Running my first active report opens Cognos logon screen

[MikeG]

Hi,

I just tried to create an active report. I took an existing report and converted it to an active report and saved. I then did the Active report download and saved outside of Cognos as a MHT file.

When I open it, outside of Cognos, the Cognos logon screen appeared. How can I make the active report independant of the Cognos application ?

thanks
Mike

[MFGF]

Hi,

I just tried to create an active report. I took an existing report and converted it to an active report and saved. I then did the Active report download and saved outside of Cognos as a MHT file.

When I open it, outside of Cognos, the Cognos logon screen appeared. How can I make the active report independant of the Cognos application ?

thanks
Mike

Hi,

What does your report do? Using the "Convert to Active Report" option adds extra controls to the toolbox to allow active report objects to be included, and it changes the output to be rendered as MHT, but that's all it does. It doesn't change the way your report is designed. If your report has javascript, for example, that calls back to the Cognos URL for something, it will not be modified. If your report has prompts, they will not be converted to active report controls. Making these changes has to be done manually.

I'd recommend a good approach when learning is for you to figure out what the current report does functionally, and build a new active report using active controls and objects to achieve the same functionality. In that way you will get to understand the differences between "normal" reports and active reports, and get a good understanding of how active controls and objects link together to deliver the desired functionality.

A good place to read up on how Active Reports work is the Active Reports Cookbook - it is one of the best AR resources I have found :)

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/reporting/active_report/page593.html

Cheers!

MF.

[MikeG]

Hi,

I guessed it might be too easy to simply 'convert an existing report to an active report ' with one button push. Yes the report does have a prompt which probably stopped it, however I am going to read the cookbook doc you sent and create a new active report from scratch.

Thanks for advice
Mike

[MFGF]

Hi,

I guessed it might be too easy to simply 'convert an existing report to an active report ' with one button push.

I wish it was that easy! :) Although active reports are authored in Report Studio (just like normal reports) the active functionality works in an entirely different way from "normal" reports. This means you effectively end up re-creating the functions of the report.

Yes the report does have a prompt which probably stopped it, however I am going to read the cookbook doc you sent and create a new active report from scratch.

Thanks for advice
Mike

Have fun! From your email address I'm guessing you're based in the UK? IBM UK have an Active Reports Workshop they run occasionally - might be worth talking to your IBM account manager to see if it's something they can run for you?

Cheers!

MF.