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Merlin – Adding an option in a python/wbl report template

Vicky Stamatopoulou on 2. August 2011

Report template options are saved in the /Contents/info.plist within a Merlin‘s report template package and shown in the order they are defined. Therefor, should you want to add another option for your custom report:

• You open the info.plist as found in your report template package under /Contents
• Check the dictionaries defined for the key PWReportParameters
• And define your own dict in the position you would like it to be shown

Note: Use existing options as reference on how to define checkboxes, lists, or text entry fields

Some examples:

1. You have created a copy of the existing XSLT report  and want to add an option.

Your workflow

Proceed as explained here

2. You have created (as explained here) a copy of the existing Cost Distribution report which is a python/wbl report template and want to add an option to disable the “Base Cost” column in the outputted table.

Your workflow

• Open the info.plist as found in your report template package under /Contents
• Copy the dict definition for another checkbox option (for example this for withProjectImage)
• And paste
• Edit the strings for key and title in the pasted dict.

<dict>
<key>key</key>
<string>withBaseCosts</string>
<key>title</key>
<string>Base Costs</string>
<key>valueClass</key>
<string>NSNumber</string>
<key>style</key>
<string>bool</string>
<key>defaultValueString</key>
<string>1</string>
</dict>

Note: A defaultValueString of 0 defines it off per default. Should you like to have this column outputted, but to be able to switch it off over the options, just enter here 1.

 

• Save your changes
• Open the python script as found under /Contents/Resources in a text editor
• Define your method in the python class

  self.withBaseCosts  = 0

• Save your changes
• Open the wbl file as found under /Contents/Resources in a text editor 
• Locate the line for the “Base Cost” column title

  <th><wbl:String value="Base Cost" localize=YES /></th>

• Do a test for the value of withBaseCosts and allow it to be shown only if checked:

  <wbl:Conditional condition=withBaseCosts>

       <th><wbl:String value="Base Cost" localize=YES /></th>

  </wbl:Conditional>

• Save your changes (make sure that all three files are saved: Info.plist, the py and wbl files)

• Restart Merlin if it is already running
• Open your project
• Call File > New Report…  and select your thus changed report

• See Base Costs being outputted per default, but you can disable them in the options

Note: The outputted table on the report is not yet correct. That it is because we forgot to put all outputs of basecosts in conditionals.

So:

• Open once again the wbl file
• Find further base costs outputs in the report… To be more specific search for the following two lines:

  1. <td><wbl:String value=iterIntervalBaseCost formatter=project.currencyFormatter/></td>

  2. <td><wbl:String value=project.baseCostDeep formatter=project.currencyFormatter valueWhenEmpty=0/></td>

• Put them in conditionals

• Save the wbl file
• Refresh your report or restart Merlin and call the report once again
• It will hide/show the base cost columns are desired

Adding a property in an existing report

Please see next posts

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Related Posts:

• Modifying existing reports
• Edit description or report template names
• Creating your own report templates
• Localize a Merlin report template
• Further tips for localizing an XSLT report template
• Adding an option in a report template – example for xslt report

Tags: Report, Templates