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Legacy Business Intelligence => COGNOS ReportNet => Topic started by: JoeBass on 03 Nov 2005 06:22:39 PM

Title: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: JoeBass on 03 Nov 2005 06:22:39 PM
I'd like to be able to read a file server directory and display a list of files to allow a user to hunt, peck and then batch print.

An iframe in an html item is close to good, but it has a few drawbacks:
   1.  The listed files are displayed as icons.
   2.  Windows explorer-type navigation and task frames show up on the left.
   3.  Right mouse clicks warn the user about hazards of unsafe system commands
   4.  Opening the file produces the same unpleasant messages.

   <iframe SRC="\\Server\Directory\" width="1000" height="1000" name="ListFrame"></iframe>

Does anyone have a way to accomplish this without the SDK or ready access to the web server?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: sir_jeroen on 04 Nov 2005 02:58:50 AM
If you are referring to burst outputs you could also build an asp (active server page) page which retrieves all data from the content store. If you want to list directory contents you should use a an asp page which uses the FileSystem object to list the contents.
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: JoeBass on 04 Nov 2005 07:16:46 AM
Thanks RA. 

My goal is to provide remote company users an ability to choose files to print from a network file server.  These files are generated on a weekly basis and do not have static names nor are the number of files in the directory consistent.  The location of the files is static.

They are RTF files. 

In a perfect scenario, the user would see a list of files and check boxes next to the ones they were interested in.  When they pressed finish, the RTF's would be concatenated into one long RTF which would be viewable as a report.  The user could then convert to PDF and print one document.

Since I couldn't figure out how to do that, I tried to present the user with a directory listing of these files within an iframe.  It works, but, isn't pretty because:
   1.  Each user would have to change an IE setting to avoid the "Running a system command on this item might be unsafe" dialog.  Our sys admins probably won't like this idea any more than I do.
   
   2.  The file names tend to be long which causes them to be truncated in the default icon folder view that an iframe presents.

   3.  The windows navigation / task icons on the left are unneccessary and potentially confusing.
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: sir_jeroen on 04 Nov 2005 07:32:08 AM
you could embed it in an asp page in which you list the contents
eg.
http://www.w3schools.com/asp/coll_files.asp

And if you have .net then it's even easier... But it involves a little programming. And because it's server side your users won't get a warning....
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: JoeBass on 04 Nov 2005 07:53:50 AM
Thanks.  I'm trying to find a way to do it without having to touch the webserver though.
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: sir_jeroen on 04 Nov 2005 08:01:10 AM
Btw... these files are they bursted by ReportNet?
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: JoeBass on 04 Nov 2005 08:05:22 AM
No, they're generated with external processes.
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: sir_jeroen on 04 Nov 2005 08:06:51 AM
Then this ain't the right place to put this topic.... It has to be ReportNet related.

Sorry ...
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: JoeBass on 04 Nov 2005 08:10:04 AM
Isn't that like saying that if the data you wish to build a report around wasn't generated by ReportNet, its not ReportNet related? 
Title: Re: Directory listing for file printing
Post by: sir_jeroen on 04 Nov 2005 08:17:36 AM
Nope.. but if you would use bursting than there are several options to solve this.
And what's the function of RN in this topic.. I believe you are using looking for an interface to show these files... but is RN generating files / producing data / .... ??