Getting started with Helical Insight Canned Reports version 6.0 onwards

In this blog, we are going to cover getting started with creating pixel perfect canned reports in version 6.0 onwards.

Helical Canned Reports (present from version 6.0 onwards) enables the users to create canned reports or pixel perfect pre-formatted reports. These reports are scalable, pixel-perfect, multi page reports with things like data, header, footer, summary section/page at last, cover page/section at starting etc and are also printer friendly. Canned reporting module can be used to create reports like invoices, balance sheets, purchase orders, performance reports, survey forms etc. If your reporting requirement also has mainly a simple table but with many pages, Canned Reporting module is much more suited as compared to Adhoc Report.

In this module we would be just giving a preview. Users are requested to go through the detailed blogs to learn about the usage of the functionalities properly.

To open this module, click on “Canned Report” button on the top blue ribbon. The following page will appear:

Getting started with Helical Insight Canned Reports version 6.0 onwards

On the extreme left you can see

  • Datasource: By default the interface opens with Datasource. Over here there are 2 options:
    • Query: This is where you can write the SQL Query, the fields of which are going to be used to create reports. Click here to learn more on how to connect to datasource, write SQL.
    • Parameters: This is the place where we can add the input parameters/filters, hence when an end user views the report he can pass the values and accordingly the dataset gets changed.

    There are various kind of input parameters like single select, multi select, input box, date picker, date range picker etc. Read more here.

    • Getting started with Helical Insight Canned Reports version 6.0 onwards

  • Canvas: Clicking on Canvas will open an interface like below. On the canvas, the entire report designing can be done once the datasource has been connected. It has many options like below which are dragged onto the canvas while report is being designed.

The first thing before we start designing the report is to specify the page size, orientation etc. Read here to learn about the same.

  • Image: Images can be used to create the report. Click here to learn more.
  • Line: Line component can be used. Click here to learn more.
  • Page Break: Click here to learn more of how to use page break.
  • Text: This is the most commonly used component. Read here to learn more.

Getting started with Helical Insight Canned Reports version 6.0 onwards

While we design the report, there are a lot of other functionalities also which we might use like

  • Alignment options to specify the size, position of the dragged components more to pixel perfect position. Read here on how to use.
  • Repeat by options allowing content to repeat by report/page/by data etc. Read here to learn more.
  • Quick calculations and creating Custom Calculations:
    • Read here to learn about quick calculation.
    • Read here to learn about creating custom calculations.
  • Usage of Groups according to which the data should appear. Read here to learn more.
  • In certain cases you may want to add certain Page Break between various components on HTML or exporting time. Read here to learn more about its usage.

Reports Section: At the right side we have Reports options, clicking on which will open the File Browser, thus allowing you to open an already existing canned report in edit mode. As we are on the Canned Reporting module, the file browser will only show those folders where a canned report is present (and not all the folders) as well as it will only show canned reports here (not other files like metadata, dashboard, adhoc report etc).

At the top blue ribbon (navigation structure) there are other options like

Getting started with Helical Insight Canned Reports version 6.0 onwards

  • Keyboard Shortcuts: On hover you can see various keyboard shortcuts which can be used to reduce the time spent in using various functions.
  • Undo/Redo: Allowing you to undo and redo changes being done on frontend.
  • Save / Save As: This allows you to Save/Save As a created report. When clicked on this, File Browser will open. You can select an already existing folder or create a new folder within which it can be saved. To create a new folder at root, click on top right, for creating a subfolder right click on any existing folder.
  • Share: This allows you to share the canned report with others. Folder sharing also might be required (metadata sharing is not required as canned reports do not need metadata creation). Click here to learn more about sharing.

    • Getting started with Helical Insight Canned Reports version 6.0 onwards

  • Preview: While you are designing the report, it is always a good practice to always keep on clicking on Preview and see how the report is progressing. Also you can identify if there are any errors quickly as well.
  • Notifications (Bell Icon): Notifications can be seen here.
  • Logout Button: Located at the rightmost corner.

We have an entire section on our guide page dedicated to Canned reporting usage and data security in canned reporting. Click here to access that section.

Further, you can also email on support@helicalinsight.com as well as post your questions here: https://forum.helicalinsight.com/

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