Import Report

If you want to send report layouts to or receive report layouts from other users, use the Import and Export functions in the File menu or the Email Report File function in the shortcut menu.

To add a report someone else created to your list of reports, choose the Import Reports function in the File menu. It displays a dialog from which you can select an SFX file (Student Manager Reports import file) or SFQ file (older format Student Manager Reports import file) to import. You can also import Crystal reports (RPT files) or Visual FoxPro reports (FRX files) by choosing the desired type from the Files of type option. To import several reports at the same time, select the first file to import, then hold down the Ctrl key as you select the other files. SFX or SFQ files are imported when you click the Open button. In the case of RPT or FRX files, the New External Report Wizard appears for each file so you can specify information about the report.

If the report you're importing has the same name as an existing report (for example, the person sending you the report made some changes to it), you're prompted if you want to replace the existing report with the one being imported. If you choose Yes, the existing report is replaced. If you choose No, the imported report is given a new name, usually with "1" added as a suffix.

If the report you're importing contains a formula with the same name as one you have but is different than your copy (for example, the person sending you the report edited the formula's expression), you're prompted if you want to replace your formula with the one in the report. You normally should choose Yes unless you know that your copy of the formula is more current.

If you import a report using a folder that has the same name as an existing folder but a different structure (for example, you have a folder named Daily Reports that's inside the Management Reports folder and the imported report belongs in a folder also named Daily Reports but that's inside the My Reports folder), you're now prompted if you want the report to go into the folder that's on your system (continuing this example, the Daily Reports that's inside the Management Reports folder).

After the importing process is finished, the reports appear in the Reports Explorer unless they belong to a folder you don't have rights to, in which case only users with rights to that folder see those reports.

To send the selected report to someone else, select the Export Selected Report function in the File menu. When prompted, enter the name of the export file to create; the file name defaults to the report name. It is automatically given an SFX extension. You can then send this file to someone else by attaching it to an email message, by copying it to a CD, etc., and they can use the Import Reports function to add it to their list of reports.

To export a set of certain reports, select the Export Reports function in the File menu. The Export Reports dialog appears.

The options in this dialog are:

• Selected report: exports the selected report (the name of the selected report is shown).

• All reports: exports all reports.

• These reports: choose this item to indicate that you will select certain reports. The list of reports at the right is then enabled, allowing you to select which reports to export by turning on the checkmark in front of the desired report names. To select all of the reports in a folder, turn on the checkmark in front of the folder name; turning the checkmark off deselects all of the reports in the folder.

• Directory: the directory to create the export files in. The files will be named the same as each report with a SFX extension.

Click OK to begin the export process or Cancel to close the dialog without exporting.

If an advanced layout report has any images, such as a company logo, those images are included in the SFX file for the report. If you export the report and send the SFX file to someone but forget to send them the image files used by the report, the Import process they use to add the report to their reports list creates a new folder called Images and puts the images imbedded in the SFX file there. The benefit of this is that you no longer get an error about a missing image in this case.

A fast way to email a report file to someone is to right-click the report in the Reports Explorer and choose Email Report File from the shortcut menu. Enter the email address of the person to send it to and click Send.