Category: new release

Categories
Crystal Reports new release Ripplestone

What’s New in Ripplestone 3.4.3

Overview

Below are the new features, updates and bug fixes for Ripplestone version 3.4.3.

 

Home Page

Use Parameter Name for Prompt Text (3.4.3.0)

If the report doesn’t have a value for the prompt text then use the parameter name for the prompt text

 

Scheduler Changes

The Ripplestone Scheduler Server Has Been Re-Written (3.4.3.0)

The scheduler server has been re-written to improve the performance and scalability.

Added New Yearly Option (3.4.3.0)

Added a new schedule interval of Yearly. This will run a job once per year using the Begin date for the month and day and the start time for the time of day to run.

New_Yearly_Option

 

Edit Folders Page

Added New Fields to Track Who Changed the Folder and When (3.4.3.1)

Added two new fields to track who changed the record and when it was changed.

New_ModifiedBy_Fields

 

Edit Document Page

New Unique Key for RSExpress (3.4.3.2)

There is a new option for RS Express that allows the Administrator to turn on or off the RS Express feature.

There is also a new option that will require a unique key to be added to the query string. This will make the feature more secure and make it harder for a user to guess at document ID’s

Both of these new options can be set on the System Setup and Configuration page on the first tab. These global options can be overridden for each report on the Edit Document page

Unique_Key_RSExpress

Global Options on the System Setup and Configuration Page

Unique_Key_RSExpress2

Individual Report options on the Edit Document Page

 

Added New Fields to Track Who Changed the Report and When (3.4.3.2)

Added two new fields to track who changed the record and when it was changed

New_ModifiedBy_Fields_Edit_Document

 

Remove Duplicate Entries from the Dynamic Parameters (3.4.3.0)

When using the Ripplestone Dynamic Parameter feature if the values for the parameter had any duplicates the list would stop loading at the first duplicate. This version will ignore any duplicates when loading the parameter pick list.

Fixed Bug when Editing a Report and Moving it to a New Folder (3.4.3.1)

When a user would click on a different folder in the Edit Document page the document would not get moved to the new location. This has been fixed and the document is now moved to the folder selected.

 

Users

New User Options (3.4.3.0)

Users can now override the global settings for the Use Minimal Home Page and Display Favorites.

With the Use Minimal Home Page, the user can use the global setting or turn on or off the feature. With the feature on, the home page will display the least amount of data. This is helpful for very large sites or if there is a slow connection.

With the Display Favorites as Home Page, the user can use the global setting or turn on or off the feature. With the feature on, the home page will display the favorites when they login and not the standard home page. This is for the user that has the reports that they use most often added to their favorite’s area. They can still access the home page by clicking on the Home link

Below is the Edit User page with the new User Options tab displayed with the two new options.

New_User_Options

 

System Setup and Configuration

Added New Option for the Home Page (3.4.3.0)

Added two new options for the home page. Both of these new options can be changed by each user.

Minimal Home Page – This option only displays the essentials needed for the home page. Extra information is not displayed. This is helpful when the connection is not fast or the users do not need the extra information.

Display Favorites As Home Page – This option allows the favorites to be displayed as the default home page. This option is for the users that want to quickly see all their favorite reports first.

New_HomePage_Options

 

Bug Fixes

Fixed a Issue with Users Marked as Inactive (3.4.3.0)

If a user has the Active flag un-checked they were still able to login to the system.

Active_User_1

 

Active_User_2

Categories
Crystal Reports new release Ripplestone

What’s New in Ripplestone 3.4.1

Overview

Below are the new features, updates and bug fixes for version 3.4.1.  This version was released on October 2nd, 2013.

Home Page

New Blue Blocks Wide Skin (3.4.1.0)

This new release includes a new skin that is wider and also left justified. This skin works well for wider reports and larger monitors.

 

Scheduler Changes

Added New Hourly Option for Start and End Times (3.4.1.0)

Added a new option to the scheduler to allow hourly jobs to have a start and end time. This is useful for hourly jobs that you only want to run during business hours.

clip_image002[6]

 

Added New Option to Use Roles for the Email Addresses (3.4.1.0)

A new option has been added to the Email tab that will allow the scheduled job to get the email address from the users that belong to the role used to run the scheduled job. This saves the administrator the task of maintaining the list of email addresses within the scheduled job. You can still enter email addresses in the To field and they will also be emailed the report.

clip_image003[6]

 

Added New Active Flag (3.4.1.0)

On the Edit Schedule page, a new active flag has been added to make it easy to turn on or off a scheduled job while keeping all the data. This replaces the old method of setting the interval to Inactive.

clip_image004[6]

 

Edit Folders Page

Added New Validations (3.4.1.0)

On the Edit Folders page, new validations have been added.

  • Moving Folders – You cannot move the folder to the same folder
  • The Folder Name will have any spaces removed before and after the name
  • Folder Name with special characters are not allowed / ? < > : * | “
  • Cannot add or move folders in the system Shared folder
  • Cannot delete the system Shared folder

Bug Fixes

Fixed an Issue with a Report Parameter in the Scheduler (3.4.1.0)

There was an issue when the scheduler attempted to run a report that had a null value for the parameter.

Fixed an Issue with the Publish a Document link (3.4.1.0)

There was a problem with the link when the user was logged in as a Publish role and they tried to link on the Publish a New Document link.

Fixed a problem when updating the name of the Home node (3.4.1.0)

There was a problem when an Administrator would try to change the name of the Home node on the home page.

Categories
Crystal Reports new release Ripplestone

What’s New in Ripplestone Version 3.3

Ripplestone 3.3 – Summary

Home Page

Home Page Data Caching

Most of the data used by the home page is now being cached by the system. This increases the performance of the home page by reducing the number of calls to the Ripplestone database. This option can be controlled by the administrator in the web.config file.

Fixed a problem when updating the home node

When changing the root/home node on the home page there was a bug that would not allow the administrator to change the node name.

 

Scheduler Changes

New FTP Library

Ripplestone is now using a new and improved FTP library and provides more options

clip_image002

 
Fixed bug to display the Schedule time correctly

When a scheduled job was set to run between 1 – 9 minutes after the hour the display would not display the 0 (zero) before the minute. It would look like 4:5 PM; in the new version it is displayed as 4:05 PM.
clip_image003

 
New Output type

A new output type has been added to the scheduler. The Editable RTF Export type has been added to the Output Format dropdown.
clip_image004

 
Fixed bug for Jobs between midnight and 1:00 AM

There was a bug for any jobs scheduled between midnight and 1:00 AM. The job would not always get started at the correct time.

 

New icons on the list schedule page

The Scheduled Documents page now uses icons to save space on the page. The page also added a Run Now button (the Green Arrow) to run a scheduled job now and bypass the scheduler. This is good for testing or when you need to run a job outside of the scheduled time.

clip_image006

 

Fixed a problem when Emailing a scheduled job to multiple addresses

There is an option in the System Setup and Configuration page to turn on an option to email messages from the scheduler one at a time. If this is turned on then emails are sent to each recipient as a separate email. If the option is unselected then all the email addresses are added to the email and the email is sent once. All recipients can see who else the email was sent to. There was a bug in the system that stopped the email from being sent. This bug has been fixed and all email addresses will be added to a single email.

Below is the option from the System Setup and Configuration page.
clip_image007

 

Database Connections

Added new fields to allow new Server and database

The Database Connection page has been change to allow the administrator to change the database server and the database name that the report will use. This helps when the Crystal Report need to get the data from a new server or from a new database name without needing to change and republish all the Crystal Reports that use that database connection.

The example below shows the original database connection using the RipplestoneTestServer and then with the new option the reports will login and use the RipplestoneProduction server.

clip_image009

 
Alternate Database Login and Password

This new option is set on the Edit Document page and allows the Crystal Report to have a different database login and password that will override the login and password stored in the database connection for that report.

clip_image011

 

Security

Windows Integrated Security Users

If the Ripplestone application is configured to use Windows Integrated Security the users are required to have the checkbox checked for Integrated Security to work. If the user does not have the checked box checked then they will be redirected to the sign on page.

Categories
Crystal Reports General new release Ripplestone Ripplestone Tips Tutorial

Ripplestone 3 – Home Page Tour

With the release of Ripplestone version 3, we have added many new features to the home page and to how you view and interact with Crystal Reports.

Below is a quick tour of the new features.

 

Performance and Usability Improvements

 

Two new links have been added to the top menu bar.

  • Favorites allows users to quickly get to the documents marked as favorites. The favorites view loads quicker than the home page and is simpler to use.  There is an option to have the Favorites view be the default view when starting Ripplestone.
  • Scheduled History give the users a quick way to view all the scheduled history without needing to click on each Crystal Report on the home page.  This is helpful for the users that need to check the history of many reports.
    The navigation tree on the home page has been updated with AJAX and Data Caching to allow a smoother and quicker navigation experience.  The page will no longer flash as the user is clicking on the folders and documents in the tree.

image

          Multiple Reports

        With the new version of Ripplestone users can open multiple reports from the home page and then switch between them using the tabs.  The reports also open within the home page and not as a new browser window allowing the user to view the report more easily.  The reports new feel more integrated in the Ripplestone application.

      image

       

       

      New Crystal Reports Viewer

       

      Ripplestone 3 is using a new web viewer and new parameter page for running Crystal Reports.  Below is an example of the new parameter page, this opens within the home page and not as a separate web browser window.  It has a more integrated feel and a new indicator is displayed to let the user know that the report is being run.

      image

       

      The new web viewer allows the user to refresh the report and they will be prompted to enter new parameter values or if the report is written in Crystal Reports 2008 or 2011 they will have the option to open the Parameter Panel shown below.  This new panel will allow the user to view and change the parameter values without closing the report.

      image

       

      With these new features the home page of Ripplestone has become easier to use and more productive in viewing your Crystal Reports and Office Documents.

      Categories
      Crystal Reports General new release Ripplestone

      Ripplestone Release 2.9.12

       

      Overview

       

      With version 2.9.12, Ripplestone continues to improve Crystal Reports Parameters Page and the Scheduler.

      Report parameters

       
      Fixed issue with parameters with no value

      If a parameter has no value the parameter will still be sent to the report.

      Additional Improvements For Stored Procedure Parameters

      This version continued improvements, started in version 2.9.11, for parameters that are coming from a Stored Procedure and when to display the Set to Null checkbox.

      Fixed Issue for Parameter Default Values

      Added code to check if a Crystal Report parameter has any default values; if the parameter doesn’t have any default values Ripplestone will display a text box for the user to enter a value.

      Fixed Issue for Parameters That Allow Multiple Values

      This version improved the code that displays the parameters values that were saved for a scheduled job.

       

      Scheduler Changes

       
      A bug was Fixed to Check if the Scheduled Job Has Saved Parameters

      Fixed a bug where a Crystal Report was saved into the Scheduler without parameter values and then opened at a later time and the program would try to fill the report parameters with values. The page would get an error because there were no parameter values found in the Ripplestone database.

      A Bug Was Fixed During Saving of Parameter Values

      If a Crystal Report was scheduled in the Ripplestone Scheduler and it had parameters the parameter values were saved in the Ripplestone database. If the report was then changed and the number of parameters was changed the application would not be able match the parameter values in the database with the new parameters in the report. This fix will now attempt to match the parameters in the database with the updated parameters in the Crystal Report.

       

      General items

       
      Changed the Format for Dates

      This version changes the format for dates to allows store the dates in the database in the format of yyyy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss. This will help with countries that don’t follow the USA standard of mm/dd/yyyy.

      Added Logging When A Report Or Folder Gets Deleted Or Moved

      Added code to log in the trace logs anytime a Crystal Report, Document or Folder gets deleted or moved. With this feature there is an audit of when items are moved or deleted.

      Added new RS Express tab to the edit document page

      A new tab was added to the Edit Document page that will display the RS Express values needed to use the RS Express feature.

      Added new RS Express Option to enable the feature

      A new option was added to enable or disable the RS Express feature.

      Added new RS Express Option to enable the Unique Key Feature

      A new option was added to enable or disable using the RS Express Unique Key feature.

      Categories
      Crystal Reports General new release Ripplestone

      Ripplestone Release 2.9.11

       

      Overview

       

      With version 2.9.11, Ripplestone continues to improve the scheduler and add features to give you more information about the reports and users within Ripplestone.

      We will continually strive to look for ways to make Ripplestone the easiest tool for managing Crystal Reports and Microsoft Office Documents.

       

      Report parameters

       
      Fixed issue when Report is getting a parameter from a Stored procedure

      The parameter display was updated when a report is getting parameters from a store procedure it displays a “Set to Null” checkbox on the parameter page.

      image

       

      Fixed issue with date parameters with default values

      If a parameter is of type Date or DateTime and it has a list of values, the parameter page will display a list of the date values.

      image

      Fixed issue with text parameters with no default value

      If a parameter has no default value the parameter page will display a text box to allow the user to enter a value.

       

      Scheduler Changes

       
      Added option to Use the users within a role for row level security

      This allows the scheduler to loop through the users within a role and use the UserID or User ID tokens for the Row Level Security value. This simulates the process of when a user runs the report. When this report is run from the scheduler, it will be run once for each user in the role using the Row Level Security information to filter the report data for each user.

      image

      Adding option to use the email address stored in the user profile to send report

      This allows the scheduler to loop though the users within a role and use their email address to send the report. This allows the administrator to manage the users in the role and saves them from managing the email list in the scheduler. Additional email addresses can still be entered into the To box for people that are not in the Role.

      image

       

      General items

       
      Added field on the edit document page to display the document id

      A new field was added on the Edit Document page to display the Document ID field. This is useful when using the RS Express feature.

       
      Added new usage tab to the edit document page

      A new tab was added to the Edit Document page that will display usage statistic for that document. The tab will display the number of times that the Crystal Report or document was run, the date that it was last run, display information on the last 10 runs and the top 10 users that run this Crystal Report or document.

      image

       

      Added new usage tab to the edit user page

      A new tab was added to the Edit User page that will display usage statistic for that user. The tab will display the last date the user logged into Ripplestone, how many times they has logged in, display the last 10 Crystal Reports or document they have run and the top 10 Crystal Reports or document they run.

      image

       
      Changed the system setup & configuration page for administrator

      Permissions were changed on the System Setup and Configuration page for Administrators. Users that are in a Role with Administrator permissions can now only change the Troubleshooting Tab. Users that are in a Role with Super User permissions can change the other options.

      image

       

      Bug Fixes

       
      Adding a new report will use the default viewer

      When publishing a new Crystal Report, the system will use the default viewer set in the System Setup & Configuration page.

      Fixed issue with logging into crystal reports that have a sub report

      Fixed an issue on some reports that had sub reports where they would not correctly login to the data for the sub report.

      Fixed issue with System using Access for the Ripplestone database

      Fixed an issue that occurred when an Administrator was creating a new Folder and needed to assign the security to the administrator and the Ripplestone application was using Access for the database.

      Fixed issue with security for administrator

      Fixed a bug when Administrators where getting a list of users that the administrator is allow to see. They were able to see all the users in the system and this is only available to the Super User.

      Fixed issue with Folder security for administrator

      Fixed a bug when Administrators where opening or viewing a folder where they didn’t have permissions to view the folder.

      Categories
      Crystal Reports new release Ripplestone

      Ripplestone Release 2.9.10

      With Ripplestone version 2.9.10 we have concentrated on improving the Report Parameters page and the Scheduler.  These two are some of the most used sections of Ripplestone and benefit the most of getting new features

      Report Parameters

      • Changed the Format for Date Ranges – When a report parameter is a date range type, the display for the dates will be in a more user friendly format.
      • Changed the Format for Parameters with a Single Default Value – When a report has a parameter that only has one default value, the display will be more like the display in Crystal Reports XI.
      • Changed the Format for Discrete and Range Type Parameters – When a report has a parameter that is a discrete and range type, the parameter page will look more like the parameter page that is displayed by Crystal Reports XI.
      • Updated the JavaScript to Fix Changes in Internet Explorer 8 – Internet Explorer 8 is stricter in how it uses JavaScript so the JavaScript code was updated to allow Internet Explorer 8 to work better with the parameters.
      • Parameters That Have Commas in the Parameter Value – If the report parameter is a single discrete value and the value has a comma in it, Ripplestone will correctly use the comma and not split the value into two or more values.

      Below is a screen shot of the new parameter page with examples of some of the new formats.

      Improved Parameter Page

      Example of our newly improved Parameter Page

       

      Scheduler Changes

      • Added Daily Option to Select Which Days of the Week to Run – When a scheduled job is set to run daily, the scheduler can specify which days of the week they would like the job to run. For example, they could have the job only run Monday – Friday or they could have the job run on Saturday and Sunday.
      • Adding New Scheduled Jobs From the Home Page Made Easier – When adding a new scheduled job from the home, the scheduled job will select the report on the Folder & Parameters tab so you don’t have to find it within the tree. It will also have the parameters for the report displayed.
      • Changed Run As Role Dropdown to Show All Roles for the Super User – If the scheduler is a Super User, then they will see all the roles in the Run as Role dropdown list. If they are an administrator or Scheduler they will only see the Roles they are allowed to see.

      New Daily Option – This allows the scheduler to select the days of the week that the job should run.

      ScheduleSelectDays

       

      Email System

      • Added an Option to use SMTP Authentication – Added a new option for systems that use a SMTP Authentication and need to supply a user name and password to send email.

      Security

      • Add Correct User Security When Adding New Folders – Changed the adding of new folders to use the current user to determine if they are a Super User or an Administrator. If they are an Administrator then they will get access to the newly created folder. Before only the Super User would get access to the new folder.

      Bug Fixes

      • Hide the Password Fields in the Edit User Page – If the user has been marked as an Integrated Security user, then the password fields will not be displayed since they are not needed.
      • Updated the Record Selection Formula for Alert Reports – In some cases adding the alert code to the report’s record selection would cause an error. The formula has been changed to allow the alert code to be correctly added in those cases.