When a Data Item, Filter, or Prompt Is Missing from a Report

A report cannot be opened when one or more data items, filters, or prompts that are referenced in the report are missing. For example, this might happen when a column has been removed from the underlying table or when a filter is removed from an information map. Users with the appropriate capabilities can help recover a report when one or more data items that are referenced in the report are missing. If you have questions about capabilities, contact your system administrator.
The report recovery process only removes references to the missing data item (or items), so that the report can be opened in SAS Web Report Studio. It is up to the user to edit the report and to reference the correct data item (or items). Otherwise, error messages will appear when the report is viewed.
You are automatically notified that one or more data items, filters, or prompts are missing in these ways:
  • The Update Resources dialog box appears if you selected Filethen selectOpen or if you tried to open the report in Edit mode.
  • The Report Resources Must Be Updated window appears if the File Management window or a recently used report triggers the error.
Note: Users are notified of missing data items even if they do not have the appropriate capability to recover the report.
For batch reports, the Report Resources Must Be Updated window is triggered when you attempt do either of the following:
  • refresh the data for a report that references missing data items, filters, or prompts
  • open the report in Edit mode
When the Update Resources dialog box or the Report Resources Must Be Updated window appears, you are asked if you want to remove the unresolved references and open the report. If you click No, then the attempt to open the report is abandoned. If you click Yes, then the references to the missing data items are removed and SAS Web Report Studio attempts to open the report again.
There are some times when SAS Web Report Studio cannot recover a report that has missing data items. In some cases, after SAS Web Report Studio removes the missing data item or data items, the report is valid but incomplete. For example, suppose that the missing data item is a measure in a bar chart. When prompted, you click Yes to have SAS Web Report Studio remove the missing data item from the report. Once SAS Web Report Studio removes the missing measure, your report is valid. However, a bar chart requires a measure, so the report is incomplete in its current state. You can switch to Edit mode and use the Assign Data dialog box to add a measure and make the bar chart complete.