Adding Controls to a Report
IBM® Cognos® Active Report offers several active report controls. For many controls, two different versions are available, a static version and a data-driven version.
Use the static version of a control when you want to manually define the values that the control can contain. Use the data-driven version of a control when you want the values that the control can contain to come from a data item. You can find active report controls by clicking the Toolbox icon .
When you add a control to an active report, you can convert the control to another type of control that is compatible. Select the control, click the More icon , and click Convert Control. For example, you can convert a data drop-down list control to a data iterator control.
Variable Text Items
Use variable text items to insert active report variables in a report. Variable text items are useful to show the value of a variable when an item in another control is selected. For example, you can use a variable text item as a title for a list that is linked to a drop-down list control. When an item is selected from the drop-down list, the item appears as the title of the list.
Row numbers
The active report row number tool adds row numbers that reflect the visible row number in the report. This is different from the report row number tool, which reflects the server calculated row number.
Static repeater tables
Use static repeater tables and data repeater tables to build a repeating structure of content. Repeater table controls allow you to create button bars or grids of custom content to control the content that appears in other controls. In data repeater table controls, the content that appears in the repeater table is driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a static repeater table when it is inserted in an active report.
The data repeater table is the repeater table data container that is available for all report types. The static repeater table is available in the Toolbox tab only when you are authoring an active report.
Decks and Data Decks
Use decks and data decks to show different objects and different data respectively based on a selection in another control. For example, in a deck, clicking a radio button in a radio button group control shows a list object while clicking a different radio button shows a chart object.
The following image shows a deck control when it is inserted in an active report.
Decks are composed of cards. In static decks, you define the number of cards in the deck and you insert the objects that you want in each card. This allows you to create cards that can contain different objects, such as pie chart in one card and a crosstab in another card. In data decks, the cards are defined by a data container or data items inserted in the deck, and a data item determines which card appears.
Tab Controls and Data Tab Controls
Use tab controls and data tab controls to define multiple pages for the same area of a report. In data tab controls, the tabs are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a tab control when it is inserted in an active report.
Button Bars and Data Button Bars
Use button bars and data button bars to add a group of push buttons. In data button bars, the buttons are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a button bar control when it is inserted in an active report.
In reports, users can click only one button at a time.
Toggle Button Bars and Data Toggle Button Bars
Use toggle button bars and data toggle button bars to add a group of buttons that change appearance when pressed. In data toggle button bars, the buttons are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a toggle button bar control when it is inserted in an active report.
In reports, users can click one or more buttons simultaneously.
Radio Button Groups and Data Radio Button Groups
Use radio button groups and data radio button groups to group a set of buttons that have a common purpose. In data radio button groups, the radio buttons are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a radio button group control when it is inserted in an active report.
In reports, users can click only one radio button at a time.
Check Box Groups and Data Check Box Groups
Use check box groups and data check box groups to group a set of check boxes. In data check box groups, the check boxes are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a check box group control when it is inserted in an active report.
In reports, users can select one or more check boxes simultaneously.
Drop-Down Lists and Data Drop-Down Lists
Use drop-down lists and data drop-down lists to provide a list of items that users can choose from. In data drop-down lists, the lists are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a drop-down list control when it is inserted in an active report.
In reports, users can select only one item at a time.
List Boxes and Data List Boxes
Use list boxes and data list boxes to provide a list of items that users can choose from. In data list boxes, the lists are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows a list box control when it is inserted in an active report.
In reports, users can select one or more items in a list box.
Iterators and data iterators
Use these controls to allow users to navigate or filter values in a control by clicking buttons such as previous and next. In data iterators, the iterations are driven by a data item that you insert in the control.
The following image shows an iterator control when it is inserted in an active report.
Discrete values sliders, continuous values sliders, and data discrete values sliders
These controls allow users to navigate or filter data using a slider bar. Discrete and data discrete values sliders allow users to slide between individual values, such as months. In data discrete values sliders, the values are driven by a data item that you insert in the control. With continuous values sliders, users slide through numeric values between minimum and maximum values that you define, such as 0 and 100.
The following image shows a discrete value slider control when it is inserted in an active report.
Buttons
Use buttons to add individual push buttons to a report.
The following image shows a button control when it is inserted in an active report.
Report prompts and iFrames
With these tools, you can use an active report as a prompt to launch and filter target reports, or to launch external web pages. Similar to drill-through, links are created from the active report to other reports or external web pages. Target reports and external web pages can appear in an iFrame in the current window, or in a separate window or browser tab.
The Report prompts tool opens a window where you specify the target report that you want to open. IBM Cognos Analytics - Reporting creates the necessary controls and variables.
If you insert an iFrame tool, you must create the necessary controls and variables to launch a target report or external web page.
Data Containers
Lists, crosstabs, charts, maps, visualizations, and repeater tables are also controls in an active report, as you can add interactive behavior to them.
In addition, a list container called a data list is available when you are authoring an active report. Data lists offer better performance than regular lists, because they are run on the client workstation or device instead of on the Cognos server. Data lists are scrollable and have pinned headers. Other features include applying a sequence of colors to the list rows, and replacing column values with a microchart.