User's Guide    Output    Creating Output

Creating Output

Video Tutorials

Basic Concepts

Three principles guide the creation of an output in CC-Assist:

  1. Output, where available, is initiated from the Output menu in the top menu bar.
  2. The items in the Output menu are associated with the records currently in the top List View table. Therefore, to run output associated with records in a bottom Detail View table, you must first drill down into the module level associated with those records.
  3. Nearly all outputs can be saved as custom reports. These reports can later be retrieved by user defined name.

To create output that includes data from more than one record, go to the module in which the records are located, and display the Output menu. For example, if you want to print a “Member Listing,” go to the Members module. Display the Output menu and select “Member Listing” and select the appropriate filters for which records should be included in the output. Likewise, if you want to create an output of A/R invoices, go to the A/R Invoices module, display the Output menu, and choose “Invoice Forms.”

Output methods

You can output data from CC-Assist by 1) previewing 2) printing to a printer, 3) saving the output as an Adobe PDF, MS Word, Rich Text, MS Excel, HTML document and, in some cases, 4) exporting data to a file.

Output that you export to a file can be used in several ways, depending on the file type that you export. For example, you may want to export a listing or report from CC-Assist into a folder where you store your word processing documents so that you can edit it to suit your needs. Or, you may want to export data that generates the sections in your membership directory. In instances such as these, the file type is “text.”

Or, you may want to export data to be used as the data source in a procedure that you run in another software program, such as a word processing merge, broadcast fax, and/or broadcast e-mail procedure. In instances such as these, the file type is “delimited.” For more information see “Export File” output.

Types of output

CC-Assist provides the following types of output: Reports and listings output, Item output and Export File output.

Reports and listings output

Reports and listings have the following common characteristics:

  • They typically have a title at the top of the first page only and can also include an optional subtitle if desired.
  • They are in a “list” format, so typically have as many items listed on a page as will fit.
  • They have page numbers and date and time stamp at the bottom of each page.

Reports and listings can be printed to your printer, saved as an Adobe PDF, MS Word, Rich Text, MS Excel, HTML document, or exported to a disk file in text format.

Item output

Another type of output, item output, consists of one complete item of output for each selected record. Examples of this type of output are “Mailing Labels,” “Postcards,” “Invoice Forms,” “Member Data Sheets” and “Verification Forms.” Item output does not usually have the characteristics of reports or listings such as a title at the top of the first page, as many items listed on a page as will fit, and page numbering, etc.

Item output is generally printed to your printer, but it can also be exported to a file in text format.

“Export File” output

“Export Files” are generally exported for use as the data source in procedures that you run in other software programs. An export file can be exported to a disk file in the following file types:

  • comma-separated values
  • tab-separated values
  • DBF

The file type that you choose depends on how the file is to be used.

For example, if you want to use the file as a data source in a word processing merge, broadcast fax, or broadcast e-mail procedure, export the file as a comma-separated or tab-separated value type of file. Files of this type separate each data component and record with characters appropriate for the file type. For example, in a comma-separated file the data components in each form are enclosed in quotation marks and separated, or “delimited,” by commas, and each record ends with a paragraph marker.

However, if a programmer is going to import the data components in the file into some other type of database software, the DBF type of file might be preferred.

Choosing output “Data Components” and “Filters”

When creating output, CC-Assist gives you the flexibility to make selections so that the output is as you want it. Depending on the output, the selection pages, in general, include some or all of the following choices: “Data Components,” “Data Items,” “Filters,” “Grouping” and “Order.” In addition, there can be selection pages specific to certain modules, e.g. when printing items such as labels, postcards, etc.

“Data Components” page

On this page choose the data items that you want included in the output by using the mover control and moving the items that should appear on the output to the “Chosen” box.

 

When making selections for data components and filters, you can choose as many options as displayed in the mover control. You will typically see two list boxes, one titled “Available” and the other titled “Chosen.” The “Available” list box shows the options (“Data Components,” “Filters,” etc.,) that are available but not yet chosen. The “Chosen” list box shows the options that are chosen.

When choosing options, you can 1) choose all the options at once by clicking on the button with the double right arrows, or 2) choose only one option at a time by selecting the item and clicking on the command button with the single right arrow or double-click on the item.

You can move the options back to the “Available” list box in the same manner.

Some “Data Components” have sub-components associated with them. These sub-components are indented under the data component with which they are associated. For example, when printing a “Member Listing” you can choose to include Reps in the list. If you choose Reps as a “Data Component,” the reps’ names will appear on the list, but you can also choose to select sub-components, such as “prefix,” “title,” “attributes,” and “location”. These sub-components can only be chosen if the “Data Component” with which they are associated is chosen.

Sometimes “assumed” “Data Components” are not listed as choices in the “Available” list box. For example, if you choose to output a “Member Listing,” “Company” will not be listed as an available “Data Component” because it is assumed that the name of the company would be included in a member listing.

“Data Items” page

The title of this page varies based on the item that you output. For example, if you choose “Mailing Labels” from the Output menu, the page will be titled “Mailing Labels.” On this page choose the type of label that you want to output.

“Filters” page(s)

There may one or more “Filter” tabbed pages. The “Filter” pages allow a user to specify which specific records should be included in an amount.

At the top of some filter pages is the “Current member only” option. Selecting this option will eliminate any filters available. This prints the “item” for the current record selected in the “List View.”

The filters that are available vary depending on 1) the type of output you are creating, 2) the module in which you are creating the output and 3) the “Data Components” that you choose. For example, if you are creating output from the Members module, you will generally only see a “Member Filters” page. The “Rep Filters” page may not be available. For example, if, when choosing options from the “Data Components” page you do not choose Reps as a “Data Component” that you want included in the output, the “Rep Filters” page will not be available.

Once a filter has been selected, you must also select a filter criterion. Choose the look-up button associated with each chosen filter to display the dialog box in which you specify the filter criterion.

For example, when printing a “Member Listing,” if you choose “By status(es)” you must also specify the filter criteria (“status codes”) that the members should or should not have in order to be included in the output. When you choose the “By status(es)” look-up button, the following dialog box is displayed.

Notice that there is a button titled “having.” If you click the button, it changes to “not having” changing your filter specifications.

“Grouping” page

This page only appears with certain outputs. Mark the option button that is appropriate for the way you want a listing output grouped.

When making selections such as order or grouping, you can choose only one option.

“Order” page

This page offers options for ordering the listing or item output. Mark the option button that is appropriate for the way you want the output ordered.

Report Specifications: “Memorize,” “Recall” and “Print”

When creating output, CC-Assist gives you the flexibility to “Memorize,” “Recall” or “Print” report selections (e.g. “Data Components,” “Filters,” “Grouping” and “Order” selections).

NOTE: CC-Assist also “remembers” the specifications that were last chosen for a type of output. So when you choose that type of output again, the specifications will be as previously chosen, but you can change them if necessary.

“Memorize”

To “Memorize” report specifications, choose the appropriate settings for the report, then select “Memorize” and save the specifications under a user-defined name. A memorized report will be available for all users.

“Recall”

To “Recall” a customized report, or memorized report specifications, select the “Recall” button and choose any of the saved reports.

“Print”

Once you have chosen all report specifications, you can print this information and attach it to a report for future reference. The report specifications that will be displayed include the chosen “Data Components,” “Filters,” “Grouping” and “Order” selections.

“Print Job” dialog box

In this dialog box you have the option to 1) preview the output, 2) print the output to a printer, or 3) print the output to a disk file.

The “Print Job” dialog box displays the following information and choices:

“Job Name”

Displays the name of the output. For example, when printing a “Member Listing,” the “Job Name” text box displays “Member Listing.”

“Job Info”

Displays information about the output. For example, when printing a “Member Listing,” the “Job Info” text box displays the number of records selected for output.

“Name”

The Printer “Name” text box allows you to choose to which printer you want to send the output and the “Where” text box displays the network path or local printer port for the chosen printer. The “Setup” command button, when chosen, displays a dialog box in which you can specify the paper size and page orientation. Marking the “Print to PDF file” check box sends the output to a PDF file.

“Print range”

Offers option buttons from which you can choose to either print all pages or only pages within a specified range of page numbers.

“Copies”

Depending on the limitations of the printer driver for the printer that is chosen, you may or may not be able to choose that more than one copy of the output be printed. If printing more than one copy, mark the “Collate” check box to have the printed pages automatically collated.

“Preview”

Choosing this command button displays a “Preview” window from which you can preview the output before printing it. If you are satisfied with the output, you can also print the output from this window by choosing the “Print Report” icon in the toolbar.

“Print”

Choosing this command button sends the output to the specified printer.

“Save As”

Choosing this command a you to save the report as an Adobe PDF, MS Word, Rich Text, MS Excel, HTML document.

“Cancel”

Self-explanatory.