Report Builder dialog box

In the Report Builder dialog box, specify the following report details:

  • Enter the report name.

  • Select the product.

  • Select one or more types for the particular Dimensions CM object class you are reporting on (baselines, customers, design parts, items, projects, releases, requests, or secondary requests).

  • Provide filtering and sorting criteria.

Note: Report Builder menus are initially collapsed. The collapsed or expanded view is saved upon closing the Report Builder dialog box. The next time you open Report Builder, the view is preserved.

Preview the report so that you can tailor your reporting options before saving the report.

Field Description

Report Name

Enter a new or existing report name.

The report name is specific to your Dimensions CM user ID. Different users can have reports with the same name.

is public

Select to make the report visible to other users.

If this option is cleared, only you can see the report name.

Clear report Clear your currently entered reporting criteria and reset them to the defaults.

accordion_button_plus00062.gif Context

In the Context menu, set the following options:

  • Product. Select one product or <ALL PRODUCTS> from the list. Your current product is selected by default.

  • Type filter. For the particular Dimensions CM object class for which you are running a report, chose one or more of its available types.

accordion_button_plus00062.gif Report Type

In the Report Type menu, select a report type and the grouping options.

Type

Select a report type from the list.

Depending on the selected report type, the Then by and Date Span pick lists may be disabled.

Group by

Select the attribute type by which to group the elements of the generated report.

Next to the Group By field, select the option to display the element grouping in ascending or descending order.

By default, it is displayed in ascending order.

Then by

If available, select another attribute type by which to group the elements of the generated report.

Depending on the report type, this option may be disabled.

Next to the Then By field, select the option to display the element grouping in ascending or descending order.

By default, it is displayed in ascending order.

Date span

If available, select a date span for the attributes.

This option depends only on the attribute selected in any of the grouping fields. If at least one of the grouping attributes is a date attribute, the Date Span field is enabled, regardless of the selected report type.

accordion_button_plus00062.gif Attributes to Display

 

In the Attributes to Display menu, select the attributes to display.

For report types that support subsequently generated child drilldown reports, these attributes are displayed in the child drilldown report. Otherwise, the attributes are displayed in the generated report itself.

Available

Displays a list of attributes available for selection.

The available object class attribute types depend on the settings in your process model.

Select an attribute and click the right arrow button to transfer the attribute to the Selected list.

Selected

Specifies the selected attributes to be displayed when the report is run.

You must select at least one attribute.

Use the Up and Down buttons to move selected attributes up or down the list.

accordion_button_plus00062.gif Filtering

In the Filtering menu, set the filtering options.

The desktop client optimizes filter criteria, which may affect how the criteria are displayed. The format may differ from that specified. Client report results are not affected.

For item reports, the items retrieved are restricted to the selected project. However, items can belong to more than one project, therefore the number of item revisions retrieved may be greater than the number that are displayed when you run the report.

Available

Displays a list of system attributes and relationships available for selection.

Selected

Specifies the attributes or relationships to be included in a Boolean filtering relationship determined by the Logical operators.

To change the order of selected criteria, select a criterion and use the Up and Down buttons to move it up or down the list.

Logical operators

>

Transfers a selected attribute or relationship in the Available list to the Selected list as a filter criterion.

If an attribute is selected, a value specification dialog box is displayed and for date/time attributes there is an associated find button.

If a relationship is selected, a relationship specification dialog box is displayed and for most relationships associated Find and Keywords buttons.

Repeat as appropriate to build up the filter criteria using the logical operators described below.

Here is the full list of filtering logical operations:

  • For date/time attributes: equal to, not equal to, before, after, not after, not before, is null, and is not null.

  • For other attributes: equal to, not equal to, less than, greater than, less than or equal to, greater than or equal to, Is null, and is not null.

The menu of options includes a <Query at Runtime> option to set a variable that enables you to specify the value at the time the report is run. Depending on the system attribute selected, certain other values or variables are available for selection, for example:

  • <Query at Runtime> option to set a variable that enables you to specify the value at the time the report is run.

  • For date attributes:

    <Today>, <Today>+ 7, <Today>-7, <Today>+30, <Today>-30, <Today>+365, <Today>-365

Edit

Modifies a selected criterion in the Selected list.

You can modify the attribute value in the value specification dialog box, or the relationship in the relationship specification dialog box. The filter criterion is updated appropriately.

<

Deletes a selected filter criterion from the Selected list.

<<

Deletes all filter criteria from the Selected list.

AND

Changes the logical relationship to AND.

By default, each criterion that you add to the Selected list is placed into a logical AND relationship with the previously added criterion.

OR

Changes the logical relationship to OR.

By default, each criterion that you add to the Selected list is placed into a logical AND relationship with the previously added criterion.

NOT

Logically negates the currently selected expression.

By default, each criterion that you add to the Selected list is placed into a logical AND relationship with the previously added criterion.

AND >

For certain available attributes, the AND button changes to AND >.

This button adds the attribute to the Selected list, placing the attribute value into a logical AND relationship with the last relationship in the Selected list.

OR >

For certain available attributes, the OR button changes to OR >.

This button adds the attribute to the Selected list, placing the attribute value into a logical OR relationship with the last relationship in the Selected list.

accordion_button_plus00062.gif Sorting

In the Sorting menu, set the sorting options.

For report types that support subsequently generated child drilldown reports, these attributes are displayed in the child drilldown report; otherwise, the attributes are displayed in the generated report itself.

Sorted by / Then by

Select an attribute type in the Sorted By list and as many as three Then by lists to refine your sorting criteria.

Next to each field, select the option to sort your selection in ascending or descending order.

Run

Click to generate a preview of the client report based on your selections. The preview is displayed in a right-hand desktop client view, inheriting the standard functionality for such views.

The preview report contains toolbar buttons to manage the preview. You can:

  • Save the report if you are satisfied with the preview. The report is added in the Reports and Lists navigation pane to the My Reports or Public Reports tree, as appropriate.

  • Refine your report.

  • Export the report. The formats into which you can save the report depend on the report type. The available formats are CSV and BMP.

  • Select all the objects in the report.

No drilldown is available in the preview even if the report type supports it. To make the drilldown available, save the report.

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