Manage Reports

The Manage Reports window lists all the reports and their definitions, including the report description, report file, report parameters, and printer assignments.

Any new or customized report files can be set up in the Manage Reports window and the report files can be "Checked in" to the database where they are stored and made accessible to other Acctivate users.

Users with the Manage Reports permission can access the Manage Reports window by navigating to File → Manage Reports.

Overview

Acctivate includes over 140 standard reports. The reports distributed with Acctivate are created in Crystal Reports, an extremely common database reporting solution that allows for complex and rich reports. Acctivate does not include the Crystal Reports software, which is required for creating and editing reports, however the Crystal Reports Viewer is embedded within Acctivate. This allows Acctivate to read any Crystal Report file; Crystal Report files have an extension of .rpt.

Tip

If you own a copy of Crystal Reports editor and wish to develop your reports against an Acctivate database, review our Crystal Reports Resources page for more information.

Report Folders

The left pane of the Manage Reports window contains the top level report folders that reports are categorized into. User permissions can be used to restrict access to these folders, therefore it's not possible to add new top level folders.

For example, users with the "Print Order Reports" permission set to "No" would not have access to any reports in the "OrderProcessing" folder.

Below the top level report folders, you will find subfolders which further categorize reports for easier navigation. To view the subfolders, expand the top level folder by clicking the + sign to the left of it.

All reports must be categorized into a subfolder. You can create custom subfolders which can be useful for managing custom reports, however it's suggested that you don't move existing reports out of their current locations (though you could make a copy).

To add a new report subfolder:

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Click on the top level folder that you want to add the subfolder to, such as OrderProcessing.
  4. Click the New folder button on the toolbar.
  5. A new folder is created with the cursor placed in the name field. You must give the folder a folder name.
  6. Use the Add Report button to add a report, then click Save or you can save the folder empty and add a report later.

To delete report subfolder:

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand the top level folder and select the subfolder you want to delete.
  4. Click the Delete folder button on the toolbar; the - button.
  5. Deleting a folder will delete all the reports in it as well. Confirm you wish to delete.
  6. Click Save.

Reports

Expand a folder to see the list of the reports that belong to that folder. The Report Description will be displayed in the left tree. Click on a report to see the report definitions in the right side of this window.

Check in report
A customized report file (.rpt) can be checked into a report in Acctivate. Use the Add report Action menu if you need to set up a new report and report file, rather than add a modified report file to an existing report.

To check in a report file:

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Locate the report that the modified .rpt file should be added to. Click the Check in report button.
  3. Locate and select the report file (*.rpt).

After the report has been checked in, "Customized Report" will appear in red text below the description.

Note

If the Report Catalog is open while checking in a report, the Report Catalog and any selection prompt windows will automatically be closed. This is done to ensures that any cached report data is cleared and the new report is used.

Check out report
Report files (.rpt) can be "checked out" and saved locally so that they can be edited using Crystal Reports. When you check out a report, the report file will be saved with the SQL Server and database connection info so that when the report is opened with Crystal Reports it connects to the correct database and has any custom fields that have been set up in the Acctivate database.

To check out a report file:

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Locate the report that you would like to edit and click the Check out report button.
  3. Choose a location to save the .rpt file.

Add report

A new report definition and report file can be added to Acctivate by performing the following steps:

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand a top level folder and then click on a subfolder.
  4. Click the Add Report button on the toolbar.
  5. In the Select Destination window, select the folder which the report should be added to.
  6. A report icon will be added to the Report Catalog tree with the cursor next to the icon. Type in the name of the report.
  7. On the Properties tab, the Report Description field will be filled in, but you can edit it here as well.
  8. To add the report, click the Check in report button. Lookup and select the report file (.rpt file).
  9. Select the Permission Group that this report belongs to.
  10. If this report is a document for a sales, purchase or inventory transaction, select the Document Type.
  11. Optionally, fill out the Note which can be used to describe the report.
  12. Click on the Selection Prompts tab and set up any Selection Prompts that are to be used. Selection prompts are the filters that the user is presented with when running a report in Acctivate. Selection prompts can be set up for any database field that is used to build the report.
  13. Click Save.

Delete an existing report

Use the Delete report action to delete a report.

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand a top level folder and then click on a subfolder.
  4. Click on a report and then click the Delete report button on the toolbar; the - button.
  5. The report will be deleted.
  6. Click Save.

Copy an existing report

You can copy an existing report into a the same folder or a new folder. This is a good option for when you want to copy an existing report's configuration, however use a different report file.

For example, you may wish to copy the Quote report (OrderProcessing → Forms → Quote) but select a slightly modified report file that contains additional text on the quote. By copying the Quote report, you will ensure that this new report has the same Permission Group, Document Type, Selection Prompts, etc. as the original, however this new report can use a different Crystal Reports .rpt file.

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand a top level folder and then click on a subfolder.
  4. Click on a report and then click the Copy button on the toolbar.
  5. A Select Destination window will appear. You can click on the folder you want the report to be copied into, then click Select.
  6. The report will be copied with the same Properties and Selection Prompts. Optionally, these values can be changed before saving.
  7. Click Save.
Note

When you copy an existing report, the report's Selection Prompts are copied to the new report. The new report must use the same database views in order for the Selection Prompts to be used.

Move an existing report

Use the Move report action to move a report to a new folder.

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand a top level folder and then click on a subfolder.
  4. Click on a report and then click the Move button on the toolbar.
  5. A Select Destination window will appear. You can click on the subfolder you want the report to be copied into, then click Select.
  6. The report will be moved to the new location.
  7. Click Save.

Export / Import report files (.acctrpt)

After a report is set up, you may wish to move the report and its configured definitions to a new Acctivate database. Acctivate includes a report export function which exports out the report file and its definitions into an .acctrpt file. This file can only be read and imported by Acctivate. To export out a report and its definitions:

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Expand a top level folder and then click on a subfolder.
  3. Click on a report and click the Export button on the toolbar.
  4. Choose a location to save the .acctrpt file and click Save.

You can import in an .acctrpt file in a similar manner. When importing in the .acctrpt file, the report will be set up under the same folder that it was in when it was exported.

The import process imports the report definitions (Permission Group, Document Type, Note, Selection Prompts, etc) and a copy of the .rpt file from when the .acctrpt file was exported. If the report already exists, the imported .acctrpt file will overwrite the existing definitions.

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Click the Import button on the toolbar.
  4. Select the .acctrpt file for import and choose Open.
  5. If the report being imported with the .acctrpt file already exists by that name then you'll be asked if you want to overwrite it. If you choose Yes, the report configuration and the .rpt file will be overwritten with the imported data. If you choose No, the report configuration is still imported, but the report file will not be overwritten.

Properties

Once you've clicked on a report, the Properties tab will include the Report Description and the report Note, as well as other information.

Field Description
Report Description The description that you see when using the Reports window in Acctivate. Can be up to 50 characters long.
Report The name of the .rpt file will be displayed below the report description. If this is a customized report file that has been checked into the database, then "Customized Report" will appear in red text to the right of the report file name. Otherwise, Acctivate's standard report is being used.
Permission Group This determines which user permissions affect this report. Typically, the Permission Group will correspond to the top level folder it's in, however it doesn't necessarily have to. For example, if a report under the "OrderProcessing" folder has a Permission Group set to "Purchasing" and a user does not have permissions to view purchasing reports, that user would not have access to the Purchasing report folder or any report with the "Purchasing" Permission Group in other folders. "None" can be used if you don't want the report to show up in the report catalog.
Document Type The Document Type allows you to define a report as a document that is printed from another window, such as the Enter Sales Order window, Edit Customer window, or Dashboard. If a report has a document type assigned, the report will not show up in the Report Catalog, it will only show up in the window where the document is printed from.
  • Business Activity Form: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Activities List or Enter Business Activity Window.
  • Credit Memo: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Sales Order Manager, Sales List or Enter Credit window.
  • Credit Memo Invoice: Reports with this document type can be selected when creating a credit invoice. They can also be printed from the Customer Credit window.
  • Credit Memo Other Form: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Action menu of the Enter Credit window.
  • Customer: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Edit Customer window or Customer List.
  • Dashboard Panel: This document type makes the report available for inclusion in the Dashboard Panel; it will not be available in the Report Catalog.
  • Inventory Assembly: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Enter Assemblies window for unposted assembly transactions.
  • Inventory Receipt Form: Reports with this document type can be printed for Posted or Draft receipt transactions.
  • Inventory Reorder Proof: Reports with this document type are included in Print Proof menu of the Create Reorders Window.
  • Inventory Trace: This document type adds the report to the Track & Trace window.
  • Inventory Transfer Form: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Enter Transfer window.
  • Invoice Preparation Error: This document type adds the report to the final screen of the Create Invoices window and is used to print out the list of orders that were unable to be invoiced.
  • Job Invoice: Only used for CYMA versions of Acctivate.
  • Job Invoice Backup: Only used for CYMA versions of Acctivate.
  • Picklist: This document type adds the report to the Picklist window.
  • Picklist Pack List: This document type adds the report to the Picklist window and is used to print Pack lists for each order in the Picklist.
  • Product Information: This document type allows you to print this report from the Product List or the Edit Product window.
  • Product Label: This document type adds the report to the label menu of the Edit Product window.
  • Product Label (Lot/Serial): Not available for use.
  • Purchase Order: This document type is used for Purchase Orders. Allows printing the PO document from the Purchasing List or Enter Purchase Order window.
  • Purchase Order Product Label: Reports with document type can be printed from the Action... → Labels menu of the Enter Purchase Order window.
  • Sales Invoice: Reports with this document type can be selected when creating a sales invoice. They can also be printed from the Customer Invoice window.
  • Sales Order: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Order Manager, Sales List or Enter Sales Order window.
  • Sales Order Pick Ticket: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Action... → Print menu of the Enter Sales Order window. Used for pick tickets.
  • Sales Order Shipping Document: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Action... → Print menu of the Enter Sales Order window or Order Manager. Used for shipping documents such as a pack list or BOL.
  • Sales Quote: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Enter Quote window or Order Manager. Used for the sales quote document.
  • Sales Quote Other Form: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Action... → Print menu of the Enter Quote window or Order Manager. Used for additional sales quote documents.
  • Service Billing Proof: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Activity Billing Wizard.
  • Service Invoice: Reports with this document type can be selected when creating a service invoice. They can also be printed from the Customer Invoice window.
  • Service Message: This document type will make the report the document that is printed from Email window.
  • Service Order: Reports with this document type can be printed from the Order Manager, Sales List for Service Orders or Enter Service Order window.
  • Shipment: Reports with this document type will be available in the Packaging Manager window.
Do not overwrite changes to this definition during Acctivate Update Acctivate software updates may contain changes to default report definitions. For example, the report description, note, and selection prompts may be updated to be more accurate.

If this box is checked, no changes will be made to the Report Description, Permission Group, Document Type, Number of copies, Collate, or Note settings.

Report parameters and the report file used are not affected by this option. Report parameters and customized report files will not be changed, however it is possible that standard Acctivate reports could be updated by a software update.
Number of Copies Use this to define the default number of copies to be printed.
Collate If Number of Copies is more than one, you can check or uncheck the Collate option to collate when printing (the image example when checking or unchecking).
Note A note field that is visible in the Report Catalog. This field is used to give a detailed explanation of the report.

Selection Prompts

The Select Prompts tab is used to define which filters are available when running the report in Acctivate. Acctivate reports are made up of Data Views which contain a list of fields. Any database field that is in a Data View used in a report can be filtered on.

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand a top level folder and then click on a subfolder.
  4. Click on a report and then click on the Selection Prompts tab.
  5. In the Field field, click the ellipsis lookup button to view the database Views that are used in the report.
  6. Expand a View to see the list of database Fields that are in the View.
  7. Click on a Field and click Select to select a field.
  8. The Type column will fill in automatically based on the database field type, however in some cases it can beneficial to set the Type.
  9. The Prompt field is the text that appears when you run the report. Change this to be the user-friendly name of the field.
  10. If this filter should always be set to something other than "All", check the Required checkbox.
  11. Click Save.
Tip

To change the sequence of the report selection prompts, click Edit and drag a selection prompt row to a new position.

Field Description
Field Use the ellipsis lookup to lookup and select the field in the report that you want to filter on. You can filter on any field that is in a Data View used in a report, even if the field itself is not visible on the report.
Type The data field type. This will default automatically, but in some cases it can beneficial to set the Type. For example, if you add the field ProductClassID as a filter, it will default to text. That would require you type in the ProductClassID as text when filtering on that field. Instead, by setting the Type to "Product Class", you will be able to view a list of Acctivate Product Classes that you can select from when using the filter, rather than typing out the Product Class ID.
Prompt The text that is displayed for the filter in the Report Selection screen when you run a report.
Required When checked, this filter will require a user to enter some value every time. If unchecked, the report filter will default to All, but will also select more specific values.

The Print Pick Tickets, Print Quotes, Print Orders, Print Invoices, and Print Credit Memos functions found in the Sales menu require their corresponding forms to be configured with a "Ready to Print" report selection prompt. The selection prompt should be configured as:

Field Value
Field {DatabaseView}.ReadyToPrint
Type Boolean
Prompt Ready to Print
Required Leave unchecked.

When using one of the batch print functions mentioned above, Acctivate will only include forms that are ready to print, e.g. forms that have not yet been printed.

Printer Assignments

When previewing and printing reports, Acctivate will use the default printer for the workstation that is printing the report.

In some cases, you may want certain reports to use a different printer by default. For example, you may want all the Pick Tickets to print to a printer in the warehouse where the picking process starts. You may also want certain reports, such as labels, to print to a specific printer, such as a label printer.

A report can be assigned to use a specific printer. This printer assignment can be defined for all workstations, or you specify that the report get sent to a specific printer when the report is printed from specific workstation.

  1. Navigate to File → Manage Reports.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand a top level folder and then click on a subfolder.
  4. Click on a report and then click on the Printer Assignments tab.
  5. In the Workstation Name field, enter the name of the workstation or enter an asterisk * if this rule should apply to all workstations.
  6. Select the Printer Name by using the ellipsis lookup.

When the workstation prints this report, the printer in the Printer Name will be used.

Note

If you are printing to a printer that is not connected directly to the workstation, you will need to first share it or add it to the network so that it's visible.

Field Description
Workstation Name The Windows computer name that this rule applies to. For example, if the computer name is "OfficePC", that name should be entered in. Any time "OfficePC" prints this report it will be sent to the printer in the Printer Name field. If an Asterisk * is used, all workstations will use the printer in the Printer Name field.
Printer Name The name of the printer this report should be sent to if printed by computer in the Workstation Name field. Select a printer from the drop down, or use the "..." button to open the Printer Setup window for more advanced printer configuration.