Adding an Export to PDF event action

Use the Export to PDF event action to export specific components of a visual dashboard to a PDF file.

About this task

The Export to PDF event action allows you to select specific components of a visual dashboard that you want to export to a PDF file, while excluding those that are unnecessary or extraneous. This is useful for situations where a visual dashboard has a recurring graphical object, like a header, that would take up unneeded space in a printed format.
Restriction: In the HTML5 mode, the content of Google map and map objects cannot be exported in this action.

To add an Export to PDF event action to an object:

Procedure

  1. Select the object in the editor window and double-click the event that you want to trigger the jump from the Events view.
    The [objectname] Behavior window opens.
  2. Click the Add New Action icon.
    The Add New Action window opens.
  3. Select Export to PDF in the actions tree.
    Note: To quickly find the required event action, type the name of the action in the filter text field.
  4. Click Next.
    An Export to PDF specific window opens.
  5. In the Export type radio group, select one of three radio buttons:
    • Open. It opens Save As dialog. Enter the name of the file in the File name field to save it.
    • Save to a temp file. It saves the generated file in a temporary directory. The path to this file is recorded in a global or local parameter. You specify the parameter in the bottom of the window.
      • Select either Global parameters or Local parameters from the Result parameter drop-down list.
      • Click Add New Parameter. The Insert Parameter window opens.
      • Enter a name for the parameter and its description in the Name and Description fields.
      • Select a parameter type. The valid types are FilePath, Literal, and Text.
      • Select the Has default value check box and specify the full file path in the text field; for example, C:\DOCUME~1\<user>\LOCALS~1\Temp\<software_product_name>\reporter-<user>\pdf\..
    • Save to a file. It automatically saves the generated file in a specified root directory when the event occurs.
  6. If you select Save to a file check box there are several ways of building an export path, depending on the directory which can be specified in the Root output directory field on the Server-Side File System page of the Preferences window:
    • When the output root directory is specified, the export directory of the file will be combined of the root output directory and the path typed in the Path field.
    • In QMF for Workstation when the output root directory is not specified, the export directory of the file will be a combination of the application working directory and the path typed in the Path field.
    • In QMF for WebSphere® when the output root directory is not specified, the export directory of the file will be a combination of the temporal directory and the filename, the typed path is ignored
  7. To filter the available dashboard components, specify a string in the type filter text field.
    Only the components that have names that contain the specified string will be displayed in the Export data tree. If you selected Save to a temp file or Save to a file, the Result options section is active.
  8. If you did not previously specify the directory parameter, select either Global parameters or Local parameters from the Result parameter drop-down list and click the Add New Parameter button.
    The Insert Parameter window opens.
  9. Specify a necessary parameter and click Finish.
    The Insert Parameter window closes and control returns to the Add New Action window.
  10. Select the parameter that you want to use from the Result parameter drop-down lists and click OK.
    The Add New Action dialog closes.
  11. From the [objectname] Behavior window, click Apply to apply all actions that have been added for the event.
  12. Click OK to close the [objectname] Behavior window.