WebFOCUS Online Help > ReportCaster Development and Administration > Creating and Maintaining a Schedule > Creating a Task

Creating a Task

In this section:

When creating a schedule, you must create a Task to be distributed by ReportCaster. If you are distributing scheduled output using the e-mail or printer distribution methods, you can create multiple Tasks within a single schedule. In such a schedule, you can clone (duplicate) an existing task to use as a template for new tasks.

ReportCaster Administrators specify which types of Tasks appear in the Tasks tab using the Schedule Task setting in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool (for more information, see Specifying Schedule Task Settings). By default, you can create the following types of Tasks:

The options for creating a Task differ depending on the Task type. For more information about these options, see the specific procedure for each Task type.

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Bursting Guidelines and Limitations When Creating a Task

When creating a Task, you can specify to burst a report. Bursting enables you to target relevant sections of a report to individual users. Each section is saved as a separate file. The WF Server Procedure, Standard Report, and My Report Task Types support bursting.

If you are distributing a burst tabular report, the burst value is determined by the first BY field. If you are distributing a burst graph report, the burst value is determined by the second BY field. The burst value is automatically determined by the internal matrix of the WebFOCUS Reporting Server. The internal matrix is a memory area that stores each database field value and calculates values referenced by the TABLE or GRAPH request.

When a report is burst, all data values generated for each burst section are returned to the ReportCaster Distribution Server.

The following are guidelines and limitations that apply to the ReportCaster burst feature:
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Procedure: How to Create a WF Server Procedure Task
  1. From the New Schedule - ReportCaster window, click the Tasks tab and then New.

    The New Task - ReportCaster window opens with a Task Type of WF Server Procedure, as shown in the following image.

  2. In the Task Name field, type a name that describes this Task (for example, Sales Report).
  3. From the Server Name drop-down list, select the server from which you want to select the report.
  4. From the Execution ID drop-down list, specify an Execution ID that is authorized to execute procedures on the server specified in Step 3.

    If this field is grayed out, it means that a default Execution ID and password have been specified within the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool.

    If the Execution ID field is not grayed out, and you will be using an Execution ID that you previously used for a Task on the selected server, you can select the Execution ID (for example, rcadmin) from the drop-down list, shown in the following image.

    If the Execution ID field is not grayed out and you will be using a new Execution ID, perform the following steps:

    1. Type the Execution ID and click Password. The Password dialog box opens.
    2. Type the password for the Execution ID.
    3. Confirm the password for the Execution ID.
    4. Click OK to return to the Tasks tab.

      Note: The Execution ID is added to the ReportCaster Repository and is viewable in the ReportCaster Console.

  5. Click the Choose WF Server Procedure button to select a WF Server Procedure to schedule.

    The Select WF Server Procedure window opens, as shown in the following image.

    When a WebFOCUS Reporting Server is Application Enabled, you will see a node called Applications. When you open the Applications node, a query is made to the server to retrieve a list of applications found under its Application Root (APPROOT) directory. When you open an application (for example, ibinccen), a request is issued to the server to get the list of accessible files in the application, as shown in the following image.

    Note: When a WebFOCUS Reporting Server is configured with the traditional Cataloged Path (EDAPATH) setting, you will see Applications and Cataloged Path nodes listed under the server. For more information about these concepts, see Data Servers Feature in the WebFOCUS Managed Reporting Developer's Manual.

  6. Select the WF Server Procedure (for example, salerank) and then click OK to return to the Tasks tab.
  7. Optionally, if your report has parameters or you want to schedule pre- or post-processing procedures, click Advanced. For more information, see Specifying Parameter Values and Scheduling Pre- and Post-Processing Procedures.
  8. If you want to burst the report, select the Burst Report check box. The burst feature enables you to break a report into sections and distribute the sections separately. Burst values may be specified in a Distribution List, distribution file, or by creating a dynamic distribution list. For more information about bursting, see Bursting Guidelines and Limitations When Creating a Task, and Bursting a Report.
  9. From the Report Format drop-down list, select the report format. HTML is the default value.

    Use the following guidelines when selecting a format:

    • The report format specified in this field overrides the format statement in the procedure, except for specialized formats (EXL2K FORMULA, EXL2K PIVOT, EXL2K TEMPLATE, PPT TEMPLATE, DFIX). When a report uses a specialized format, the format selection in the report schedule must match that specified in the report.
    • There are limitations on what formats are valid for certain options. For instance, not all formats are supported for bursting or printing.
    • If the report is a Coordinated Compound PDF Report, then you can select any supported compound format (AHTML, DHTML, EXL2K, FLEX, PDF, or PPT), but keep in mind that not all of these formats support bursting.

    ReportCaster Administrators can specify which report formats will appear in the Tasks tab through the Schedule Format setting in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool, as described in Specifying Schedule Format Settings).

    For detailed information about each format, see ReportCaster Formats for Scheduled Output.

  10. In the Save Report As field, type a name for the report to be distributed. By default, this value is populated as application_procedurename.ext, where application is the name of the application if WebFOCUS is Application Enabled, procedurename is the file name of the WF Server Procedure, and ext is the extension of the format you selected. For example: ibinccen_salerank.htm. If the report is burst, it is distributed as ibinccen_salerank_burstvalue.htm. If you change the default value, and you specify an extension, be sure to specify the extension of the format you selected. If you do not specify an extension, ReportCaster automatically uses the extension of the format you selected.
  11. Leave the Category in Library field blank unless you are distributing to the Report Library (this is specified in the Distribution tab). If you are distributing to the Report Library, this is a required field, and the value you type here is the category name under which the report (in this case ibinccen_salerank.htm) will be stored.
  12. Click OK.

    The new task is listed with the Task ID, Name, Type of procedure, and Scheduling Object (procedure name), as shown in the following image.

  13. If you are creating a schedule with multiple tasks and want to use an existing task as a template, select the task you want to clone from the list and click Clone.

    A duplicate of the selected task appears in the list with the name “Clone Of taskname”.

    Open the cloned task and modify as needed.

  14. Click the Distribution tab to specify distribution options (see Specifying Distribution Options), or optionally select one of the following options:
    • New. Schedule another Task within your schedule. Follow the steps outlined in the appropriate procedure for the Task type you want to schedule. You can only create multiple Tasks when using the e-mail or printer distribution methods.
    • Insert. Schedule another Task within your schedule. The newly created Task will appear where your cursor is positioned.
    • Edit. Edit a selected Task within your current schedule.
    • Delete. Delete a selected Task within your current schedule.

    Note: If you have multiple Tasks, you can move the position of a Task within the window by clicking the following up or down arrows.

Note: You cannot create a WF Server Procedure schedule when a server within a cluster configuration is unavailable.

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Procedure: How to Create a Managed Reporting Task

A Managed Reporting task includes either a Standard Report or a My Report. The options for creating a task using either of these reports are the same. To explain the Managed Reporting Task options, this procedure uses a Standard Report as the example.

  1. From the New Schedule - ReportCaster window, click the Tasks tab and then click New. The New Task - ReportCaster window opens.
  2. In the Task Name field, type a name that describes this Task (for example, Sales Report).
  3. From the Task Type drop-down list, select Standard Report. The following image shows the options that appear for a Standard Report.

  4. Click the Choose Report icon to the right of the Standard Report field to select a Standard Report to schedule. The Managed Reporting Repository opens, as shown in the following image.

  5. Expand the Domain folder (for example, Sales) that contains the Standard Report you want to schedule. Select the report (for example, Product Sales) and then click OK. This populates the Server Name, Standard Report, Domain, and Folder fields, as shown in the following image.

  6. From the Execution ID drop-down list, specify an Execution ID that is authorized to execute procedures on the server running the report.

    If this field is grayed out, it means that a default Execution ID and password have been specified in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool.

    If the Execution ID field is not grayed out, and you will be using an Execution ID that you previously used for a Task, you can select the Execution ID (for example, rcadmin) from the drop-down list, shown in the following image.

    If the Execution ID field is not grayed out, and you will be using a new Execution ID, perform the following steps:

    1. Type the Execution ID and click Password. The Password dialog box opens.
    2. Type the password for the Execution ID.
    3. Confirm the password for the Execution ID.
    4. Click OK to return to the Tasks tab.

      Note: The Execution ID is added to the ReportCaster Repository and is viewable in the ReportCaster Console.

  7. Optionally, if your report has parameters or you want to schedule pre- or post-processing procedures, click Advanced. For more information, see Specifying Parameter Values and Scheduling Pre- and Post-Processing Procedures.
  8. Click Alert to specify alert schedule options. If you are scheduling an alert (Standard Reports only), the Alert button will be activated.

    The Alert Schedule dialog box opens, as shown in the following image.

    Select one of the following options:

    • Automatically Reset. After the alert is triggered, reactivate the alert when the condition is no longer true. The system will keep checking the condition after the alert has been triggered. As soon as the condition is no longer true, it will reactivate the alert.
    • Continue After Alert. After the alert has been triggered, reactivate the alert immediately.
    • Deactivate Schedule After Alert. Deactivate the schedule after the alert is triggered. This is the default value.
    • Delay. Restart the alert after a specified period. You can specify to restart the alert after a maximum of 99 hour(s), day(s), week(s), month(s), or year(s).

      Caution: An alert schedule distributes e-mails to your mail server more frequently than expected when the schedule interval is less than the time it takes to run the procedure and the Delay option is selected. Be sure to set the schedule interval to a time period greater than the time it takes to run the scheduled procedure.

    Click OK to return to the Tasks tab.

  9. If you want to burst the report, select the Burst Report check box. The burst feature enables you to break a report into sections and distribute the sections separately. Burst values may be specified in a Distribution List, distribution file, or by creating a dynamic distribution list. For more information about bursting, see Bursting Guidelines and Limitations When Creating a Task, and Bursting a Report.
  10. From the Report Format drop-down list, select the report format from the drop-down list. HTML is the default value.

    Use the following guidelines when selecting a format:

    • The report format specified in this field overrides the format statement in the procedure, except for specialized formats (EXL2K FORMULA, EXL2K PIVOT, EXL2K TEMPLATE, PPT TEMPLATE, DFIX). When a report uses a specialized format, the format selection in the report schedule must match that specified in the report.
    • There are limitations on what formats are valid for certain options. For instance, not all formats are supported for bursting or printing.
    • If the report is a Coordinated Compound PDF Report, then you can select any supported compound format (AHTML, DHTML, EXL2K, FLEX, PDF, or PPT), but keep in mind that not all of these formats support bursting.

    ReportCaster Administrators can specify which report formats will appear in the Tasks tab through the Schedule Format setting in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool, as described in Specifying Schedule Format Settings).

    For detailed information about each format, see ReportCaster Formats for Scheduled Output.

  11. In the Save Report As field, type a name for the report to be distributed. By default, this value is populated as descname.ext, where descname is the descriptive name of the Managed Reporting procedure, and ext is the extension for the format you selected. For example, Regional Sales.htm. If the report is burst, it is distributed as Regional Sales_burstvalue.htm. If you change the default value, and you specify an extension, be sure to specify the extension of the format you selected. If you do not specify an extension, ReportCaster automatically uses the extension of the format you selected.
  12. If the report is being distributed to the Report Library (as selected in the Distribution tab), then you have the option to designate an existing or new category in the Library where the report will be distributed. Select the Category in Library option and type an existing or new name for the category.

    Note: When you distribute a Standard Report or My Report to the Library, by default, the report is placed in a category named with the Managed Reporting domain name of the report.

  13. Click OK.

    The task is listed with the Task ID, Name, Type of procedure, and Scheduling Object (procedure name), as shown in the following image.

  14. If you are creating a schedule with multiple tasks and want to use an existing task as a template, select the task you want to clone from the list and click Clone.

    A duplicate of the selected task appears in the list with the name “Clone Of taskname”.

    Open the cloned task and modify, as needed.

  15. Click the Distribution tab to specify distribution options (see Specifying Distribution Options), or optionally select one of the following options:
    • New. Schedule another Task within your schedule. Follow the steps outlined in the appropriate procedure for the Task type you want to schedule. You can only create multiple Tasks when using the e-mail or printer distribution methods.
    • Insert. Schedule another Task within your schedule. The newly created Task will appear where your cursor is positioned.
    • Edit. Edit a selected Task within your current schedule.
    • Delete. Delete a selected Task within your current schedule.

    Note: If you have multiple Tasks, you can move the position of a Task within the window by clicking the following up or down arrows.

Note: Reporting Objects that have the "Show as Standard Report" or "Show Only as Standard Report" property selected appear as Standard Reports. However, these Reporting Objects cannot be scheduled by ReportCaster.

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Procedure: How to Create a URL Task
  1. From the New Schedule - ReportCaster window, click the Tasks tab and then click New. The New Task - ReportCaster window opens.
  2. In the Task Name field, type a name that describes this Task.
  3. From the Task Type drop-down list, select URL. The following image shows the options that appear.

  4. From the Execution ID drop-down list, select an Execution ID that is authorized to execute a URL on a secured Web server.
    1. Click Password. The Password dialog box opens.
    2. Type the password for the Execution ID.
    3. Confirm the password for the Execution ID.
    4. Click OK to return to the Tasks tab.
  5. In the URL Address field, type the fully qualified path of the URL address you want to schedule (for example, http://www.informationbuilders.com).

    Note that you can also specify parameter names and associated values using the following format: 

    www.address.com?&parameter1_name=parameter1_value&parameter2_name=parameter2_value

    The maximum length of this field is 1200 characters.

  6. Optionally, if you did not specify parameters in the URL Address field, click the Advanced button to specify parameter names and associated values. The Advanced Task Options window opens displaying the contents of the Parameters tab, as shown in the following image.

    1. Specify both the Name and Value for each parameter.
    2. Click OK to return to the New Task - ReportCaster window.

      Note:

  7. In the Save Report As field, type a name for the content to be distributed. Be sure to include the extension. For example, you might save this report as informationbuilders.htm. This content will be distributed as informationbuilders.htm.
  8. Leave the Category in Library field blank unless you are distributing to the Report Library (this is specified in the Distribution tab). If you are distributing to the Report Library, this is a required field, and the value you type here is the category name under which the scheduled output (in this case, informationbuilders.htm) will be stored.
  9. Click OK.

    The task is listed with the Task ID, Name, Type, and Scheduling Object, as shown in the following image.

  10. If you are creating a schedule with multiple tasks and want to use an existing task as a template, select the task you want to clone from the list and click Clone.

    A duplicate of the selected task appears in the list with the name “Clone Of taskname”.

    Open the cloned task and modify as needed.

  11. Click the Distribution tab to specify distribution options (see Specifying Distribution Options), or optionally select one of the following options:
    • New. Schedule another Task within your schedule. Follow the steps outlined in the appropriate procedure for the Task type you want to schedule. You can only create multiple Tasks when using the e-mail or printer distribution methods.
    • Insert. Schedule another Task within your schedule. The newly created Task will appear where your cursor is positioned.
    • Edit. Edit a selected Task within your current schedule.
    • Delete. Delete a selected Task within your current schedule.

    Note: If you have multiple Tasks, you can move the position of a Task within the window by clicking the following up or down arrows.

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Procedure: How to Create a File Task
  1. From the New Schedule - ReportCaster window, click the Tasks tab and then click New. The New Task - ReportCaster window opens.
  2. In the Task Name field, type a name that describes this Task.
  3. From the Task Type drop-down list, select File. The following options appear.

  4. In the File field, type the name of the file you want to schedule. You must type the fully qualified path (for example, d:\reportcaster76\filename.doc) of the file. In addition, the file must be accessible to the ReportCaster Distribution Server.
  5. In the Save Report As field, type a name for the content to be distributed. Be sure to include the extension. For example, you might save this report as hrletter.doc. This file will be distributed as hrletter.doc.
  6. Leave the Category in Library field blank unless you are distributing to the Report Library (this is specified in the Distribution tab). If you are distributing to the Report Library, this is a required field, and the value you type here is the category name under which the scheduled output (in this case hrletter.doc) will be stored.
  7. Optionally, you can select to delete the file once it has been distributed. To delete the file, select Delete the file after it is distributed.

    Note: If a schedule has multiple tasks and one of the tasks fails, then the file will not be deleted. This is true even when the file is distributed successfully.

  8. Click OK. The Task ID, Name, Type, and Scheduling Object of the Task display as follows:

  9. If you are creating a schedule with multiple tasks and want to use an existing task as a template, select the task you want to clone from the list and click Clone.

    A duplicate of the selected task appears in the list with the name “Clone Of taskname”.

    Open the cloned task and modify as needed.

  10. Click the Distribution tab to specify distribution options (see Specifying Distribution Options), or optionally select one of the following options:
    • New. Schedule another Task within your schedule. Follow the steps outlined in the appropriate procedure for the Task type you want to schedule. You can only create multiple Tasks when using the e-mail or printer distribution methods.
    • Insert. Schedule another Task within your schedule. The newly created Task will appear where your cursor is positioned.
    • Edit. Edit a selected Task within your current schedule.
    • Delete. Delete a selected Task within your current schedule.

    Note: If you have multiple Tasks, you can move the position of a Task within the window by clicking the following up or down arrows.

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Procedure: How to Create an FTP Task

To create an FTP task:

  1. From the New Schedule - ReportCaster window, click the Tasks tab and then click New. The New Task - ReportCaster window opens.
  2. In the Task Name field, type a name that describes this Task (for example, Sales Report).
  3. From the Task Type drop-down list, select FTP. The following options appear:

  4. From the FTP Server Name drop-down list, specify the name of the FTP server from which you will retrieve the file.
  5. In the FTP User and Password fields, specify the user ID and password you will use to gain access to the FTP Server.
  6. In the File Name field, specify the name of the file you want to schedule. You can browse to the file or type the fully qualified path (for example, /reportcaster76/filename.doc) where the file resides on the FTP server.
  7. From the File Transfer Type drop-down list, select Binary (for non-text files) or ASCII (for text files). Binary is the default value.
  8. In the Save Report As field, type a name for the content to be distributed. Be sure to include the extension. For example, you might save this report as hrletter.doc. This file will be distributed as hrletter.doc.
  9. Leave the Category in Library field blank unless you are distributing to the Report Library (this is specified in the Distribution tab). If you are distributing to the Report Library, this is a required field, and the value you type here is the category name under which the scheduled output (in this case hrletter.doc) will be stored.
  10. Optionally, select the Delete the file on the FTP server after it is distributed check box if you want the schedule to run once and then be deleted on the FTP server. Note that the FTP user ID must be authorized to delete the file on the FTP server.

    Note: If a schedule has multiple tasks and one of the tasks fails, then the file will not be deleted. This is true even when the file is distributed successfully.

  11. Click OK. The Task ID, Name, Type, and Scheduling Object of the Task display as follows:

  12. If you are creating a schedule with multiple tasks and want to use an existing task as a template, select the task you want to clone from the list and click Clone.

    A duplicate of the selected task appears in the list with the name “Clone Of taskname”.

    Open the cloned task and modify as needed.

  13. Click the Distribution tab to specify distribution options (see Specifying Distribution Options), or optionally select one of the following options:
    • New. Schedule another Task within your schedule. Follow the steps outlined in the appropriate procedure for the Task type you want to schedule. You can only create multiple Tasks when using the e-mail or printer distribution methods.
    • Insert. Schedule another Task within your schedule. The newly created Task will appear where your cursor is positioned.
    • Edit. Edit a selected Task within your current schedule.
    • Delete. Delete a selected Task within your current schedule.

    Note: If you have multiple Tasks, you can move the position of a Task within the window by clicking the following up or down arrows.

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Specifying Parameter Values and Scheduling Pre- and Post-Processing Procedures

If the Task (WF Server Procedure, Standard Report, My Report, and URL only) you are creating has parameters, you can use the optional Advanced Task Options tab to specify parameter values. You can also use the Advanced Task Options tab to schedule a maximum of two pre- and post-processing procedures (WF Server Procedure, Standard Report, and My Report Tasks only). Pre- and post-processing procedures are non-reporting Tasks to be performed in support of the report. For example, a report procedure may have associated procedures that set up and clean up the environment. These procedures must be located on, and be accessible to, the WebFOCUS Reporting Server during execution of the scheduled job. If the pre- and post-processing procedure contains a TABLE or GRAPH request, it must contain a HOLD or SAVE statement so that the data will not be sent back to the ReportCaster Distribution Server.

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Procedure: How to Specify Parameter Values

Perform the following steps to specify parameter values for a Task:

  1. Click Advanced. The Advanced Task Options window opens displaying the contents of the Parameters tab.

  2. Specify the parameter value(s) that correspond to each parameter within the report. For example, Web Sales may be a value for the Store Name parameter.

    If you are scheduling a WF Server Procedure, Standard Report, or My Report Task, the parameter name/description(s) are populated automatically, and you only need to specify the parameter value(s). For a URL Task, you must specify both the parameter name and value; this is documented in How to Create a URL Task.

    Note: For more information about specifying parameter values for a procedure, see Considerations When Specifying Parameter Values.

  3. Click OK to return to the Tasks tab.
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Reference: Considerations When Specifying Parameter Values

The following are considerations when specifying parameter values for a procedure:

Note: You can only schedule saved procedures using ReportCaster; HTML forms cannot be scheduled using ReportCaster. Parameter prompting is not available in pre- or post-processing procedures. For more information about WebFOCUS auto prompting, see Coding a User Interface in the Developing Reporting Applications manual.

The following are examples of how ReportCaster displays default variable values, as well as static and dynamic single-select and multi-select lists.

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Example: Setting a Default Variable Parameter Value

Tip: Since ReportCaster requires considerations for special characters, Information Builders recommends using the syntax specified in the following examples.

The following procedure sets a default value of NY for the STATE (2-3 letters for US State) field, and a default value of Web Sales for the SNAME (Store Name) field. Note that there must be an ampersand in front of the field name in the -DEFAULT command for the amper variable(s) to contain a default attribute in ReportCaster. 

-DEFAULT &STATE=NY
-DEFAULT &SNAME=Web Sales 
TABLE FILE CENTORD
SUM QTY_IN_STOCK BY STATE BY SNAME BY PRODNAME
ON TABLE SUBHEAD
"Inventory Report"
WHERE STATE EQ '&STATE.2-3 letters for US State.'
WHERE SNAME EQ '&SNAME.Store Name.'
END

The parameters for this procedure appear as follows in the ReportCaster Scheduler. Note that a default parameter value of NY is displayed for the STATE field, and a default parameter value of Web Sales is displayed for the SNAME field.

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Example: Adding a Static Single-Select List of Parameter Values

The following procedure provides a list of static values that are valid for the SNAME (Store Name) field. 

-DEFAULT &STATE=NY
TABLE FILE CENTORD
SUM QTY_IN_STOCK BY STATE BY SNAME BY PRODNAME
ON TABLE SUBHEAD
"Inventory Report"
WHERE STATE EQ '&STATE.2-3 letters for US State.'
WHERE SNAME EQ '&SNAME.(eMart,TV City,Web Sales).Store Name.'
END

The parameter values for the Store Name parameter appear as follows in the ReportCaster Scheduler. You can select only one value from the drop-down list.

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Example: Adding a Dynamic Single-Select List of Parameter Values

The following procedure provides a list of values that are valid for the PRODNAME (Product Name) field. This list is dynamically populated with values from the CENTORD data source. 

-DEFAULT &STATE=NY
TABLE FILE CENTORD
SUM QTY_IN_STOCK BY STATE BY SNAME BY PRODNAME
ON TABLE SUBHEAD
"Inventory Report"
WHERE STATE EQ '&STATE.2-3 letters for US State.'
WHERE SNAME EQ '&SNAME.(eMart,TV City,Web Sales).Store Name.'
WHERE PRODNAME EQ '&PRODNAME.(FIND PRODNAME IN CENTORD).Product Name.'
END

The parameter values for the Product Name parameter appear as follows in the ReportCaster Scheduler. You can select only one value from the list.

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Example: Adding a Static Multi-Select List of Parameter Values

The following procedure provides a list of static values that are valid for the SNAME (Store Name) field. 

-DEFAULT &STATE=NY
TABLE FILE CENTORD
SUM QTY_IN_STOCK BY STATE BY SNAME BY PRODNAME
ON TABLE SUBHEAD
"Inventory Report"
WHERE STATE EQ '&STATE.2-3 letters for US State.'
WHERE SNAME EQ &SNAME.(OR(eMart,TV City,Web Sales)).Store Name.
END

The parameter values for the Store Name parameter appear as follows in the ReportCaster Scheduler. You can select more than one value from the list, as shown in the following image. You can also Select All to include every parameter value.

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Example: Adding a Dynamic Multi-Select List of Parameter Values

The following procedure provides a list of values that are valid for the PRODNAME (Product Name) field. This list is dynamically populated with values from the CENTORD data source. 

-DEFAULT &STATE=NY
-DEFAULT &SNAME='TV City' 
-DEFAULT &PRODNAME='''120 VHS-C Camcorder 40 X''' 
TABLE FILE CENTORD
SUM QTY_IN_STOCK BY STATE BY SNAME BY PRODNAME
ON TABLE SUBHEAD
"Inventory Report"
WHERE STATE EQ '&STATE.2-3 letters for US State.'
WHERE SNAME EQ &SNAME.(OR(eMart,TV City,Web Sales)).Store Name.
WHERE PRODNAME EQ &PRODNAME.(OR(FIND PRODNAME IN CENTORD)).Product Name.
END

The parameter values for the Product Name parameter appear as follows in the ReportCaster Scheduler. You can select more than one value from the list, as shown in the following image. You can also select No Selection if you do not want to perform any data selection test on that field.

Important: When coding a dynamic multi-select list of parameter values using -DEFAULT syntax without storing parameter values in the ReportCaster Repository, the -DEFAULT value is used as specified in the procedure, and the scheduled request will fail if you do not specify three single quotation marks before and after the parameter value string.

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Procedure: How to Create a New Parameter

To create a new parameter for a task:

  1. In the New Task - Report Caster window, click Advanced.

    The Advanced Task Options window opens displaying the contents of the Parameters tab.

  2. In the Advanced Task Options window, click New.

    In the Advanced Task Options window, a highlighted new blank line appears in the parameters list and Parameter Properties fields appear at the bottom of the window, as shown in the following image.

    Note: An asterisk next to a parameter in the parameters list indicates that it was manually created.

  3. In the Parameter Properties Name field, type a valid name for the new parameter.

    As you type, the Name/Description field in the parameters list reflects your entry.

  4. In the Parameter Properties Value field, type a value for the new parameter.

    As you type, the Value field in the parameters list reflects your entry.

    The following images shows the typed entries in the Parameters Properties fields reflected in the parameter list.

  5. Click OK.

The new parameter is created and the Advanced Task Options window closes.

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Procedure: How to Delete a Manually Created Parameter

You can only delete manually created parameters. These parameters are indicated by an asterisk next to the name. To delete a manually created parameter:

  1. In the New Task - Report Caster window, click Advanced.
  2. In the Advanced Task Options window, click New.
  3. Uncheck the box next to the parameter you want to delete, and click OK.

The parameter is deleted and the Advanced Task Options window closes.

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Procedure: How to Schedule Pre- and Post-Processing Procedures

If you are scheduling a report Task (WF Server Procedure, Standard Report, or My Report), you can schedule a maximum of two pre- and post-processing procedures. Perform the following steps to schedule pre- and post-processing procedures for a Task:

  1. Click Advanced. The Advanced Task Options window opens.
  2. Click the Procedures tab. The following fields display.

  3. Optionally, type the following information:
    1. Pre-processing Procedures:

      First. Type the name of the first pre-processing procedure (omit the file extension). ReportCaster will run this procedure immediately preceding the scheduled Task.

      Second. Type the name of the second pre-processing procedure (omit the file extension). ReportCaster will run this procedure immediately after the first pre-processing procedure, but before the scheduled Task.

    2. Post-processing Procedures:

      First. Type the name of the first post-processing procedure (omit the file extension). ReportCaster will run this procedure immediately following the scheduled Task.

      Second. Type the name of the second post-processing procedure (omit the file extension). ReportCaster will run this procedure immediately after the first post-processing procedure.

      Note: For information about specifying parameter values in a pre- or post-processing procedure, see Specifying a Parameter Value in a Pre-Processing Procedure.

  4. Click OK to return to the Tasks tab.
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Reference: Using Parameters in Pre-Processing Procedures

The following examples show how to use parameters in pre‑processing procedures.
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Example: Specifying a Parameter Value in a Pre-Processing Procedure

This example shows how to specify a parameter value in a pre-processing procedure. The following code represents the pre-processing procedure, CARPROFIT, that will be scheduled by ReportCaster. This procedure computes your company growth rate by country. The growth rate is computed based on the parameter value you specify for RATE. 

DEFINE FILE CAR
PROFIT/D12.2 = RCOST-DCOST;
RATE/D5.2=&RATE - 1;
END
TABLE FILE CAR
SUM PROFIT FST.RATE
COMPUTE GROWTH/D12.2 = (PROFIT * &RATE);
BY COUNTRY
ON TABLE HOLD AS CARPROFIT FORMAT FOCUS INDEX COUNTRY
END

The following code represents the primary WebFOCUS Reporting Server procedure, CARJOINPROFIT, that will be scheduled by ReportCaster. This procedure joins the CAR and CARPROFIT tables and computes sales by country based on the growth rate in CARPROFIT. 

JOIN COUNTRY IN CAR TO COUNTRY IN CARPROFIT
TABLE FILE CAR
HEADING
"Growth Forecast using rate: <RATE "
SUM SALES
BY COUNTRY
ON COUNTRY SUBFOOT
"Profit is <PROFIT>"
"Growth Forecasted is <GROWTH>"
END

When scheduling the CARJOINPROFIT procedure, specify the name of the pre-processing procedure (for example, CARPROFIT) and the parameter value (for example, RATE=1.05).

Note:

When the pre-processing procedure and the primary procedure run, the following information appears in the log report indicating that both procedures ran successfully.

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Example: Passing an Internal Variable in a Pre-Processing Procedure

When specifying a pre-processing procedure in ReportCaster, the format for passing an internal variable value is

filename variable=&variable

where:

filename

Is the file name of the pre-processing procedure, excluding the file name extension.

variable

Is the ReportCaster internal variable, for example, DSTOWNER.

The following sample image shows how to pass an internal variable value in ReportCaster.

WebFOCUS