DataStage Reporting tool

[srinivasb]

Hi,

In many projects, we face situations which need the job design change. Thus the specs keep changing. To get the latest job specs, reporting tool comes in very handy.

Am able to print the hard copies. Is there any way for versioning ( i.e to see what the spec was in the previous version) and also output the same as soft copy.

I am able to export the specs to a file but unable to open the generated document in any word processing tool - Word /PDF/Notepad etc...

Please value add with your experience(s).

Thanks and Regards
Srinivas.B

[ray.wurlod]

DataStage Manager's reporting assistant performs a destructive overwrite when you export metadata to the other database (MS Access or which ever other one you've chosen). Thus there is no provision for versioning via this mechanism.
You COULD do it in Access by creating a similar schema but with an extra column in each table for date/time modified, and a macro in Doc_Tool.mdb to move rows to those tables before overwriting from DataStage.
It is probably worth your while to investigate the reporting tools available with MetaStage (which will be further improved in the next release), where at least some version information can be obtained.

[srinivasb]

Hi Ray,

Thanks for your valued response. I still have not got my answer for exporting the documentation as soft copies.

I can print to file, but am not able to open the file generated.

Can you help us?

Regards
Srinivas.B

[ray.wurlod]

The 'print to file' capability produces a print-ready file (*.PRN) which is a binary format suitable for printers.
To do anything else you have to open Doc_Tool.mdb bypassing its startup macro (select Doc_Tool.mdb in Windows Explorer, then use Shift-Enter, or use Shift-F11 once in Access). You then have access to the raw queries and standard report definitions and can use your copious MS Access skills to generate whatever output you desire. And you can create customised reports.

[vmcburney]

It is easy to turn your prn files into pdf documentation.

Set up a postscript printer driver.
Print to a *.psn file using this driver.
Rename the file to *.ps (for postscript).
Use a conversion tool to change this postscript file into a pdf file.

Have a look at www.ps2pdf.com. It provides a free online resources for converted ps files into pdf files. There is also a tool on the Adobe web site however it incurs a license fee.

[datastage]

In followup to Vincent's message I used the free Adobe postcript driver from their website in combination with http://www.ps2pdf.com/convert/convert.htm and successfully created pdf versions of the reports.

Pretty useful and easy to do

[datastage]

Ray Wurlod: "To do anything else you have to open Doc_Tool.mdb bypassing its startup macro (select Doc_Tool.mdb in Windows Explorer, then use Shift-Enter, or use Shift-F11 once in Access). "

If you don't have time to create your own custom reports with the doc_tool data, there are about 30 standard reports that if you open them there is an option in the right-click menu to export to Excel, to .txt and .rtf documents, and to .html files, which may provide a quick way to have some of this data in MS Office friendly formats that you can modify to quick the documentation hounds on projects.

[srinivasb]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for all of your inputs. I AM ABLE TO DO IT ON PDF !! Hurray!! But I still want it on MS word ( if possible)--->:-)
But I had a horrid time setting up the PS printer: This link was very useful: http://www.ee.mu.oz.au/conferences/MWP9 ... ivers.html

If you are not able to see the pscript.dll, then contact your sys admin.

Regards
Srinivas.B

[ray.wurlod]

Once you're "behind the scenes" in Doc_Tool.mdb, open Reports then, from the Tools menu, choose Office Links, then Publish with MS Word.
Or open Queries then, from the Tools menu, choose Office Links, then either Merge with MS Word or Publish with MS Word.