Run User-Defined Reports and Forms

The list of reports and forms can be sorted in two ways on the screen.

The first way is to have user-defined reports (including reports that contain calculation formulas) and forms listed separately after one another. The reports that are displayed under the expandable reports heading in the list box are created on the Reports/Create menu or in the IBM® Cognos® Controller Link for Microsoft Excel (saved as a report generator report). The forms that are displayed under the expandable forms heading in the list box have been created on the Maintain/Form Structure/Define menu and are the same forms that are available for entering period values.

The second way is to have user-defined reports (including reports that contain calculation formulas) grouped after which report book they are included in. Please note that a report or form can be included in multiple report books. The report books are created on the Reports/Report Books menu.

Show Zero Values

Select the Show Rows or Show Columns check boxes when you want rows or columns with no values included in the reports. Rows or columns with no values will otherwise be hidden. This option is only valid for reports.

Report Conversion

You can select if the report should be converted from the standard report format, which is No Conversion. The report conversion functionality applies to reports only, not forms, and is only working when you use Save As, Send to Application or Send as e-mail (and choose Microsoft Excel). The functionality is not working with Print or Preview.

  • Values - The report will only contain values, not formulas. All functions are copied and then pasted as values into the same sheet. Use this kind of report when you, for example, want to make a presentation. This is the second fastest way to run a report.
  • No Conversion - This is the standard report format. It is also the fastest way to run a report.
  • IBM Cognos Controller Link for Microsoft Excel - Here the report will be converted into the IBM Cognos Controller Link for Microsoft Excel format. This means that an Controller Link report will automatically be created. This report can be updated by clicking F9/Refresh, instead of running the report again from the Report Generator.

View Reports in Another Application

If you select a report and click the button Send to Application, you can choose to process the report with one of the following applications:

  • xlsx - Microsoft Excel
  • csv - comma separated
  • htm - a standard web browser or the application that is defined to open files with the file extensions .htm and .html.

This option is not available when running a report from the Controller Link.

Note: The Send to Applicationfunction should only be considered as a way of output. If you want to continue working with a report, for example in Excel, choose Reports/Create in IBM Cognos Controller or in Excel. After that, the report can be saved using Save Report. To run the report from Excel, choose Controller/Reports/Run Report. You can also open a report, created in IBM Cognos Controller, in Excel. On the Add-Ins tab, click Controller >Reports > Open Report menu (Excel 2007).