SirsiDynix Reports Tips

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SirsiDynix ReportsTips Tricks

• Presented by
• Charles Schmiesing
• Bonnie Blachly

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Scheduling ReportsLets start at the very
beginningSetting Properties

• From the reports menu, right click on any of the
  three options (Schedule New Reports, Scheduled
  Reports, or Finished Reports) and select the
  Properties option.
• Use the report properties to
• Define the application used to view / print the
  report. Do not type it in, but rather

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Scheduling ReportsSetting Properties

• Use the report properties to
• Define the application used to view / print the
  report.
• Do not type it in, but rather use the gadgets to
  locate the appropriate application (Microsoft
  Word, WordPad, or Excel).
• We will see an example where setting up the Excel
  as the application for printing reports can be
  advantageous.

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Scheduling ReportsSetting Properties

• Use the report properties to
• Define the page length and width. Below is a
  table with typical settings

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Scheduling ReportsReport Tabs

• Use Select Tab icon to get a list of all
  available tabs and quick access to the tabs
• You can also use arrows (ex gtgtgt) or the F2 and
  F3 keys to navigate the various tabs
• The Custom and INFOhio tabs are reports developed
  specifically for INFOhio Users.

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Scheduling ReportsReport Tabs

• Typically, the All libraries groups are reports
  that may need to be run by the district library
  or school administrators.
• The My library groups are reports that are useful
  at the individual school level.
• See the Handbook for a summary of commonly used
  reports found under the various tabs.

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Scheduling ReportsGetting Help

• When you have selected a report, the online help
  will frequently display help for the selected
  report, including sample output.
• Us the online help before running a report for
  the first time to help determine if it will
  generate the desired report.

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Scheduling ReportsBasic Information

• While it is not necessary to change the Report
  name, Description, Title, or Footer, we encourage
  you to change these when testing new reports that
  you might run multiple times. Altering these
  will allow you to identify your reports more
  quickly on the finished reports list.

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Scheduling ReportsBasic Information

• Report Name displays in the finished or scheduled
  report lists. It is also the name displaying in
  the new report or template list, if left
  unchanged.
• Description describes the report results. The
  default value describes the report if it is run
  without making any changes to the selections or
  output options.
• Title displays on the first line of each
  formatted page of the printed report. The date
  and time that the report was produced follows the
  title.
• Footer, when used, displays on the last line of
  each formatted page of the printed report. It can
  be used to record a date or range of dates that a
  report covers. Footers are optional.

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Scheduling ReportsSelection Criteria

• Rule 1 Specify only those fields that need to
  be specified to get the desired results. Dont
  overdo it!

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Scheduling ReportsSelection Criteria - Using
Gadgets

• Whenever possible, use the gadgets to the right
  of the field to enter selections rather than hand
  entering them. Doing so will reduce frustrating
  errors due to typos.
• Using the gadgets will often reveal interesting
  options! Make note of the different options that
  are available. On the next screen, you will see
  that you can specify Contains or Not
  contains, a feature that is frequently
  overlooked.

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Scheduling Reports Selection Criteria - Using
Gadgets

• The Date gadgets are particularly powerful!
  The Date Range gadget allows the user to
  specify a specific date, a date range, report
  only those with a date before or after a
  specified date. Even this gadget has a gadget!

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Scheduling Reports Selection Criteria - Using
Gadgets

• The Date depends on the report run date helper
  (top of the screen) is encouraged when you want
  to schedule reports to be run on a regular basis.
  
• On the following images, the date entry will be
  report any title cataloged since one month ago.
  If scheduled to run on the first of the month,
  you can produce a list of new titles to be
  distributed to faculty and staff.

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Scheduling Reports Selection Criteria - Using
Gadgets
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Scheduling Reports Sorting Criteria

• The INFOhio reports have additional sorting
  options not available in the SirsiDynix delivered
  reports.
• Is there a sort option you would like but its
  not currently available? Contact your ITC
  (formerly known as DASite) so it can be provided
  as an enhancement request.
• Your feedback is important! We will be
  soliciting your comments at the conclusion of
  todays presentation.

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Scheduling Reports Output Options Tab

• Several of the the INFOhio reports have many
  output options available so the report can be
  provided in a Brief format, Long format, or
  Spreadsheet format.
• The various formats will allow you to check which
  fields to be included in the output.
• The Spreadsheet format allows you to specify the
  delimiter between fields, so the data can be
  easily imported into other applications (like
  Microsoft Excel) or provided to a company
  generating ID cards. Make sure you have your
  administrations permission!

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Scheduling Reports Options when finished

• After you have made the desired selections and
  are ready to run the report, you have the
  following options
• Schedule
• Run Now
• Save As Template
• Cancel

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Scheduling Reports Options when finished
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Scheduling Reports Options when finished
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Scheduling Reports

• Options to run
• Once
• Daily
• Weekly (certain days of the week)
• Monthly (certain days of the month)
• Do NOT use Send to printer
• Use multiple email addresses if multiple users
  need the results (cannot share finished reports)

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Scheduled ReportsBasic Options

• New 1 clicking here will take you to the
  Schedule New Reports screen.
• View 2 - The View option allows you to view a
  scheduled report's basic information, selection,
  sorting, and formatting options in a text format.
  

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Scheduled ReportsBasic Options

• Modify 3 - The Modify option allows you to make
  modifications to the scheduled report. You can
  then schedule it or save it as a template.
  Saving a report as a template removes it from the
  scheduled list and displays the report in the
  Templates list instead. Be careful -- its easy
  to delete the scheduled report using this option
  if you indicate that you want to Run Now
• Duplicate 4 - The Duplicate option creates a copy
  of the existing scheduled report. You have the
  option to schedule it or to save it as a
  template. The original report remains in the
  scheduled list. Use this option if you want to
  run a scheduled report at a time other than
  originally scheduled, but also want to retain the
  originally scheduled report.

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Scheduled ReportsBasic Options

• Remove 5 - The Remove option removes reports
  from the schedule.
• Advanced 6 - The Advanced option enters the
  Advanced Management function which allows you to
  make changes to scheduling or to suspend the
  report. (Suspended reports are in bold on the
  scheduled reports list). Note that only ITC staff
  can change the ownership of a report.
• Close 7 Exit Scheduled Reports.

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Scheduled ReportsUsing the Filter

• Filter by Next Run Date
• Sort scheduled reports by
• Report Name
• Next Run Time

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Finished Reports

• Includes Filter, Report Schedule Status, and, and
  Refresh buttons similar to Scheduled Reports.
• Options to
• View open with application like Microsoft Word,
  WordPad, etc.
• Email send the report via email to yourself or
  colleagues
• Print open with application like Microsoft
  Word, WordPad, etc.
• Remove reports are automatically removed after
  a period of time, typically 31 days
• Ownership only ITC staff can change report
  ownership. Use the Email option to share with
  colleagues
• Close the Finished Reports Window

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Finished ReportsView

• Options to
• View log reviewing the log can help you
  determine why a report did not run correctly.
• View result if you only are interested in
  counts, you can sometimes get these from the
  log without viewing the result.
• Format report Do not use the Format report
  option when generating files for barcodes/spine
  labels or when generating a report using the
  spreadsheet option

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Spreadsheet Option

• Some of the new INFOhio reports have a
  Spreadsheet output option so the content of the
  report can be manipulated in Excel
• Example of uses
• List of new titles for the administration or
  faculty
• List of patrons to be shared with a photographer
  or ID company
• Please share other ideas

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Notice that the application to print reports has
been changed to Microsoft Excel
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The Print option was selected rather than
view. The Print log and Format report options
have been de-selected. When OK is selected, it
will open up directly in Microsoft Excel
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On our to do list

• Complete overdue reports / notices (already in
  testing)
• Generate barcodes/spine labels without Excel
  spreadsheet
• View reports using different format options (PDF,
  RTF, Plain Text, HTML)?

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What do you think?
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Documentation

• The INFOhio Handbook for the Sirsi K-12 Library
  Automation Software, which includes report
  documentation, can be found at
• http//www.infohio.org/Documents/SirsiManual/Sirsi
  ManualU2003/SirsiHandbookU2003.html
• Contact your ITC for access!!!
• Now, onto custom reports!

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