DBxtra Help File - Version 7.2.0 - Last Updated: April, 11 2013
The DBxtra Designer is a very powerful and flexible reporting tool.
The most important steps to produce useful information reports are described below.
DBxtra allows to organize data into Projects.
Each Project has its Data Connections, Object Folders and Report Objects.
You can add unlimited Data Connections to a Project from data sources like MS SQL Server, MySQL, MS Access, Oracle, Excel, and from almost any other database through ODBC and OLE DB.
Once a Data Connection is established you will have access to all its native objects like tables and views.
DBxtra offers three different kind of reports such as Data Grids, Pivot Grids and Reports.
All report objects need to be based on a Query.
The DBxtra Query is the first step to produce useful information from data.
You can create Queries from native database tables and views and also form previously designed Report Objects.
DBxtra allows to create heterogenous queries from more then one database and also from different databases and database formats.
Objects you can use to create a Query:
· Database tables / views
· DBxtra Queries / Reports
· Mixing Database tables / views & DBxtra Queries / Reports
· Tables / Views from more than one (different) database tables / views
E.g.: Create a Query from two different MS SQL Server databases
E.g.: Create a Query by adding tables from a MS SQL Server database and from an MS Excel file
Designing a Query involves adding database tables / views or DBxtra Report Objects; creating relationships between objects, selecting fields to be included, sorting, filtering, assigning parameters, and grouping records.
You can also assign any expression supported by the database you are connected to.
View your data in the Data Grid.
You can easily group, sort and filter data. It also allows unlimited Drill Down views.
It is easy to save different Data Grid Views for easy retrieval of your preferred Data Grid settings.
There is almost no limitation in designing Reports.
The DBxtra Report Designer empowers you to pixel fine tune Reports, add groups, totals, tables, images, bar-codes and rich text fields among many other features.
You can create and use Styles to format Reports quickly and also assign the most common field formats with the Quick Format feature.
Use the Report Wizard to produce reports or labels in less then a minute.
Adding unlimited Data Sources and inserting bound Sub Reports or unbound Sub Reports enables you to create Reports which act as Digital Dashboards.
Quickly embed detail data, unlimited summary data and Charts into a single Report.
View your data in the interactive Pivot Grid.
You can easily group, sort and filter data.
It is easy to save different Pivot Grid Views for easy retrieval of your preferred settings.
Automatically chart your Pivot data.
Charts are designed directly from within the Visual Report Designer.
Use the Quick Chart wizard or the Advanced Chart wizard to create charts quickly.
Sometimes you need to go beyond a Data Grid - Pivot View or a Report to analyze your data..
DBxtra allows exporting of your data Reports.
The most common output formats like PDF, HTML, XML, text, CSV, RTF and Excel are supported.
Also export your data to linked - always live connected - data Excel sheets and Excel pivot tables & charts.
You can also E-mail any Report in the most common formats.
Although you can view and print any Report from within the DBxtra Designer most probably you want to offer the end user a simpler interface for viewing reports created with the DBxtra Designer.
DBxtra offers you two choices for end-users to consume Reports:
· The Free Desktop Report Viewer
Run any report designed with the DBxtra Designer. Open Data Grids, Reports, Pivot Grids; DBxtra will detect the object type and open the DBxtra Desktop Viewer accordingly. All reports are live connected. You'll always see the most recent data. There is no limitation on how many users can access reports.
· The DBxtra Web Report Service
If you setup DBxtra as a Report Web Service then end-users can open reports with just a web browser.
All reports are live connected. You'll always see the most recent data.
There is no limitation on how many users can access reports.
The DBxtra Schedule Server offers report schedule capabilities with many options, including recurring schedule jobs based on specific time intervals.
Your reports can be scheduled for delivery by E-mail to your business contacts.
E-mail jobs can merge information to your business contacts and also merge reports in order your contacts gets exactly the data relevant for them.
Plus, you can export reports to a specific location or uploaded to an FTP Server; all in the most common output formats like PDF, Excel, text and Word.
You can also program and send alerts to collaborators when imperative information is uncovered in your data. That way your company can quickly address any situation and respond in a timely manner.