Getting the Most out of Your SASI Data

1
Getting the Most out of Your SASI Data

• Using PPX View and Export Query to create the
  perfect reports for your school

2
Contact Info

• Andrew Abate
• Cheshire High School, Cheshire, CT
• 525 South Main Street
• Cheshire, CT 06410
• Email apabate_at_gmail.com

3
Work with a Standalone
When playing with SASI Data, always run from a
backup, standalone, or play version of your SASI
Data .
4
Familiar Options for Export

• SASI provides us with the ability to get data out
  of it.
• canned reports
• Query atom using Export Command

5
Using Export Query?Ask yourself What program
are you going to use?

• What Microsoft Office program are you going to be
  working with the data in?
• You can save your export file in that
  format.we can trick Microsoft Office into
  thinking that the data is for that program.
• When you export, choose a suffix that will launch
  the appropriate application.

6
The KEY Microsoft Suffixes

• Make sure that the filename has a suffix
  Windows reads the suffix and determines which
  program to open
• SAVE YOUR EXPORT FILE AS
• .txt Text file Notepad will open the file
  (access database will read it too)
• .xls Excel file Excel will open the file
  (access database will read it too)
• .doc Word Document Microsoft Word will open
  the file
• ( filename)

7
Exporting to Excel

• Saving your file as .xls ? when you double-click
  on file, it will automatically open Excel
• When you go to save file, you will see this
  message
• Click the NO button to save as an Excel file.
  Hint overwrite the file to preserve Excel
  features of data.
• Use Excels Autofilter feature

8
Example

• Say for instance that we wanted to export an
  address list of students for a student directory
  
• ASTU LN FN Grade MailAddr City ZipCode State
  Telephone PrntGuard
• Use QUERY and Export it as address.xls this
  will save the file as an Excel File
• Save the file as address.doc will save the file
  as Word document

9
The Cheap Schedule Finder

• Suppose you didnt want to give people access to
  SASI or suppose you wanted to create that student
  schedule for that palm pilotsuppose you want to
  stick the information on an ipod or other
  deviceOR whens SASI is down, your staff can
  access student information NOW YOU CAN!!.
• ASTU ACLS AMST LN FN BegPeriod EndPeriod
  CrsTitle TchName Room
• Save the export as an excel file with the .xls
  extension now you can sort and filter using
  Excel.

10
The Other Way to Query/Export

• Did you know that there is another versatile,
  easy way to export data from SASI?
• Our atom screens are queryable and exportable!
• You can get a list of results based on criteria
  that you type in the fields, or all data by
  typing in from the FIND search.
• Great resource for someone who is not well versed
  in querying or do not know which fields to query
  on.

To export a list from an atom screen go to the
DATA menu and select Export List
11
Example

• Suppose you wanted to query all the Section
  Information based upon teacher, but you didnt
  know which fields that you wanted
• Solution Go the Sections Atom type in for
  the teacher number and then you will get a list
  of all the section information.

Click find, then use to get a list of results
This list is exportable! Go to the DATA menu and
select Export List
12
Tips/Tricks for Atom Screen Querying/Export

• Use multiple in your query

An in just the Last Name field yields only
these results in export.
Tip Use multiple . Place an in every field
you want to display yields these results
13
Data ? Export List option

• The biggest benefit DATES!
• If you use an Export Query that contains date
  fields, the results are not the same as what is
  seen on display query.
• Display query shows dates as mm/dd/yy (11/09/06)
• Export query exports dates as yyyymmdd (20061109)
• Two ways to fix problem
• In Excel use - (MID(C1,5,2)"/"RIGHT(C1,2)"/"
  LEFT(C1,4))
• OR USE DATA ? Export List option (dates remain as
  they appear on screen)

14
Benefits of Data?Export List..

• Usable in both Query Utility and Atom Screens
• When you export, it exports with the column
  titles
• Easy fix to the date problem
• When used with atom screen, may provide an easier
  way to export data then using traditional query
  atom.
• Good for the query beginner understand how
  file structure and query atom works.

15
Tricking out PPX View

• When you run a canned report, you can print the
  report or you can run a screen view of the
  report.
• The screen view uses a program called PPX View.
• You can save your reports in PPX View as a text
  file that you can later edit and modify.
• To do this, choose the screen option.
• Then go to the File? Save As

In the Save as type box choose .txt (Text
File) Text Files can be edited, modified, or used
as import files to Microsoft Word, Excel, or
Access.
16
Creating an Export file fromPPX Text File

• When you choose to save a PPX view file as a text
  file, it can be edited.
• If you remove the page headers from the file, you
  can create an export file.

Remove headers/column titles from each page to
get this
17
Creating an Export file from aPPX Text File

• Open Microsoft Excel. Then go to the FILE menu
  and select Open. Choose the PPX text file you
  edited. You will see the Text Import Wizard

Create break lines for fields that you want to
import
Choose Fixed Width
Choose columns you want to import and set format
Your canned report is now an Excel file
18
Export for Customized Report Cards Progress
Reports

• In the Grades or Progress atoms, go to the Grades
  or Progress menu and select Report Cards or
  Progress Report Cards.

1. Click on the custom tab
2. Change Custom Report Subtitle from generic
report to export for user custom
3. Click on the PRINT button. It will ask you
where to store report card files
19
Export for Customized Report Cards Progress
Reports

• 6 Files will be created
• AGLE.dbf and AGLE.mdx
• Contains grade detail (Course, Teacher, Mark,
  Comments, attendance info, etc.)
• AGRE.dbf and AGRE.mdx
• Contains school information (name, address,
  report title)
• AGDE.dbf and AGDE.mdx
• Contains student info, addresses, GPA Info
• Use Microsoft Access to create your own
  personalized report card.

20
Custom Report Card

• Using Report Card Export and Microsoft Access you
  can create something like this

21
Playing With Your Export Word 2003 Mail Merge

• In Office 2003, go to the TOOLS menu, down to
  Letters and Mailings and right to select Mail
  Merge
• Mail Merge Wizard appears at right side of screen
  follow the 6 steps to merge your SASI data into
  Word

22
Playing With Your ExportPublisher 2003 Mail
Merge

• Microsoft Publisher has a Mail Merge feature as
  well.
• Go to TOOLS menu ?Mail and Catalog Merge?Mail and
  Catalog Merge Wizard.

23
Playing With Your ExportMicrosoft Access

• Microsoft Access provides advance data analysis
  and presentation features
• Provides the ability to link multiple data
  sources together in one application.
• Import SASI datafiles into Access
• Link SASI datafiles/components that may not be
  easily linkable in SASI.
• Create customized reports and queries
• Export Report Cards and Progress Report Cards for
  customized design in Microsoft Access
• Provides solutions that may not be easy in SASI

24
Exporting and SASI

• Using the different capabilities of Export from
  SASI in combination with Microsoft Office
  products
• The possibilities are endless!