Friday, July 1, 2016
As a Dynamics NAV Partner, I am sure you can agree transforming Classic Reports manually using the RTC client is a painful, technical, time-consuming and just plain annoying experience. After a few too many report transformations we got fed up with the arduous process and decided to take matters in our own hands.
Adios Manual NAV Classic Report Upgrades
We tackled the problem at the helm, attacking the technical know-how and maniacal attention to detail required to properly execute a successful classic to RDLC report transformation. During the manual report upgrade process, it’s required that you check every textbox in the layout and find if the report has any properties set-up (e.g. FontBold, FontSize, DecimalPlaces, BlankNumbers, BlankZero) to transform. We aimed to eliminate this tedious, brain-numbing process. Beyond that, if you miss a property in the move to an NAV RDLC report, you cost yourself more time trying to locate the exact issue to correct the error.
This wasn’t the only time-consuming task we targeted for elimination to drive efficiency when transforming NAV classic reports to NAV RDLC reports, we also targeted what I like to call, the dead-cycle (figure 1.):
Figure 1. The Dead Cycle that exists in when manually transforming NAV Classic Reports to NAV RDLC Reports.
Basically, the dead-cycle traps you like this:
- The report designer cannot be opened when report is not upgraded.
- However, the report fails to upgrade when it does not compile.
- And finally, you cannot compile the report until it has been designed. DEAD END.
This is endlessly aggravating. The only way to fix the issue is to export the report to a text file and try to find the issue there manually, but with difficult reports this can be an insurmountably time-consuming task.
At this point, we had enough. We had to fix this broken process.
Our NAV RDLC Report Transformation solution removes the time-consuming, repetitive technical tasks from developers automating these annoying, detail-oriented processes – intelligent automation.
The truth is upgrading these report upgrades from Classic to RDLC manually through the RTC client takes at least ½ the time required to perform an entire NAV Upgrade. This was travesty, so we eliminated this colossal waste of time for all of mankind, but mostly for the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner community and your customers.
Introducing 1ClickFactory Code Transformation Classic Reports to RDLC for NAV
We developed the Code Transformation Classic Report to RDLC service for NAV to automate the manual components of the reports transformation to save all Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partners time, money and resources when performing Dynamics NAV Upgrades. Now with the Code Transformation Classic Report to RDLC Service for NAV, a report transformation from Classic to RDLC can take you, a Microsoft Partner, as little as 30 minutes and at most 3 hours, saving you up to 15 hours of manual upgrading time.
How to Automate NAV RDLC Reports Transform
This services replaces each control that is found in Classic Report to RDLC control, through automating these tasks to be performed by a computer that has no trouble or annoyance in focusing and executing redundant tasks over and over again to ensure (figure 2.):
- No controls are lost
- All control properties are set
- Control positions and size are preserved
- All white space between controls is preserved as it was in Classic
Figure 2. All controls and spacing are preserved the NAV Classic Report to the NAV RDLC Report.
We Said “Hasta La Vista Baby” to the Dead Cycle
After you transform the report you do not need to run report upgrade function from object designer, you can jump straight forward to report design and let the compiler show you any errors. Only developers that have manually upgraded this report will understand the true value of this functionality. When you have had to manually fix hundreds of issues in a text file, it is an agony no developer wants to experience again. That is, unless you are a masochist, at which point automation is of no interest to you.
Transformed NAV RDLC Reports Perfection
There’s more, all textboxes are placed in rectangles, named according to the section they were in Classic Report once transformed to the NAV RDLC Reports. Also textbox names are generated from textbox source expressions.
This generated dataset is already optimized with labels, as our NAV RDLC Reports Transformation Service identifies places where labels can be used and removes the unnecessary dataset size from the report.
Plus, the generated dataset always have dataitem identifiers created in the dataset and in C/AL code. Moreover, these are already used to set the groups in report layout making it easier for you to maintain your report without even knowing your table’s primary key, as the service will create its own.
Then the generated group hierarchy also follows your report data items hierarchy, improves report scalability and makes it easy to read.
Figure 3. Datasets are automatically generated with dataitem identifiers and in C/AL code.
"The 1ClickFactory Report Transformation Service is simple and easy to use. Reports are converted quickly, and the time saved versus manually transforming the reports is staggering!" -- Adrian Akers, Touchstone
Automate It: Start Your Automated NAV Report Upgrades Today!
Now that the solution to your manual report upgrade nightmare exists, it’s time to use it. Get started by going to 1clickfactory.com to complete a service request form. The Code Transformation Classic Reports to RDLC for NAV is a comprehensive service that includes:
- Report analysis before the purchase
- Automatically generated:
- Optimized Dataset
- Layout 1:1
- Grouping
- Guidance how to perform finalization steps.
After completing the service request, we will guide you through a simple 5-step process that will take you a small fraction of the time it takes you to upgrade NAV reports manually.
Transform & Finalize with Confidence
If at any time you feel unsure or get stuck as a new user to this service, we are here and available to help. Beyond the comprehensive guide we provide for this service, we also provide a Code Transformation Classic Reports to RDLC for NAV Finalization Workshop to guide you hands-on through the final step of transformation.
This comprehensive workshop is tailored to the individual needs of each Partner’s transformation. Even better, the workshop is free-of-charge for first-time users.
So what are you waiting for? Get started with your first transformation!
* BONUS! Free Single Item Transformations
Psst…reports with one dataitem are upgraded for FREE. Start your Code Transformation Classic Reports to RDLC for NAV by visiting partners.1clickfactory.com to complete your service request today!
To contact us click here!
Author of the post: our former Senior NAV Developer Paulius Grigas.