so may choices...that I am uncertain what to choose. WF Publish utility,Layout Painter, FrontPage, Dashboard...

Can anyone provide facts or opinion as to the easiest/cleanest way to publish reports for web/GUI?

Using 5.2, DevStudio. I have the data and the reports but keep jumping between the various methods. Initially I'll provide canned reports, then drilldown options, perhaps via OLAP. Something like the Century Corp Demo looks like the goal.
Thanks

Hello Mipper.

-Developers with access to Dev Studio should use the Resource Layout Painter for publishing reports to the web. This is true for all environments (local, remote, MR).

-End users creating ad hoc reports should use the Managed Reporting Publish facility.


My $.02.
Monica

First, don't use Publish. That's an old method used for simple launch pages. I wouldn't recommend that at all. Next is Resource Layout. Depending upon what release you have and what you want to do, this might be an option. RL is good for dynamic drop downs and makes some other things easier. You will however have a very hard time doing Century Corp type things there. You're bext bet would be to use something like MS FrontPage. This takes more coding but you have complete control. If working in MRE, make sure you pass all of the necessary MRE parameters.

Mipper,

I would recommend using the Resource Layout Tool to build the Web front ends. As of Dev Studio 5.2.3 and higher, there is great functionality to be had with parameterized reports.

Try this:

Assuming you have access to the CAR files, and you're at least on 5.2.3, copy and paste this code into a new procedure:

-* File mipper.fex
-* Default Mode: Report FEX
TABLE FILE CAR
SUM
SALES
BY
COUNTRY
BY
CAR
BY
MODEL
ON TABLE SUBHEAD
"Sample Parameterized Report for Mipper"
WHERE ( COUNTRY EQ &COUNTRY.(OR(ENGLAND,FRANCE)).Country:. ) AND ( CAR EQ &CAR.(OR(JAGUAR,PEUGEOT)).Car:. ) AND ( MODEL EQ &MODEL.(OR(TR7,V12XKE AUTO,XJ12L AUTO)).Model:. );
ON TABLE SET PAGE-NUM OFF
ON TABLE NOTOTAL
ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT '&WFFMT.(HTML,PDF,EXL2K).Select type of display output.'
ON TABLE SET HTMLCSS ON
ON TABLE SET STYLE *
UNITS=IN,
PAGESIZE='SCREEN',
LEFTMARGIN=0.000000,
RIGHTMARGIN=0.000000,
TOPMARGIN=0.000000,
BOTTOMMARGIN=0.000000,
SQUEEZE=ON,
ORIENTATION=PORTRAIT,
$
TYPE=REPORT,
BORDER=LIGHT,
BORDER-COLOR='SILVER',
FONT='ARIAL',
SIZE=9,
COLOR='BLACK',
BACKCOLOR='NONE',
STYLE=NORMAL,
RIGHTGAP=0.125000,
TOPGAP=0.013889,
BOTTOMGAP=0.027778,
$
TYPE=DATA,
COLUMN=N1,
SIZE=9,
COLOR='WHITE',
BACKCOLOR=RGB(197 197 137),
$
TYPE=TITLE,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=TABHEADING,
BORDER=OFF,
SIZE=12,
COLOR='WHITE',
BACKCOLOR=RGB(128 128 64),
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=TABFOOTING,
SIZE=12,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=HEADING,
BORDER=OFF,
SIZE=12,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=FOOTING,
SIZE=12,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=SUBHEAD,
SIZE=10,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=SUBFOOT,
SIZE=10,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=SUBTOTAL,
BACKCOLOR=RGB(210 210 210),
$
TYPE=SUBTOTAL,
BY=1,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=ACROSSVALUE,
SIZE=9,
$
TYPE=ACROSSVALUE,
ACROSS=1,
SIZE=9,
COLOR='BLACK',
BACKCOLOR=RGB(197 197 137),
$
TYPE=ACROSSVALUE,
ACROSS=2,
BACKCOLOR=RGB(231 228 247),
$
TYPE=ACROSSTITLE,
STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=GRANDTOTAL,
BACKCOLOR=RGB(210 210 210),
STYLE=BOLD,
$
ENDSTYLE
END


Now create a new procedure in the Layout tool. Once in the Resource Layout, add a button.

Right click the button, Button Properties, then Create Hyperlink. Add a Hyperlink that to RUN REPORT, and specify the new procedure you just created with the above FEX.

Note that all the parameters are automatically inserted for you.

Optional: Once the fex is imported into the Layout Tool, you can change the parameters from Static to Dynamic, and link them together. So for example, if you click on Italy for the country, it won't show you Datsun for cars, etc.

Hope this helps...