Using Input and Custom Design

This tutorial emphasizes using an input file for your search criteria and creating a custom format for your report.

 To create a custom format batch report using an input file

1. After you log in to Haystack Gold, select Reports, and then Batch Setup.
   
   
   
   You are now at the BatchPlus Settings page. All of the optional and required fields are available to you from this screen.
   
   Note:  Required fields have been marked with an asterisk (*). All other fields are optional.
   
   
2. In the Batch Settings section, leave both Title and Description blank.
3. In the Database field, select Federal Logistics Information Service, which is the default setting.
4. From the drop-down list to the right of the Search Fields field, select NSN or NIINs.

Creating an input file

Before we can browse for an input file, we have to create and save NIIN search criteria in a text file (.txt) that you place in a folder on your computer.

1. Start Notepad, either by clicking the Windows start button, and then choosing Run or by pressing the Windows Key and R together.
2. In the Open field of the Run box, type notepad.
3. In Notepad, enter a list of NIINs, one per line, like the following:
   
   005347553
   000000079
   000000101
4. Save your file with a name and to a location that you will be able to find, such as NIINBatch.txt in your My Documents folder.

Returning to BatchPlus Settings

Now that you have created your input file, return to the third section of the BatchPlus Settings screen, which is Output Options.

1. To input a file, click the Browse button next to the Input File Name field.
2. Locate the NIINBatch.txt file you created.
3. Leave the default ("III CHOOSE OUTPUT FORMAT ***) in the Format field.
4. Click the Create button.
   
   This launches the Report Designer Settings screen in a new browser window. This screen allows you to create and save a custom report format that can be re-used and modified to suit your business needs.

Report Designer screen

1. In the Database field, select the default Federal Logistics Information Service.
2. In the Report Name Field, give the report a meaningful name.
3. In the Description field, describe your report. This is optional; however, this field allows you to add descriptive information about the report format.
4. In the Show Headers section, leave all values blank (these headers only apply to PDF output).
5. In the Type field, select MS Excel (*.xls) from the drop-down list.
6. Click the button.
   
   The Report Data Layout screen is displayed. From here you can select the database segments and fields to include in your report. Note that these database segments and fields are labeled the same as the fields you see in the Haystack display.
   
   
7. In the Available Sections/Fields pane, single click Segment A, and then click the button in the middle of the screen.
   
   Segment A is added below FLIS Report Definition in the Selected Sections/Field pane.
   
   
8. In the Selected Sections/Fields pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Segment A.
   
   Segment A expands and a list of all of the fields in that data segment is displayed.
9. To see a list of all fields available in Segment A, in the Available Sections/Fields pane, click the button below the Available Sections/Fields pane.
10. To remove a field, simply highlight it in the Selected Sections/Fields pane, and then click the    button.
    
    Note: Default Fields
    
    The Report Data Layout screen defaults to the most commonly used fields in each data segment. These are displayed in bold in the Available Sections Fields pane. Non-default fields are shown in green and can be selected the same way as default fields.
    
    The button allows you to quickly select all of the default fields in a Section. This is useful when you are modifying a custom report data layout and would like to quickly add a number of fields at one time. For example, if you would like to add all of the default Segment A values to the existing layout shown below, simply click the button to select all of the fields in bold in Segment A.
    
    The fields are copied to the Selected Sections/Fields pane.
    
    
    

Creating an extreme report format

As a tutorial example, let's create an extreme format to show the power of creating custom reports.

1. In the Selected Sections/Fields pane of the Report Data Layout dialog box, remove all of the fields below Segment A, except for NIIN, FSC, INC., and Item Name.
2. To display the list of database segments in the Available Sections/Fields pane, click the Sections button below the pane.
3. In the Available Sections/Fields pane, highlight MCRL (Master Cross Reference List), and then click the button.
4. To expand the MCRL section in the Available Sections/Fields pane, click the button below the pane.
   
   
5. In the Selected Sections/Fields pane, remove all of the fields below MCRL, except for Part No, CAGE, and Company. You list should now look like the following example.
   
   
6. To save your setup, click the button.
   
   You are returned to the Report Designer Settings page.
7. To save your settings, again click the button on this screen.
   
   You are returned to the BatchPlus Settings page.
    

Completing the BatchPlus Settings screen

Now that you have created the format for your custom designed report and your input file is loaded, you can quickly finish the Output Options and Run Batch sections of BatchPlus.

1. Select the output format you have just created (NIIN Search Custom Output) from the Format drop-down menu.
   
   
   
   Tip: Press the first letter of the name of the output format you created to quickly jump down the list of available output formats.
   
2. Leave the Output File Name field blank.
    
3. Leave the Archive type set to PKZIP Compression.
    
4. Click the button.
   
   Your search criteria are loaded into the batch system and you are presented with a summary page of your batch job.
   
   
    
5. Click "...link to the Batch Status page..." to view a list of our batch jobs.
   
   The Batch Status page displays a list of all of the batches you have processed.
   
   
    
6. Click the hyperlinked Batch ID value to see a summary of the batch settings. Click your browser's Back button to return to the Batch Status page.
    
7. To view the output Excel file that contains the results found in Haystack, click the link under Output File to the far right. The results in compressed format are named IHSBatch.zip because we did not give a name during creation.
   
   Note that the Excel file only contains two worksheets, shown as tabs across the bottom. These two tabs match the Segment A and MCRL data segments that we selected earlier.
   
   When viewing the data, note that the columns match the fields chosen in the previous steps—Segment A – NIIN, FSC, INC, Item Name, and MCRL – Part No, CAGE, and Company.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   You can reuse the report format you created any time you wish. You, of course, must upload a text file (.txt) with NIINs you want to search on. You may edit this format at any time as well as use it as a template for new report formats in the future.

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