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MDDB Report Viewer: Hints and Tips

Most users will find the MDDB Report Viewer easy to use with a few simple instructions to get them started. Once you have set up the MDDB Report Viewer, you may want to provide some hints and tips to your users on how to use the tool most effectively. Listed below are some frequently asked questions and answers about the MDDB Report Viewer.

How do I use the MDDB Report Viewer?

The MDDB Report Viewer contains three pages in which you enter information or manipulate your report data.

  • Specify MDDB page--In this page, select the MDDB to be used.

  • Report Layout page--In this page, select the items to be included in the report and set the report options. In the Dimensions column, define the report layout by selecting items to be included in the Down and the Across fields. Then select one or more items from the Analysis listbox and one or more items from the Statistics listbox. You can also select variables from the Filter Columns listbox. You can specify a variety of options that control the layout of the report and the graph. In addition, you can specify whether to display a graph with the report. When you select View Report, the report is displayed on the next page.

  • Report page--This page displays the table and graph produced from selections made in the previous pages. You can respecify new variables and select subset values on this page to change the report.

How do I select items from a selection list?

Web browsers have different selection methods (for example, some browsers use a shift-click combination and others use a mouse click only). Users will need to use the selection method that is appropriate for their browser.

How will I know if the items I select for a report are valid?

Because selection list items cannot be greyed, you will receive a message when an item is invalid. For example, you cannot select the same item for the Down and Across values in a report. Simply reselect the items and run the report again.

How can I print reports?

You can print reports through the browser. Follow the instructions for printing that are appropriate for your browser.

How do I drill down to additional values in a report?

To drill down to other values in a report, click on a Down or Across value. the report title will change when you drill down to other levels of information.

What does the Rotate button do?

Use the Rotate button to rotate the down and across dimensions of a report.

How do I generate a 3D graph of the report data?

To generate a 3D graph of the report data, select 3D Clickable Graph as the Graph Source and then select the Graph Type (block, vertical bar, and so on) on the Report Layout page. When you click on View Report, the report is displayed, along with a graph of the first column of data in the table. You can click the right mouse button within the graphics display area to change the variables that are displayed in the graph. In addition, you can use the right mouse button to change the appearance of the graph and type of graph that is displayed.

How do I generate a standard GIF graph of the report data?

To generate a standard GIF graph of the report data, select Standard GIF Graph as the Graph Source and select the Graph Type (block, vertical bar, and so on) on the Report Layout page. When you select View Report, a graph of the first column of data in the table is displayed. You can click on the icon below any statistic in the report to change columns and display a new graph. To see a new graph, select an icon below the statistic to be graphed.

Can I print extremely large tables?

If you print a table that is extremely wide, you may not get the results you want. Tables cannot be resized, so when you print a large table, some columns may be truncated.

Can I change the colors of my report?

Colors for report values are determined by values set in the RANGE entry in the SAS/EIS metabase in which the MDDB is registered. To change the colors in which report values are displayed, edit the RANGE entry in the SAS/EIS metabase. To use colors supplied by the browser you are using, delete the RANGE entry in the SAS/EIS metabase. The background color of the table cell will be set to the color value in the RANGE entry. Make sure that the numeric text is not set to the background color so that the text will be readable.

How do I subset my report data?

On the Report Layout page, select the category variables (labelled Filter Variables) by which to subset, and then select variables for Down, Across, Analysis, and Stats. Then click on the View Report button. When the report is displayed, select the values of the category variables (in the "Filter by" section) by which to subset your data, and click on Apply Filter. The report will be redisplayed with the subset applied. If a graph was previously displayed, it will be redisplayed with the subset applied.

How do I see the detail data?

The numbers in the table should be hyper-linked if the basetable attribute is in the metadata and if the base table exists. If the numbers are not hyper-linked, reach-through is not available for the selected MDDB. Click on a number, then select the variables you want to see from the data set. Click on Next, and the detail data will be displayed in a table.

How does Download to Spreadsheet work?

The Download to Spreadsheet button appears on the report page and on the detail data page (after a reach-through to detail data). On the report page, the Download to Spreadsheet button downloads the data in the HTML table, including the titles, as it appears on the page. On the detail page, the Download to Spreadsheet button downloads the detailed data that are displayed on the page. The data are written in comma-delimited format, and you can open the file in your spreadsheet program or save the file to disk for later use.

Can I change report dimensions from the report page?

You can change report dimensions from the report page. Above the report table, there are selection boxes for the Down and/or the Across variables. Select new dimensions and click on the View Report button to display the new report. In the report table, drop-down boxes are provided on the first occurrence of each analysis variable and statistic. To change analysis variables or statistics, select new analysis variables or statistics from the drop-down boxes, and the report is automatically displayed with your new selections. To add additional analysis variables or statistics, you must return to the Report Layout page and specify new values.

Can I create my own Help page?

By default, the Help button points to this URL: 

  http://support.sas.com/rnd/web/intrnet/mddbapp/hinttips.html
on the SAS Web Site. You can create your own Help page with information that is specific to your site. To do this, create the Help Web page and specify the URL in the _MRVHELP macro variable in the RESET.SAS file used by your application server. For example, you could insert a line similar to the following in your RESET.SAS file: 
  %let _mrvhelp=http://myserver/myhelp.html;

Can I use Cascading Style Sheets to modify the appearance of my report?

Version 1.2 of the MDDB Report Viewer offers Cascading Style Sheet support. Style Sheets provide you with an easy wasy to customize the viewer for your site. For more information on how to use style sheets with the MDDB Report Viewer, see Cascading Style Sheets.

How do I change the font for the Standard GIF graph?

You can specify the font to be used by the Standard GIF graph in the RESET.SAS file that is used by your application server. In the RESET.SAS file, set the _GRFONT macro variable by specifying something like the following: 

  %let _grfont=myfont;
By default, the MDDB Report Viewer uses the SWISSB font if a value is not specified for _GRFONT. For a complete list of available fonts, refer to the SAS/GRAPH Software: Reference, Version 6.

Can I change the toolbar location?

You can change the toolbar location by setting a macro variable in the RESET.SAS file. Set the _MRTBLOC variable as in the following example: 

  %let _mrtbloc=toolbar-location-value;
where the toolbar-location-value can be one of the following values: 1 = top, 2 = bottom, 3 = left, 4 = right, and 5 = no toolbar.

The default toolbar location is top.

How can I use a different delimiter for Download to Spreadsheet?

To use a different delimiter for Download the Spreadsheet, set the _MRVSEP macro variable in the RESET.SAS file used by your application server. For example, to use a semicolon (;) instead of the default comma (,) delimiter, insert a line like the following into your RESET.SAS file: 

  %let _mrvsep=%str(;);

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