WebFOCUS New Features v7.6.7 > WebFOCUS Client Enhancements > Preserving File Extensions and AS Names

I had read about this a while ago, but I only just implemented the 7.6.7 new feature and it works as advertised, coding "ON TABLE PCHOLD AS report-name FORMAT EXL2K" results in a File Download dialogue box with Name: report-name.xls instead of the default Name: WFServlet.xls.

I'm tickled pink and now will test to see what kind of report names can be used, how long can the file name be, can there be blanks, etc.

And we are in the middle of an upgrade to 7.6.6

We're at 7.6.8 and holding...

I can confirm this.

That actually works as described. Haven't tested the maximum length though...
Did do some testing with:

ON TABLE PCHOLD AS Output_&weeknr_&year FORMAT EXL2K

Works too... ( of course )

Lucky us.

But it does require a small configuration on the server. For this to work it must be configurated to offer the file to the end-user with the choice to download.

If you really want to know, I could ask the tech-guys..

Dave, I just followed the instructions in the link I provided, works like a charm.

I have yet to test this for Compound reports...

Don't rub it in too much.

Sorry, didn't want to rub it in.

We've recently bought WebFOCUS, didn't known you veterans had to live without.

You probably have knowledge of other cool things we are oblivious about.

ohh...we are also on hold regarding an upgrade...hopes to see at the earliest!!!!

We are running 7.6.10, and when I tested this what I saw is the first excel document still opens as 'WFServlet.xls', and the second time I run the report it opens as 'given_name.xmh'. The popup box that asks if you want to open or save displays 'given_name.xmh' as the name of the file even the first time through.

I just tested for compound reports. I placed 'as filename' in all reports, which are 5 different fexes, and it worked, but again, when opening the file first time through it was named 'WFServlt.xls', second time through it was named the name given in the AS statement.

linus, thanks for testing that out. I'll have to give it a try myself as I haven't encountered the problem you describe, though I'm on v7.6.8

I've been working with this feature and I'm still having problems. My problem is if a user runs a report in excel format, runs the same report with only changing the date range on the input query screen, then runs the report a third time again only changing the date range on the input query screen, the first report opens as 'WFservlet.xls', the second report opens with the PCHOLD 'AS NAME.xmh' assigned, the third report opens as WFServlet.xls' so the third report because it's named the same as the first doesn't open you just get the first report again. The popup box gives all three the 'AS NAME' but the prompt after that is where the first and third report get named 'WFServlet.xls'. I've changed my "Expire Reports" setting to '1', and selected 'No-Cache' from the Client Admin screen. I've tried generating a random number in the Input Query screen when submit is clicked, I've tried creating a random number and concatenating it to the AS NAME, neither resolved the issue. I'm open to any suggestions on how to resolve this issue. I'm running Office 2007, which may be the issue.

Thanks,

Linda

We are also having trouble with this. I can't quite figure out the magic combination of Redirect and Save settings for the .xmh, .xls, and .xht files. I don't think it is your version of Office because we see the same issues on 2003, 2007, and 2010.

With respect to Excel output (EXL2K, EXL2K PIVOT) I think the pattern I'm seeing is that when Redirect is set to YES you lose the AS NAME and you end up with WFServlet.nnn The problem with setting Redirect to NO is that large file sizes can cause issues with the browser timing out or losing interest in waiting and going to some other place that browsers go when they are bored.

Then there is the Save setting. If that is set to NO you get the IE security bar asking if it's OK to download the file and then you have to answer the Open/Save question. When that is all done you're still left with a blank browser window. If it is set to YES it goes straight to the Open/Save question and then the browser window closes automgically. BUT, in some cases, the AS NAME may be preserved but there is no extension to the file name. So, it's up to the user to figure out what extension to add.

We also found that if you monkey with the redirect settings you get strange behaviors from InfoAssist.

In the final analysis, we reverted to having Redirect set to YES and Save set to NO. The user has to deal with the IE security bar and rename the file something other than WFServlet but at least the behavior is consistent between MRE reports and InfoAssist and there is a file extension in place.

In a similar issue we found that we still need the SET WEBARCHIVE=ON statement in the Server Configuration file. Supposedly you don't need it as of 7.6.9 but in 7.6.10 turning it off causes other oddities.

I'm sure this won't directly help you but hopefully it will shed more light on the issue.

Cheers!

Dan

I am on 7.6.11 and because I am only outputing one EXL2K at a time I get WFServlet.nnn. My problem is I fire off two or three long running reports with my browser and get back a like number of WFServlet.nnn's rather than spreadsheets with the AS names I assign them. It would be much more useful for me if it would assign the AS name to each spreadsheet.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: M Meagher,

If you 'run deferred' you can open the deferred status page and download the files by clicking a button. This will avoid some confusion as to which is which.

Additionally, (I think more to the point of your post) I believe you need to be writing your output as a compound report if your desire is to get one spreadsheet with three tabs (per your example) instead of three seperate spreadsheets.

- ABT

quote:

Originally posted by M Meagher:
I am on 7.6.11 and because I am only outputing one EXL2K at a time I get WFServlet.nnn. My problem is I fire off two or three long running reports with my browser and get back a like number of WFServlet.nnn's rather than spreadsheets with the AS names I assign them. It would be much more useful for me if it would assign the AS name to each spreadsheet.

I'm on 7.6.10 and am having the same problem. No matter what my options are set to in the WF configuration console, my excel always downloads as WFServlet.xls.

Has anyone found the magical configuration to preserve the filename and extension?

Hello,
I have the same problem in generation a name for my csv file. I already try all the configurations that I read in the forum, but without success.

What I'm doing:
ON TABLE PCHOLD AS 'AREPORT' FORMAT COMT
This open the excel but the filename is WFServlet.csv.

If I try:
ON TABLE PCHOLD AS 'AREPORT.csv' FORMAT COMT
The return HTML is null.

I'm using webfocus 7.7.02.

Thanks,
Carlos Dias

Well.... I'm happy that so many of you, like Francis, are happy. But I'm not.

{EDITED}

I'm on 7702 and if I do:

ON TABLE PCHOLD AS TEST FORMAT EXCEL

it works as advertised, but if I do

ON TABLE HOLD AS TESTNAME FORMAT EXL97 (or EXL2K)

all I get is a save box with "Unknown file type"

Grrrrrr..... Why can't we have plain old .xlsx output, or better yet, ODS support.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: George Patton,

Don't forget that a client (WebFOCUS Admin Console) modification is required: http://documentation.informati....htm?url=topic41.htm

In v7.7.02, I set the "Set Report" parm for .xht, .xls, .xlsx, .xmh and .pdf to "yes", then tried ON TABLE PCHOLD AS TEST1 FORMAT EXCEL/EXL2K/PDF and it worked - I was provided with a Open/Save dialogue box with the file name correctly set. It did not work for EXL97, but I certainly wouldn't be using EXL97 in 2012.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Francis Mariani,

Still doesn't work... my redirection setting area is different from the one that the link that you provide.
In the following image you can see the changes that I made:
CSV


EXCEL


My window configuration area:


Thanks,
Carlos Dias

Works for PDF, EXL2K, EXCEL, COMT (csv), DIF, DOC, APDF, WP, PS, VISDIS (txt).

Does not work for COMMA (csv), EXL97, ALPHA (ftm), LOTUS.

If it does not work for a format you'd like it to work for, open a case with Tech Support.

Francis,

We are also having this problem with .xls files. Turning the Save Report option on worked great for EXL07, however, EXL2K ignores it and continues to show the report name as WFServlet.xls in addition to giving the warning message about file extension. My question to you is, what does your Redirection Setting show under Server Extension for WebFocus extension .xls? Currently, ours shows EXCEL.

Thank you,
Brad.

It isn't working in the environment I am working at the present. I have several Excel/WF issues that I cannot solve. It seemed so good in the 7.6 world and not so good in the 7.7 world.

I wonder how it will be in the 8 world ?

For EXL2K set the redirection setting for xmh or xht based on WEBARCHIVE (ON by Default)
I am having trouble with the size of the report generated though. But when Excel saves it on the client side in XLS format it iis small.. Only the xmh file that Webfocus generates is huge. I will open a new thread for that.

Yes, this "AS 'File Name'" works fine with COMT:

ON TABLE PCHOLD AS 'DOUGS_REPORT' FORMAT COMT