include reports, dunning letters, and multiproject reports.In Primavera, a report contains comprehensive data from an active Primavera project or project group, while a form is a representation of one Primavera document, such as a letter or request for information (RFI). In InfoMaker, most Primavera reports and forms are created in a list format, which enables you to use the same procedures to modify them in InfoMaker.For details on using environ-After you start InfoMaker, perform one of the following steps from the ments, see Chapter 2, main window:Managing Your Environment in the InfoMaker User’s Guide.■Click the Report button. You are prompted to open or create a report in the last environment that was open (this environment is the location of the .PBL files for a particular type of document, such as a Notepad).■Click the Environment button to display the last environment used and all reports contained in that environment. If necessary, change the environment to find the report you want. Primavera recommends this method because Primavera reports reside in different environments, or .PBL files.Customizing Primavera Reports using InfoMaker 5Choose File,Open, to selectanotherenvironment(.PBL file). Bydefault,Primaverareports andforms arelocated inExpwin\ReportsandExpwin\Forms.6 Part 6: Working with Primavera Reports and FormsAnatomy of a Primavera ReportPrimavera reports, forms, and dunning letters can be broken down into several sections. Each section is made up of a shaded area that contains report data and a gray band identifying the section. The gray band is positioned below the section to which it belongs.Report headerGroup headerDetailsGroup trailerReport summaryReport footerHeader band The Header band contains information that appears at the top of every page in the report. When InfoMaker generates the report, the presentation style determines the contents of the Header band. Almost all of Primavera’s reports, forms, dunning letters, and multiproject reports use the list presentation style, so the headings are displayed in the Header band, and the columns are displayed in the Detail band. Detail band The Detail band displays data retrieved from the active project or project group in Primavera. Almost all of Primavera’s reports, forms, dunning letters, and multiproject reports use the list presentation style, so the Detail band displays column names. You can specify the information InfoMaker should display for each column of the report, and you can add other objects, such as text, pictures, drawing objects, and graphs.Summary and footer bands The Summary band is positioned after all the detail rows, often summarizing the information in the report. The Footer band displays at the bottom of each page of the report. You can use this band to display the page number and name of the report. These bands can contain any InfoMaker objects, including text, drawing objects, graphs, and calculated fields that contain totals.Customizing Primavera Reports using InfoMaker 7Using InfoMaker’s Design Mode to Edit Primavera ReportsWhen you open a report, you enter InfoMaker’s design mode, and another toolbar displays at the bottom of the InfoMaker window. It contains buttons that enable you to edit the design of the report by organizing existing data, inserting new data, or inserting and formatting objects.You can use the following formatting buttons in the Design toolbar in InfoMaker to make your printed Primavera report meet your company’s requirements.To modify an existing report, open the report and choose File, Save As, to make a copy of the report. Then use the copy to make your changes.ButtonFunctionDisplay your report with data. You can print the report, save it in a different format, or send it via e-mail. Click this button to toggle between Preview and Design mode.Define the tables and columns to include in the report and how the tables are related. You can also group, sort, and filter the data in this mode. Click this button to toggle between Data and the Design mode.Save the report.Undo your last command.Remove the selected object from the report.8 Part 6: Working with Primavera Reports and FormsButtonFunctionCreate an object in the report using the Objects drop-down toolbar. Click the down arrow to select the following types of objects: text, pictures, lines, ovals, rectangles, rounded rectangles, columns, calculated fields, graphs, reports, OLE objects, and large binary or text database objects.Select the foreground color for the selected object using the Foreground drop-down toolbar. Click the down arrow to select a color.Select the background color for the selected object using the Background drop-down toolbar. Click the down arrow to select a color.Specify a border style for the selected object using the Borders drop-down toolbar. Click the down arrow to select border style. Available border styles include None, Underline, Box, Shadow, 3- D Raised, 3-D Lowered, and Resize.Align, size, or space selected objects in the report using the Layout drop-down toolbar. You can align objects along the left, right, top, or bottom edges; align objects along horizontal or vertical centers; equalize the distance between objects along the horizontal or vertical axis; or equalize the height or width of objects. Click the down arrow to the right to display the Layout toolbar.Automatically set the height of the field based on the height of the data displayed in the field.Slide objects in the report to remove unwanted white space using the Slide drop-down toolbar. Click the down arrow to select the direction you want to slide objects. You can slide objects to the left, above all, or directly above.Use currency format for the selected columns or fields.Customizing Primavera Reports using InfoMaker 9ButtonFunctionUse percent format for the selected columns or fields.Don’t display after the first newspaper column.Open the Property Sheet of the selected object. If no objects are selected, open the Property Sheet for the report or form.Close the report or form.10 Part 6: Working with Primavera Reports and FormsOrganizing Information in a ReportThe instructions in this section use the Submittal Log Report (r_sb_01) in R_SUBMTL.PBL.For more information on Sort the report Choose Rows, Sort, to open the Specify Sort Columns sorting, grouping, and dialog box. Drag sbmt_package_number and sbmt_submittal_no from the filtering reports, see Chapter 16, Previewing and Printing Source Data section to the Columns section to sort the report by package Reports and Chapter 19, number and sort the submittals within each package by submittal number. Filtering, Sorting, and Mark the Ascending checkbox to use ascending order for the sort. If you Grouping Rows in the InfoMaker User’s Guide.want to sort in descending order, clear the Ascending checkbox.InfoMaker sorts first by package number, then by submittal number.After you sort the data, you can display your report with data. Click the Preview button in the Design toolbar. If the package number is repeated many times in the report, group the data by package number to show each package only once.Group the report Choose Rows, Create Group, to open the Band Object dialog box. Click the Definition tab, then drag sbmt_package_number from the Source Data section to the Columns section. Click OK.Document Outline

• Starting InfoMaker
  • For more information about the InfoMaker workspace, see Chapter 1, The World of InfoMaker in the InfoMaker Users Guide.
• Getting Started Basics
  • For details on using environments, see Chapter 2, Managing Your Environment in the InfoMaker Users Guide.
• Anatomy of a Primavera Report
  • Header band
  • Detail band
  • Summary and footer bands
• Using InfoMakers Design Mode to Edit Primavera Reports
• Organizing Information in a Report
  • For more information on sorting, grouping, and filtering reports, see Chapter 16, Previewing and Printing Reports and Chapter 19, Filtering, Sorting, and Grouping Rows in the InfoMaker Users Guide.
    • Sort the report
    • Group the report
  • For more information on filtering reports, see Chapter 16, Previewing and Printing Reports and Chapter 19, Filtering, Sorting, and Grouping Rows in the InfoMaker Users Guide.
    • Filter the report
    • Prompt for criteria when you run a report
• Formatting Elements in a Report
  • Landscape vs. portrait
  • Edit text blocks
  • For details on adding text blocks and columns, see Creating Custom Reports and Forms with InfoMaker.
    • Remove columns
    • Space and align columns
    • Change fonts and point size
    • Add shading for emphasis
  • For details on adding objects, see Creating Custom Reports and Forms with InfoMaker.
    • Size objects equally
• Previewing Reports
  • Troubleshooting report preview
  • For details on creating database profiles in InfoMaker, see the technical bulletin, Profile.PDF.
• Running a Report Series and Multiproject Reports
  • Create an executable
  • Run the executable
  • For details on retrieval arguments, see Adding Retrieval Arguments to a Report in the next chapter.
    • To print the report, choose File, Print.
    • You can use the Filter, Retrieve, and Sort commands from the Rows menu in the executable application just as you would in a regular report.
      • Save your report in a different file format
    • Use these instructions to create additional multiproject reports. Standard multiproject reports have an m_ prefix to distinguish them from single project reports.
      • Execute a multiproject report
      • In this chapter
        • Starting InfoMaker
        • Getting Started Basics
        • Anatomy of a Primavera Report
        • Using InfoMakers Design Mode to Edit Primavera Reports
        • Organizing Information in a Report
        • Formatting Elements in a Report
        • Previewing Reports
        • Running a Report Series and Multiproject Reports