1. INFO ASSIST REPORT WRITING
AN INTRODUCTION TO USING AND BUILDING REPORTS USING
INFOASSIST

2. Course Outline Module 1: Most Important Part of Reporting
Module 2: WebFOCUS Components
Module 3: Introduction to INFO ASSIST
Module 4: Using Filters
Module 5: Using Prompts
Module 6: JOINS
Module 7: Using DEFINE and COMPUTE
Module 8: Functions
Module 9: Customizing and Styling a report
Module 10: Creating an INFO MINI Application
Module 11: Creating a Compound Document
Module 12: Charting

3. Module 1 Know Your Data ODS Reporting View Meta Data Reports
Dynamic Help on the Banner Form
The most important part of reporting is KNOW YOUR DATA. You need to know what table or views the data is stored in to be able to report effectively.
Here are some tips for helping you find that information.
Located on the APPLeap Reporting site there is a link for the ODS Reporting View Meta Data. This will be real helpful in finding out where data is located.
In banner when you are on a form and don’t know what table the data on the form is coming from you can go to the field on the form and click help, then dynamic help query. A box pops up with Form – that is the FORM you are on BLOCK – that is the table the information is coming from. FIELD – the field in the table where the information is stored.

4. Module 2 WebFOCUS Components
WebFocus integrates seamlessly into your existing network by connecting your web browser to your data through your web server.
These integrated product components consist of:
Developer Studio – resides on your local machine – is a windows based application development environment.
Managed Reporting and INFO ASSIST – resides on the webserver – is a web based application development environment.
WebFOCUS Client – resides on a Webserver/Application Server and connects WebFOCUS to the web. When a user makes a request from a web browser, the client receives and processes the request by passing it to the WebFOCUS Reporting server.
WebFOCUS Reporting Server – resides on a machine that can access your data. It manages data access, processing of business logic, and generation of output.
WebFOCUS Processing:
User Requests a Report
Web server receives the request, processes the parameters and routes it to the Reporting server.
Reporting Server processes the request, retrieves the requested data and formats the report.
Reporting server returns the formatted report to the Web Server
Web server delivers the report to the users browser or developer studio for display

5. Module 3 Introduction to INFO ASSIST
With INFO ASSIST you can quickly and easily
1. Create highly complex reports, charts and documents without IT intervention.
2. Complete building a report with minimal clicks.
3. Publish and Share documents
4. Convert Reports to Charts and Charts to Reports
5. Output report data in a variety of formats
INFO ASSIST provides users with the most advanced, yet simple to use, ad hoc reporting tool.

6. Accessing INFO ASSIST
To access INFO ASSIST you will enter the address above in your browser window. Preferably use Internet Explorer.
The address here is the TEST WebFOCUS system that we use for training.
Please enter the address in your browser address bar.

7. Login Screen
You will be presented with a login screen. Enter your userid and password and click login.
Everyone with me? Anyone having problems getting logged in?

8. Business Intelligence Dashboard.
Your screen should look something like this.
The left side of the screen will show what domains you have access to.
All of you should at least see the CLASS domain.
Anyone having problems?
Next you are going to click on the plus sign next to the CLASS domain to expand.
You will see standard reports. Click on that plus sign to expand.

9. Now find INFO ASSIST CLASS folder and right click and select New Folder.
Name the folder your name. This is where you will be working during this training session.

10. Once you have your folder created you will right click on your folder and select InfoAssist.

11. InfoAssist will open. You may need to maximize your window.
First thing we are going to do is select change default options.

12. Change Default Options give you the ability to customize your InfoAssist Environment.

13. In the Startup Options Section- Show Splash Screen should be checked
In the Startup Options Section- Show Splash Screen should be checked. If you remove the check InfoAssist will start with what is selected in Start Mode
The Layout section provides page size and orientation options. This is for printing reports and Charts. The default is Letter page size and Portrait Orientation.
The View Section -
Design View – Interactive or query – default is query – when you pick interactive you are able to pick where the data is coming from for the preview.
Preview Method – Preview with Source Data or Sample data Default is preview with source data.
Record Limit – 50 Make sure you always have this set to a low number. Every time you make a change it will refresh with that number of records.
Data Panel – Logical, list, or structured. Default is logical
Query Panel - 2x2 (2 columns by 2 rows), 1x4 (1 column by 4 rows), and Tree. Default is Tree
Output Target – Single Tab, New Tab, Single Window, and New Window. Default is Single tab. Lets change ours to New Window.
The Format Section– report output type HTML, Chart Output Type HTML, Document output Type PDF. Just leave these as the defaults
The Environment and Styling section - The selected Application Theme applies styling to all interfaces, menus, and dialog boxes
within InfoAssist. It also becomes the default Document Theme used to style all reports and charts. We have Silver
Selecting a specific Document Theme overrides the selected Application Theme for styling reports and charts. However, if you subsequently change the Application Theme, it becomes the default Document Theme again, which overrides any Document Theme selected previously
Click OK to return to the splash screen.

14. InfoAssist provides a self-contained environment and an intelligent, flexible layout for creating reports and charts.
Application Main Menu - Displays open, save, run, and other options in a pop-up window when you select the IA button.
1. Quick Access Toolbar - Displays the most commonly used functions in a toolbar that is always visible.
2. Control Panel - Displays property controls using highly visible icons that are grouped logically by functionality within each tab of the Control Panel. Tabs include Home, Insert, Format, Data, Slicers, Layout, View, Field, and Series (charts only).
3. The Resources Panel – displays your criteria selections and the data selected for sorting, summing, etc.
The Data Pane – display your data source and the fields available.
Interactive Design View. This is where you see what your report is going to look like.

15. Exercise 3.1
In this exercise you will create your first report using InfoAssist.

16. Sorting
Sorting enables you to display the report information grouped in a particular order. This way information can be organized by rows or columns.
InfoAssist Sorting options include:
BY—for sorting rows
ACROSS—for sorting columns.
BY and ACROSS together—for creating a cross tabulation report.
Sorting enables you to display the report information grouped in a particular order. I this way information can be organized by rows or columns.
WebFOCUS Sorting options include:
BY—for sorting rows
ACROSS—for sorting columns.
BY and ACROSS together—for creating a cross tabulation report.

17. Exercise 3.2 Sorting your report Page Headings and Footings
Change a column heading
This exercise you will learn to sort your report, add headings and footings and how to rename a column title.

18. Exercise 3.3 Sorting Summing Across
In this exercise you will learn how to create a cross tabulation or matrix report.

19. Module 4: Using Filters Testing for NULL values
Testing for a range of values
Testing for certain values in a field.
In addition to specifying which fields will be displayed in a report, you can choose what instances will be in the report.
Record selection tests include
Testing for null values
Testing for a range of values and
Testing for certain values in a field.

20. 3 Phases of Processing a Selection
Phase 1 – Analyze and Parse the request. Phase 2 – Build the internal table a. Selection of real data b. Selection of virtual fields Phase 3 – Process the internal table

21. Masking in Filters
Filters can accommodate the use of a masking character ($) accompanied by a wildcard (*) when performing a selection on part of an alpha numeric field.
Filters can accommodate the use of a masking character ($) accompanied by a wildcard (*) when preforming a selection on part of an alpha numeric field.

22. Compound Filters
The filter statement supports the use of compound nested conditions
A single filter can be comprised of multiple values.
You can add more than one value to a filter statement.

23. Numeric Field Selection
Selection can be performed on numeric fields
Minus sign and decimal point are allowed
Don’t use a dollar sign or a comma
Do not use LIKE or NOT LIKE
Only a single value may be specified when using:
> greater than
>= greater than or equal
< less than
<= less than or equal
Some rules for filtering on numeric values.
The next set of exercises will review what I have just gone over.

24. Exercises Module 4 Exercise 4.1 – create a simple filter
Exercise 4.2 – Using masking in a filter
Exercise 4.3 – Compound filters
Exercise 4.4 – Numeric filters

25. Module 5 Using PROMPTS Dynamic Static Simple
You want to create a report that allows the user to choose the selection criteria.
There are 3 ways to populate a prompt with valid values
Dynamic – a list of valid values is retrieved from the data source.
Static – a list of acceptable values to pick from that does not change.
Simple – The user can enter a single value in the text box instead of selecting it from a list.

26. Exercise 5.1 Creating Prompts
In this exercise you are going to create the 3 different prompts described in a report.

27. Module 6: JOINS
A JOIN is a temporary virtual connection between two or more physical data sources that share at least one common field.
A join is a temporary virtual connection between two or more physical data sources that share at least one common field.
The field format must be the same for the common field.
63 JOINS are allowed.
InfoAssist retrieves records from the first file in the join (called the host file) and then the matching records from the second file (called the cross reference file)

28. Types of JOINS Single Left Outer
Single JOIN is a one to one relationship – unique one value in the host to one value in the cross reference file.
Left Outer JOIN is a one to many relationship. One value in the host may correspond to multiple values in the cross reference file.
Who can give me examples of a single join?
What about a Left outer Join?

29. SPRIDEN SARADAP This is a Single Inner Join.
A single Inner join is the intersection of the two tables.
ONE to ONE relationship.

30. SPRIDEN
SARADAP
This is a Left out Join or a ONE to MANY relationship. Notice one record in host table to many records in the cross referenced table.

31. JOIN Exercises Exercise 6.1 - Single Inner JOIN
Exercise 6.2 – Left Outer JOIN
In exercise 6.1 you will join spriden and spraddr to produce a report with name and address.
In exercise 6.2 you will create a report of all the courses a student is taking in a term.

32. Module 7: Using DEFINE and COMPUTE
Virtual Field (DEFINE)
Calculated Field (COMPUTE)
A virtual Field (DEFINE) – based on the data source values. The values are not stored in the data source.
A calculated Field (COMPUTE) – based on the internal table values. Created within the report itself and automatically inserted as a column in the report.

33. The DEFINE Tool
This tool provides a graphical way in which temporary fields (DEFINES) can be created for use in reports.
Located on the data tab in InfoAssist
This tool provide a graphical way in which temporary fields (DEFINES) can be created for use in reports.
The Define Tool is located in the Data Tab in InfoAssist.

34. Field Box – the name of the new virtual field.
Format Box – displays the format assigned to the virtual field.
Format button – where a format to the virtual field is assigned. Pick your format.
Expression Box – displays the expression created for the field.
Calculator – provides numbers and operators that create numeric, alphanumeric, Boolean, and conditional expressions.
Field List – list the fields in the data source. You have available a Tree View, Dimension View, or List View.
Functions Button – lists available built in functions. Click the functions button, pick a function, it will give you the syntax of that function to help you build the expression.

35. Exercise 7.1 Create a DEFINE field
In this exercise you are going to make the telephone number look nice in a report using a define.

36. COMPUTE
Evaluated at the report level after all data is retrieved, summed, and sorted.
Created within the report itself and automatically listed as a column in the report.
It CANNOT be used as a primary sort field.
Compute is evaluated at the report level after all data is retrieved, summed, and sorted.
It is created within the report itself and automatically listed as a column in the report.
It CANNOT be used as a primary sort field.

37. The COMPUTE dialog is the same as the DEFINE dialog.
Field Box – the name of the new computed field.
Format Box – displays the format assigned to the virtual field.
Format button – where a format to the virtual field is assigned. Pick your format.
Expression Box – displays the expression created for the field.
Calculator – provides numbers and operators that create numeric, alphanumeric, Boolean, and conditional expressions.
Field List – list the fields in the data source. You have available a Tree View, Dimension View, or List View.
Functions Button – lists available built in functions. Click the functions button, pick a function, it will give you the syntax of that function to help you build the expression.

38. Exercise 7.2 Create a COMPUTE field
In this exercise you will create a report that will give you the sub gpa for a student.

39. Module 8: FUNCTIONS
In this module we will discuss functions available in InfoAssist. I am going to go over the most commonly used functions. There are many more available as you will see once you start to use the tool more.

40. EDIT
The EDIT Function is used to change the way a Fields values are displayed in a report.
Used to extract characters from or add characters to an alpha field
Syntax – EDIT(fieldname, ‘mask’)
The EDIT function is use to extract characters from or add characters to an alpha field.
Syntax for extracting or adding characters to a field – EDIT(fieldname, ‘mask’)
Where fieldname is the alphanumeric source field, and MASK is the new character string enclosed in single quotation marks. The length of the mask should be the length of the source field. The 9 character in mask copies the corresponding characters. The $ ignores the corresponding characters.

41. HDATE Converts the format of a date time field to MDYY
Syntax: HDATE(value, ‘MDYY’, outfield)
The HDATE function converts the format of a date time field to MDYY.
The syntax would be HDATE(value, ‘MDYY’, outfield) where value is the date-time value to be converted, the name of a date-time field in the date source, or an expression that returns the value. ‘MDYY’ is the output format. And outfield is the field that contains the result.
This is great for parameters.
An Example would be when looking for records between certain dates.

42. SUBSTR Extracts a substring from a character string by position.
Syntax:
SUBSTR(inlength, parent, start, end, sublength, outfield)
The SUBSTR function extracts a substring based on where it begins and its length in the parent string.
Syntax – SUBSTR(inlength, parent, start, end, sublength, outfield)
Inlength is the length of the parent string, parent is the field name containing the parent string, start is an integer and the starting position of the string in the parent string, end is an integer and is the ending position of the string in the parent string, sublength is the length of the string you want to extract, outfield is the field the result is to be stored in.
An example would be to extract the username from an address. You would find out what position sign is located and then use that position as your ending for your substrIng.

43. HGETC Stores the current date and time in a date-time field.
Syntax: HGETC(length, outfield)
The HGETC function stores the current date and time in a date-time field.
The Syntax is HGETC(length, outfield) where length is the length of the returned date time value. 8 indicates a time value that includes milliseconds, 10 indicates a time value that includes microseconds, outfield is the field that contains the result.
Example lets say you want to get all records that were modified today. You could create a field that stores todays date and time and compare it to the activity date in the data source. Since activity dates are usually date time fields in banner this would work really well.

44. Functions Exercises Exercise 8.1 – An example of EDIT
Exercise 8.2 – An example of HDATE
Exercise 8.3 – An example of SUBSTR
Exercise 8.4 – An example of HGETC
The exercises listed are reports that use each of the discussed functions to get you more familiar with the define tool and some of the most used functions that are available.

45. Module 9 Customizing and Styling
Excel Output for Reports
Styling Reports
Using Custom Reporting Features
Creating Customized Report Outputs
Info assist provides many outputs for your reports.
We are also able to customize a reports appearance and Functionality.
In this mo dule we will discuss some of the customizations and styling you can do in InfoAssist.

46. Excel Formats Available
Excel Formula
Excel Pivot
the Excel formats available in the different views in InfoAssist.
Excel 2007 is available in the interactive view and query design view.
Excel 2000 is available in the interactive view, query design view, and Document view.
Excel Formula is available in the interactive view and query design view.
Excel Pivot is available in the interactive view and query design view.
The additional options can be accessed through a drop-down menu on the excel icon on the output types of the Format tab.

47. Styling a report Global Styling Style of Data and Column Fields
Style Headings and Footings
Style rows of data with alternating colors
Apply traffic light conditional styling to data
Increase or decrease amount of space inserted between rows and columns.
You can apply custom styling to specific areas of a report when creating a report in InfoAssist
You can perform the following styling customzations.

48. Custom Reporting Features
Rank
Limit the variables of a column in a report
Add page and line breaks
Add subtotals
Add column totals
Add row totals
Add subheadings and subfootings
Pop-Up titles
Add data visualization
You can use the following Custom features to style your report.
Rank – inserts a ranking column for by and measures fields.
Limit – limits the number of unique variable in a column
Page Breaks – Starts a new page in the output when the primary sort field changes
Line Breaks – Inserts a line in the report of output when the primary sort field changes
Subtotals – inserts subtotals in the output for all numeric fields when the primary sort field changes.
Column Totals – inserts a grand total row at the bottom of the report to sum numeric data in each column.
Row Totals – inserts a grand total column to the right side of the report to sum numeric data in each row.
Subheading – adds a subheading just below the column titles in the report.
SubFoot – adds a subfooting at the end of the data on each page of the report output when the primary sort field changes
Pop-Up titles – adds pop-up titles to the report when the mouse pointer hover over a column title.
Data Visualization – adds data visualization bars to numeric data in the report.

49. Customized Report Outputs
Table of Contents
Freeze Column titles in a report
Create pages on Demand reports
These are just a few of the customized Report outputs available in InfoAssist.
Tables of contents – to view output for individual values of the first sort (by) field one value at a time.
Freeze column Titles – to view the output with column titles that will freeze (remain in view) when you scroll through pages of the report.
Pages on demand – to view output, one page at a time, and use a menu bar at the bottom of the report output, from which you can view any specific page. You can also click an arrow to move forward or backward a page or pages.

50. Styling Exercises Exercise 9.1 – Excel outputs
Exercise 9.2 – Styling, headings and footings.
Exercise 9.3 – Rank, Line breaks, Pop-up Titles.
Exercise 9.4 – Table of Contents, freezing columns, page on demand

51. Module 10 INFO MINI Built from an InfoAssist Report
Contains a subset of InfoAssist Functionality that is available at runtime.
InfoMini applications are built from an InfoAssist report and contain a subset of InfoAssist functionality available at run time.
You can build an InfoMini application and provide the run-time user with the option to interact with and edit the report.

52. INFO MINI opens in it’s own browser window
Almost like working in InfoAssist for the end user except for the following
Main menu not accessible
View, open and code buttons not available on the quick access tool bar
Status bar not accessible
Navigation taskbar not accessible
In other words the end user would be able to add data fields to the report or change the parameters but would not be able to overwrite the o
original report.
There must be at least one option selected from the InfoMini button
drop-down menu for InfoMini to be activated.

53. The INFO MINI button is located on the Format tab when you are working in your report. Notice you have the options available to check.
You can select an option from the drop-down menu and a check mark appears next to the option.
The check mark indicates the option is available for the user at run time within the InfoMini application.
If you select a checked option to deselect it, the check mark disappears and the option is no longer available through the InfoMini application.
If you deselect all of the options from the drop-down menu, InfoMini is deactivated.

54. This is what the end user will see when they run an INFOMINI application when they click on the Edit tab, in the interactive tab it is the report.

55. Exercise 10.1
Create an INFO MINI application

56. Module 11 Compound Document
Build a new Compound document.
Open an existing Compound document.
Generate a new Compound document from an existing single report.
Designing documents in Document view allows you to add text, images, active form controls, reports, and charts to create compound documents that can be used to generate presentation-ready reports based on your data.
Document view combines the features of report building with the ability to style and present customized documents.
In Document view you can –
Build a new Compound document.
Open an existing Compound document.
Generate a new Compound document from an existing single report.

57. You can take a single report created in Interactive Design view or Query Design view and
convert it into a Compound document, displaying it in the Document view.
When you convert a single report into a compound document, the original report is preserved
and a copy of that report is opened as a compound document in Document view. You can
then add additional reports, charts, images, and text.

58. Exercises Module 11
Exercise Build a compound document from an existing report.

59. Module 12 Charting
InfoAssist enables you to easily create different types of simple and complex charts.
You can select from a variety of chart types and output formats, and can add custom features to a chart.
You can also create a chart from any existing report in InfoAssist with just the click of a button.

60. Type of Charts Available
BAR Charts
PIE Charts
LINE Charts
AREA Charts
XY PLOT Charts
3D Charts
Bar charts plot numerical data by displaying rectangular blocks against a scale. The length of a bar corresponds to a value or amount
Pie charts emphasize where your data fits, in relation to a larger whole.
Line charts are useful for emphasizing the movement or trend of numerical data over time.
Area charts are similar to line charts except that the area between the data line and zero line is usually displayed in color.
There are three different types of XY plot charts – Scatter, Polar, and Bubble
Last but not least 3D charts - 3D charts add visual depth to a chart presentation. These charts include – guage and funnel charts.

61. Exercise 12.1
Create a Chart using InfoAssist.

62. THE END
This is the end of InfoAssist Training. I am available for questions or help at 7811.
Now we are going to have some fun. Lets play InfoAssist Jeopardy!