Views Analysis Options


‘Views’ in Ostendo provides facility for Users to define their own analysis of data within the Ostendo database, view that information, and output to various media.  Whenever a ‘View’ is run the relevant information is returned from which you can carry out the following functions.

Analysis Options

The main Analysis screen shows the retrieved information from your database.  The extracted records can be ‘sliced and diced’ in the following manner.

 

Search & Sort    

The following features are available that allow you to sort and filter the displayed data.

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Sort any column in the displayed records into ascending or descending sequence by clicking on the selected column heading

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You may ‘filter’ the records based upon your own selection criteria by clicking on the blue triangular symbol in the selected column heading.  From the drop-down list you may select the following:-

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All - displays all records

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Blanks - Displays only those records that have no data in the field

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Non-Blanks - Displays only those records that contain data in this field

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Select the specific field content

 

Moving and Hiding Columns  

You may also move columns as well as take unwanted columns from the display

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You can move columns by clicking on the column heading and ‘dragging’ the column into the required position.   

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If you double click on the Column Heading’s right edge you can make the column automatically ‘close up’ to match the amount of data in the field.  You can also achieve this by ‘Right Clicking’ the column heading and selecting ‘Best Fit’.

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If you wish to ‘Close Up’ all the columns then you should ‘Right Click’ on any column heading and select ‘Best Fit - All Columns’.

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If you ‘Right Click’ on a column Heading and select ‘Field Chooser’ then a panel will appear for storing unwanted columns and enables you to ‘Customise’ the screen.     You can move any unwanted columns to this panel by simply clicking on the column heading and dragging the column into this panel.  You can recall stored columns by reversing this procedure.
An alternative to this is to ‘Right Click’ on a column Heading and select ‘Remove this column’.  This will automatically place the unwanted column in the storage panel
To hide the ‘Field Chooser’ Panel simply click on the ‘x’ in the upper right corner of the panel

 

Grouping   

You may wish to Group ‘like’ records.  To do this simply drag the required column heading into the area at the top of the screen where it states ‘Drag a column header here to group by that column’.  (If this area is not visible then you should ‘Right Click’ on any column heading and select ‘Group By Box’)

 

The screen will now group all records where the content of the ‘Grouped’ field is the same.

 

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If you click on the ‘+’ indicator against each Group you can see the detailed records.

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This Grouping facility is not just single level.   You can Group within Group, etc by simply dragging and dropping the ‘sub-group’ to the right of the first Group.

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This can be repeated for as many levels as you require.

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An alternative method of achieving this is to ‘Right Click’ on the selected column heading and select ‘Group By This Field’)

 

Summary Totals  

For each Group you may wish to display summary totals.     To do this, expand a Group by clicking on the‘+’ indicator to display the individual records.      At the bottom of the Group List is a blank area.      If this area is not visible then ‘Right Click’ on a column heading and select ‘Group Footers’.

 

Now go to this blank area under any column and ‘right click’ the mouse to display the following options.  These can be accessed depending upon the type of field (For example, you cannot ‘Sum’ a Date field)

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Sum                Numeric fields only

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Min                Numeric and Date fields only

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Max                Numeric and Date fields only

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Count                All fields

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Average        Numeric fields only

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None                All fields

 

The selected column will now display the summary information

 

Grand Totals  

You may also wish to display grand totals for the displayed data.  To do this you should see a blank area at the end of the displayed list.  If this area is not visible then ‘Right Click’ on any column Heading and select ‘Footer’.

 

As with Group Footers, you can go to the blank area under any column and ‘right click’ the mouse to display the options. 

Print Options

Whenever you click on the Printer Icon on the top toolbar you have the option to:

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Immediately print the displayed data

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View the ‘report’ from which you may further change the ‘Look and Feel’ prior to finally sending to the printer.

 

The following options are available from the ‘Preview’ option

 

File Menu

 

Design

 

By clicking on the ‘Design’ icon you can define the way the Report is to be presented and has facilities to address the report’s:-

 

View - predefine what can be viewed when printing the document.  The options include:-

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A caption created when the View program was generated

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Column Headings

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Group and Report Footers

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Group expansion Buttons

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Filter information

 

Behaviors - Defines what data is to be printed such as:-

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The complete Analysis Screen Data or selected lines

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Expand Groups upon printing including all Details

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Automatically size the columns to conform to the data being printed

 

Formatting - Define how the printed document appears such as:-

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Flat, Standard, or Ultra Flat appearance

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Transparent Graphics display

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Re pagination upon change of top level Group

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Go to new page upon change of Group

 

Styles - Define Font, Colour, and Texture of Bands, Captions, Headers, Footers, etc

 

Preview - Define previewing options such as:-

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Visible Bands

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Auto Size height

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Maximum Line Count

 

Cards - Lets you define the format of the Card view with details such as:-

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Auto Width or keep same width and height

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Horizontal and Vertical spacing

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Borders on the Cards

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Display Column separator lines and/or record lines

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Card shadow Colour and depth

 

Title Properties - By clicking on this button you can enter a Report Title in addition to formatting the Font, Colour and Alignment of the title on the document

 

Reloading Saved Reports

 

On the displayed panel select the previously saved report (with extension .rps).  If you now select the ‘Open’ button in that panel the saved report will be displayed.

 

Unloading current Reports

 

If you have more than one report open then you can release the current report by selecting the ‘Unload’ option.  You may also enable this option by keying Ctrl-F4.

 

Save

 

This option allows you to save the current report for future recall.  Upon selecting this option a panel will appear and a new document created prefilled with ‘New Report’.  This file name can be amended if required.

 

Print

 

This option displays the normal pre-print panel as set up on your PC.  From there you can print the report.

 

Page Setup

 

This option brings up a screen with 4 panels that allow you to format the page setup of the report.  The panels are:-

 

Page - Define paper details such as:-

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Size (Letter, A4, etc)

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Orientation (Portrait or Landscape)

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Source

 

Margins - Define margins on each page such as:-

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Left, right, top, bottom

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Header, Footer

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Centre Horizontally or Vertically

 

Header/Footer - Define details for Header and Footer such as:-

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Font size, Colour, and Background Fill

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Alignment

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Insertions (Page Number, Date, Time, etc)

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Reverse on Even Page selection

 

Scaling - Defines the number and position of report pages per printed page

 

Options

 

The Report Options is selected from the drop-down list under File on the top toolbar.  It lets you define additional Report options that you may wish to use, such as:-

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Show Margins and Margin Hints

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Zoom Steps and whether it can be used with IntelliMouse

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Measurement Units (Inches, Millimetres, or your PC setting)

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Margin Colours

 

 

View Options Menu

 

View Options are selected from the drop-down list under View on the top toolbar.  It enables you to set various switches relating to how the display is presented.  The options are:-

 

Margins - If this is checked then the report will have its top, bottom and side margins displayed.   You may also use Ctrl-M to perform this function.

 

Flat Toolbar Button - If this is checked then the main Toolbar will be displayed in flat format.   If not checked then it will have ‘shadows’ to each icon

 

Large Toolbar Button - If this is checked then the main Toolbar will be displayed in a larger format.

 

Margins Bar - If this is checked then a bar will appear below the main Toolbar showing the position and dimensions of the margins.

 

Status Bar - If this is checked then a document status bar will be displayed at the bottom of the screen

 

Thumbnails - If this is checked then a panel will appear on the right of the screen showing thumbnails of the current report.  If you select a thumbnail then the actual page will be displayed on the left.

 

Zoom - If this is checked then you can zoom in on the current document in the following forms:-

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100%

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Page Width

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Whole Page

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Two Pages

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Four Pages

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Source Width

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User defined setup

 

Page Header - If this is checked then the Page Headers will be displayed

 

Page Footers - If this is checked then the Page Footers will be displayed

 

 

Format Options Menu

 

Format Options are selected from the drop-down list under Format on the top toolbar.  It enables you to define the following options prior to printing or saving

 

Title - You have the option to give the report a title if it does not already have one.  This will appear at the top of the report.

 

Date and Time - If the Page Setup has ‘Date and Time Printed’ on the Header or Footer then you can specify the format of that date and time prior to printing

 

Page Numbering - If the Page Setup has ‘Page#’ on the Header or Footer then you can specify the format and start number of the page prior to printing

 

Fit to Page - If this is selected then all the selected data will be printed on a single page across the width.  This may cause unreadable printout so you should consider either hiding unwanted fields or unselecting this option.

 

Background - If this is selected then a panel will appear for you to select a background colour and effect.

 

 

Go Menu

 

The ‘Go’ drop-down presents the following options

 

First Page - Go to first page of the Report

 

Previous Page - Go to previous page in this Report

 

Next Page - Go to first page in this Report

 

Last Page - Go to last page in this Report

 

Email Options

 

PDF

Generates a Portable Document Format (PDF) document of the displayed information and then opens up the Emailing routine on your PC with this PDF document as an attachment

 

XLS

Generates an XLS (spreadsheet) from the displayed information and then opens up the Emailing routine on your PC with this XLS document as an attachment

 

HTML

Generates an HTML format and displays this in the ‘body’ of the generated email

 

XML

Generates an XML document, which can be called and displayed as a standard Web form.    It also creates an XSL document showing the source document from the displayed information.  The program then opens up the Emailing routine on your PC with the XML and XSL documents attached.

 

CSV

Generates an CSV (Comma Separated Value) document from the displayed information and then opens up the Emailing routine on your PC with this CSV document as an attachment

 

Exporting the Analysis View

 

The following options are available for you to export the View.  The option can be selected from the top toolbar

 

Export as PDF

Generates a Portable Document Format (PDF) document.   This file can then printed and/or attached to an email

 

Export to Excel     

If this is selected then a panel will appear for you to save the current displayed data as an Excel Spreadsheet.  You may then call up Excel and manipulate the data as required.

 

Export to HTML   

If this is selected then a panel will appear for you to save the current displayed data as an HTML file.  This file can then be called and displayed as a standard Web form using your Browser.

 

Export to XML  

If this is selected then a panel will appear for you to save the current displayed data as an XML file.  Two files are created.   

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An XML document that can be called and displayed as a standard Web form using your Browser.

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An XSL document showing the source document

 

This file can then be called and displayed as a standard Web form using your Browser.

 

Export to CSV

If this is selected then a panel will appear for you to save the current displayed data as a Comma Separated Value file.  This can be used as an import format to external systems.     You may also call up the CSV file in Excel (File Type = .csv) and manipulate the data as required.

 

Mail Merge

If this is selected then the displayed information will be exported to a .csv file that forms the basis of generating a Word Document to print out the information in that document.  A separate tutorial is available that describes how to set up and run this feature