Locating and Searching for Reports

With the aid of Categories, it is easy to find the reports you need.  iMaint offers multiple ways to locate a report.

Using the Search Field

You may use the Search field at the top of the report listing to quickly display a list of reports matching any information you key into the field.  Key in related words or numbers to display a list of possible matches.  For example, if you enter an 8 in the search field the form will automatically return all reports with the number 8 located in the report ID.

If you enter the letter K, the form will return the records with the letter K in the ID, Description and Comments. The search actually checks the Report ID, Description and Comments to match with what you enter into the field.   That means if you key in the word "Work" it will display all the reports with the word Work inside not only the Report Description but Comments as well.  Try to make your search as specific as possible to get the best results.  

To clear the Search field, simply delete the contents or click on the red X. The form will automatically display all reports.

Locating Reports within Categories

If you wish to display a list of reports within one category, click on that specific category.  You can even display reports within multiple categories.  Click on the first category, then use the Ctrl key and select another category, the form will display the reports within both categories.   

Previewing and Printing a Report

Once you have located a report you wish to print, iMaint gives you the option to preview any report before actually printing. You may highlight the report you wish to print and then click on the Print or Print Preview options at the bottom of the form.  When you click on either button you will have the option to apply a Filter.   

Follow the steps below to walk through an example of how to preview, as well as print, a report. This example can be found using the iMaint_M database.

1. From the iMaint Navigation Tree access Reports/Graphs.

2. Select the Procedure/Task category.

3. Select report name Task Details from the list of reports and click on the button to Preview Report.  

 

You may also right click on the report to display a pop-up menu. From the menu select to Preview the report.

 

 

4. You will have the option to narrow down the results of your report by using the Filtering functionality.  If you wish to run the report without fil­tering, select No Filter.

 

Filtering Report Data

iMaint reports consist of pre-defined views used to pull iMaint data from the database and present it in a more user-friendly manner. The process of narrowing down or specifying report data is called filtering. When printing or previewing the existing iMaint reports you will have the ability to narrow down the results of the report fur­ther by using the filter options.

Note:·Sorting data is different from filtering data. Filtering data is to display an asset report where you only wish to view assets with a specific Asset Type ID. Sorting is to display an asset report where all assets are listed by the Asset Type ID. Sorting data to print on reports is built within the layout of the report. To have an asset report sorted by the Asset Type ID needs to be designed within the report layout, using Group Headers. You will need to make of copy of the report and then edit the report layout to sort the data in your desired preference. See the section on Report Design and Layout for more information.

You will need to choose one of the following options before the report results will display or print.

• Filter: Select this option to create rules to narrow down the results of the report data.

• Use Existing Filter: Option only available after a Filter has been created and Saved.  Save any of your previous filter creations to use again. This option will allow you to select filters already generated for the report.

• No Filter: Not using a filter will return all records within a database that will match the pre-defined report specifications.

If you select to use the Filter option, use the pre-defined views in the first pane to select specific criteria to determine or limit the amount of data returned in the report. The following section will explain how to create and apply filters.

 

 

1. The first step is to select and define your criteria using the Criteria tab. In the first pane, you will see a folder.  This folder may or may not be expandable.  You can click on the folder to drill down to the topics inside. When you click on a folder the corresponding list of fields will appear in the next pane called Fields. The Criteria folders allow you to narrow down and select from a specific list of fields to define your filter.  Simply, highlight the field from the list displayed that you wish to use to search for records within the database. For example, you may only wish to report records with an ’Active’ status. Select the field that would contain that value, Status ID.

2. Under the Operator pane, select the appropriate operator. To continue with the above example, if you are searching for records with the status of ’Active’ only, your field would need the operator that will display this exact value. In our example, the operator ’Equal’ would be used.  

3. Inside the Criteria text box you will need to type the value exactly as it would be populated in the field.  For records with a Status ID of Active, you would type the word Active and for records that are closed, you would key in the Status ID your company uses to define closed records.  

 

Another example, select the field Task ID, highlight the opera­tor Contains and key in the value of ’CH’ to search for records with a Task ID that contains ’CH’.

4. You have created a criteria statement that will tell the system to search the data­base to find records with a specific value inside a specific field. Click on the Add Filter button and you will see the system insert your statement into the results pane under the criteria text box. Create and add as many filter statements as needed to narrow down your report data.

5. Buttons on the toolbar now allow you to Create New, Save, Save As, Rename and Delete your Filters.  You may create and save your filter for future use.  And should you ever need to delete the filter, you may also remove it using the Delete icon.

 

Working with Multiple Criteria Statements

After you add all the criteria statements you can change the conjunction and group statements within the text box.

Change the conjunction of AND to OR by right clicking on the AND to display a pop up menu. Select the option Change To OR.

 

Group multiple statements together by selecting the statement and right clicking again to display the menu. Select to put the criteria in Parentheses and choose how many of the following criteria statements will be included, up to five. Remove any of the statements by using the Delete option also found when you right click on the statements.

Once you click the OK button to preview/print the report results the ActiveRe­ports application will retrieve the data from the database and display it just as you requested.

 

Saving Filters

You must create the filter statement and before you apply the filter, click on the Save icon.  

Filters are linked to their specific reports. Options to Save As, Rename and Delete will only become available after you have selected to print/preview a report.   

After you click on the Save icon, the Save Filter window will appear.  Name the filter and click OK to be able to access it for this specific report in the future.

 

To use the filter again in the future, select to Preview/Print the report.  Select to Filter the report and on the Filter window and use the drop down box, off the toolbar, to select any saved filters.

 

 

 

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