Use case: How to work with report script templates

This use case illustrates how you create your own report script from a report script template.

Report script templates are predefined report scripts, which you can adapt according to your requirements in the design view of Script Editor. No programming knowledge is necessary to create a report script in design view.

You can create, edit, export, and import report script templates.

To create report scripts using report script templates, you need to be familiar with ARIS Method.

Scenario

You want to evaluate EPCs in your database using a report. In particular, you want to output all EPCs as graphics and a list of the functions contained including a detailed description and information on times and costs. Your report should be executable on all groups of your database.

To do this, you create a report script from a report script template and set the relevant queries.

Perform the following steps.

Create report script

Use a predefined report script template to create a new report script that you adjust to meet your requirements.

Procedure (quick video)

  1. In ARIS Architect, click ARIS > Show Administration Administration.

  2. Double-click an ARIS server in the Navigation bar.

  3. In the navigation tree, click the folder Evaluations Evaluations > Reports.

  4. Right-click the category to which you want to assign the report script or create a new category.

  5. Select New > Report.

  6. The Script Wizard opens.Specify the entries in the required languages. Entries for which a string table is specified in the script should imperatively be specified in all languages. Name and description are especially important.

  7. Click Next.

  8. Select Group as the context.

    This ensures that the report can be run for all groups of a database.

  9. Click Next.

  10. Select Use report script template (design view).

  11. Select the Blank template.

  12. As output formats, select HTML and RTF.

    This allows the report to be output in HTML or RTF format.

  13. Click Next.

  14. Select Use cover page.

    This results in a cover page being output during report creation, which you can then set up.

  15. Click Finish.

    The report script is based on the selected template, opens in design view, and is saved in the selected category.

  16. To hide the cover page displayed, click the Collapse (n_icon_expand) button in the Structure column.

Your report script now looks as follows.

Example: Blank template report script in design view

Blank template

Set cover page

A cover page in the report is to provide title and date. You can insert the relevant text fields in the cover page.

Procedure (quick video)

  1. To display the cover page, click n_icon_collapse Expand in the Cover page row of the Structure column.

    The cover page is displayed.

  2. Click anywhere in the displayed cover page and enter the title as text, for example, Evaluation of EPCs in selected groups.

  3. Insert a line break behind the title.

  4. In the new line, enter the text Date:.

  5. Insert a text box behind it to display the current date.

    1. Right-click behind Date: and select Insert > Insert text field Text field.

    2. Select Date for the text box.

    3. Click OK.

  6. Select the line with the title, and, in the tab bar, select SansSerif as the font type, 20 as the font size, Bold as the font style, and Centered as the alignment.

  7. Click the Collapse (n_icon_expand) button in the Structure column.

    The cover page is hidden.

The cover page is set and is displayed reduced to one line. The current date of the text box is inserted when the report is run. The cover page of your report script looks as follows when it is expanded.

Example: Cover page section of the report

Cover page

Set header and footer

In headers and footers general information is output, such as company name, report name, date, and page numbers. You can insert the relevant text fields in header and footer.

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Insert a formatting table with one row and three columns in the header.

    1. Click the header of the Contents column.

    2. Click Insert > Insert formatting table Formatting table in the Start tab bar.

    3. Enter 1 for Number of columns and 3 for Number of rows.

    4. Click OK.

  2. Add content to the header.

    1. Click in the left column of the formatting table.

    2. Click Insert > Insert image Image in the Start tab bar.

      Select an image you want to insert as a logo and click OK.

    3. Click Align left (Align left) in the Start tab bar.

  3. Click in the middle column of the formatting table.

    1. Click Insert > Insert text field Text field in the Start tab bar.

    2. Select the Report name text box.

    3. Click Centered (Centered) in the Start tab bar.

  4. In the same manner, in the right column of the formatting table, insert the text Date: and a Space followed by a Date text box.

    Align the text to the right.

  5. Click in the page footer and insert the text and text boxes for displaying the page number.

    1. Enter the text Page of.

    2. Insert a text box Page number behind Page and a text box Total pages behind of.

    3. Select both text boxes, and apply the Bold font style.

    4. Click Align right (Align left) in the Start tab bar.

The text and text boxes in the header and footer are now set. Your report script now looks as follows.

Example: Text, logo, and text boxes

Labeled report script

Insert table of contents

A table of contents is to be inserted automatically. You can insert a corresponding text field in the report script.

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Click anywhere in the report script.

  2. Click Insert > Insert text field Text field in the Start tab bar.

  3. Select the Table of contents entry from the Available text fields list.

  4. Click OK.

A Static area section with a Table of contents text box is automatically inserted. The table of contents is automatically created and displayed when the report is run. Your report now looks as follows.

Example: Report with table of contents

Table of contents

Insert group path as heading

The group path of each group is to be output as a first-level heading. To output the heading for each group, you must insert the heading in the Structure of report scripts in the design view area of the Selected groups section.

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Click in the repetition area of the Selected groups section, and enter the text Group path.

  2. Click Insert > Insert data field Data field in the Start tab bar.

  3. Under Items of: Selected groups, select Group path as the data field.

  4. Click Next.

  5. Click Finish.

  6. In the Start tab bar, select the format Heading 1 in the Font format box.

The heading for outputting the group path is displayed in the report script template. Your report script now looks as follows.

Example: Heading with group path

Heading

Insert EPC graphic as query

All EPCs of the selected groups are to be queried and output as graphics. Moreover, the name of each model is to be displayed as heading of the corresponding model.

For this purpose, you insert a subsection for the relevant query in the repetition area, define the data for the query, and output the heading and the EPC graphic using a data field.

Insert subsection

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Insert a line break behind the heading for the group path.

  2. Click Insert > Insert section here Section here in the Start tab bar.

    The Create section Wizard opens.

  3. Click Next.

  4. Select the Model list (filterable by type) item under Items of: Selected groups in the Available data list, and click Next Add to repetition.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Select the EPC model type under Model types in the Parameters group box.

    Only models of type EPC are queried.

  7. Enable the Recursive option.

    All subfolders are included in the query.

  8. Select Name in the Sort by selection box.

  9. Click Finish.

A subsection is inserted with a query for all models of the EPC type.

Insert process name as heading

Procedure (quick video)

  1. In the repetition area of the new subsection, enter the text Process:.

  2. Insert a data field behind it for displaying the process name.

    1. Click Insert > Insert data field Data field in the Start tab bar.

      The Insert data field wizard opens.

    2. Select the Name item under Items of: Selected groups.Model list (filterable by type).

    3. Click Next.

    4. Click Finish.

  3. Use Heading 2 to format the text.

A heading which outputs the names of the individual EPCs is inserted.

Insert graphic as data field

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Insert a line break behind the heading.

  2. Insert a data field with the Graphic data element under the heading.

    1. Click Insert > Insert data field Data field in the Start tab bar.

      The Insert data field wizard opens.

    2. Select the Graphic item under Items of: Selected groups.Model list (filterable by type).

    3. Click Next.

    4. Click Finish.

A data field which outputs all graphics of the individual EPCs is inserted. Your report script should now look as follows.

Example: Query for model type with output of name and graphic

Queries

Insert attribute list as data table

A list of the functions contained in the individual EPCs is to be output. Moreover, the specified descriptions and the data on time and costs are displayed in each case.

For this, insert a data table in the repetition area of the EPC query. The data table queries all functions of the EPCs, and the name, description, time, and costs of the functions are output using data fields.

Insert data table

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Click in the repetition area of the subsection of the EPC query.

  2. Click Insert > Insert data table Data table in the Start tab bar.

    The Create data table wizard opens.

  3. Enter 4 for the Number of columns.

  4. Enable the Has header and Repeat table header on each page options as well.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Select the Object definitions (filterable by type) item under Items of: Selected groups.Model list (filterable by type).

  7. Click Next.

  8. Select the Function object type under Object type in the Parameters group box.

  9. Select the sort criterion Name under Sort by in the Sorting group box.

  10. Click Finish.

A new subsection is inserted with a data table that queries the functions of the individual EPCs.

Format the header of the table

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Select the first row of the data table.

  2. Right-click the selected rows.

  3. Click Format > Format cell.

  4. Set a Background color you like by clicking the color selection box and selecting a color.

  5. Click OK.

  6. In the headers of the individual columns, insert the following titles: Functions, Description, Average processing time, Costs.

  7. Select the header, and select Table header as the template in the Start tab bar.

The first row of the data table is displayed with a colored background and individual column titles.

Insert data fields

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Right-click the second row under the title Functions.

  2. Click Insert > Insert data field Data field in the Start tab bar.

  3. Select the data element Name.

  4. Click Next.

  5. Click Finish.

    A data field which lists the individual function names of an EPC is inserted.

  6. In the same manner, in the second row of the Description column, insert a data field with the Attribute (filterable by type) data element and the Description/Definition attribute type.

  7. In the remaining columns, insert additional data fields with the Attribute (filterable by type) data element in the same way.

    1. For the Average processing time column, select the Average processing time attribute type.

    2. For the Costs column, select the Costs attribute type.

The individual queries are inserted into the second row of the data table. Your report should look as follows.

Example: Queries in a data table

Data table

Run report script

You can run your report script in design view and output the report in your preferred format.

Procedure (quick video)

  1. Right-click a section, and select Run Run in the pop-up menu.

  2. Specify the relevant settings and click Finish.

    Select the groups of a database whose EPCs you want to evaluate, and set an output format for the report.

The report is displayed in the selected format.

See also

Structure of report scripts in the design view