Ljzsoft PTREPORTGEN User Manual
PTReportGen
User Manual
Version 2.9
2009-08
Copyright© 2006-2009 LJZsoft Corporation
All rights reserved
Contents
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1
1.1 OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................................1
1.2 FEATURES.......................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND STARTUP...............................................................................5
2.1 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS............................................................................................................5
2.2 INSTALLING PTREPORTGEN...........................................................................................................5
2.3 UNINSTALLING PTREPORTGEN......................................................................................................5
2.4 COMMAND LINE .............................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 3 QUICK START...............................................................................................................8
3.1 LEARNING HOW TO USE PTREPORTGEN .........................................................................................8
3.2 SAMPLE DATABASE ........................................................................................................................8
3.3 STEPS OF REPORTING......................................................................................................................9
3.4 MY FIRST REPORT ........................................................................................................................10
3.4.1 Creating a report template...................................................................................................10
3.4.2 Creating a PTR file..............................................................................................................11
3.4.3 Configuring the report.........................................................................................................11
3.4.4 Inputting a function..............................................................................................................12
3.4.5 Understanding the function..................................................................................................12
3.4.6 Running a PTR file...............................................................................................................13
3.4.7 Opening a report..................................................................................................................13
3.4.8 Modifying the report template..............................................................................................13
3.4.9 Modifying the function.........................................................................................................14
3.4.10 Generating the report again...............................................................................................15
3.5 SAMPLES.......................................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER 4 REPORT TEMPLATES ..............................................................................................17
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4.1 ABOUT REPORTS ..........................................................................................................................17
4.2 ABOUT REPORT TEMPLATES.........................................................................................................17
4.3 POWERPOINT BASIC CONCEPTS....................................................................................................17
4.3.1 Presentations........................................................................................................................17
4.3.2 Slides....................................................................................................................................18
4.3.3 Layout..................................................................................................................................18
4.3.4 Headers and Footers............................................................................................................18
4.3.5 Formatting...........................................................................................................................18
4.3.6 Shapes..................................................................................................................................19
4.3.7 Pictures................................................................................................................................19
4.3.8 Tables...................................................................................................................................20
4.3.9 Charts...................................................................................................................................20
4.3.10 Sound, Music, Video, and Voice.........................................................................................20
4.4 TABLE REPORTS ...........................................................................................................................21
4.4.1 About Table Reports.............................................................................................................21
4.4.2 Creating a Table for a Fixed Table Report..........................................................................22
4.4.3 Creating a Table for a Variable Table Report.....................................................................22
4.4.4 Formatting Cells..................................................................................................................23
4.4.5 Irregular Tables...................................................................................................................25
4.4.6 Referencing Cells.................................................................................................................26
4.4.7 Referencing Tables...............................................................................................................26
4.4.8 Formatting Cells for Pictures..............................................................................................27
4.5 FORM REPORTS.............................................................................................................................28
4.5.1 About Form Reports.............................................................................................................28
4.5.2 Creating a Slide ...................................................................................................................28
4.5.3 Naming Objects....................................................................................................................29
4.5.4 Formatting text in an Object................................................................................................31
4.5.5 Formatting Pictures.............................................................................................................32
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4.6 CHARTS ........................................................................................................................................32
4.6.1 About Charts........................................................................................................................32
4.6.2 Creating a Blank Chart using Microsoft Graph..................................................................33
4.6.3 Creating a Blank Chart using Microsoft Excel....................................................................34
4.6.4 Referencing Charts ..............................................................................................................35
CHAPTER 5 REPORTING WITH PTREPORTGEN.....................................................................36
5.1 CREATING AND OPENING PTR FILES............................................................................................36
5.1.1 About PTR files....................................................................................................................36
5.1.2 Create a new PTR file..........................................................................................................36
5.1.3 Open a PTR file....................................................................................................................36
5.1.4 Save a PTR file.....................................................................................................................36
5.2 CONFIGURING FILES.....................................................................................................................37
5.2.1 About files.............................................................................................................. ..............37
5.2.2 Configuring file information................................................................................................37
5.2.3 Converting files....................................................................................................................38
5.3 CONFIGURING DATA SOURCES.....................................................................................................39
5.3.1 About data sources...............................................................................................................40
5.3.2 Adding, modifying and deleting a data source.....................................................................40
5.4 CONFIGURING PARAMETERS.........................................................................................................42
5.4.1 About parameters.................................................................................................................42
5.4.2 Adding, modifying and deleting a parameter.......................................................................42
5.5 INPUTTING FUNCTIONS.................................................................................................................43
5.6 RUNNING PTR FILES....................................................................................................................44
5.6.1 Windows mode.....................................................................................................................44
5.6.2 Command line mode.............................................................................................................44
5.7 SORTING, GROUPING AND TOTALING...........................................................................................45
5.7.1 Sorting data..........................................................................................................................45
5.7.2 Totaling................................................................................................................................45
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5.7.3 Grouping data and subreports.............................................................................................46
5.7.4 Subtotaling...........................................................................................................................46
5.8 PICTURES......................................................................................................................................47
5.8.1 Inserting pictures into a report template..............................................................................47
5.8.2 Inserting pictures into a report............................................................................................47
5.9 USING PARAMETERS.....................................................................................................................49
5.10 PROGRAMMING...........................................................................................................................52
5.10.1 Using add-ins, macros.......................................................................................................52
5.10.2 Making PTR files programmatically..................................................................................52
CHAPTER 6 FUNCTION REFERENCE..........................................................................................54
6.1 REPORT FUNCTION.......................................................................................................................54
6.1.1 Report Function...................................................................................................................54
6.1.2 Fixed Table Report Function...............................................................................................54
6.1.3 Non-group Variable Table Report Function........................................................................58
6.1.4 Group Variable Table Report Function...............................................................................63
6.1.5 Form Report Function .........................................................................................................70
6.2 CHART FUNCTION.........................................................................................................................75
6.2.1 MSGraph Chart Function....................................................................................................75
6.2.2 Excel Chart Function...........................................................................................................79
6.3 EXECSQL FUNCTION ...................................................................................................................83
CHAPTER 7 MENUS, TOOLBAR AND SHORTCUT KEYS........................................................85
7.1 FILE MENU ...................................................................................................................................85
7.2 EDIT MENU...................................................................................................................................85
7.3 REPORT MENU..............................................................................................................................85
7.4 TOOLS MENU................................................................................................................................86
7.5 HELP MENU..................................................................................................................................86
7.6 TOOLBAR......................................................................................................................................86
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7.7 SHORTCUT KEYS ..........................................................................................................................87
CHAPTER 8 HINTS AND TIPS.........................................................................................................89
CHAPTER 9 PTR FILE REFERENCE.............................................................................................95
9.1 PTR FILE FORMAT .......................................................................................................................95
9.2 [DATA SOURCE] SECTION.............................................................................................................96
9.3 [FILE] SECTION ...........................................................................................................................98
9.4 [PARAMETER] SECTION............................................................................................................99
CHAPTER 10 FORMAT EXPRESSIONS......................................................................................101
A.1 FORMATS FOR NUMERIC VALUES..............................................................................................101
A.2 FORMATS FOR STRING VALUES .................................................................................................105
A.3 FORMATS FOR DATE/TIME VALUES...........................................................................................106
CHAPTER 11 LICENSE AND SUPPORT......................................................................................110
11.1 LICENSE....................................................................................................................................110
11.2 TECHNICAL SUPPORT................................................................................................................111
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Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
PTReportGen is a report generator for Microsoft PowerPoint that outputs
reports in Microsoft PowerPoint format. If you know how to use Microsoft
PowerPoint and write SQL statements, you can use PTReportGen to create all
kinds of reports as you need.
To create a report, PTReportGen
need to read a report template
Report
Template
file and a PTR file. The report
PTReportGen
Report
template file is a Microsoft
PowerPoint presentation that
SQL
defines the layouts and formats
of a report. The PTR file contains
Database
SQL statements and some
information, and tells PTReportGen how to get data from database and how to
put data into a report. First PTReportGen creates a blank report using the
report template file, and then executes SQL statements in the PTR file to get
data from database, and fills data into the report to generate the desired report
in Microsoft PowerPoint format.
1.2 Features
PTReportGen includes the following features:
Using Microsoft PowerPoint as your reporting tool
Just use Microsoft PowerPoint as your reporting tool. You design reports like
layouts, formats and styles directly using Microsoft PowerPoint. And you will
get reports in Microsoft PowerPoint presentation format as a result.
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Making report template directly using Microsoft PowerPoint
The main advantage of using PTReportGen is based on the fact that all
formatting is done directly in Microsoft PowerPoint. You can take full
advantage of Microsoft PowerPoint including text formatting, tables, charts,
pictures and graphics, drawing, headers and footers, preview and printing,
VBA, macros, and more.
Accessing to databases using SQL
PTReportGen executes SQL statements to extract data from database.
Supports all type SQL: DML, DDL and DCL. Multiple SQL statements can be
executed in one report building process. You can perform queries on
databases, insert data into databases, and create database objects like tables.
The power of SQL can be harnessed for maximum efficiency in reporting.
Creating reports without programming experience
You know how to use Microsoft PowerPoint and how to write SQL, it is enough.
It does not require programming to create reports.
Connection to all databases using ODBC
PTReportGen connects to databases using ODBC. Access to all databases
which support ODBC such as Oracle, DB2, Sybase, Informix, Microsoft SQL
Server, Teradata, MySQL, Microsoft Access, dBase.
Supporting multi-databases in one report
PTReportGen supports multi-databases in one report. You can get data from
some different databases such as Oracle, DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server, and
put these data into one report.
Generating reports with parameters
PTReportGen gives you an opportunity to create reports with parameters. You
may use parameters in SQL statements. You will be asked to input the values
of parameters while generating reports.
Supporting Windows mode and command line mode
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PTReportGen supports command line mode. So it is possible to call
PTReportGen from other program. For developers, you can integrate
PTReportGen into your application.
Creating complex reports
You can create complex reports. The complexity might come from report
formatting as well as report content.
Creating reports with charts
PTReportGen enables you to include sophisticated, colorful charts in your
reports. You can use charts any time you want to improve the usefulness of a
report.
Creating reports with pictures
PTReportGen can insert pictures from the graphics files, and set the inserted
way, text wrapping style and size of the pictures according to your instruction.
Many reports in one Microsoft PowerPoint presentation
One Microsoft PowerPoint presentation may contain many reports. One report
may be one or more slides. You can generate a presentation in one generating
process.
Conversion of file formats
PTReportGen is a converter too. You can convert PowerPoint presentation to
and from other formats, such as HTML, RTF, GIF, JPG and BMP. You also
can convert data from database to other file format.
Generating reports automatically
The process of report generation can be fully automated, periodically or on
events. PTReportGen can be scheduled with Windows Scheduled Tasks or
other tools.
One time configuration
With on time configuration, you can repeatedly generate reports especially
periodic reports such as daily, weekly, monthly and annual reports.
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Flexible deployment
PTReportGen can be run on your desktop or server.
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Chapter 2 Installation and Startup
2.1 Software Requirements
Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows
XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista or later.
Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003 or later.
2.2 Installing PTReportGen
Run installation program, and follow the instructions to complete PTReportGen
installation. For Windows Vista, the data folder should be different from the
application folder.
If you don’t have Microsoft Office installed, please install it first.
If your environment is Windows 95/98 and Office 2000, and you don’t have
VB6.0 run-time files installed, please install it. For Windows 2000, Windows XP,
Windows 2003 and Office 2000 or later, you do not need to install VB6.0
run-time files because they are included in OS and Office. To install VB6.0
run-time files, just run vbrun60sp5.exe, and follow the instructions.
If you don’t have ODBC Driver for the database you want to access installed,
please install it.
If your OS is Windows 95/98 and you don’t have Microsoft Data Access
Components 2.0 (MDAC_TYP) or later installed, please install it. For Windows
2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003, you do not need to install MDAC_TYP
because it is preinstalled in OS. To install MDAC_TYP, just run mdac_typ.exe,
and follow the instructions.
2.3 Uninstalling PTReportGen
1. Quit PTReportGen.
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2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Windows Control
Panel.
3. Do one of the following:
For Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003 Edition:
Click PTReportGen in the Currently installed programs box, and then click
the Change/Remove button.
For Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0:
Click PTReportGen on the Install/Uninstall tab, and then click the
Add/Remove button.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete uninstalling the program.
2.4 Command Line
PTReportGen can be run in Windows mode or command line mode. The
Syntax of command is:
pptreport <ptr file name> [-C] [-D] [-I interval] [-U1 user1] [-P1 pwd1] …
[-U10 user10] [-P10 pwd10] [pa1 pa2 … pa10]
ptr file name Specifying a PTR (.ptr) file that tells PTReportGen how to get
data from data sources and how to put data into a report.
-C Running in command line mode.
-D Display the generated report with Microsoft PowerPoint.
-I interval Log the processing records message. If interval is greater than
1, it is the interval of records. If interval is less than 1, it is the
percent of interval.
-U1 user1 …
Specify the user names. user1 is the user name of the first
-U10 user10
-P1 pwd1 ... Specify the passwords. pwd1 is the password of the first data
data source. user2 is the user name of the second data
source……
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-P10 pwd10 source. pwd2 is the password of the second data source……
pa1 … pa10 The values of the parameters defined in the PTR file. You can
use parameters in SQL statements. PTReportGen will replace
the names of parameters in a SQL statement with the actual
values before it executes a SQL statement. You can use no
more than 10 parameters in one report.
For example, you have defined two parameters in your PTR file. The first
parameter is sales date, and the second is the category of the products. You
can run PTReportGen in command line mode as follows:
pptreport c:\PPTReport\myreport.ptr -c 1996-05-01 “Dairy Products”
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Chapter 3 Quick Start
3.1 Learning how to use PTReportGen
You can teach yourself how to use PTReportGen by choosing from the
methods available in this section:
You can study the sample reports and sample database included with
PTReportGen.
You can use the detailed descriptions and instructions in the “My First
Report”.
3.2 Sample Database
PTReportGen comes with Sample.mdb, a sample database you can use when
learning the program. Sample.mdb is a Microsoft Access database. Virtually all
of the examples in this manual are based on Sample.mdb data.
The sample reports access the sample database through the ODBC data
source name “Report Sample”. When you install PTReportGen, you can
choose to add the ODBC data source name. And you also can add the ODBC
data source name manually.
To create the System DSN “Report Sample”, do as follows:
1. Click the Windows Start button, choose Settings, and then click Control
Panel.
2. On computers running Microsoft Windows 2000 or later, double-click
Administrative Tools, and then double-click Data Sources (ODBC). The
ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box appears. On computers
running previous versions of Microsoft Windows, double-click 32-bit ODBC or
ODBC.
3. Select the System DSN tab, and then press Add button.
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4. Choose Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb), then press Finish button.
5. In the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup dialog box, type Report Sample in
the Data Source Name box.
6. Press the Select button, and browse to select Sample.mdb.
7. Press OK button to close the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup dialog box.
8. Press OK button to close the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog
box.
3.3 Steps of Reporting
To create a report with PTReportGen, you should do as follows:
1. Prepare works
Before you create a report, you should determine the layout of the report, and
know where and how to get the data.
You must know how to access the databases you are reporting from. So you
need the data source name, user name and password. If you don’t have added
data sources, please add data sources first. Run ODBC Administrator, you can
add a new data source. For detailed information about configuring ODBC, refer
to ODBC Administrator Help.
2. Make a report template file
Create a report template file using Microsoft PowerPoint. The report template
file is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. For detailed information about
report template, refer to “Report Templates” in this document.
3. Create a PTR file
Create a PTR file with a .ptr extension using PTReportGen. There are tow
steps to create a PTR file.
(1) Configure the report
Define the names of data sources, the name of the report template file, the
name of the report file and the name of the log file. If you want to use
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parameters in SQL statements, define these parameters.
(2) Write functions
Write functions and SQL statements that specify how to get data from data
sources and how to put data into the report.
For detailed information, refer to “Reporting with PTReportGen” in this
document.
4. Run the PTR file
Run the PTR file to generate a report in Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
For detailed information about running report, refer to “Running a PTR File” in
this document.
3.4 My First Report
The following tutorial has been designed to guide you to create your first report.
In this tutorial, you will get an introduction to the program as you create a
Customer List report. The Customer List is one of the most basic business
reports and typically has information such as Customer Name, City, Country,
and Contact Name.
3.4.1 Creating a report template
1. Run Microsoft PowerPoint, create a new presentation with a blank slide.
2. On the Insert menu, click Table. Select the number of columns and rows.
Press OK button.
3. Click the cell A1, type “Customer Name”. In the same way, you input “City”,
“Country” and “Contact Name” into the cells B1, C1 and D1.
4. Format the text of A1, B1, C1 and D1 as you like, including font, font size,
font colour, bold, background, alignment and border.
5. You can change the width of these columns. The report template you have
made is as follows:
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6. Click Save on the File menu, chose a directory such as “C:\Report”, type
custlist.ppt in the File name box and press Save button.
7. Click Close on the File menu.
3.4.2 Creating a PTR file
1. Run PTReportGen.
2. Click New on the File menu.
3. Click Save on the File menu, chose the directory to which you have saved
the report template, type custlist.ptr in the File name box and press Save
button.
3.4.3 Configuring the report
1. On the Report menu, click Configuration. The Configuration dialog box
appears.
2. Click the File tab.
In the Template File box, type custlist.ppt; In the Report File box, type
Report\custlist.ppt; In the Log File box, type Log\custlist.log.
3. Click the Data Source tab.
Press New button, the New Data Source dialog box appears. In the Name
box, type Report Sample, press OK button.
4. On the Configuration dialog box, press OK button.
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3.4.4 Inputting a function
In the editor windows, input a function as follows:
@F1=Report(slide=1 cell=A2)
SELECT CompanyName
,CityName
,CountryName
,ContactName
FROM Customers, Cities, Countries
WHERE Customers.CityCode = Cities.CityCode
AND Customers.CountryCode = Cities.CountryCode
AND Customers.CountryCode = Countries.CountryCode
AND CountryName = 'USA'
ORDER BY CompanyName,CityName,CountryName
;
Please note the WHERE clause. It passes only records of customers in USA.
You can test the SQL statement in a query tool such as Microsoft Access or
Microsoft Query.
3.4.5 Understanding the function
Before going any further, let us understand this function.
1. The Report function will execute the SQL statement, get data from data
source, and put data into the report.
2. The slide argument identifies a slide, and the value 1 is the index number of
the slide. So it is the first slide. You do not identify a table. So PTReportGen
will put data into the first table in the slide.
3. The cell argument specifies the cells that the first record will be filled into.
The value is A2. So PTReportGen will fetch the first record, put the value of
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CompanyName field into A2, the value of CityName field into B2, the value of
CountryName field into C2, and the value of ContactName field into D2. An
then it fetch the next record, put them into A3,B3,C3 and D3……
3.4.6 Running a PTR file
1. On the Report menu, click Run, the Run Report dialog box appears.
2. Press Start button to run the PTR file.
3. PTReportGen will generate a report.
4. After the status is Done, click Close button.
3.4.7 Opening a report
1. On the File menu, click Open Report File to open the report you have
generated.
You can view and check the report.
2. On the File menu, click Open Log File to open the log file that recorded the
log information in the report generating..
You can check the log.
3. Close the report file and the log file.
3.4.8 Modifying the report template
1. On the File menu, click Open Template File to open the report template.
2. Change the width of columns. It is very useful to copy some sample data
from the report file into the report template for formatting.
3. Select the second row, and insert a row to the table.
4. Change the border width of the first row. Select the first row, click Table on
the Format menu, and then click the Borders tab. Change the border width,
and press OK button. The border of the first row is different from the border of
the other rows. The report template you have made is as follows:
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5. Save and close the template file.
3.4.9 Modifying the function
Now you want a full customer list. In the editor windows, modify the function as
follows:
@F1=Report(slide=1 cell=A2 pagebreak=12 reserve=2)
SELECT CompanyName
,CityName
,CountryName
,ContactName
FROM Customers, Cities, Countries
WHERE Customers.CityCode = Cities.CityCode
AND Customers.CountryCode = Cities.CountryCode
AND Customers.CountryCode = Countries.CountryCode
ORDER BY CompanyName,CityName,CountryName
;
1. The reserve argument specifies the number of records for that you reserve
some rows. You have reserve two blank rows in the report template so that the
format of the last row/column border may be different from the others.
2. The pagebreak argument specifies the number of records in one slide. You
want a full customer list, and remove the specified condition in the WHERE
clause. But a full customer list is too long in one slide. So you can put records
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into more slides using pagebreak argument. In this case, one slide contains 12
records.
3.4.10 Generating the report again
1. Save the PTR file.
2. Run the PTR file to generate the report.
3. Open the report, view and check the report.
The report should now look similar to the following:
Now you have created a report.
3.5 Samples
After PTReportGen is installed, some sample reports are installed too. Use
these reports to learn PTReportGen. The sample reports can be changed to
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adapt to your own needs.
The sample reports include a sample database, some report template files
(.ppt) and PTR files (.ptr). They are located in the Application Data\LJZsoft
under All Users or your profile folder. PTReportGen was tested with Microsoft
Office 2007. Please download the sample reports for Microsoft Office 2007
from our website.
Directory Description
{data}\Common\SampleDatabase Contains the sample database
“Sample.mdb”.
{data}\PTReportGen\Samples Contains the report template files
(.ppt) and the PTR files (.ptr).
{data}\PTReportGen\Samples\Report Contains the report files (.ppt)
generated by PTReportGen.
{data}\PTReportGen\Samples\Log Contains the log files created by
PTReportGen during generating
report files.
{data} is the path of the data folder. You can select the data folder when you
install PTReportGen. By default, the data folder is the Application Data\LJZsoft
folder under All Users. If you install PTReportGen without administrative
privileges, the data folder is the Application Data\LJZsoft folder under the
current user. The data folder is usually at:
Windows 95/98: C:\windows\All Users\Application Data\LJZsoft
Windows NT: C:\WinNT\Profiles\All Users\Application Data\LJZsoft
Windows 2000/XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\LJZsoft
Windows Vista: C:\ProgramData\LJZsoft
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Chapter 4 Report Templates
4.1 About Reports
The report generated by PTReportGen is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
The layouts, formats and styles of the report are defined by a report template,
and the data of the report are got from databases such as Oracle, DB2.
4.2 About Report Templates
To make a report using PTReportGen, you should create a report template first.
The report template is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation that defines the
layouts, formats and styles of the report. In the Microsoft PowerPoint report
template, you can input static content such as titles, descriptions, comments, a
cover, a company logo, format the static content, and define the format of the
data you will get from databases.
When generating a report, PTReportGen will copy the report template file to a
blank report file, and then put data into the report. So the layouts, formats and
styles defined in the report template file will be brought to the final report file.
4.3 PowerPoint Basic Concepts
If you have known these concepts of Microsoft PowerPoint, please skip this
section. For more detail information about Microsoft PowerPoint, refer to
Microsoft PowerPoint Help.
4.3.1 Presentations
A presentation is a Microsoft PowerPoint file with extension .ppt. You can open
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and save it using Microsoft PowerPoint. The presentation is made up of a
series of slides.
4.3.2 Slides
A slide is a frame in a presentation. A presentation contains one or more slides.
Slide is the primary component that contains content.
4.3.3 Layout
Layout refers to the way things are arranged on a slide. A layout contains
placeholders, which in turn hold text such as titles and bulleted lists and slide
content such as tables, charts, pictures, shapes, and clip art. Each time you
add a new slide, you can choose a layout for it. You can also choose a blank
layout.
4.3.4 Headers and Footers
Headers and footers consist of the header and footer text, slide or page
number, and date you want at the top or bottom of your slides or notes and
handouts.
You can use headers and footers on single slides or all slides. For notes and
handouts, when you apply a header or footer, it applies to all notes and
handouts. Headers and footers that you create for handouts also apply to
printed outlines.
4.3.5 Formatting
You can use these formatting features of Microsoft PowerPoint to effectively
display your data.
Characters formatting
To make text stand out, you can format the text in selected characters. You
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can change the font, color, size of text, bold and italic formats.
Paragraphs formatting
You can align, center or justify a paragraph, change indent and tab settings,
and change the line spacing of a paragraph.
Bulleted and numbered lists
Bulleted and numbered lists in Microsoft PowerPoint are easy to create. You
can quickly add bullets or numbers to existing lines of text, or Microsoft
PowerPoint can automatically create lists as you type.
Automatic formatting
Microsoft PowerPoint, by default, automatically formats certain types of text as
you type. Automatic paragraph formatting includes automatic bulleted and
numbered lists and resizing of text in text placeholders if the text doesn't fit at
its current font size.
4.3.6 Shapes
Shapes can be resized, rotated, flipped, colored, and combined to make more
complex shapes. Many have an adjustment handle that you can use to change
the most prominent feature of a shape — for example, you can change the size
of the point on an arrow. The AutoShapes include several categories of shapes:
lines, connectors, basic shapes, flowchart elements, stars and banners, and
callouts. You can add text to shapes (except lines, connectors, and freeforms).
The text you add becomes part of the shape.
Text boxes can be treated as shapes. They are formatted in many of the same
ways shapes are formatted, including adding colors, fills, and borders.
4.3.7 Pictures
There are two types of pictures: bitmaps or drawn pictures.
Bitmap pictures are made from a series of small dots, much like a piece of
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graph paper with specific squares filled in to form an image. Bitmaps are
created with and edited in paint programs, such as Microsoft Paint. All scanned
graphics and photographs are bitmaps. Bitmap pictures are often saved with
a .bmp, .png, .jpg, or .gif extension.
Drawn pictures are created from lines, curves, rectangles, and other objects.
The individual lines can be edited, moved, and rearranged. When a drawn
picture is resized, the computer redraws the lines and shapes so that they
retain their original definition and perspective. AutoShapes are drawn pictures.
Drawn pictures are saved in the format of the application that created them.
For example, Microsoft Windows Metafiles are saved with a .wmf extension.
4.3.8 Tables
A table is made up of rows and columns of cells that you can fill with text and
graphics. Tables are often used to organize and present information. You can
create tables in PowerPoint, or you can add a table from another program.
When you use PowerPoint, you can create a simple table with little formatting,
or one with more complex formatting. You can include fills and border colors
from the presentation's color scheme.
4.3.9 Charts
Charts are visually appealing and make it easy for users to see comparisons,
patterns, and trends in data. You can create a chart in a slide using Microsoft
Graph or Microsoft Excel. When you create a new chart in PowerPoint,
Microsoft Graph or Microsoft Excel opens and a chart is displayed with its
associated data in a data sheet or worksheet.
4.3.10 Sound, Music, Video, and Voice
You can add music and sounds from files on your computer, a network, the
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Internet, or Microsoft Clip Organizer. You can also record your own sounds to
add to a presentation, or use music from a CD.
You can add movies and animated GIFs to slides from files on your computer,
the Microsoft Clip Organizer, a network or intranet, or the Internet. "Movies"
are desktop video files with formats such as AVI, QuickTime, and MPEG, and
file extensions such as .avi, .mov, .qt, .mpg, and .mpeg. An animated GIF file
includes motion and has a .gif file extension. Though not technically movies,
animated GIFs contain multiple images which stream to create an animation
effect.
4.4 Table Reports
4.4.1 About Table Reports
A table is made up of rows and columns of cells that you can fill with text and
graphics. Tables are often used to make reports, and organize and present
information.
PTReportGen supports two types of table reports: fixed table report, variable
table report.
Fixed table report: The number of rows and columns in the table is fixed. When
PTReportGen executes a SQL statement, directly puts the result data into cells
in the table.
Variable table report: The number of rows or columns in the table is unfixed,
and it is variable as the number of result records. When PTReportGen
executes a SQL statement, it repeats the table rows or columns for each
record or group, and then puts data into cells of the table.
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4.4.2 Creating a Table for a Fixed Table Report
For a fixed table report, you need to create a table in the report template file
according to the report. The format of the table is the same as the format in the
report, but cells that should be filled data into are blank. When PTReportGen
executes a SQL statement, the data values from data source will be filled into
these cells.
BA
BA
1
1
2
2
3
3
BA
BA
3.4141
3.4141
5.2202
5.2202
2.783
2.783
The fixed table defined
in the report template file
The fixed table filled data
by rows in the re port file
4.4.3 Creating a Table for a Variable Table Report
For a variable table report, you also need to create a table in the report
template file according to the report. But you just need to reserve some
rows/columns in the table for one or two records. PTReportGen will add some
rows/columns according to the records from data source.
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SalesItem IdDate
SalesItem IdDate SalesItem IdDate
SalesItem IdDate
1503 1998-01-01
1503 1998-01-01
2003 1998-01-02
2003 1998-01-02
2503 1998-01-03
2503 1998-01-03
3503 1998-01-05
3503 1998-01-05
5503 1998-01-10
5503 1998-01-10
1503 1998-01-21
1503 1998-01-21
2003 1998-01-25
2003 1998-01-25
1003 1998-01-31
1003 1998-01-31
The variable-rows tab le defined
in the report template file
The format of the last row/column border can be different from the others. For
example, the outside borders used double lines, and the inside borders used
single lines. To do this, you should reserve the blank rows/columns for 2
records. When PTReportGen inserts some blank rows/columns, the new
rows/columns will inherit the format of the first row/column in the reserved
rows/columns.
One record from data source can be put into two or more rows/columns. To do
this, you need to reserve the blank rows/columns for all records that you want
to put them into one slide. For example, there are 91 records returned from a
database, and you want to put 5 records per slide and 3 rows per record. You
must prepare one slide that contain one table and reserve 15 blank rows in the
The variable-rows table filled data
by rows in the report file
table. If 1 rows per record, you just need to reserve 1 or 2 blank rows in the
table. PTReportGen can insert rows, delete rows, copy slides with tables, but
can not copy rows in one slide.
4.4.4 Formatting Cells
To format cells that contain static contents, use “Format” menu in Microsoft
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PowerPoint. For more detail information, refer to Microsoft PowerPoint Help.
For cells in which data are got from database, you can set font, color,
alignment using Microsoft PowerPoint. But to display values in formatting
string, you should use other way.
You should write formatting expressions into data cells in the report template
file. PTReportGen will get the text of the cell as a format expression before it
puts a value into a cell, and output the value using the format expression. In
fact, PTReportGen calls the format function in Visual Basic. The text got from a
cell is used as the format expression in format function. For a variable table
report, PTReportGen will use the format expressions in the reserved
rows/columns. For more information about format expression, refer to “Format
Expressions”.
AmountQuantityDate
AmountQuantityDate
#,##0.00#,##0yyyy-mm-dd
#,##0.00#,##0yyyy-mm-dd
#,##0.00#,##0yyyy-mm-dd
#,##0.00#,##0yyyy-mm-dd
#,##0.00#,##0yyyy-mm-dd
#,##0.00#,##0yyyy-mm-dd
The table defined in the report template file The table generated in the report file
AmountQuantityDate
AmountQuantityDate
827.795601999-02-18
827.795601999-02-18
1,113.058901999-06-14
1,113.058901999-06-14
1,552.251,2402000-01-21
1,552.251,2402000-01-21
A format expression for numbers can have from one to four sections separated
by semicolons. You can define the different formats and colors for positive
values, negative values and zeros.
For example, the format "$#,##0;($#,##0)" has two sections: the first defines
the format and color (black) for positive values and zeros; the second section
defines the format and color (red) for negative values. It displays “2345.12” as
“$2,345”, displays “-5432” as “($5,432)”.
The format “#,##0.00;;” has three sections: the first defines the format and
color (black) for positive values, the second defines the format and color (red)
for negative values, the third section defines the format and color (blue) for
zeros. Note, the first semicolon “;” is red, the second semicolon “;” is blue. The
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