Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009: Professional Reporting

Steven Renders

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9781849682442
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Business Intelligence
• Index: Computer Science

In Detail

Microsoft Dynamics NAV is widely used in enterprises with its enhanced reporting features, but there still isn't a book that covers reporting in depth, until now. This book will show you what's possible and exactly how to develop reports for Dynamics NAV 2009. Learn why reports are designed in a specific way and then apply this knowledge to your advantage.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009: Professional Reporting is an essential guide to understanding the effort involved in creating reports in Dynamics NAV 2009, and all of the available reporting possibilities. Reading this book will result in a better understanding and it will help you save time during development.

The book starts with an overview of what kind of reports you can create without a developer using charts, dimensions, and analysis views. The next chapter will introduce the new architecture of Role Tailored Client (RTC) reports and the basics on how to create them or have them generated. Moving on we will discuss data visualization, where you will learn how and when to implement all the available Visual Studio controls. Document reports and other types of specific reports are covered next, and you will get to know all the best workarounds for getting them to work correctly.

Knowing other related features is vitally important to obtain a helicopter view of all the reporting possibilities of Dynamics NAV, and the next chapter will introduce Business Intelligence concepts and available technologies that could be used in combination with the Dynamics NAV database. Technology is evolving rapidly and new versions of Dynamics NAV are in the pipeline, so the book will also provide you with a view to the future and how to prepare for it.

Approach

This book doesn't assume any prior experience with Dynamics NAV reporting. It is designed as an easy to follow guide, where each chapter builds upon the previous one, but can also be read completely separately. Basically this book is for everyone who is using Microsoft Dynamics NAV or has an interest on the reporting capabilities of NAV 2009. The book does not have major prerequisites, although it is mainly focused on Dynamics NAV 2009, RDLC and Business Intelligence.

Who this book is for

Whether you are a Dynamics NAV consultant, developer, customer, project manager, or just interested in the reporting capabilities of Dynamics NAV, this book can provide you with information from a helicopter view down to the smallest details, tips and tricks, and workarounds. Empowered with the information in this book you should be able to master, analyse and deliver the most challenging reporting requirements in Dynamics NAV.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009: Professional Reporting

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Table of Contents

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009: Professional Reporting

Credits

About the Author

Acknowledgement

About the Reviewers

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers and more

Why Subscribe?

Free Access for Packt account holders

Instant Updates on New Packt Books

Preface

What this book covers

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Charts and Dimensions

Role Centers

Charts

Chart panes

Limitations of chart panes

Chart parts

Chart security

Chart performance

Reports

List reports

Test reports

Posting reports

Transaction reports

Document reports

Other reports

Printing reports

Determining print report settings

Printer selection

Report selections

Creating reports without development tools

What are dimensions?

Global

Shortcut

Budget

Where are dimensions set up?

Dimensions and dimension values

Dimension values

Dimension combinations

Default dimensions

View posted dimension information

Analysing financial information using dimensions

Dimension-based reports

Summary

2. Creating a Report in the Classic Client

The Report Designer

Using the report wizard

Form type report

Tabular type report

Label type report

Creating a simple List report

Sorting and grouping data in a report

Sections in a classic report

Controls

Triggers

What happens when a report runs?

How is a data item processed?

Properties in a report

Adding color to a classic report

What is a ProcessingOnly report?

Creating an Excel-like layout for a report

Printing a report to Excel

What is so special about the Excel Buffer table (370)?

Report functions

Summary

3. Creating Role Tailored Reports

The optional enhanced layout

Why you cannot call it Reporting Services

Difference between RDL and RDLC?

Printed reports versus online reports

Creating your first enhanced report

What's happening?

Adding formatting, grouping, sorting, and filtering to a report

Report creation workflow

Using multiple data items

Using the Create Layout Suggestion option

Changing the template

Making a report available in the Role Tailored client

Limitations of enhanced report design in Dynamics NAV 2009

Summary

4. Visualization Methods

Report items

Common report item properties

Text box

List data regions

Document Outline

What is the List control used for?

Undo/Redo

Matrix boxes

More advanced matrix techniques

Using colors in a matrix

Green bar matrix

Chart data regions

Adding images to your report

Expanding/collapsing report sections

Interactive sorting

Using the document map

Linking reports

Bookmark links

Hyperlinks

Filtering a report

Filtering a page

Multi-column reports

Headers and footers

Expressions

The Fields collection

The Globals collection

The ReportItems collection

The User collection

Functions

Useful tips and techniques

Use a title, page numbers, and show applied filters

Using rectangles, lines, and images

Adding a report border

Tracking report usage

Checking on empty datasets

Using a report layout setup table

Blanking properties

Pagination

Use rectangles

Give everything a proper name

Test, test, and test

Summary

5. Developing Specific Reports

Document reports

The number of copies option

Displaying data-bound information in the header

Working with addresses in reports

Displaying the current page and copy number

TOP X reports

Creating a TOP X table

Creating a TOP X chart

Using the wizard

Adding KPIs and conditional formatting

Simulating data bars

Simulating spark lines

Implementing conditional formatting

Choosing the right colors

Summary

6. Other Reporting and Business Intelligence Tools

Knowing your data and database

Dynamics NAV database design

How is the Dynamics NAV database created in SQL Server?

Relations and foreign keys

Using an Entity Relationship model

Reporting Services

Using Report Builder

Using BIDS

Comparing RDL and RDLC

Using Microsoft Excel with Dynamics NAV

Excel Data Mining Add In

PowerPivot

Business Intelligence and NAV

Business Analytics

The advantage of having a BI solution

Summary

7. A View of the Future

Dynamics NAV 7 and beyond

Jet Reports Express

RDLC mandatory and 2008 integration

Section designer replaced with an extended data item designer

Dynamics NAV and SharePoint

Dynamics NAV in the cloud

What will SQL Server do?

Project Crescent

BISM

Summary

Index

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009: Professional Reporting

Copyright © 2011 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

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Table of contents

• Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009: Professional Reporting