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The Reports interface was designed with simplicity in mind—placing everything in an easily navigable window that allows you to quickly find, modify, and run reports.

Additionally, the Reports interface allows you to create reports that only include pertinent information: records of interest, transaction types, balance selections, and personalized text on circulation notices. You can also schedule reports and deliver their output via email, FTP, etc.

In order to become a report wizard, there are only three essential things you need to understand: report categories, report templates, and creating custom reports.

The Reports interface uses the familiar three-panel layout found in most Alexandria management interfaces.

• The left-hand side of the window is home to the Categories pane, containing a list of all existing report categories (e.g. Titles) and subcategories (e.g. Information). Selections from this pane act as filters, allowing you to narrow your focus and display only relevant reports.
• The upper-right section of the window contains the Quick and Saved tabs and the Reports Selection pane, which allow you to select the specific report you would like to view, modify, or run. If you haven't yet selected a report from this pane, you will be presented with a longer list; the Selected Report pane for Quick/Saved reports only appears after a report is selected from this list.
• The Selected Report pane—the bottom-right area of the window—contains settings and options for the selected report, housed in the following tabs: Overview, Selections, Options, Notification, Schedule, and FTP.

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Reports control strip

The control strip at the top of the Reports interface contains the Save and Revert buttons, the Operation Management and the Support Center help icons, the Lock/Unlock icon and the Actions menu which performs functions related to the selected report.

Quick / Saved

• The Quick tab contains a complete list of available report types; essentially, an exhaustive repository of every existing report template. These templates do not store custom selection settings and should not be confused with operator-created Saved reports; they are mainly used for running ad-hoc reports or as a foundation for your own Saved reports. If you haven't been able to locate the exact templates you are looking for, chances are you will find them here.
• The Saved tab contains all your operator-created reports. Keep in mind that Saved reports are custom templates; they only keep the selection criteria used to create the report and not the results of the report itself.

Unlock / Lock

• The Unlock / Lock icon only appears when the Saved tab is selected; the default state of the Saved tab is always “locked”. This prevents an operator from making unintentional changes to the currently selected report. When the Saved tab is locked, reports may still be viewed and run, but modification of any of the report settings are disabled until the report is unlocked. The Saved tab will remain unlocked until you click the lock icon again or the window is closed.

Actions Menu

• The Actions drop-down menu (represented by a gear/cog icon) contains specialized report-specific functions and other tools; the Actions menu only appears when the Saved tab is selected.
• Duplicate Report. Should you want nearly identical settings for a custom-created report, this allows you to make a copy of the selected Saved report, give it a new name, and make whatever changes you require.
• Delete Report. This selection completely removes the selected Saved report from the Report Selection tab. This can not be undone (i.e. Saved reports can not be restored), so think twice before making this selection.

Save / Revert

• Once changes have been made to the currently selected Saved report, the Revert and Save options appear. Clicking Revert will discard changes to the Saved report; clicking Save will keep your changes.

Operation Management

• Alexandria's Operations Management is a specialized repository where past and future operations (i.e. reports, utilities, exports, or imports) are sorted and stored. You can view operation summaries and open, email, or download saved operations that have previously completed.
• Clicking Run at the bottom of the Reports interface will queue and create a PDF for the selected report in the Operation Management interface.

Support Center

• Click the Help button to access the reports section of our online Support Center.

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Report categories

The first step in producing meaningful reports is selecting the proper report category. The report Categories pane on the left-hand side of the window is a collection of categories and subcategories that can reduce the number of results that appear in the Report Selection pane (i.e. the Quick and Saved tabs) on the right.

You are able to expand or contract associated subcategory sections by clicking the icon located to the left of the main category name. Selecting (highlighting) one of the main category—or subcategory—names (e.g. Titles) will reveal all of the reports available for that category (or subcategory). For example, if you want to run a Charges and Overdue Fines report, you can’t do it with the Patrons category selected—they're Circulation (category) reports that you’ll find under the Charges and Payments subcategory. Selecting All Reports at the top of the categories filter will populate the Quick and Saved tabs with all available report options.

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Report selection pane

The larger, right-side of the Reports interface is dedicated to the currently selected report and contains all of the report's configurable settings and options.

Directly below the control strip is the Report Selection pane; this pane changes dynamically depending on whether you have the Quick or Saved selected. Remember, the reports that appear in the Report Selection pane directly relate to the category (or subcategory) selected from the Categories pane and/or the information that is entered into the Filter bar.

Filter Bar

The Filter bar, in conjunction with the Categories pane, can be used to further filter the list of results in the Report Selection pane. In some ways, this is the consummate report filter—far surpassing the Categories pane. In fact, you may find yourself never using the Categories filters again, preferring instead to check against All Reports using the Filter bar.

For example, if you select Copies from the Categories pane and then type “labels” in the Filter bar, you would only see copy label-related reports in the Report Selection pane. If you have All Reports selected from the Categories pane and type “labels” into the Filter bar, you would see results for all types of label reports.

The results of the Filter bar depend on whether you have the Quick or Saved tab selected and what category/subcategory filter is being applied.

If you would like to search the entire collection of reports you will first need to select All Reports from the Categories pane and then provide a term in the Filter bar. For instance, if you’re looking for a simple Copy List report and don’t want to bother with the category/subcategory filters, simply select All Reports and start typing “Copy List” in the Filter bar.

Quick reports

When the Quick tab is selected, the Report Selection pane allows you to see the complete list of available report types; essentially, an exhaustive repository of existing report templates. These templates do not store custom selection settings; they are mainly used for running “ad-hoc” reports or as a foundation for custom Saved reports.

Using the Categories pane and Filter bar, the results in the Quick Reports list will only reflect reports pertaining to selected categories/subcategories. For example, if you select Circulation from the report Categories pane, the Report Selection pane will only display Circulation reports; if you select a Circulation subcategory (e.g. Listings, Notices, Holds, etc), your results will be further refined.

Selecting a report type from the Report Selection pane automatically populates the bottom portion of the window (i.e. the Selected Report pane) which contains report information in the Selection and Options tabs. These tabs contain selection settings that are essential to how your reports are ordered, organized, and presented. By default, the Selections tab has focus when new reports are selected.

Reports from the Quick tab are considered “impromptu”; any modifications made to the Selections and Options tabs are discarded immediately after switching to another report category. For example, if you have the Titles (category) ⇒ Information (subcategory) ⇒ Title Information (report type) selected and then click on the Copies category, all information that you may have modified or provided to the Title Information report will be lost; even if you were to immediately return, you would find all your settings wiped.

However, if you would like to save the Quick report you’ve just modified, click Create Saved Report at the bottom of the Selected Report pane. After adjusting the default report name (optional), your new report—including custom settings—will be added to the Saved tab.

Saved reports

Alexandria makes it easy to create your own frequently-used, custom reports. The Saved tab contains all your custom-created reports. Keep in mind that Saved reports only keep the selection criteria used to create the report and not the results of the report itself.

The Saved tab contains custom reports that you (or others) have created, saved, and shared. When the Saved tab is selected, Favorite, Shared, and Operator filters (described below) become available Report Selection pane.

Using the Categories pane, Filter buttons, and Filter bar, the results in the Saved Reports list will only reflect reports pertaining to selected categories/subcategories. For example, if you select Patrons from the report Categories pane, the Report Selection pane will only display custom-created patron reports; if you select a Patrons subcategory (e.g. Labels, Forms, Usage, etc), your results will be further refined.

Selecting a Saved report type from the Report Selection pane automatically populates the bottom portion of the window (i.e. the Selected Report pane) which contains report information in the following tabs: Overview, Selections, Options, Notification, Schedule, and FTP. These tabs contain selection settings that are essential to how your reports are ordered, organized, and presented. By default, the Selections tab has focus when a Saved report is selected.

Once a Saved report has been selected, it can then be run, modified, duplicated, or removed.

Saved Report Filters

When the Saved tab is selected, Favorite, Shared, and Operator filters become available in the Report Selection pane. After applying a filter, it remains until manually disabled—even when using the Filter bar. Individual Saved reports can be “favorited” or “shared” by checking the Favorite and/or Shared box(es) in the Overview tab; if the check is removed, they will no longer be marked as “favorite” or “shared”.

• Filter by Favorite. This button only appears when the Saved tab is selected. Once enabled, you will only see reports marked as Favorite in the Report Selection pane. This filter is applied until it is manually disabled.
• Filter by Shared. This button only appears when the Saved tab is selected. Once enabled, you will only see reports marked as Shared in the Report Selection pane. This filter is applied until it is manually disabled.
• Filter by Current Operator. This button only appears when the Saved tab is selected. Once enabled, you will only see reports that you have created in the Report Selection pane. This filter is applied until it is manually disabled.

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Selected Report Pane

The Selected Report pane, located at the lower-right of the Reports interface, is dynamic; the available tabs, fields, and options change depending on the report you currently have selected in the Report Selection pane and whether Quick or Saved is selected from the control strip.

These tabs contain settings that allow you to configure selection options essential to how your reports are ordered, organized, scheduled, and presented.

By default, the Selections tab has focus when Quick or Saved reports are selected.

Selected report

Use the following links to learn more about the Selected Report tabs and their settings and options:

Overview tab Selections tab Options tab Notification tab Schedule tab FTP tab

The bottom of the Selected Report pane has some controls that change dynamically depending on whether you have the Quick or Saved selected.

• Show Additional Selections. Some reports have uncommon or infrequently used selections initially hidden from view. When they are, a Show Additional Selections box is available. Once checked, the hidden selection options become available.
• Create Saved Report. If you would like to save the Quick report you’ve been modifying, click Create Saved Report. After adjusting the default report name (optional), your new report, with custom settings, will be added to the Saved tab. This option only appears for Quick reports.
• Run. Sends the report to the Operations Management queue; every report you run will be documented in the Show My Operations log in Operation Management.

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