SEQUEL offers two report writer alternatives:

• The System i Report Writer is included with the base SEQUEL product and gives you graphical report design capabilities for System i printer output.

• The Client Report Option (CRO) lets you design reports for PC printer output using System i data. Within its graphical design interface, you can specify fonts, colors, pictures and other formatting capabilities such as shading, borders and conditional highlighting. The CRO is an optional module that is licensed on a per-seat basis.

The SEQUEL Report Writer lets you create custom reports to your exact specifications in a fraction of the time required for programming. Powerful report formatting capabilities include:

• Multiple levels of subtotals
• Conditional (IF-THEN-ELSE) calculations at detail, subtotal, and grand total lines
• Multi-line formatting at any report level
• Complete skipping and spacing control for all report lines
• Pre-defined default formats
• Run-time prompting

Reports can automatically be generated from default formats or you may create a report from scratch. Parameters may be passed to and from a SEQUEL report using a local data area. Headings, detail lines or even conditional calculations will accept parameters for ultimate flexibility.

After a SEQUEL view has been created to select database information, the ViewPoint Report Writer offers a Report Wizard function to speed development of the SEQUEL report. A series of Wizard dialogs (see examples) guide the user through the report design steps, culminating with a ViewPoint Report Design dialog (below) with a report layout formatted according to the user's selections.

Report Writer - Report Design Dialog (click image for larger view)

Fields from the SEQUEL view or those defined in the report are listed in a window in the left-hand portion of the dialog - these can be dragged over to the report layout in the right-hand portion of the dialog. Calculations and user-defined fields are easy to define at the Report Calculations dialog (below). This panel also provides an easy way to apply field formatting.

Report Writer - Report Calculations Dialog (click image for larger view)

Users can request SEQUEL reports using run-time prompts. Reports may also be executed in a scheduled job stream. Reports may be sent to an output queue, sent to another server via FTP, or e-mailed directly to any number of recipients as part of the same request.

The SEQUEL Client Reporting Option (CRO) lets you design reports for PC printer output using System i data. There's no longer any need to download data to a PC-based product to create nicely-formatted reports. You can specify fonts, colors, pictures and other formatting capabilities such as shading, borders and conditional highlighting.

(click image for larger view)

To deliver this functionality, we have partnered with Crystal Decisions to include Crystal's Report Creation API (RCAPI) within SEQUEL ViewPoint. Existing users of Crystal Reports will recognize the familiar report design interface and will be up to speed in no time. New users to the client report option will appreciate the graphical design interface and report formatting suitable for PC printer output.

We have fully integrated the RCAPI within SEQUEL ViewPoint to provide System i users with the following advantages over the standard Crystal Reports packages:

• ViewPoint provides a faster, direct connection to System i databases. No ODBC connection is required.
  
  
• SEQUEL views and tables provide the underlying data access capabilities. Therefore, data can be pre-summarized or reformatted before it's delivered to the client workstation. When designing reports, ViewPoint presents the full field attributes and descriptive text to users, in addition to field names.
  
  
• Client Report objects are managed and saved on the System i. This allows common reports to be shared among multiple users more easily. It also means that report objects will be included in regular backups on the System i.
  
  
• ViewPoint's Client Report Option uses standard i5/OS security plus any additional SEQUEL record level security. Thus, data access can be restricted to those with proper authority.

The Client Reporting Option is sold as an add-on to the SEQUEL ViewPoint Report Writer on a per-seat basis for designers. There is no additional charge for other users to view or print client reports.

See also:

Video - Client Reporting Option

SEQUEL reports and views are stored separately, which allows many important advantages:

• Several different reports can be created over a single view in order to leverage development time
• Reports can be created and deleted without affecting the view
• Fields can be added to a view without having to modify the report
• Record selection criteria in the view can be modified (as a permanent change or in a run-time prompt)
• The order of report information may even be changed without having to modify the report definition

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