Using the Report Engine

Creating and Modifying a Simple List Report

The Report Engine enables you to generate reports quickly and gives you several ways to modify and customize different aspects of your report. This section shows you how to create a simple listing report and use the Report Engine's customizing tools to make some modifications to the report.

Creating the Report

Follow this selection path:Tasks Report Writing Design Report Report EngineThe Report Engine window appears.

Report Engine Window
If you have previously run a Report Engine report, then the selections for that report appear automatically in the Report Engine window. If report selections exist in the Report Engine window, then selectFile Newto clear all selections from the window.
Ensure that the value in the Type field is SAS. If it is not, type SAS over the value in the Type field. Note that the Type field must be filled in before you select a table.
Use one of the following methods to select the SASUSER.HOUSES table:
- Type SASUSER.HOUSES in the Data field and press ENTER.
- Type a question mark (? ) in the Data field, and then select the SASUSER.HOUSES table from the Select Table window. For more information on the Select Table window, see Selecting a Table.
When the SASUSER.HOUSES table is loaded into the Report Engine window, SASUSER.HOUSES appears in the Data field. The table's columns are listed in the window.

Report Engine Window with HOUSES Table
Type LIST in the Report field in the Report Engine window, if it does not already appear there.
SelectRun Submitto generate the report. The report appears in the Report Output window.

Report Output Window

If the report is wider or longer than one display, then use the scroll bars, the View menu, or the FORWARD, BACKWARD, LEFT, and RIGHT function keys to look at the report.
To return to the Report Engine window, selectFile Close

Modifying the Report

The Report Engine offers you a number of ways to modify and customize your report. This section shows you some of them.

You can delete columns from the report output. For this example, position the cursor in the Cmd field of the Number of bathrooms row, type D , and press ENTER. The Number of bathrooms row disappears from the Report Engine window, and the column will not appear in the report. The column does remain, however, in the HOUSES table.
You can modify the column headers. Position the cursor in the Column Header field of the Number of bedrooms row. Type Bedrooms over the existing column header text. You may need to delete or type blanks over the remaining column header text. Press ENTER; the column header will be renamed Bedrooms in the report.
You can rearrange the order in which the columns appear in the report. The values of the No (for Number) field determine where the columns appear, with 1 representing the left edge. Position the cursor in the No field of the Street address row. Type a 5 , and then move the cursor to the No field of the Asking price row. Type a 4 and press ENTER. The Asking Price column will appear to the left of the Street Address column in the report.

Note: If you want to undo your modifications, select Edit Reset ColumnsThis action restores the original columns, including their ordering and column headers, and it also restores any deleted columns.

Adding Titles to a Report Engine Report

Adding titles to a Report Engine report is slightly different from adding titles in the other SAS/ASSIST report-generating functions. Unlike the titles specified in other report-writing tasks, the titles you specify in the Report Engine are used in Report Engine reports only and do not carry over into other report writing tasks. Similarly, titles that are defined in other report writing tasks are not used in Report Engine reports.

To add titles to your Report Engine report, follow this selection path from the Report Engine window:Edit Titles The TITLES window appears.

Report Engine Titles Window
Each numbered line in the Titles window represents a title line. A Report Engine report can have up to 10 title lines. For this example, type Houses for Sale in the Value field for title number 1, and then type By Style in the Value field for title number 2.
Return to the Report Engine window by selectingFile CloseA prompt appears, asking if you want to save your changes. Select Yes.
Titles appear flush left by default in Report Engine reports. To center the titles, selectEdit Page LayoutThe Page Layout window appears.

Page Layout Window
In the Center field, type YES and press ENTER.
Select OK. The Page Layout window disappears.

Running the Modified Report

Run the report with your titles by selectingRun SubmitYour report appears in the Report Output window, with the modifications and titles.

Modified Report Output
To return to the Report Engine window, selectFile Close

Saving a Report to a SAS Catalog

To save a report for future use, follow these steps:

From the Report Engine window, selectFile Save AsThe Save As window appears.

Save As Window
Type a name for the report in the Name field. The name must be no longer than eight characters. For this example, type the name LSTHOUSE .
You can type a description of the report in the Description field. The description must be no longer than 32 characters. For this example, type Houses for Sale (Report Engine) .
Select OK to save the report. If the report name exists, then you are prompted to select OK again to write over the existing report, or you can type a new name for the report.

CAUTION:
If a new entry has the same name as an existing ASSIST entry, you might not receive a prompt that warns about overwriting an existing entry.
If you last saved from one of the three windows that has a different type than the one you are currently saving, you might not receive the warning prompt and your entry will be overwritten.
The Report Engine window reappears. If you modify the report further and want to save it again, then follow this selection path from the Report Engine window:File Save

Note: For a list of existing reports, type a question mark ( ? ) in the Name field of the Save As window. You can type S (for Select) in the Cmd field to select a report from the resulting selection list. For a list of available catalogs, type a ? in the Catalog field. Select the catalog from the resulting selection list. [cautionend]

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