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Building block group

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Building blocks are the row definitions, column definitions, reporting tree definitions, and report definitions that you create for a report. Building block groups are collections of the definitions and dimension sets that are associated with a company. Building block groups can be company specific, or several companies can share the same set of building blocks.

If you have companies that have a different chart of accounts, you may consider using a different building block group for each company. Alternatively, you can consider naming all your individual building blocks to reflect with which company they are compatible.

This topic contains the following sections:

  • Create and assign a building block group

  • View a building block group

  • Save a building block group using a new name

  • Export a building block group

  • Import a building block group

  • Undo a checkout of a building block

Create and assign a building block group

Create a building block group

  1. In Report Designer, on the Company menu, click Building block groups.

  2. In the Building block groups dialog box, click New.

  3. Enter a unique name and description for the building block group. Each field can contain a maximum of 256 characters, including spaces.

  4. Click OK to create the new building block group.

Warning

After you a create block group, you must assign it to at least one company in order for the block group to be used. You can then create report, row, column, and reporting tree definitions and save them in the building block group. You must close all building blocks before you start the following procedure, “Assign a building block group”.

Assign a building block group

  1. In Report Designer, on the Company menu, click Companies. The Companies dialog box opens.

  2. In the Companies dialog box, select the company to which you are assigning a building block group.

  3. Click Modify. The Modify Company dialog box opens.

  4. In the Modify Company dialog box, in the Building block group field, select the building block group to assign to the company, or click New to create a new building block group.

  5. Click OK to assign the building block group.

  6. Click Close to exit the Companies dialog box. The building block group that you selected is now assigned to the company. Now all newly-generated row definitions, column definitions, etc., will be part of the building block group assigned to this company. You can also import a .tdbx file or report from another system. For more information about how to import files, see Import a building block group.

View a building block group

After a building block group is created and used, you can view all the building blocks assigned to a group, export or import a building block group, and perform additional maintenance on the building block groups.

  1. In Report Designer, on the Company menu, click Building Block Groups.

  2. In the Building Block Groups dialog box, select the building block to view. Click View to open the View Building Block Group dialog box and view the contents of the building block group.

  3. Click Close to close the dialog boxes.

Save a building block group using a new name

You can save an existing building block group using a new name. Then you can modify the new building block group without changing the original building block group.

  1. In Report Designer, on the Company menu, click Building Block Groups.

  2. In the Building Block Groups dialog box, select the building block group to save using a new name.

  3. Click Save As.

  4. Enter a new name and description for the building block group.

  5. Click OK. The new building block group appears in the Building Block Groups dialog box.

Export a building block group

You can export a building block group or specific report building blocks in a building block group for backup purposes or to be copied between building block groups or Management Reporter installations. Management Reporter includes the referenced font styles and dimension sets with the building block group.

  1. In Report Designer, on the Company menu, click Building Block Groups.

  2. In the Building Block Groups dialog box, select the building block group to export, and then click Export.

  3. In the Export dialog box, select the report definitions to export:

    • To export all your report definitions and the associated building blocks, click Select All.

    • To export specific reports, rows, columns, trees, or dimension sets, click the appropriate tab and select the items to export. Press and hold the Ctrl key to select multiple items in a tab.

      Note

      When you select reports to export, the associated rows, columns, trees, and dimension sets are selected.

  4. When you have finished selecting items to export, click Export.

  5. In the Save As dialog box, select a location to export the building block group to.

  6. In the File Name field, enter a name for the file. Management Reporter automatically adds a .tdbx file name extension.

  7. Click Save. The building block group is saved to the location specified in step 5.

Import a building block group

You can import a building block group into an existing building block group, or you can create a new building block group for the data. For more information about how to create a new building block group, see Create and assign a building block group. All imported building block groups retain their original font styles and company references and include the relevant dimension sets.

  1. In Report Designer, on the Company menu, click Building Block Groups.

  2. In the Building Block Groups dialog box, select the building block to import a building block group into, and then click Import.

  3. In the Open dialog box, select the building block group to import, and then click Open.

  4. In the Import dialog box, select the report definitions to import:

    • To import all of the report definitions and the supporting building blocks, click Select All.

    • To import specific reports, rows, columns, trees, or dimension sets, select the reports, rows, columns, trees, or dimension sets to import.

  5. When you have finished selecting items to import, click Import.

Undo a checkout of a building block

When you open a building block, other users can only access that building block in read-only mode. Sometimes a user will forget to close a building block or will shut down their system without closing the building block. As a result, the building block is checked out and other users cannot open it. In these situations, a Management Reporter administrator can use the Checked Out Items dialog box to check in building blocks that any user has left in a checked out status.

Note

You must have the role of administrator to check in building blocks from the Checked Out Items dialog box.

Undo a checkout of a building block

  1. In Report Designer, on the Tools menu, click Checked Out Items.

  2. In the Checked Out Items dialog box, select Show items from all users. The list is updated to display all building blocks that are checked out and the users who have checked them out.

  3. Select a building block, and then click Undo Checkout.

  4. Click Yes to check in the building block.

See Also

Row definition

Column definition