Create a custom report template

You can create a new template to customize the look of your reports.

Users can create and generate reports based on queries performed in IXIASOFT CCMS. A default XSL template for reports (report2html.xsl) is provided in the Repository. If it does not meet your needs, you can create a new one based on the default template or create your own.

If you define parameters in the template, they will appear as editable key-value pairs when a user creates a report. The values set in the template can serve as default values for the report, which can be overwritten in the report by the values specified by the user.

For example, if you look in the report2html.xsl file in the /system/xsl/report folder, it contains two parameters called CompanyName and Department. If you create a report using the report2html.xsl file as the XSL template, CompanyName and Department are displayed as keys in the Parameters pane along with the values specified in the template. If the values are modified by the user, the new values will appear in the generated report, but it will not affect the template itself.

Figure: Example of a fragment of the report2html.xsl file: 
<?xml version="1.0"?>				
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method="html"/>					
		<xsl:param name="CompanyName">IxiaSoft Technologie Inc.</xsl:param> 
		<xsl:param name="Department">Development team</xsl:param>
		
		. . .
Figure: Example of the report
Image of the report tab showing General Information and Parameters panes

To create a template based on the existing default:

  1. Open the TEXTML Administration perspective by clicking the TEXTML Administration shortcut on the tool bar. If the shortcut is not displayed, follow these steps:
    1. Select Window > Perspective > Open Perspective > Other
    2. Click TEXTML Administration.
    3. Click Open.
  2. In the TEXTML Administration view, double-click the server. If your server is not displayed in the view, you must add it to the view.
  3. When the Connect as dialog opens, type your username and password and click OK.
  4. Double-click the name of your Content Store to open a connection to it.
  5. Expand the Repository folder and find the report2html.xsl file in the /system/xsl/report folder.
  6. Double-click the file to open it in the editor.
  7. In the main menu, click File > Export.
  8. In the Export dialog box, click General > File System.
  9. Click Next.
  10. In the To directory box, type the path to where you want to save the template on your local machine or click Browse to choose a location.
  11. Click Finish.
  12. Customize the template.
    1. Open the exported template in a text or XML editor.
    2. Modify the template as required.
    3. Save the file.
    4. Rename the file so you do not overwrite the existing default template in the Content Store when you import it.
  13. In the TEXTML Administration view, right-click the /system/xsl/report folder and click Insert Documents.
    The Insert Documents Dialog opens.
  14. Click the Add File button, choose your template, and click OK.
    Your template is checked in under the report folder in the Content Store.
  15. Inform users of the changes and request that they close and reopen their IXIASOFT CCMS Desktop to apply the changes.
  16. Edit existing reports to use the new template or create new reports.