Specifications

Creating Custom Reports with Excel
PlantScape Server and Client Configuration Guide 267
Refer to “Using PlantScape Data in Other Applications” on page 391 for details of
the data you can access via Microsoft Excel Data Exchange or the ODBC Driver
and how to access it.
Note Do not create a report that will require users to respond to a prompt. Microsoft
Excel is not visible when the report is run. If the report requires a response it will
either hang or fail.
Before you make a spreadsheet available as an integrated Excel report, open it at
least once with mngr level security. As mngr you can see Excel messages and
prompts that are not visible at other security levels.
Saving the Report Definition File
Save the report definition file in a folder which is visible from the server. This
may be over a network.
On redundant server systems the report definition file must be saved in the same
folder on both servers (For example, Server\user). To automatically back up
the definition, add the folder containing the files to the file flkbup.def, located
in the data folder. Refer to “Synchronizing Other Files” on page 324 for details on
using flkbup.def to transfer non-database files to the backup.
Security Issues
There are two ways for an Microsoft Excel Report to access data from the
database: via Microsoft Excel Data Exchange, or via the PlantScape ODBC driver.
The security of data fetched via the ODBC driver will depend on the type of
report.
• For reports requested on Stations with Operator Based Security, the ODBC
Driver uses the access capacity of the requesting operator.
• For reports requested on Stations without Operator Based Security on the
ODBC Driver uses Station security.
• For Periodic reports there is no security.
If a report requests data that is not accessible to the requesting operator or Station
then the ODBC Driver will not return the data.
Microsoft Excel Data Exchange, in conjunction with a Microsoft Excel Reporting,
provides no operator authentication or other security measure. It is recommended
that Microsoft Excel Data Exchange be installed with
read-only capacity.
plscpcg.book Page 267 Monday, May 28, 2001 10:11 AM