Re: Rich text fields in reports

[Tauf Chowdhury]

They've been very helpful in trying to fix things. A lot has to do with the 
underlying Yellowfin platform too. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 28, 2016, at 5:38 PM, Jason Miller  wrote:
> 
> **
> Uh oh... Trouble in reporting paradise?
> 
>> On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 2:23 PM, Tauf Chowdhury  wrote:
>> **
>> Wait a few more months until my team beta tests smart reporting in 
>> production and works out all the bugs 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Dec 28, 2016, at 5:07 PM, Jason Miller  wrote:
>>> 
>>> **
>>> Ultimately this issue is what killed RTF usage in our homegrown Service 
>>> Desk form. We were able to handle everything except reporting. When people 
>>> created their own reports or if we created Crystal Reports (automatically 
>>> run with CRD) the HTML encoding was in the details field. Fixing messed up 
>>> reports was more important than having inline images and text formatting.
>>> 
>>> Yes, we could have stripped the HTML to a new field and had people use that 
>>> field for reporting but we didn't want the added complexity, to have to 
>>> maintain duplicate data, and make reporting more cumbersome for users.
>>> 
>>> I am assuming Smart Reporting can handle the RTF fields? I am waiting for 
>>> BMC to finally let non-ITSM customers use Smart Reports. It is my 
>>> understanding BMC has been trying to work out the licensing details with 
>>> Yellowfin but I haven't heard anything solid in over a year.
>>> 
>>> As for a Display Only form (or a DO field for that matter), I am not sure 
>>> how you would report off of it since it doesn't hold any data.
>>> 
>>> Jason
>>> 
 On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM, Fawver, Dustin  
 wrote:
 **
 Greetings!
 
 
 I am currently working on moving over to ARS 9.1.  We are currently using 
 ARS 7.1 in production.  On that system, one of our forms has a character 
 field named Details where any HTML-formatted content gets converted to 
 plain text.  The technicians click on a button which runs a macro that 
 creates an AR System report sent to the tech's printer.  The report 
 contains particular fields, but not all that are on the form.
 
 
 I have been able to successfully recreate the process using an Open Window 
 active link to both an AR System and a Web report.  What I have changed is 
 that the Details field on the development system has been set to Rich 
 Text.  This works beautifully on the form itself.  In the report, all of 
 the HTML tags are shown.  I've looked through the standard report pages in 
 the online BMC documentation.  I haven't found any sort of way to make it 
 work to where the HTML content is nicely formatted on the report.
 
 
 In case this matters, we don't have a Crystal Reports or a Business 
 Objects server to which to send a report.  I don't have Smart Reporting 
 available either as we're not running ITSM.  Do you think I need to create 
 a new display-only form with which to format the data?
 
 
 Thanks!
 
 
 --Dustin Fawver
 
 
 HelpDesk Technician
 
 East Tennessee State University
 
 (423) 439-4648
 
 _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
>>> 
>>> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
>> 
>> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
> 
> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_

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Re: Rich text fields in reports

[Jason Miller]

Uh oh... Trouble in reporting paradise?

On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 2:23 PM, Tauf Chowdhury  wrote:

> **
> Wait a few more months until my team beta tests smart reporting in
> production and works out all the bugs 
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Dec 28, 2016, at 5:07 PM, Jason Miller  wrote:
>
> **
> Ultimately this issue is what killed RTF usage in our homegrown Service
> Desk form. We were able to handle everything except reporting. When people
> created their own reports or if we created Crystal Reports (automatically
> run with CRD) the HTML encoding was in the details field. Fixing messed up
> reports was more important than having inline images and text formatting.
>
> Yes, we could have stripped the HTML to a new field and had people use
> that field for reporting but we didn't want the added complexity, to have
> to maintain duplicate data, and make reporting more cumbersome for users.
>
> I am assuming Smart Reporting can handle the RTF fields? I am waiting for
> BMC to finally let non-ITSM customers use Smart Reports. It is my
> understanding BMC has been trying to work out the licensing details with
> Yellowfin but I haven't heard anything solid in over a year.
>
> As for a Display Only form (or a DO field for that matter), I am not sure
> how you would report off of it since it doesn't hold any data.
>
> Jason
>
> On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM, Fawver, Dustin 
> wrote:
>
>> **
>>
>> Greetings!
>>
>>
>> I am currently working on moving over to ARS 9.1.  We are currently using
>> ARS 7.1 in production.  On that system, one of our forms has a character
>> field named Details where any HTML-formatted content gets converted to
>> plain text.  The technicians click on a button which runs a macro that
>> creates an AR System report sent to the tech's printer.  The report
>> contains particular fields, but not all that are on the form.
>>
>>
>> I have been able to successfully recreate the process using an Open
>> Window active link to both an AR System and a Web report.  What I have
>> changed is that the Details field on the development system has been set to
>> Rich Text.  This works beautifully on the form itself.  In the report, all
>> of the HTML tags are shown.  I've looked through the standard report pages
>> in the online BMC documentation.  I haven't found any sort of way to make
>> it work to where the HTML content is nicely formatted on the report.
>>
>>
>> In case this matters, we don't have a Crystal Reports or a Business
>> Objects server to which to send a report.  I don't have Smart Reporting
>> available either as we're not running ITSM.  Do you think I need to create
>> a new display-only form with which to format the data?
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>> --Dustin Fawver
>>
>>
>> HelpDesk Technician
>>
>> East Tennessee State University
>>
>> (423) 439-4648
>> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
>
>
> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
>
> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
>

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Re: Rich text fields in reports

[Fawver, Dustin]

Thanks for the input.  Unfortunately I don't have months to wait.  As far as 
the display-only form, I wouldn't run a report off of it.  I would simply 
instruct the techs to print the screen after the data has been populated.


--Dustin



From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) <arslist@ARSLIST.ORG> on 
behalf of Tauf Chowdhury <taufc...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 5:23 PM
To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: Rich text fields in reports

**
Wait a few more months until my team beta tests smart reporting in production 
and works out all the bugs ??

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 28, 2016, at 5:07 PM, Jason Miller 
<jason.mil...@gmail.com<mailto:jason.mil...@gmail.com>> wrote:

**
Ultimately this issue is what killed RTF usage in our homegrown Service Desk 
form. We were able to handle everything except reporting. When people created 
their own reports or if we created Crystal Reports (automatically run with CRD) 
the HTML encoding was in the details field. Fixing messed up reports was more 
important than having inline images and text formatting.

Yes, we could have stripped the HTML to a new field and had people use that 
field for reporting but we didn't want the added complexity, to have to 
maintain duplicate data, and make reporting more cumbersome for users.

I am assuming Smart Reporting can handle the RTF fields? I am waiting for BMC 
to finally let non-ITSM customers use Smart Reports. It is my understanding BMC 
has been trying to work out the licensing details with Yellowfin but I haven't 
heard anything solid in over a year.

As for a Display Only form (or a DO field for that matter), I am not sure how 
you would report off of it since it doesn't hold any data.

Jason

On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM, Fawver, Dustin 
<faw...@mail.etsu.edu<mailto:faw...@mail.etsu.edu>> wrote:
**

Greetings!


I am currently working on moving over to ARS 9.1.  We are currently using ARS 
7.1 in production.  On that system, one of our forms has a character field 
named Details where any HTML-formatted content gets converted to plain text.  
The technicians click on a button which runs a macro that creates an AR System 
report sent to the tech's printer.  The report contains particular fields, but 
not all that are on the form.


I have been able to successfully recreate the process using an Open Window 
active link to both an AR System and a Web report.  What I have changed is that 
the Details field on the development system has been set to Rich Text.  This 
works beautifully on the form itself.  In the report, all of the HTML tags are 
shown.  I've looked through the standard report pages in the online BMC 
documentation.  I haven't found any sort of way to make it work to where the 
HTML content is nicely formatted on the report.


In case this matters, we don't have a Crystal Reports or a Business Objects 
server to which to send a report.  I don't have Smart Reporting available 
either as we're not running ITSM.  Do you think I need to create a new 
display-only form with which to format the data?


Thanks!


--Dustin Fawver


HelpDesk Technician

East Tennessee State University

(423) 439-4648<tel:(423)%20439-4648>

_ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_

_ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
_ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_

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Re: Rich text fields in reports

[Tauf Chowdhury]

Wait a few more months until my team beta tests smart reporting in production 
and works out all the bugs 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 28, 2016, at 5:07 PM, Jason Miller  wrote:
> 
> **
> Ultimately this issue is what killed RTF usage in our homegrown Service Desk 
> form. We were able to handle everything except reporting. When people created 
> their own reports or if we created Crystal Reports (automatically run with 
> CRD) the HTML encoding was in the details field. Fixing messed up reports was 
> more important than having inline images and text formatting.
> 
> Yes, we could have stripped the HTML to a new field and had people use that 
> field for reporting but we didn't want the added complexity, to have to 
> maintain duplicate data, and make reporting more cumbersome for users.
> 
> I am assuming Smart Reporting can handle the RTF fields? I am waiting for BMC 
> to finally let non-ITSM customers use Smart Reports. It is my understanding 
> BMC has been trying to work out the licensing details with Yellowfin but I 
> haven't heard anything solid in over a year.
> 
> As for a Display Only form (or a DO field for that matter), I am not sure how 
> you would report off of it since it doesn't hold any data.
> 
> Jason
> 
>> On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM, Fawver, Dustin  wrote:
>> **
>> Greetings!
>> 
>> 
>> I am currently working on moving over to ARS 9.1.  We are currently using 
>> ARS 7.1 in production.  On that system, one of our forms has a character 
>> field named Details where any HTML-formatted content gets converted to plain 
>> text.  The technicians click on a button which runs a macro that creates an 
>> AR System report sent to the tech's printer.  The report contains particular 
>> fields, but not all that are on the form.
>> 
>> 
>> I have been able to successfully recreate the process using an Open Window 
>> active link to both an AR System and a Web report.  What I have changed is 
>> that the Details field on the development system has been set to Rich Text.  
>> This works beautifully on the form itself.  In the report, all of the HTML 
>> tags are shown.  I've looked through the standard report pages in the online 
>> BMC documentation.  I haven't found any sort of way to make it work to where 
>> the HTML content is nicely formatted on the report.
>> 
>> 
>> In case this matters, we don't have a Crystal Reports or a Business Objects 
>> server to which to send a report.  I don't have Smart Reporting available 
>> either as we're not running ITSM.  Do you think I need to create a new 
>> display-only form with which to format the data?
>> 
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> 
>> 
>> --Dustin Fawver
>> 
>> 
>> HelpDesk Technician
>> 
>> East Tennessee State University
>> 
>> (423) 439-4648
>> 
>> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_
> 
> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_

___
UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org
"Where the Answers Are, and have been for 20 years"

Re: Rich text fields in reports

[Jason Miller]

Ultimately this issue is what killed RTF usage in our homegrown Service
Desk form. We were able to handle everything except reporting. When people
created their own reports or if we created Crystal Reports (automatically
run with CRD) the HTML encoding was in the details field. Fixing messed up
reports was more important than having inline images and text formatting.

Yes, we could have stripped the HTML to a new field and had people use that
field for reporting but we didn't want the added complexity, to have to
maintain duplicate data, and make reporting more cumbersome for users.

I am assuming Smart Reporting can handle the RTF fields? I am waiting for
BMC to finally let non-ITSM customers use Smart Reports. It is my
understanding BMC has been trying to work out the licensing details with
Yellowfin but I haven't heard anything solid in over a year.

As for a Display Only form (or a DO field for that matter), I am not sure
how you would report off of it since it doesn't hold any data.

Jason

On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM, Fawver, Dustin 
wrote:

> **
>
> Greetings!
>
>
> I am currently working on moving over to ARS 9.1.  We are currently using
> ARS 7.1 in production.  On that system, one of our forms has a character
> field named Details where any HTML-formatted content gets converted to
> plain text.  The technicians click on a button which runs a macro that
> creates an AR System report sent to the tech's printer.  The report
> contains particular fields, but not all that are on the form.
>
>
> I have been able to successfully recreate the process using an Open Window
> active link to both an AR System and a Web report.  What I have changed is
> that the Details field on the development system has been set to Rich
> Text.  This works beautifully on the form itself.  In the report, all of
> the HTML tags are shown.  I've looked through the standard report pages in
> the online BMC documentation.  I haven't found any sort of way to make it
> work to where the HTML content is nicely formatted on the report.
>
>
> In case this matters, we don't have a Crystal Reports or a Business
> Objects server to which to send a report.  I don't have Smart Reporting
> available either as we're not running ITSM.  Do you think I need to create
> a new display-only form with which to format the data?
>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> --Dustin Fawver
>
>
> HelpDesk Technician
>
> East Tennessee State University
>
> (423) 439-4648
> _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_

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Rich text fields in reports

[Fawver, Dustin]

Greetings!


I am currently working on moving over to ARS 9.1.  We are currently using ARS 
7.1 in production.  On that system, one of our forms has a character field 
named Details where any HTML-formatted content gets converted to plain text.  
The technicians click on a button which runs a macro that creates an AR System 
report sent to the tech's printer.  The report contains particular fields, but 
not all that are on the form.


I have been able to successfully recreate the process using an Open Window 
active link to both an AR System and a Web report.  What I have changed is that 
the Details field on the development system has been set to Rich Text.  This 
works beautifully on the form itself.  In the report, all of the HTML tags are 
shown.  I've looked through the standard report pages in the online BMC 
documentation.  I haven't found any sort of way to make it work to where the 
HTML content is nicely formatted on the report.


In case this matters, we don't have a Crystal Reports or a Business Objects 
server to which to send a report.  I don't have Smart Reporting available 
either as we're not running ITSM.  Do you think I need to create a new 
display-only form with which to format the data?


Thanks!


--Dustin Fawver


HelpDesk Technician

East Tennessee State University

(423) 439-4648

___
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