Evergreen Reports Interest Group Hackfest

Date: April 27, 2011

Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location: 2011 International Evergreen Conference

1. Introductions
2. Volunteer(s) for new/additional facilitators
3. Updates
4. Discussion: Ideas for needed reports
5. Discussion: Improvements for interface/module
6. Discussion: Reports questions…and answers, if available
7. Other

Compiled from notes taken by Jennifer Bielewski and Jenny Turner

1. Introductions: scratched from schedule due to large size of group
2. Facilitators: Jennifer Bielewski (Lyrasis) volunteered to co-convene the group
3. Updates: A) Reports listserv: Chris Sharp (PINES) has most of the work completed that will provide the group with an "official" Evergreen list. This list will be for Reports Group coordination and for general questions about Reports. B) In the mean time, the group was reminded about the Reports space on the Evergreen website: http://open-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=evergreen-reports:taskforce and the Reports Google Group that is currently being used for communication/organization: http://groups.google.com/group/open-ils-reports. The Google Group is open to all. First posts are moderated as SPAM protection. C) Jenny is the DIG Coordinator for reports. Anyone with reports documentation should send it to her for inclusion in the DIG documentation. What is currently in the "official" documentation is not overly useful for any advanced reporting. See the participant roster for contact information.
4. Discussion: Ideas for needed reports As the group was large, we divided into smaller groups of 3-5 people. A list of shared ideas for needed reports (currently in use, wishlist items, or reports in another ILS that would be needed before moving to Evergreen) can be found here: Wish Lists
5. Discussion: Improvements for interface/module This discussion occurred in tandem with the discussion of needed reports and as a large group following the small group sharing. A list of desired improvements is found here: Wish Lists
6. Discussion: Reports questions…and answers, if available - A list of questions was compiled. See below.
7. Other: Following the meeting, Darrell Rodgers of Emerald Data Networks, Inc informed Jenny that GPLS recently issued an RFP for a rewrite of the Reports interface. When more details are available, Jenny will make sure that this information is share with the Reports group.

• How to teach people reports, set them up, definitions of the tables
• Records created by report, records, copies etc.
• How does nullability work?
• What is the development likelihood of sharing reports? There are version issues but someone would need to go in the back and load it using SQL script. Amy Terlaga: For SQL reports, the wiki has a reports sharing page. This covers: how to write SQL reports, how to get started, how to run SQL reports on EG outside the system. Email Amy the queries (see the participant roster)
• Is anyone using 3rd party tools to run reports?

1. Web Reporter product/MicroStrategy should be able to talk to any SQL database.
2. Accurracy?

• Why is sharing so hard?

1. Time?
2. Different version?
3. Accurracy?
4. ??

• Once you share a report, you can’t delete the template - is this true? Yes
• Where to find help? Equinox, Listerv, others
• Should there be a separate report server?