Purpose and Key Concepts

The Reports module's purpose is to provide resources for data-driven decision-making. The concepts in the following ease the Reports module understanding:

Forms

Report Forms are Rich Text documents that can be saved to disk or visualized in displays. The content can include real-time tag values, tables, and symbols. These forms can be saved as Text or PDF files.

WebData

Web Data encapsulates everything needed to exchange JSON, XML, or HTML data with other applications or save its contents to a file. Web Data objects can also be used in displays, enabling interaction with web services and REST APIs.

Understanding the Report module

Overview

This module gathers data from several sources and levels coming from different locations. This data is organized and transformed from these data into relevant information, providing a valuable resource for the decision-making process.

Features Highlights

The Report module provides several powerful features, including:

• PDF and Text Reports: Generate visually appealing and informative reports in PDF or text format, complete with charts, tables, and other graphical elements.

• Forms: Design customizable and interactive forms to display real-time or historical data and capture user input, streamlining data presentation and management.

• WebData: Exchange data between external applications or services using web-based communication protocols like HTTP and RESTful APIs.

• XML and JSON Support: Import and export data in standard XML and JSON formats, enabling seamless data integration and management across systems.

• Web Services Integration: Interact with external applications or systems through HTTP and RESTful APIs, allowing access, manipulate, and share data in real-time.

• Scheduling and Notifications: Set up report schedules and email notifications to automatically deliver reports to stakeholders, keeping them informed of essential insights and updates.

• Template Customization: Create and modify report templates to meet specific project requirements, ensuring consistent and accurate data presentation.

Generating PDF and Text Reports

Create visually appealing and informative reports in PDF or text format, complete with charts, tables, and other graphical elements, to effectively communicate insights from your data.

Reading and Writing XML and JSON

Easily exchange data between FactoryStudio and external systems by importing and exporting information in standard XML and JSON formats, enabling seamless data integration and management.

Interfacing with Web Services

FactoryStudio's Report module enables seamless interaction with web services, facilitating data exchange with external applications and supporting various architectural implementations.

External Application Data Exchange

Leverage the power of web services to interact with external applications or systems, allowing FactoryStudio to access, manipulate, and share data through standardized communication protocols like HTTP and RESTful APIs. This enables integration with diverse software systems such as ERP, BI tools, and custom applications, enhancing data sharing and collaboration.

Architecture Implementation

FactoryStudio's web services integration supports various architectural implementations, such as Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and microservices. This flexibility allows for seamless integration within existing IT infrastructures, accommodating the unique requirements of each project and promoting a scalable, modular approach to system design.

Configuring the Report Module

Proper configuration of the Report module is essential to ensure efficient and reliable data presentation and exchange.

This section will guide you through the configuration process for each subtopic:

• Configuration Workflow
• Report Forms Configuration
• Forms RichTextEditor
• Creating WebDataDefinitions
• WebDataContentsEditor
• Reports Monitor

Configuration Workflow

Report Forms Configuration

You create text, formatting, and values using the text editor. To create or edit a report:

1. Go to Reports → Forms.
2. Select a report name or select the insert row (first row) to create a new report.
3. Enter or select information, as needed.

To change the report format between “portrait” and “landscape”, you need to change it in both NovaPDF (printer used by our Platform ) and the target printer.

Check How to Use Reports for additional information.

Forms RichText Editor

In the Forms Editor, you can design your form layout by dragging and dropping UI components (e.g., text boxes, drop-down lists, charts) from the toolbox onto the form canvas, and configure the properties of each UI component, such as data binding, appearance, and behavior.

To use the text editor:

1. Go to Reports → Forms Editor.
2. Create the text, tags, and formatting for the report.
3. Click Save.
4. Configure the report properties for the display dynamics or script that will run the report.

Check Dynamic Cell Colors in Reports for additional information.

Creating WebData Definitions

1. Go to Reports → Web Data.
2. Click the "Add" button to create a new Web Data entry, and fill in the following columns:

WebData Contents Editor

In the Web Data Editor, you can create, modify, or delete data entries according to your project requirements.

1. Go to Reports → Web Data Editor.
2. Select the WebData entry you want to edit from the list

Check the WebAccess REST API page for additional information.

Reports Monitor

The Reports Monitor allows you to manage and control report entries, providing an overview of the status and results of each report.

1. Go to Reports → Reports Monitor.
2. The Reports Monitor displays a list of report entries with the following columns:

Manage individual report entries using the "Play," "Pause," and "Stop" buttons located above the spreadsheet. These buttons allow you to manually start, pause, or stop report execution.

Review the status of each report entry to ensure successful execution and identify any issues that may require attention.

By utilizing the Reports Monitor, you can keep track of report execution and quickly identify and address any issues that may arise, ensuring smooth operation and accurate data presentation.

Working with the Report module

Runtime Execution

The runtime execution of the Report Module refers to the process of generating, viewing, and managing reports during system operation. The Reports Module has been designed to seamlessly integrate with the rest of the system, ensuring smooth runtime execution of all processes related to reports. This includes gathering data, transforming it into useful information, configuring reports, managing report forms, and even troubleshooting any issues that might arise during the runtime. Moreover, the Reports Module provides a range of functionalities to facilitate runtime execution such as runtime attributes, scheduling, notifications, and integration with PDF viewers and web services.

Saving and visualizing Report Forms

Report forms, created using the rich text editor, are an essential element of the Reports Module. They can incorporate real-time tag values, tables, symbols, and other components. Users have the ability to save these forms as text or PDF files on the hard drive or visualize them in displays. To save a report form, users need to input the necessary information, select the desired format (e.g., PDF, Text), and specify the save file name.

For effective visualization, saved report forms can be viewed directly within the platform or through a PDF viewer. Moreover, for direct visualization on the display, the use of the Report Viewer Component is recommended. This can be accessed through Display Drawing > Drawing and inserting the Report Viewer Component. To configure, simply insert the desired Report and print.

• Report: Select the Report Item
• Print: Tag element is added, and the OS printer configuration will be triggered with its value changes

Users also have the ability to configure the properties of reports to adjust the display dynamics or specify a script that will run the report. This includes the ability to assemble a PDF with all the alarm information, configure a tag trigger, and save the PDF with all alarm details. Users can configure the directory where the PDF will be saved and can choose the desired report formats, such as XML and PDF.

An example of how this can be accomplished is by inserting a tag into the report. This method allows for greater customization and control over the generated reports. This ultimately allows users to maximize the effectiveness of the Reports Module, tailoring it to their specific needs.

Exchanging Data using XML and JSON files

The Reports Module supports the exchange of data using standard XML and JSON formats. This allows users to import and export data between the platform and external systems seamlessly. This feature is particularly useful for integrating data across systems and managing it efficiently. Users can create XML and JSON files containing report data, which can be saved to disk or used to interface with other applications. Conversely, XML and JSON files can also be read and their data incorporated into report forms or other parts of the system.

GET and POST WebData to Web Services

The Reports Module is equipped with features to interact with web services using HTTP and RESTful APIs. Specifically, it supports GET and POST operations to fetch and send data to web services. WebData objects can be used in these operations, encapsulating the data in XML, JSON, or HTML format. The module allows users to configure the authorization settings, headers, and other required parameters for the data request.

Using WebData on Scripts

WebData objects can also be utilized in scripts, allowing developers to interact with external applications or systems programmatically. The Reports Module provides a dedicated WebData Code Editor for managing WebData scripts. This can be particularly useful when automating data exchange with other systems or when implementing complex data manipulation logic that cannot be achieved through the built-in configuration options alone.

Using WebData from Displays

Apart from scripts, WebData objects can also be used in displays. This allows data from web services and REST APIs to be directly incorporated into user interfaces, providing real-time or historical data visualization. Users can configure the properties of WebData objects to fetch data from specific URLs, and use the WebData Contents Editor to create, modify, or delete data entries according to their project requirements.

Troubleshooting and Best Practices

Troubleshooting and Common #Issues

The Report module may encounter some issues in its operation. Here are some common issues and their troubleshooting:

#Issue

Solution

Best Practices and #Recommendations

To ensure the smooth operation of the Report module, follow these best practices:

#Best practice

Recommendations

Report Runtime Attributes

The Report namespace exposes properties and methods of the .NET objects used by the Dataset Module execution. For more information on namespaces and objects, go to Objects and Attributes.

This section describes only some commonly used properties, for the full list properties and methods, go to the Namespaces Reference.

In this section...