Report Component for Microsoft PowerPoint

Chapter 8 Hints and Tips

You can run PPTReport.exe in command line. The format is:

pptreport < ptr file name > [-d] [-u1 user1] [-p1 pwd1] ... [pa1 pa2 ...]

For example:

pptreport c:\pptreport\monthlysales.ptr 199605

PPTReport.exe can be scheduled with Windows Scheduled Tasks or other tools. The process of generating reports can be fully automated, periodically or on events.

PTReportCom comes with a sample database, VB sample programs, VBA sample programs and sample reports. You can use them when learning the program. To use the samples, you must add a data source named "Report Sample" to specify the sample database.

To make a report template, you can use some sample data. It is very useful especially for formatting. After you have made the report template, you delete the sample data.

For a table report, you can format the value from data sources with a format expression. You should write a format expression into a data cell in the report template file first. PTReportCom will get the text of the cell as a format expression before it puts a value into a cell, and output the value using the format expression.

For a form report, you can format the value from data sources with a format expression. You should write a format expression into the shape or text box in the report template file first. PTReportCom will get the format expression before it puts a value into a shape or text box, and output the value using the format expression.

You can define the different formats and colors for positive values, negative values and zeros.

An irregular table does not have the same number of cells for each row or column. It does make it harder to process the presentation. In an irregular table, you have some difficulty to reference a cell, and an error may occur when you try to work with some rows or columns.

For a form report, you can reference a shape or text box by its name. You can find a PowerPoint add-in "name.ppa" under the PTReportCom's working directory that can name an object in a slide.

To create a chart in the report template file, you can use some sample data. Using sample data, you can set the various chart options. After you have made the report template, you delete the sample data.

PTReportCom is a converter too. Besides Microsoft PowerPoint document, you can generate a report in other file format such as HTML, RTF, GIF, JPG and BMP. You can also convert data from database to other file format.

You can edit a PTR file (.ptr) with a text editor such as Notepad.

In a PTR file, for the report template file, report file and log file, it is possible to give a relative path. If it is a relative path, the base path is the path of the PTR file.

In a PTR file, you can use parameters in the SQL statements. To use parameters, you must define them first.

In a PTR file, you can use parameters in the paths and names of the report file, template file and log file. To use parameters, you must define them first.

You should be careful to define a unique name for each parameter, because PTReportCom will replace all strings that are the same as the names of the parameters. It is a good choice a name begins with the "$" character such as "$ReportDate".

If you get some errors when you run PPTReport.exe, you can check the default log file "PPTReport.log" under the PTReportCom program directory. If you do not define the log file in the PTR file, or can not create the log file defined, you can find log information in the PPTReport.log.

In the [SQL] section in the PTR file, you can use comments. A comment is the "/*" characters, followed by any sequence of characters (including new lines), followed by the "*/" characters. You cannot nest comments.

You can reference a slide dynamically. "N" means the next slide. "N-1" means the last slide that the previous function processed.

To add totals or subtotals, you can use the aggregate functions in SQL statement.

To group data in a report, you should use GroupTableReport method, and Group Table Report function.

In Group Table Report function or Form Report function in the PTR file, the order of groups should be in accordance with the order of ORDER BY clause in the SQL statement.

For a variable table report, if the length of the range is 1 row/column, you need to reserve 1 or 2 rows/columns. PTReportCom will insert some rows/columns for each record. If the length of the range is more than 1 row/column, you should add PAGEBREAK argument, and the value of PAGEBREAK must be equal to the value of RESERVE. PTReportCom will copy some slides.

If the grouprange is not same as the range of the detail, you must add a pagebreak by group, and the length of the range can not be more then 1 row/column. If the grouprange is same as the range of the detail, and the length of the range is more than 1, you should add a pagebreak by record, and the value of PAGEBREAK must be equal to the value of RESERVE.

You can create reports with pictures using PTReportCom. You should store the path and name of the graphics file in the database, identify the image fields in the report function, and specify the size in the report template file.

To convert from pixels to points, it is depend on the screen resolution (DPI). If you have a 96 dpi screen (Windows PC), 4 pixels are equal to 3 points.

It is very useful to create a temporary table. You can prepare data using INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/INSERT SELECT, and then make a report using REPORT function.

You can write a program to make a PTR file using C, perl or DOS shell, and then run PPTReport.exe to generate report. The two steps can be written into a batch file.