I am currently working on a MS Access 2003 mdb file. This mdb file will be converted to an mde file before being published.
How do I go about enabling the reports function of MS Access after conversion? Is there a alternative (open source or free software) to the reporting in MS Access? Any suggestions?
Assuming you mean getting users to creat their own reports in the same FE MDE? This isn't possible as you can't open a form or report in design view in an MDE.
We suggest you give the power user a separate MDB linked to BE database. Along with some starter queries and tell them to "have fun". Providing occasional support on queries, explaining, for example, the difference between the joins.
Also I give my clients an Export to Excel button which copies the reports recordset to Excel. I do not attempt to use the report itself into Excel as that generally looks terrible.
Another issue is to consider why users want to create reports. I frequently get clients requesting two different reports on the same data, one with details, one just a summary. You can actually make that a single report and hide the detail section to get the summary report.
Also, many clients consider a report with different data but the same layout to be a different report, and what they really need is the ability to filter the report output according to their needs.
In my experience, both of these take care of 90% of the scenarios where users think they need to create reports.
Related
I have an Access database with a few tables and several queries. I already have this working perfectly in Access but my boss wants me to replicate the results using excel 2010. I have tried using the MS query inbuilt into excel but I can’t get the SQL query to do the same thing, I have asked several experienced people but they also didn’t know. I have decided to try a different approach.
The users need to regularly update the information in the tables and then re-run the queries. The result is then exported to excel for further manipulation. Would it be possible for me to make the database accessible via runtime. Could I have it so that the user puts all the tables that need updating as excel spreadsheets in a certain folder and then in VBA in excel have the runtime access application update the tables, run the queries and output the results in excel? The main thing is that the users won't have the full access application.
I have had a look around but couldn’t find much on this. If not, any other ideas would be greatly welcome.
From the Access wiki:
The runtime version allows users to view, edit and delete data, along
with running queries, forms, reports, macros and VBA module code. The
runtime version does not allow users to change the design of Microsoft
Access tables, queries, forms, reports, macros or module code.
Therefore, you can send code to the Access runtime version that runs queries that update your data, and have Excel linked to the tables that result from those updates.
I've been thinking of the best way to present reports to the end user. We've accumulated several dozen reports. Some are subscription-based and are exported into Excel or emailed out regularly but a large number are run on-demand.
There's the option of sending the users the direct link to the reports. We don't do this because it's not easy to find (they have to dig through emails or bookmark the link)
http://server/ReportServer/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?myreportrs:Command=Render
We've been embedding reports in sharepoint (or simply adding a link to the report). We're not using Sharepoint Integrated Mode. This has become a little unorganized where we have a large number of links to reports. I'm not sure what other solution exists..
SQL 2008, Sharepoint 2007
Depends on how much maintenance effort and instruction you want to provide. Some likely options include:
Use a SharePoint content page and hardcode a page with links to different reports.
Create a Sharepoint URL list linking to the different reports.
Create an SSRS report that is acts as a central index. This could either be a static page (a report without any data
source, just many static text boxes.) or a dynamic list of reports.
Depending on requirements you could query the SSRS databases and
use that as a central list.
My clients have generally found that a one of these, the Report Manager interface (/reports/), and emailing of specific report urls to be adequate.
Another option I once used: we created a formula (happened to be in Excel) that would create a url with the appropriate custom parameters to return just the data the user was interested in. Passed the parameters to SSRS as part of the URL. (Search on SSRS URL access.)
This is not about coding question. It's about Software (Database) Design.
Background: My office has a ADP database as front and SQL Server is a backend. There are a dozen of basic standard reports in the ADP file. End users slightly change reports every year such as adding some texts, changing logo, bolds, highlights. I help them back and forth for updating these. After they are ok with the report, I upload to the server so other users can use it. I do this over and over over the time (hundreds times). I think there should be a better way.
Recently, I test a new design by splitting Report and Database. I let user create a words file for the report that they like. I add MailMerge fields in the report after they're done. My users are very good in MS Words. In the database, I add standard MailMerge code. When users pick what template (docx) they want for a report then runs it, it works fine.
Question: Can I use MailMerge and MS Words as Report Generator instead of Access Report? if it's work fine, I will rollout to all the reports. I just want to miss anything before doing so.
Pro(s)
- Users can add any complex format to a report (almost anything you can imagine in MS Words, which you can't do in Access)
- I have less work. No recode, recomplie, or reupload.
Con(s)
- Report Desinger is run faster than MailMerge for a large report.
- Train user how to update MailMerge fields
Yes, you can use Word and MailMerge to create reports. However, keep in mind that you're giving up control, since users could edit the templates in a way that breaks your MailMerge.
I've been requested to implement a means of reporting on add/update/deletes on files stored sharepoint (MOSS 2007). After a little bit of research I found out sharepoint has out of the box document auditing which I enabled a couple days ago. I ran the report today, but excel spreadsheet was not very easy to look at.
Also I'm not positive of this, but I believe only site collection administrators can generate thsi audit report, and I dont really want to give the people who want these reports that much permission.
I'm curious what are some alternatives or recommendations? Should I try and get this information off the sQL Server and display it in reporting services, or perhaps try and build a include it in a dashboard?
Thanks
If you have access to the SSRS instance for SharePoint, you can get the report file. You can then make a copy and edit for the report you would like. permissions are a separate issue that can be tackled however you desire, especially if you create a copy and store as a new report.
I have MS Access reports that needs to be displayed in a crystal report in .net windows application. Is there any way to do it or some alternatives?
I am not sure about the right approach to complete this, can anybody help here?
Hum, I don’t think this is possible. I not aware that access reports can be converted or transferred to crystal reports anyway.
Remember, access reports have event code, and even can have code run in the report for EACH line of detail that displays. In other works, not only are access reports amazing, but they are fully programmable with VBA code embedded INSIDE of the report.
Because of this issue, you need ms-access running and loaded for those reports to work correctly (the VBA is required, and functions, and also that of sql queries..of which a report can be based on SEVERAL data sources and several tables all at the SAME TIME).
Even more worry is that there is not any kind of code or report converter here from ms-access to crystal reports. So, you never could in any way easy way transfer reports from ms-access to crystal reports.
You could attempt to embed ms-access as a com object, but all kinds of problems like page numbering etc. can’t really be controlled here if the report is to appear inside of the crystal report.
I STRONLY recommend that if you need some reports in crystal reports, then have the appropriate reports built in crystal and you avoid this whole mess. And, you avoid having ms-access in the mix. Or, dump crystal, and only use ms-access here.
Attempting to embed word, excel, pdf, or other com objects such as ms-access inside of some crystal report is formula for VERY unreliable applications. This is likely not possible, but even if it was, I would not let loose an application of this type. Heck, embedding pdf’s in a access report can’t even reliable work (they break after some stupid pdf update gets issued automatic). This type of mixed up systems near guarantee break when one or the other system has some automatic update occurring!
You start mixing up several applications and it will cost you buckets support trying to keep that mess running.
If you MUST take different reports from several different systems, then send out all the reports to pdf, and then use some pdf tools to combine them into one final pdf document.
Don’t try t mix reporting systems at the application level. It not reliable even if this was possible..