Reporting

The Ignition Reporting Module makes creating professional reports easy with a rich library of tools including: images, graphs, tables, and basic shape tools. The Reporting Module enables you to create your own custom reports on the fly or generate them based on a schedule. Data is introduced through Ignition, providing access to any SQL database.

The Report Scheduler allows automatic report generation and automated distribution. Access to live reports is available through the web-based Ignition runtime (a Java application), providing authenticated users access from anywhere. Access is based on networking standards that your IT department can support. Reports are printer friendly and can easily be exported to a variety of formats including PDF. Here are some common uses of dynamic reports:

• Production management
• Inventory tracking
• Efficiency monitoring
• Historical trending
• Downtime tracking
• Quality assurance
• Data analysis

Features

Here are some of the other innovative features of the Reporting Module.

• Report Designer interface
• Scheduled report generation
• Powerful data collection utilities
• Drag-and-drop query builder
• Table and chart components
• 2D barcode generation
• Familiar property editing
• Flexible report distribution to file, email, and FTP
• Scripting capabilities

Intuitive Report Design

Reporting Interface

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The Report Designer interface was designed with the same look and feel as the other systems in Ignition. Once you install the Reporting module, you can open the Ignition Designer and see a Reports section in the Project Browser. Reports are a Project-Level resource. They can be created independently or set to be viewed in a Vision window. With a right-click on the Reports node in the Project Browser and the option to create a new report is a click away.

From the first informative panel to full previews of the report you are creating, the Reports workflow significantly reduces the time it takes to design, edit, and distribute reports. The Report workflow is understandable to the new developer, yet powerful enough for a seasoned analyst. Select the Design tab to access the Report Design Palette components, charts, and shapes, and other design tools.

Powerful Components

The variety of report design components include tables, crosstab tables, XY charts, barcodes, pie charts, and bar charts. Report tables can dynamically add pages to account for varying amounts of data, or change appearance based on certain values. Report charts can provide visual representation of comparisons and trends in data.

Barcode	XY Chart	Bar Chart

Reporting Module Components for the Vision Module

The Reporting module provides several components that can be used with the Vision Module. The Report Viewer component allows reports to be viewed directly from the client. The Row Selector and Column Selector components let clients manipulate datasets graphically, while the File Explorer and PDF File Viewer components allow clients to access files outside of Ignition.

Scheduled Report Execution

The scheduling system allows you to set the date, time, and frequency for executing a report. You can also set options for distribution of the report, including email, print, and save. Select the Schedule tab to access these options.

Supports Multiple File Formats

Reports can be generated in the following file formats: CSV, HTML, JPEG, PDF, PNG, RTF, XML, and EXCEL. Use the Format dropdown under Schedule > Actions tabs to select a format type.

Scripting in the Reporting Module

The Reporting Module allows you to extend the existing functionality through scripting. You can customize reports with one of the following:

• Script Data Source: The Script Data Source type allows you to add to or modify your data set with Python code. For example, you can alter other Data Sources, combine results, and do complex calculations.
• Scheduling: The Run Script action in the Report Scheduling system enables you to create a script to do exactly what you want with a generated report.
• Scripting Functions: The Reporting module adds additional functions to the list of system.report.* functions available throughout Ignition. You can use these functions to execute and/or distribute reports on demand.

Trial Mode Functionality

Like other systems in Ignition, the Reporting Module has full functionality in trial mode. There is no limit on the number of reports or how you can view or distribute them. Reports created in trial mode will have a watermark on each page.

Legacy Reports

To take advantage of Ignition's powerful platform, the Reporting Module was updated in version 7.8. You may view reports created by an older Reporting Module version in your project. If you need to modify an existing report, you'll still have access to the same customizer that you always had, double-clicking on them to open up their editor. They will continue to work as they always have without any modification. To learn more about converting reports created before Ignition version 7.8, refer to the section on Converting Legacy Reports.

We recommend that you convert your older reports to the latest version to take advantage of the many features of the Reporting module.