The Report Generator

This chapter describes how you can use the Report Generator to create, run and print reports and report books.

Best Practices for Running the Report Generator and IBM Cognos Controller Link for Microsoft Excel
The next items apply to both Report Generator reports and IBM® Cognos® Controller Link for Microsoft Excel reports. These best practices help increase performance, avoid malfunction, and make working with reports easier.
Run Reports
You can use this function to run and print user-defined reports.
Create Reports
There are several ways to create and process the reports.
Create Report Books
You can use this function to collect several reports, including forms, into a report book. This makes it possible to generate a set of reports at the same time, rather than one at a time.
Calculation Reports
This function calculates simplified key ratios and indicators and stores them in the period value database table.
Calculate Fast Formulas
Here you can calculate simplified, static values and store them in the period database on calculation accounts.
Create Reports of Report Definitions
Here you can print system reports of all the user defined reports, report books, row definitions, column definitions and their settings, created in the Reports/Create window.
Print Reports on Definitions
The Reports/Definitions reports can be used to print reports relating to definitions that apply to reports and report books that exist in the IBM Cognos Controller database.
Generate Ad Hoc Reports
Ad hoc reports are used to generate reports that temporarily combine different identities like actuality, period, consolidation type, company, currency type and extended dimension. Only reports based on data entry forms can be used in ad hoc reports.
Launch the IBM Cognos Controller Link for Microsoft Excel
You can launch and log on to the Controller Link without using the Data Entry, Form Structure - Layout or the Report Generator functions.