New features in version 9.0.0.1

New features in OpenPages® 9.0.0.1 support IBM®'s continued goal to engage users, deploy use cases through tooling, and help teams learn with simplified information sharing.

This release introduces In-application reporting that uses a new view type that is called a Report view. Report views are created by using View Designer and are displayed as a tab on the object. The latest enhancements also allow users to easily print to PDF or export to Excel, streamlining the reporting process and enhancing collaborative efforts.

Questionnaire enhancements include the ability to enrich or modify fields on the asset related to the questionnaire, based on the responses to questionnaire questions.

In addition, we continue to improve the user Home page, workflows, view designer, filtering, and chart visualizations.

Customize the Home page welcome message

Administrators can now customize the welcome message on the Home page by editing the app.dashboard.home.title.greet application text. To learn more, see Modifying the Welcome message on the Home page.

Figure 1. Customizing the Welcome message on the Home page
penPages Solution Configuration>Object Types screen showing the app.dashboard.home.title.greet. panel with Welcome to OpenPages, %NM;! typed in the U.S. English field, followed by an image of the OpenPages Home page displaying a new welcome message that says, Welcome to OpenPages, Jane!

Filter by tags

Users and administrators can now build and save public and personalized filters based on tags. To learn more, see Adding filters to object types.

Figure 2. Filtering with tags
OpenPages Risk object type tab, with Filter button highlighted, followed by an image of the Export Risks window, with the Grid view radio button selected

Automatically apply changes from newly published workflows

Changes can now be automatically applied to in-progress workflows without the need to terminate and restart them. For more information, see Workflow definitions and workflow instances.

Set field values based on questionnaire responses

Automatically update fields based on responses to questionnaires. A response action sets the value of fields on objects based on the answers that a respondent provides in a questionnaire assessment. As a result, a simple questionnaire UI can be used to tier vendors, classify assets as high, medium, or low, and enrich inventory information based on user-provided answers. For more information, see Setting an object's field values based on a respondent's answers.

Figure 3. Configuring a response action
Open Page Response action screen.

Create and access a Report view

Create a Report view that displays specific information that users need. Report views are created by using View Designer. They are displayed as a tab on the object, in addition to the Task view, Activity view, and Admin view (where applicable). These views are read-only and can be printed to PDF for simplified governance and regulatory compliance (GRC) activity sharing. For more information, see Defining a Report View.

Figure 4. Creating a Report View
OpenPages Views tab with the New View panel expanded and the highlighted. The view Type menu expanded with Admin selected. The following screen shows a new view tab which displays the label, My New Admin View.

Add labels to views

A new Label field has been added to the View configuration. Unlike the view Name, you can edit the Label after a view is created. The label is displayed on the View grid and appears as the tab name on the Report view.

Figure 5. Adding a label to a view
OpenPages Views tab with the New View panel expanded . The Label field is highlighted and says, New view label. The next screen shows a new view tab with the title New View Label highlighted

Copy existing views

When you create a new view, you can now click Copy view to replicate the current view or copy an existing one. You can then edit the copy to meet your needs. Copying a view can be done when you create a view or when you use View Designer. Copying can be done on both custom views and read-only system views so that you can use out-of-the-box system views for custom views without having to re-create them from scratch. To learn more, see Copying a view.

Figure 6. Create a view by copying from an existing view
OpenPages Task View screen with Copy view button highlighted, follow by a Task View screen with the New view panel displayed. The final screen shows the Type menu on the New View panel expanded, and Task selected.

Print and export views

Export views as clean, easy-to-read reports in a few clicks. The export type depends on the view. Print to PDF by clicking Print Print button for the following views:

  • Task
  • Admin
  • Report

Export to Excel by clicking Export Export button for the following views:

  • Grid
  • Activity

By selecting Print Print button on a view, you can print a detailed view to PDF. The file can be printed or saved and shared as a PDF. Users can define a Print title, which displays on the report header and on the file name, when exported. It’s easy to read and excludes browser controls and navigation elements, such as buttons, search fields, menus, scroll bars, check boxes, and URLs. The exported file includes rich text, workflow status, tags, links to objects, and all tabular grid information. The report also captures the date and time of the export for auditability. For more information, see Printing a view to PDF.

Figure 7. Printing a Task View
OpenPages 2021 AML Payments - Notification Letter view opened with the print button highlighted, followed by the same screen with the Print window opened. The final screen show a printed view of the 2021 AML Payments - Notification Letter view.

To share data from the Grid or Activity view, click Export Export button to download a Microsoft Excel file.

Figure 8. Exporting data from a Grid View
OpenPages Risks view screen with the Export button highlighted, followed by the Risks view screen with the Export Risks window open and the Grid view radio button selected.

Filter data in the Activity view

New filter options are now available in the Activity view. You can refine your search according to specific dates, times, and users. To see how it works, read Viewing change history on the Activity tab .

Figure 9. Filtering the Activity view
OpenPages screen that displays the Library Theme - Data Governance Oversight Activity view. The Filter panel is expanded, showing the Start date, Start time, End date, and End time fields.

Customize charts with enhanced data sorting

Customize and sort chart data for more accurate visualization and analysis. Sort chart values according to field definition, or in ascending or descending order. For example, a chart that shows criticality always presents the High, Medium, Low in the same order rather than based on the aggregated amount. For more information, see Adding a chart diagram.

Figure 10. Sorting data in a chart
OpenPages Home page screen with the Design panel displayed. The Sort Direction menu is expanded, and Field definition order is selected.

Supported software in 9.0.0.1

OpenPages now supports Cognos® 12.0.1. Later 12.0.x continuous releases are also supported. For more information, see Prerequisite software for reporting servers.