Form of output

There are three different forms of output available for reports created with report writer: window, database and .csv File. You will need to provide different additional information, depending on the form of output you select.

Window

This option will display the report results in a window. It is useful when you want to see the results of your schedule quickly on the screen. The results can be printed from a window, however they cannot be graphed. As soon as the window is closed, the results are lost and must be re-generated by running the report again.

report writer form of output

Database

The report results can be sent to a database which is called a results database. From a results database, it is possible to print the results, graph the results and run an XCM over the results to do further and more complex calculations than are possible with report writer reports.

report writer form of output 2

When this option is selected you must also specify a name for the database and the database build option. The database build options are as follows:

•	Create Database - This options will delete the specified results database (if it exists) and create a new results database. All templates, etc. that have been created in the results database prior to running the report will be lost.

•

Clear from Start Period - This option does not delete the results database, but it clears all data fields from the start period to the finish period selected in the report writer when creating the report. This option should be used with care as it is possible to mix results from an old schedule with results from the latest schedule, in the one results database. Unless this is specifically required, it is better to use the option Clear for All Periods. Since the database is not deleted with this option, all of the templates in the database are retained each time the report is run.

•

Clear for All Periods - This is the best option for most situations. It does not delete the results database, but it clears all data fields for all time periods in the database. It is therefore not possible to accidentally mix results from different schedules. Since the database is not deleted, all of the templates in the database are retained each time the report is run.

CSV file

(This also applies to XLS files.)

The results from the report can be sent to a CSV (comma separated) file. This type of file can be read by many different software systems, in particular spread sheet systems. XPAC can also read CSV files. A CSV file has each item separated by a comma and text is contained inside double quotation marks ("").

report writer form of output 3

When the form of output is set to a CSV file, you must also provide the file name. If you type a name into the File Name field, the file will be saved in the same directory as the current XPAC project. If you want to specify some other directory, you should click the ellipsis button to the right of the File Name field.