About User Report Files

A user report file is any executable file that contains statements or commands that are executed as part of a user-defined report. For example, the user report file could be a Bourne-shell script for UNIX systems or a DOS batch file for Windows systems. For each report definition, you must designate one main (default) user report file to execute the report.

Auxiliary files

The main user report file may also include names of files that supply auxiliary specifications. For example, an auxiliary file could contain SQL statements to be executed or operating system commands to be executed as a subroutine. You can include as many nested auxiliary files as you want, referring to them as simple file names in the current working directory, rather than including a unique location or pathname. You must add all auxiliary files to Dimensions as user report files, and assign them to the same report definition as the main user report.

When a user runs a report, Dimensions retrieves all the report files assigned to the report definition from the database and executes the main report file. Any auxiliary report files included in the main report file are executed as well.

Related Topics

About User Report Definitions

About the Product-Range Parameter

About Roles for Running Reports

Process of Running a Report