Missing JobProd Records - Solved

Todd:

If you open RB, go into Options, Preferences and click Prompt Always on
Database Connections on Report Open, you will always be prompted to verify
your database when opening a report-and your test database would have
appeared on the first line of that screen. It takes only a second to look
at it, then click ok, so I'm in the habit of leaving it on. It also is a
big help when sharing reports as we do here on the list, because the first
thing you have to do with a report from someone else is change the database
path.

Lydia
Canyon Engineering Products, Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]

Lessons:
1. If data is missing check the database connection (after filters and
joins)
2. Don't assume new reports will connect to the Default Database if not
first thing after starting RB
3. Never connect to test databases from reports in a production Progress
report library (.PRL file) keep them in a separate "test" .PRL.

Also, the only way I have figured out to change a database connection on a
report is to copy it to another .PRL library and change connection in the
copy process then copy it back to the original library. If there is an
easier way I would love to hear it.

Probably old news to the RB old-timers but easy to miss issues for new
users.

Thanks to those who pondered this issue or responded,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.
Mystery solved. Really dumb because I should have noticed it sooner but one
RB quirk that could trip up someone else so I will share details.

First, the reports were pointing at a Test database, last copied a week
before. Hence missing groups of jobs. This did not take too long to figure
out and then I looked at the "Database Connections - Show details" and saw
it right away.

Second, why was the database connection wrong? This took some testing and I
found the following non-intuitive behavior in Report Builder.

-- I had opened a really old report that had been run against the test
database but did not notice the connection.

-- I then modified it into a new report but it carried the connection info
from the original (OK so far)

-- This report was missing jobs so I closed it and opened a "New" report to
list just jobprod job numbers

-- The quirk is that the "New" report ignored the Default Directories.... in
Options and inherited the connection from the previously opened report
(unknown to me at the time, the Test database).

-- If you open a report connected to the wrong database and close RB then
re-open RB it uses the Default Directories OK on a new report.

Lessons:
1. If data is missing check the database connection (after filters and
joins)
2. Don't assume new reports will connect to the Default Database if not
first thing after starting RB
3. Never connect to test databases from reports in a production Progress
report library (.PRL file) keep them in a separate "test" .PRL.

Also, the only way I have figured out to change a database connection on a
report is to copy it to another .PRL library and change connection in the
copy process then copy it back to the original library. If there is an
easier way I would love to hear it.

Probably old news to the RB old-timers but easy to miss issues for new
users.

Thanks to those who pondered this issue or responded,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.




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