Creating a report design – procedure summary
To create and deploy a report design based on an ERP LN report:
1 Generate a file with report metadata and runtime data.
2 Create a Microsoft Reporting report.
3 Configure the report.
4 Modify the layout of the report.
5 Add ERP LN-specific features.
6 Preview the report.
7 Prepare the report for deployment.
For details, refer to the following sections.
Note: This chapter describes how you can create a new report design. If you
want to customize an already deployed report design, you must first prepare
the report for development.
Creating a report design – procedure details
Step 1 – Generate a file with report metadata and runtime data
You must generate an XML file with report metadata and runtime data. This
file is used to create a datasource with the fields, properties, and labels for
the report.
To generate a file with report metadata and runtime data:
1 Log on to ERP LN.
2 Start the session to which the ERP LN report is linked.
3 Fill out the session’s form. Ensure sufficient data is included in the selection
ranges. The data you specify is only used for development and previewing.
At runtime different selections can be specified.
4 Print the report. In the Select Device (ttstpsplopen) session, click the Display
tab and select a device that is configured to generate a file with report
metadata and runtime data.
Important:
?? Ask your administrator for the name of the appropriate device.
?? The device must be of device type “Microsoft Reporting Services”, and
must have this argument: “-DESIGNER”.
?? For details on how to create such a device, see the Microsoft Reporting
for ERP LN – Administrator’s Guide (U9656 US).
When you print the report, an XML file named ${BSE_TMP}ier_[your
name]_[report name].xml is generated.
The file contains this information:
?? Fields, properties, and labels of the ERP LN report.
?? The data that falls within the specified selection ranges.
The XML file is used when you design a report in BIDS and when you
preview the report.
Step 2 – Create a Microsoft Reporting report
This section describes how to create a report using the report wizard.
Alternatively, you can create an empty report or copy an existing report. For
details, refer to the Microsoft documentation.
Creating and modifying reports | 3-3
To create a report using the report wizard:
1 To start the SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio, click
Start -> All Programs -> Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 -> SQL Server
Business Intelligence Development Studio.
2 Create a new Report Server project or open an existing report project.
3 In the Solution Explorer, right-click the Reports folder and select Add New
Report.
4 In the Report Wizard, click Next.
5 Select New data source and enter a name.
6 From the Type combo box, select Infor ERP LN Reporting Services.
7 Enter the connection string for the data source. This is a semicolonseparated
list of key-value pairs, which must include values for the host and
the bse.
Optional keys are
?? Bshell
?? Protocol
?? Port
If omitted, these keys will have these default values:
?? bshell=bshell
?? protocol=rexec
?? port=512.
If protocol=BaanLogin is specified, the default value for port is 7150.
This is an example connection string:
host=server1;bse=/erpln/bse;bshell=bshell;protocol=baanlogin
Warning: “Static” connection strings like the examples above are only meant
to be used at development time. At runtime a “dynamic” connection string is
required. See “Prepare the report for deployment”.
8 Click Credentials
?? Select Use a specific user name and password.
?? Enter your user name and password to login at your ERP LN
development system.
?? Click OK.
9 Back in the Data Source Selection wizard, click Next.
3-4 | Creating and modifying reports
10 Click Query Builder.
If the ERP LN Query Designer is started:
?? Select Fields in the Dataset Type.
?? To find the report in the tree, expand the desired package and
module node.
?? To select the desired report, click on the node.
When the Generic Query Designer is started:
?? In the Query Designer, specify the report you generated in “Step 1 –
Generate a file with report metadata and runtime data”. Alternatively,
specify the ERP LN report code, for example tdsls440501200.
?? Click the exclamation mark.
?? You will see the input fields with runtime data.
11 Click OK.
12 Click Next and click Next again.
13 Design the table by dragging a few fields on the report layout.
14 Click Finish and click Finish again.
15 To run the report, right click the newly created report, and select Run.
Step 3 – Configure the report
Use the ERP LN Report Configurator to perform these configuration actions:
?? Set the Language property of the report.
This will derive the language from the LanguageISO report parameter
from the ERP LN datasource. The Language property determines how
certain values like currencies, dates, and numerics are displayed on the
report.
?? Create a dataset for properties. These properties are required for the
ERP LN specific parameters.
?? Create a dataset for labels. These labels are used to include labels from
the ERP LN report on the report that is being designed.
Complete these steps:
1 On the Tools menu, select LNConfigurator. The ERP LN Report
Configurator starts.
2 In the Report Selection page, select the report(s) you want to configure. To
select the report:
?? Select the Report in the Not selected reports box.
?? Click the left arrow button. The report is displayed in the Selected
reports box.
Note: You can use the double arrow buttons to select or deselect all reports
in one go.
3 In the left pane, select Configuration Actions to start the Configuration
Actions page.
Select these check boxes:/options:
?? Set report language
?? Create properties dataset
?? Create labels dataset
4 Click Execute Actions.
Step 4 – Modify the layout of the report
In the report layout, you can add table columns and various other
components. BIDS has various features to modify or beautify the layout of
the report. For details, refer to the Microsoft documentation.
Step 5 – Add ERP LN-specific features
You can add various ERP LN-specific features to the report, such as labels,
text fields, and messages.
For details, refer to chapter 4 “ERP LN specific features”.
Step 6 – Preview the report
To generate a preview of the report, click the Preview tab in the report editor.
Step 7 – Prepare the report for deployment
Currently the connection string is a fixed string pointing to a development
system. See “Step 2 – Create a Microsoft Reporting report”.
To be able to start the report from ERPLN, you must change the report’s
connection string.
When a report is previewed for development purposes in BIDS, the report
retrieves the data from the XML file that was generated in ERP LN. However,
when you start the report from ERPLN, dynamic files, which contain a
different selection of data, are generated. The information to retrieve the data
3-6 | Creating and modifying reports
from these dynamic files is sent with parameters in the request URL.
Therefore, at runtime, a different connection string, which contains these
parameters, is required.
Complete these steps:
1 On the Tools menu, select LNConfigurator. The ERP LN Report
Configurator starts.
2 In the Report Selection page, select the report(s) you want to prepare for
deployment. To select the report:
?? Select the Report in the Not selected reports box.
?? Click the left arrow button. The report is displayed in the Selected
reports box.
Note: You can use the double arrow buttons to select or deselect all reports
in one go.
3 In the left pane, select Development/Deployment to start the
Development/Deployment page.
4 Click Prepare for Deployment.
The report’s connection string is changed to a generic string that picks up the
parameters that are passed on the URL used to start the report. These
parameters on the URL specify the URL of the JCA daemon running in the
bshell on the runtime system, and the location of the datafile on the runtime
system.
Note: The report’s fixed ‘development’ connection string is stored in the
report’s preferences. If you want to modify or preview the report again in
BIDS, you must restore the ‘development’ connection string. See “Preparing
a report for development”.
Modifying an already deployed report design
In ERP LN, an administrator can export reports to report design files that can
be customized in BIDS. For details, refer to the Microsoft Reporting for ERP
LN – Administrator’s Guide (U9656 US).
To modify a report design that is already deployed:
1 Prepare the report for development. See “Preparing a report for
development”.
2 Modify the report design and prepare the report for deployment. See
“Creating a report design – procedure details”.
Creating and modifying reports | 3-7
Preparing a report for development
A deployed report has a generic connection string. If you want to modify or
preview an already deployed report design, you must change the connection
string to a fixed string pointing to a development system.
Complete these steps:
1 On the Tools menu, select LNConfigurator. The ERP LN Report
Configurator starts.
2 In the Report Selection page, select the report you want to prepare for
deployment. To select the report:
?? Select the Report in the Not selected reports box.
?? Click the left arrow button. The report is displayed in the Selected
reports box.
Note: You can use the double arrow buttons to select or deselect all reports
in one go.
3 In the left pane, select Development/Deployment to start the
Development/Deployment page.
4 Click Prepare for Development.
The report’s connection string is changed to the fixed ‘development’
connection string, which is stored in the report’s preferences