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Binding a Link to a Label

You can make the labels in a report link with other reports, locations specified by URLs, e-mail addresses, or Blob data type fields. The link can either be a simple link or a conditional link. With conditional links, different targets can be loaded based on different conditions.

To bind a simple link to a label:

1. Right-click the label and select Link on the shortcut menu to display the Insert Link dialog.
2. From the Link Type drop-down, select the target to which the label will be linked: Report, Master/Detail Report, URL, E-mail or Content.
3. Specify the options for the link target.
4. When done, select OK to create the link.

To bind a conditional link to a label:

1. Right-click the label and select Link on the shortcut menu to display the Insert Link dialog.
2. Check the Conditional Link checkbox.

   

3. Select above the conditions box. The Edit Conditions dialog appears.

   

4. Select the Add Condition button to add a condition line.
5. From the field drop-down list, select the field on which the condition will be based.
6. Choose the operator with which to compose the condition expression from the operator drop-down list.
7. From the value drop-down list, specify the value of how to build the condition. You can also type in the value manually.
8. Select Add Condition to add more condition lines and define the logic between the condition lines.

   To make some condition lines grouped, select them and select the Group button, then the selected condition lines will be added in one group and work as one line of filter expression. Conditions and groups together can be further grouped. To take any condition or group in a group out, select it and select Ungroup.

   To adjust the priority of the condition lines, select it and select the Up or Down button.

   To delete a condition line, select it and select the Delete button.

9. Select OK to save the condition.

   The newly added condition is then displayed and highlighted in the conditions box in the Insert Link dialog.

10. From the Link Type drop-down, select the target to which the label will be linked under this condition: Report, Master/Detail Report (available to page report based on query only), URL, E-mail, or Content (not available to page report based on business view), then specify the options for the link target.
11. Repeat the above steps to add more conditions and define the target for each condition.

    To edit a condition, select the condition, select , then edit it in the Edit Conditions dialog.

    To adjust the priority of the conditions, select a condition and select the or button.

    To remove a condition, select the condition and then select .

12. Check the Others checkbox and define a target to which the label will be linked when none of the conditions you have specified are met.

13. When done, select OK to create the conditional link. See Example of Binding a Conditional Link for more information.

When a link is created, you can further edit it or remove it if you want.

• To edit an existing link on a label, right-click the label and select Edit Link from the shortcut menu. Then in the Edit Link dialog, redefine the link.
• To remove a link from a label, right-click the label and select Remove Link from the shortcut menu.

See also the Insert Link dialog for page report or web report and library component and the Edit Link dialog for page report or web report and library component for additional information about options in the dialogs.

• Linking to Another Report
• Linking to a Detail Report
• Linking to a URL
• Linking to an E-mail
• Linking to a Blob Data Type Field
• Example of Binding a Conditional Link

Linking to Another Report

In most cases, your reports are affiliated with one another, with each report emphasizing one or more aspects of a bigger picture. Relationships can be set up for users to browse from one report to another through the relationship "channels" created. You can achieve an inter-report relationship network by setting up the link conditions between two reports in the same catalog. Then, when you view the primary report at runtime, you can gain access to the linked report by selecting a trigger, which is an object defined in the primary report to load a linked report.

Usually, you can use a label, a field (DBField, summary, formula, parameter, or special field), an image, the category (X) axis, the series (Z) axis, the legend, or the data markers in a chart as a trigger object.

To make a label link to another report:

1. In the Insert Link dialog, select Report as the link type.

   

2. If the primary report is a page report, select the Browse button next to the Report text field to specify the page report in the same catalog that contains the report tab you want as the linked report. Then, select the report tab name from the Report Tab drop-down list.

   If the primary report is a web report or a library component, select the Browse button to specify the web report in the same catalog that you want as the linked report.

3. From the Target drop-down list, select where the linked report will be loaded.

   The Target property works when the link is triggered in Page Report Studio or Web Report Studio. When the link is triggered in JDashboard, except for Same Frame, all the other targets are treated as New Window.

4. Select the More button to display more options for setting the link.
5. In the Filter tab, select the button above the Components box. In the Choose Component dialog, add the components in the linked report you want to be interlinked with the primary report. If the required components use different datasets, you need to add them respectively, however, as long as the components are based on the same dataset, you can add them all at the same time.

   

6. Specify the filter conditions based on how the link relationship between the primary report and the selected components in the linked report are set up.
   1. Select a component from the Components box.
   2. Select above the Field Conditions box and a condition line is added.
   3. Select the desired field of the primary report from the drop-down list in the Fields (Primary) column.
   4. Choose an operator from the drop-down list in the OP column.
   5. Specify the field/formula of the linked report from the drop-down list in the Fields (Linked) column. All fields in the linked report of the same value type as the selected primary report field are available in the drop-down list.
   6. If necessary, you can specify more conditions by selecting the button and then specifying the primary report field, the operator, and the corresponding field in the linked report. Note that the relationship between these conditions is AND, which means that Logi JReport will fetch linked report data which meets all of the conditions.
   7. Repeat the above steps to set link conditions between the primary report and other components in the linked report.
7. Specify whether to apply the on-screen filters (namely, the filters created via filter controls) in the primary report to the selected components of the linked report.
   1. Select the component to which you want to apply the filters from the Components box.
   2. Check Pass on-screen filters to the linked components.
   3. If the trigger component in the primary report and the selected component in the linked report use different datasets, you need to select Mapping Table to define the mapping relationship based on which the on-screen filters in the primary report are passed to the linked report in the Mapping Table dialog.

      

   4. Select to add a mapping line.
   5. Select the field that is bound with a filter control in the primary report from the drop-down list in the Fields (Primary) column.
   6. All available fields in the linked report of the same value type as the selected filter control field are listed in the drop-down list in the Fields (Linked) column. Select a field whose values are the same as those of the filter control field.

      A mapping relationship is now set up. Then when the link is triggered, the corresponding on-screen filter in the primary report will be applied on the selected linked report field.

   7. Add more mapping lines and define the mapping relationship between the filter control fields in the primary report with appropriate fields in the linked report.
   8. Select OK to go back to the Insert Link dialog.
   9. Repeat the above steps to apply the filters in the primary report to other components in the linked report.
8. From the Default Linked Component drop-down list, select the component that is displayed by default in the linked report when the link is triggered in exported result. For example, a linked report contains a chart and a table and the table is specified as the default linked component. When you export the primary report to PDF with linked report and trigger the link in the PDF result file, the page that contains the table will be displayed by default. You can scroll to view the chart.
9. If the linked report contains one or more parameters, the Parameters tab will be enabled. In this tab, you can assign field of the primary report to parameter of the linked report. Then, when running the linked report from the link, the field value of the primary report will be assigned to the parameter automatically.

   

10. If you would like the values of the filter objects like filter controls in the primary report to be passed to filter objects in the linked report, go to the Advanced tab to set up the relationship between the filter objects as follows (not available for library component):

    

    1. Select to add a line.
    2. In the Primary Report Property/Object column, select to select a filter object in the primary report in the Select Value dialog and select OK.
    3. In the Linked Report Property/Object column, select to select a filter object in the linked report in the Select Value dialog and select OK. You need to make sure that values of the filter object in the primary report can be applied to the filter object in the linked report in the same line.
    4. Follow the above steps to set up the relationship between more filter objects.
11. Check Pass style group information down to the linked report to transfer style information from the primary report to the linked report, so that the style of the primary report will apply to the linked report.
12. Select OK to apply the settings.

Then, when you run the primary report at server runtime and select the label, you will find that the linked report is displayed according to the specified link conditions. You can also trigger the link in the HTML, PDF or Excel result if you check the Run Linked Report option when specifying the exporting settings.

Linking to a Detail Report

Reports in the same catalog can be joined together in order to create a master/detail report group. Usually, the master report holds comprehensive data, while the detail reports hold related detailed information. A detail report can also be the master report of another report. In this way, you can set up more pairs of master/detail reports, where many reports are joined together, eventually leading to the formation of a report chain. Then, when you view the master report at runtime, you can gain access to the detail report by selecting a trigger, which is an object defined in the master report to load a detail report. However, in a master/detail report group, crosstab reports cannot be used as the master.

The main advantage of using a master/detail relationship is the user can browse though the details by selecting next detail and previous detail without going back to the master report. When the user does go back to the master report they will see the master report based on the last detail report that was viewed.

Usually, you can use a label, a field (DBField, summary, formula, parameter, or special field), an image, the category (X) axis, the series (Z) axis, the legend, or the data markers in a chart as a trigger object.

Master/detail report is supported in page reports that are created using query resources only.

To make a label linked to a detail report:

1. In the Insert Link dialog, select Master/Detail Report as the link type.

   

2. Select the Browse button next to the Report text field to specify the report in the same catalog which contains the report tab you want for the detail report, and then select the report tab name from the Report Tab drop-down list.
3. Select the Browse button beside the Component field. In the Choose Component dialog, specify which component in the detail report you want to be interlinked with the master report with conditions. You can select more than one component as long as the components are based on the same dataset.
4. From the Target drop-down list, select where the detail report will be loaded.
5. Specify the join relationship between the master report and detail report in the Anchor section. The join can only have one condition. For example, the join can be: (Detail Report) Product ID = (Master Report) Product ID. The join condition should be as:

   (Detail RPT) expression1 operator (Master RPT) expresion2

   To make the join more meaningful, expression1 should be a column or record level formula in the GROUP section of a component in the detail report; and expression2 should be a column or record level formula in the DETAIL section of a component in the master report. This is because generally the master report is used to present comprehensive data, and the detail report to present more detailed information. To specify the join condition,

   1. Select a field/formula from the Column in Detail Report drop-down list. If this list does not offer the required field/formula, then you will need to specify the component with the data source that contains the specific field/formula. To do this, specify the component by selecting the Browse button besides the Component field.
   2. Choose the operator from the Operator drop-down list.
   3. Specify the field/formula of the master report from the Column in Master Report drop-down list. This field/formula should be of the same data type as the selected field/formula of the detail report.
6. Select the More button to display more options for setting the link.
7. In the Conditions tab, specify the filter conditions between the master report and the detail report.
   1. Select the add button above the Field Conditions box and a condition line is added.
   2. Select the desired field of the master report from the Fields (MasterReport) drop-down list.
   3. Choose an operator from the drop-down list in the OP column.
   4. Specify the field/formula of the detail report from the drop-down list in the Fields (DetailReport) column. All fields in the detail report of the same value type as the selected primary report field are available in the drop-down list.
   5. If necessary, you can specify more conditions by selecting the button and then specifying the master report field, the operator, and the corresponding field in the detail report. You can use the More column to specify the relationship between conditions to be AND or OR.
8. If there is at least one parameter applied in the filters of the queries that the detail report uses, the Parameters tab will be enabled. In this tab, you can assign field of the master report to parameter of the detail report. Then, when running the detail report from the link, the field value of the master report will be assigned to the parameter automatically.

   

9. If both reports use the same encoding and DB settings, you should check the option Use the same encoding and DB settings for the detail report as that of the master report. If this option is not checked, when the detail report is triggered at runtime, you will be prompted to specify the encoding and DB settings for the detail report.
10. Select OK to confirm.

After a set of master/detail reports have been defined in Logi JReport Designer and published to Logi JReport Server, they can be viewed in Page Report Studio. The detail report supports all the page report operations, such as sort, filter, drill, and search.

Linking to a URL

1. In the Insert Link dialog, select URL as the link type.

   

2. Enter the URL in the Hyperlink text box directly. If needed, select the Add Dynamic Field button to open the Select Field dialog to insert a field into the URL to compose a dynamic URL.

   

   For example, you can compose a URL as follows: type in http://www.google.com/search?q= into the Hyperlink text box, then select the Add Dynamic Field button to insert the field Country at the end of the URL. You can then select the label to open a specific URL that directs to a specific country.

3. Specify the frame from the Target drop-down list.

   The Target property works when the link is triggered in Page Report Studio or Web Report Studio. When the link is triggered in JDashboard, except for Same Frame, all the other targets are treated as New Window.

4. When you link a label in a web report table to a URL, you can select the IE Navigate2 Flags button to use the IE Navigate2 method and its flags to control the behavior of IE when loading the URL in Internet Explorer. Choose one or more flags as needed.
5. When done, select OK to set up the link.

Then, when you run the report at server runtime, or view it in HTML, PDF, or Excel format, you can select the label to open the URL.

Linking to an E-mail

1. In the Insert Link dialog, select E-mail as the link type.

   

2. Enter the e-mail address in the Hyperlink text box directly. If needed, select the Add Dynamic Field button to to open the Select Field dialog to insert a field into the e-mail address to compose a dynamic e-mail address.
3. When done, select OK to set up the link.

Then, when you run the report at server runtime, or view it in HTML, PDF, or Excel format, you can select the label to open the e-mail with the information specified in the Hyperlink box. You can further customize the e-mail and send it.

E-mail address syntax

When composing the e-mail address, you need to follow the syntax: sAddress[sHeaders]. Below are details about the syntax.

• sAddress
  One or more valid e-mail addresses separated by a semicolon. You must use Internet-safe characters, such as %20 for the space character.
• sHeaders
  Optional. One or more name-value pairs. The first pair should be prefixed by a "?" and any additional pairs should be prefixed by a "&". The name can be one of the following strings:
  • CC
    Addresses to be included in the "cc" (carbon copy) section of the message.
  • BCC
    Addresses to be included in the "bcc" (blind carbon copy) section of the message.
  • subject
    Text to appear in the subject line of the message.
  • body
    Text to appear in the body of the message.

Hyperlink examples:

• user@example.com
• user1@example.com;user2@example.com
• Customer Name@jinfonet.com, here Customer Name is a field name. Note that, fields can work in the hyperlink only when they are inserted via the Add Dynamic Field option.
• salesmanager@Country.jinfonet.com, here Country is a field name.
• user@example.com?CC=user1@example.com&BCC=user2@example.com&subject=TestLinkToEmail&Body=Version%20x.x%0D%0A%0D%0ATest%20Link%20To%20E-mail

  Here is the e-mail result:

  

Linking to a Blob Data Type Field

You can make an object linked with a Blob data type field. The Blob data type field will then be bound to the object and displayed as a hyperlink. You can download the Blob content by selecting this hyperlink.

In Logi JReport, Blob could be image, Binary, Blob, Clob, LongBlob, LongClob, Varbinary, Longvarbinary, and so on.

Objects in a page report that is created using business views cannot be linked to Blob data type fields.

To make a label linked to a Blob data type field:

1. In the Insert Link dialog, select Content as the link type.

   

2. From the Query drop-down list, select the query (page report) or query based business view (web report and library component) which contains the required Blob data type field. Only queries/business views that come from the same data source connection as the query/business view used by the current report are available in the drop-down list.
3. From the Content Type drop-down list, specify the content type for the Blob type data. You can also select the button to bind the content type with a field or a formula in the selected query/business view.
4. In the File Name text field, specify a file name for the linked Blob type data. You can also select the button to specify a field or a formula in the selected query/business view to control the file name.
5. From the Content drop-down list, choose a Blob data type field in the selected query/business view.
6. Select the More button to display more link options.
7. In the Filter tab, specify the filter conditions between the query/business view used by the current report and the query/business view that contains the linked Blob content as follows:
   1. Select above the Field Conditions box and a condition line is added.
   2. Select the desired field of the query/business view used by the current report from the Fields (Primary) drop-down list.
   3. Choose an operator from the drop-down list in the OP column.
   4. Specify the field/formula of the query/business view that contains the linked Blob content from the drop-down list in the Fields (Linked) column. All fields that are of the same data type as the selected field in the Fields (Primary) column are available in the drop-down list.
   5. If necessary, you can specify more conditions by selecting the button and then specifying the fields and operators accordingly. Note that the relationship between these link conditions is AND, which means that Logi JReport will fetch the linked Blob type data which meets all of the conditions.
8. If the query/business view that contains the linked Blob content uses parameters, the Parameters tab will be enabled. In this tab, you can assign fields of the query/business view used by the current report to the parameters. Then, when accessing the Blob type data from the link, the field values will be assigned to the parameters automatically.
9. Select OK to apply the settings.

Then, when you run the report at server runtime, or view it in HTML, PDF, or Excel format, you can select the label to download the Blob content according to the specified conditions.

Example of Binding a Conditional Link

This example shows the usage of conditional link and dynamic field.

1. Open the web report Link.wls in the catalog SampleReports.cat in <install_root>\Demo\Reports\SampleReports.
2. We will define a link on the table of the report. Right-click on the Product Name field in the second group header row and then select Link from the shortcut menu.

   

3. In the Insert Link dialog, check the Conditional Link checkbox.
4. Select to define a condition in the Edit Conditions dialog as follows.

   

5. We will make the field linked to a URL target based on the condition. From the Link Type drop-down list, select URL. In the Message dialog, select Yes.
6. In the Hyperlink text box, type in http://www.google.com/search?q= and then select the Add Dynamic Field button to insert the field Product Name at the end of the URL.

   

7. For the product names other than Blue Mountain and Breakfast Blend, we will make them linked to an e-mail target. Check the Others checkbox. A condition named Others will be created.
8. From the Link Type drop-down list, select E-mail. In the Message dialog, select Yes.
9. In the Hyperlink text box, type in @example.com and then select the Add Dynamic Field button to insert the field Product Name right ahead of @.

   

10. Select OK in the Insert Link dialog.
11. Select View > Preview As > Web Report Result to view the report results in Web Report Studio. We can select the product names in the table to trigger the link.
12. Select Blue Mountain and a Google search result page with the key text Blue Mountain will be displayed.

    

13. Select Breakfast Blend and a Google search result page with the key text Breakfast Blend will be displayed.
14. Navigate to the second page of the table, select Sumatra and an e-mail is displayed as follows:

    

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