How do I create breaks, sub totals, and final totals in reports?

Level Totals - Sub Totals and Running Totals

You can create breaks or totals in your report at up to five different levels. These levels can be defined by placing the cursor on the line where you want to create a break or have created a total and then pressing the <mark> button. Select the appropriate level total and then press <mark end>.

Note that the total levels 1 thru 4 must correspond with the sort level in your report sequence.

For example, if you are sorting by department and then by month of hire, you could create a level 1 total for each month (total number of employees hired in January, February, etc.) and a level 2 total for each department (total number of employees in each department hired in January, February, etc.)

The final total level should be used at the end of a report to give a final total count.

The final total in the example above should be the total number of employees in the organization according to your report selection.

Breaks - Creating a space or characters which break one section of data out from the others.

This feature allows the user to create a break in the report every time there is a change in data within that field. For example, a company with three locations, A, B, C, needs a report comparing employees at each location. A break on Location Code will create three groups of records, one for each location.

Is there a way to copy reports, selections or sequences so that other may use them as a template for new reports?

This is a terrific option if you are familiar with your report library. By using existing reports as templates, you would be able to easily and quickly create new reports without starting over each time.

Many companies create a standard template directory. This is a set of report definitions which have standard headings and formats which are commonly used by department heads, officers, and other area’s to create a uniform report look. By effectively using the sequence and selection catalogs report creation can go even quicker. Be sure to look at security so the new template does not give blanket access to secure data, or lock out those users with low security who need the templates.

copY - The copy function allows the user to copy the defined report and save it with another name (similar to Save As in your word processor). When you click on the <copY> push button the SPECIFICATION COPY FUNCTION Screen will pop up.

Enter a new name and click <OK>. Make sure to change the descriptive name of the report! Now you can make any changes you want to the report definition and/or the painted screen.

This function can be used to change the classification, name and/or description of a report.

The following is a sample of a filled in change using the Report Change Classification/Name box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember to click-on <File> and select <Update> to save the reclassified report.

Define Import allows the user to create new imports or modify existing ones.

Before you actually begin entering data into the definition screens you may first want to examine and understand the data you are going to import. Following are some tips to think about:

1. What is the exact length and starting position of each field?

2. Are the fields I am importing data into alphanumeric fields or numeric fields.

3. Is there any data I am importing which should be "dropped" into more than one field in SPARQ? For example, will Hire Date also update the initial Job Date or Location Date.

4. Do I plan to import every piece of data in my data file, or will I select only certain ones?

5. Is the data in my import file currently in the order that I want it to be or does it need to be rearranged at the time of import?

6. Should I try a small test run?

7. Do I want to overwrite existing data?

8. Should I create history and/or audit files?

Here is an example of an import definition dialog box:

Name Begin by creating a useful name for your import. The field is 10 characters long. Click on the <Help> push button to view a list of already defined imports.

Desc The description field provides an opportunity to expand the name into a more detailed description of the file, where it came from or what it will be used for. The description may be up to 30 characters in length.

Database The <DD’s> push button is used to select the segment of the database where this data will be imported into. The significance of the database is that it permits you to select the fields into which the data will be imported. There is a logical order to the relationship of segments and databases.

Increment This field allows the user to control when the import should

Century by One increment the century portion of a date field based upon the

When Year Less data itself. For example, if you are importing retirement

Than dates, some may begin the century portion with 19 and others with 20. This field allows you to indicate a date to use in determining whether to increment the century to 20 or 19. The date you enter will tell the import to increment all dates for imported entries with a date LESS THAN this date. If you have several fields that have different cut-off dates, you will need to run a separate import for each.

Ln (Line) In order to more easily keep track of what line, or how many data elements have been entered, the Line feature keeps track of each data element for you. This field cannot be updated by the user.

Data Ele. This is where we define the SPARQ fields that we are going to import data into. You will notice that in our import, SSN is the first field for each record. If the first field in the import file is not the SSN, the user will see incorrect data on the screen or may receive an exceptions report.

The Data Element may be entered by clicking on the <DD's> push button at the bottom of the screen. Select the database which contains the field you are looking for, and then click on the segment where the data is to be imported. In the Search box, you may enter the first few letters of the data element name, and press <ENTER> for the system to search and find the field for you.

You may have a maximum of 70 fields in each import.

Field Start The Import Start Position specifies the start position of each data element being imported. This information is typically provided with the data file in the form of a "Record Layout". The Record Layout defines the starting position and field lengths for each of the fields contained in the file. This layout is usually provided by the individual who created the data file being imported into SPARQ.

Length The Import Length represents the length of the data element being imported into SPARQ. The combined value is the actual data field length.

J You must add an additional decimal place in the import length for any data field containing a decimal point. For example:

Default is an advanced function which can be very useful when importing large amounts of complicated data, or new records. The default will enter a specific value into a field, or will cause a specific format to be used on the data coming in.

Numeric Data On a numeric field, the default column will enter the defined values into any field which contains all zero's or blanks.

Alphanumeric A field which is found to have all spaces and a default value in the import definition will have the default value entered into the field automatically.

Date fields Since all SPARQ date fields require a format of MM/DD/CCYY, the default values for the import will allow the user to define the missing data at the time of the import. A field being imported with a format of MMDDYY can have a "19" entered into the default value and the CC portion of the date will be updated to make the full MM/DD/19YY.

The default function should not be used with the Social Security or Last Name fields.

Input Mask The Input Mask field displays the format of the data as it appears in the file that is being imported into SPARQ. To access a list of Data Masks for a particular data element, click-on the <select Mask> push button.

Clear Mask Clicking on this push button will undo the mask for that data element. The user may now enter another mask or leave it blank.

Once you have finished entering all of the information necessary, click on the <File> push button and <Update> to save your import definition.