passing report result as parameter in drill through to external application

[prikala]

The problem:
Users have a need to pass report results to external
application for post processing. Passing must be implemented
as a kind of drilltrhoug: An url on the report that points to the
external application. When user selects the link, control passes
to the external application that does something groowy with the
report data.

The problem is: How to pass the whole report result as a
parameter the external application? Results can be huge.

We are thinking on storing report data to database and then
passing some kind of id as parameter to the target application.
Target application would then read the data using id from the
originating report.
To make things difficult, we would like to get report data
as xml even when users first runs the report as html.

But how would we push the report data into database?
A clumsy solution would be this:
- results to filesystem (cm.outputlocation), processor (cm.outputscript)
  to import data into database
user has interesting report result in report viewer:
- user clicks "View in XML format" (xml to help post processing)
- user clicks "Save report" (file is created, cm.outputscript is kicked)
- user clicks "View in html"
- user selcts url of external application, some kind of id from the
  report is passed as parameter
- external application finds the report result loaded by cm.outputscript

Not very userfriendly. Most users will forget "Save report" part...
Could javascript be used to automate the steps?

Optimal solution would be a custom button on report "store this report
in the database as xml and go to url xxx...".

We could live with reports that save their results in the
database in every run (even when post processing is not needed).
Cm.outputlocation seems to save only those reports explicitly saved.

Any ideas?

[prikala]

One answer to myself: From tech talk insider "Cognos 8 SDK Application to Re-run a Report from Cognos Viewer".

Biggest drawback would be the "re-run" part. Otherwise seems quite promising.

If anyone has any other solutions, i would be pleased to hear them.