Report Template Format
The report template defines the layout of the report. The template contains tags, which are interpreted by the report engine to display and format data.
A worksheet named Report in the final Excel file displays the generated report. The template is included, for reference, as a worksheet in the final Excel file and is named Template.
Worksheet Header and Footer
Define the header and footer on the tab of Excel.
The headers and footers on all shipped reports are in a standard format. The left section of the custom header displays a parameter tag to retrieve the report name, description, and filter name for the selected report. The right section of the header displays a parameter tag to retrieve the file name and description. If the file is a project, it also displays the status date of the project.
The left section of the custom footer displays the Deltek name. The middle section displays the page number and a tag to retrieve the scale factor caption. The scale factor caption is printed only if the report contains currency project data. You can define the scale factor caption printed on the report footer on the Style page of the Report Wizard. The right section of the footer displays the date the report is printed.
Worksheet
The worksheet defines the layout of the report. It contains tags and fixed text that are copied directly into the report.
Enclose tags in curly brackets, in the format {<tag>}.
The N in the tags represents the order in which a field comes as you selected in the Sub-Totals page of the Report Wizard. Instead of entering CriteriaN, you can also enter the actual order in which the field comes. For example, Criteria1 represents the first criterion you selected; Criteria2 the second criterion; and so on.
Section tags display in the first column of the report template. They define the report sections (for example, Page header, Report header, grouping, and so on). Tags/content that are included in the remaining columns on the same row are included in the section. These tags are necessary for the report to run.
The remaining columns define the actual Cobra data display on the report. The following are examples of tags that retrieve Cobra data:
| Sample Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| {CriteriaN.Title}{Right}{Insert} | This tag retrieves the criterion
Title, selected from the Sub-totals page of the Report Wizard, and displays it on each page of the report. Examples are
Control Account,
WBS,
OBS, or
Work Package.
Data displays on each page only if the tag in the first column has <Header>{Page}. N.Title prints the criteria names from the selected Sub-totals page of the Wizard for the number of criteria you select. If you indicate Criteria1.Title, Cobra prints only the title from the first criterion selected on the Sub-totals page of the Report Wizard. |
| {PeriodN.Title}{Right}{Insert} | This tag retrieves the periods from the calendar you selected on the Report Wizard and displays them on the report.
The {Right}{Insert} tag indicates the insertion of data before the column to its right. |
| {CriteriaN.Id}{CriteriaN.Description} | This tag retrieves the criterion name and description. Examples are 1.1.1.1/1400 Frame Design if Control Account is the selected criterion, or 01 Fuselage if Work Package is the selected criterion. |
| {CostSetN.Description} | This tag retrieves the description of the cost set. For each criterion, the cost set descriptions display. |
| {CostSetN.PeriodN.Value} | This tag retrieves the value for each cost set by calendar period. |
| {SUM(CostSetN.PeriodN.Value)} | This tag displays the sum of all periods. |
| {=Cell[R-2,C]-Cell[R-1,C]} | This is an example of a formula tag. This means that the value in the row preceding the current row of the same column is subtracted from the value two rows before the current row. |
Formulas are entered in the same format as any Excel formula.
Chart
The only way the report can plot against a chart is if the template contains a chart. You must create a chart in the template using Excel and the layout tags. The chart must have a layout tag such as <Header>{CriteriaN} in column A of the template for many criteria or <Header>{Criteria.1} for only one criterion.
Dummy sample data must be placed in the template so that the chart can plot. When the report runs, it is plotted against the real data. The format used in the template is the same format that is used in the actual report. This includes font, color, borders, and chart style. Formulas are also translated from the template to the report.
Report Header
All reports contain a header section in the report body. Some reports include column headers containing both the text and tags used to label the column. Other reports, such as CPRs, include a header section that follows specific standard formatting. Headers in formatted reports such as the CPR contain both the text and the tags to retrieve Cobra data.
Report Footer
Most reports contain a footer section in the report body. Use the footer section to indicate the bottom of the report.| <Footer> {Report} {PRINTIF}(DisplayReportOptions,True)} | |
| <Footer> {Report} {PRINTIF}(DisplayReportOptions,True)} | Report Options |
| <Footer> {Report} {PRINTIF}(DisplayReportOptions,True)} | Criteria: {ReportOptions.Criteria} |
| <Footer> {Report} {PRINTIF}(DisplayReportOptions,True)} | Calendar Set:{ReportOptions.CalendarSet} |
| <Footer> {Report} {PRINTIF}(DisplayReportOptions,True)} | Cost Sets:{ReportOptions.CostSets} |
| <Footer> {Report} {PRINTIF}(DisplayReportOptions,True)} | Filter:{ReportOptions.Filter} |
For these options to print at the bottom of the report, you must select the Display Report Options checkbox on the Save and Run page of the Report Wizard. The parameter <Property Name="DisplayReportOptions" DataType="Boolean" ReadOnly="0">1</Property> in the report definition must also be set to 1.
The types of display report options available depend on the report. If a report does not support a calendar set, the report footer does not contain a tag to display the calendar set.