Building a report within RE from scratch?

Sandro Scordo

I recently started working with RE7 and in the past I was used to build reports using the SQL copied and pasted onto a system that generated a report for me (maybe somebody will be familiar with SSRS).

In RE instaed, I still did not figure out how to build reports from scratch. I guess it is a lack of training (I do not have handover notes and nobody is able to deliver a training to me). However, I am a self lerner and I much appreciate some guidance.


Thank you

Elaine Tucker

RE uses Crystal Reports. To create a report from scratch, query you stat, create an export using Blackbaud Reports as the expire type. OPen Crystal Reports and select new and there you go...

Marie Stark

Hi Sandro,

You could check this article from the knowledgebase:
https://kb.blackbaud.com/articles/Overview/103987

 

Alan French

It is possible to write your own queries in SQL if you'd rather not use Crystal - we do this for several reports. I don't think we have the RODBA module (if we do, it's not showing up in my list of plug-ins) but I can connect to our database using SQL Server Management Studio.

Forrest Smith

Alan French:

It is possible to write your own queries in SQL if you'd rather not use Crystal - we do this for several reports. I don't think we have the RODBA module (if we do, it's not showing up in my list of plug-ins) but I can connect to our database using SQL Server Management Studio.

But once you're connected, how do you make sense of the 500+ tables back there?

Alan French

A bit of trial and error, usually! There doesn't seem to be much documentation available from Blackbaud.

I normally limit the query to looking at my own record to start with, and make sure that I'm getting the expected results there before I include the other 250,000 constituents.

John Heizer

Forrest Smith:

 

Alan French:

It is possible to write your own queries in SQL if you'd rather not use Crystal - we do this for several reports. I don't think we have the RODBA module (if we do, it's not showing up in my list of plug-ins) but I can connect to our database using SQL Server Management Studio.

But once you're connected, how do you make sense of the 500+ tables back there?

 

Blackbaud used to have a class specifically for RODBA (I took the course back in the 1990's).  You can get at the data dictionary from Help > RE:VBA/API Help (though that may not be available if you aren't licesed for the API).  It may also be available through Help > Read Only Database Assistance.  If you have a high enough level of support the RODBA is free, but you have to contact your sales rep to get the license key (can't seem to get it through the regular online method) and it has to be installed on each workstation (mine PC was rebuilt and I haven't bothered gettint a new key installed).  You can also see if you have this file installed on your PC  "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Blackbaud\\The Raisers Edge 7\\Help\\RE7Schema.chm"