Lantana
Systems has produced two software tools that can create files that can be
directly opened by Excel. No user interaction is required to initiate the Excel
output. This allows programs running in batch mode (for example, overnight
processing) to create Excel files and optionally email these files.
Both
software tools create files in ‘XML Spreadsheet 2003’ format. This is a native
Excel format that is supported by Excel 2003 or later versions.
4GL reports
For sites
that have a Pronto 4GL licence, Lantana Systems is offering an include file
that can be used within custom 4GL programs. This include file provides a suite
of simple macros that can be used to perform all the processing necessary to
easily create the Excel file output. This includes macros for opening and
naming output files, creating worksheets, setting column headings and formats,
and inserting data into cells.
SQL reports
For sites
that use SQL for reporting purposes, Lantana Systems is offering ‘SQL/Output’.
This is a 4GL program that can automatically create an Excel file using the
data retrieved by an SQL report. A specification is setup once within
‘SQL/Output’ for each SQL report that defines the column headings, column types
and cell formats to be used, together with details of totals to be placed at
the end of the spreadsheet. The output directory and filename structure is also
specified, together with optional email destinations.
To automatically
create Excel output, an entry to run the ‘SQL/Output’ program is added to a
Pronto batch sequence immediately after the entry to run the SQL report itself.
If an SQL report is run manually by a user, ‘SQL/Output’ can be manually run
after the SQL has finished. Note that a site does not require a 4GL licence to
use the ‘SQL/Output’ program.
For further
information about these software tools, please visit the software
and support sections of this website.
Pronto is a registered trademark of Pronto Software
Pty Ltd. Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.