Loading A New Report Library

You may want to load an alternate report library for different operators. This allows you to keep your report definition list small. Operators need only see the list of reports they need for completing their tasks.

Collect! creates a subfolder in the CV11\report folder for each new report library that you load. You can load a report library that has already been created, or you can load a brand new library and create or copy reports into the library. Then use Select Report Library to view the list of available libraries, including any new libraries you create. They can be selected and used as required.

We will step through the process of adding a new report library to the list of report libraries available through Select Report Library.

We will cover:

- Loading a pre-existing report library
- Loading a new empty report library

Loading A Pre-Existing Report Library

Use this procedure to register a pre-existing report library with the RDM server. After that, you can open the new library and use the reports in it, editing and creating new reports as needed.

1. Copy all the files from your pre-existing report library to a TEMP folder.

The report library consists of several files named d00_report.000, d00_report.001, d00_report.002, d00report.003 and d00report.IUD.

2. Sign into Collect! as a user with Level 99 and stop at the Main Menu.

3. Select Print from the top menu bar and then select Customize Printing to view the submenu.

4. Select New Report Library. You will be prompted to enter a name for your new library. Maximum 8 CHARACTERS. Select OK to continue.

5. Collect! will let you know that you have successfully created a new library and have registered it with the RDM server. A new folder is created in the CV11\report folder with the same name that you see in this prompt. This is also the name that will be displayed in the choices for Select Report Library. Select OK to continue.

6. Next, Collect! asks if you want to use a pre-existing library. Select YES to load a pre-existing report library. You will be prompted to select a library to load. Navigate to the folder where you saved your library and select the file d00_report.000. Then select OPEN.

7. Collect! makes a copy of the library you selected in the folder that was created in Step 5 above.

8. Now you can use Select Report Library to load this new library for use.

Whenever you select a different report library, you should rebuild your printable information through Print, Settings, Printable Information. Select the REBUILD button.

9. Once the library is selected, you can use Print, Reports and Letters to use the library, or you can open the Report Definition list, editing and creating new reports as needed.

Your report library is READY to use.

Next, we will use similar steps to create an empty report library.

Loading A New Empty Report Library

Use this procedure to register a new empty report library with the RDM server. After that, you can open the new library and create new reports or copy into the library as needed.

Please be aware that creating a new empty library will not automatically load printer control codes or the list of printable information fields. We will load these codes after the empty library has been created.

1. Sign into Collect! as a user with Level 99 and stop at the Main Menu.

2. Follow Steps 2 through 5 above to create a new library.

3. Next, Collect! asks if you want to use a pre-existing library. Select NO to create a brand new report library.

4. Now you can use Select Report Library to load this new library.

5. Use Print, Customize Printing, Edit Report Templates to create or copy reports into the library.

Your report library is NOT READY to use yet.

Before using this library, you must import Printer Control Codes and load the Printable Information list. These are covered next.

Import Printer Control Codes

Next, we must load the Printer Control Codes into the library. The easiest way to do this is to import a report with Printer Control Codes. Collect! ships with a report for this purpose. It is called Report Codes.rpt and you can locate it in the CV11\bin directory.

Select Print, Customize Printing, Import Report Template and navigate to the CV11\bin directory. Select the Report Codes.rpt. When prompted to overwrite Printer Control Codes, select YES.

Rebuild Printable Information

Next, we must load the key to the Printable Information into the library. You must be signed in as a user with Level 99 to rebuild this list!

Select Print, Settings, Printable Information. You will see the prompt " Printable Field not found. Create a new one?" Select YES to create a new Printable Information code. Then select REBUILD when the Printable Information window is displayed. This will rebuild your list of Printable Field Codes.

Printable Field Not Found

If you try to select Print, Settings, Printable Information and you are not signed in as a user with Level 99, you will see " Printable Field not found." but you will not see the prompt "Create a new one?" and there is no YES button! Please sign in as a user with Level 99 and select your new library and then try again.

Summary

The New Report Library feature in CV11 allows you to register any number of new report libraries to use in Collect!. You can create a brand new library or load a pre-existing one. Each report library that you use must be registered with the RDM server. The New Report Library function takes care of this and you can seamlessly switch libraries as needed to print a wide variety of reports from different sources.