Visual CUT: Changes in Version 6.9
Key Features:
Visual CUT 11 can now delegate exporting/bursting to DataLink Viewer 2011 in order to support Crystal 2008/2011/2013 features: a) mixed portrait & landscape sections, b) Dissociate Formatting Page Size and Printer Paper Size, c) Auto-Arrange option for chart layouts, d) 'New Page After N Visible Groups', e) Calculated CrossTab members, and f) embedded Flash objects. See 'Delegating Exporting/Bursting to DataLink Viewer 2011' and this demo image.
Added XLS_Range_Insert_File command line argument to insert Excel (Data Only) exports into pre-formatted excel templates. This allows inserting larger data sets (compared to XLS_Range_Insert, which uses values in Crystal formulas). It also supports appending data and cloning template formulas, conditional formats, and sparklines. See 'Inserting File Exports into Excel Templates.' See demo image.
Added After_Success_HTTP command line argument. This allows triggering calls to web services such as sending SMS to mobile phones. See 'Call a Web Service after Success (After_Success_HTTP)' and 'Sending SMS Messages'.
XLS_Save_As can now convert pivot table to HTML. This allows embedding Pivot Tables (generated via XLS_Pivot_Table) inside auto-refreshing web dashboards and inside email message bodies. See 'Embedding Pivot Tables in Email Message Body' and this demo image.
Parameter fields are now listed in the fields/formulas area for dragging into processing options. For example, if the first parameter in the main report is called {?Year} it would be listed as {?01?Year}. The 01 indicates the position of the parameter in the list of parameters. This avoids the need to create formulas for referencing parameter values in processing options. It also makes it easy to know what parameter is referenced by command line arguments such as "Parm1:…". See demo image.
Added PDF_Export_Options command line argument and a global option to use MS Word as the pdf export engine to overcome font problems and support PDF/A output. The global behavior is set via the Options dialog (see demo image). An ellipsis button to the right of the PDF export format choice launches a PDF Export Options window (see demo image) allowing you to see the global setting and generate a command line argument to override it for a specific report. See 'Export to PDF via MS WORD'.
Visual CUT now checks email addresses for valid structure before interactive start of processing. The validation process takes into account the dynamic values that would be populated into email addresses during actual processing and bursting (field/formula references, file references to text distribution lists, ODBC queries for email distribution lists). Detected problems are presented to the user with an option to continue or abort processing. This is particularly useful when bursting emails to many recipients because it allows users to catch problems before the process runs. The Options dialog provides a checkbox allowing users to turn off this option.
Added Before_Report_Run_SQL command line argument to update a database before Visual CUT runs the report (but just after any Email Capture processes).
Added options to set date parameters to the first Day of Week before/after a date constant. For example, the first Monday of the previous month. See 'Adjusting Data Constants for Day of Week.'
Added Word_Print_WaterMark command line argument, allowing printing of exported Word files with dynamic watermarks for each printed copy (e.g. "Copy 1 of 4"). See demo image.
If the report uses an ODBC DSN (including cases where that DSN was specified via a command line argument or via the DSN choice user interface), an {[ODBC_DSN:]} object is added to the fields/formulas area for dragging into processing options. This allows emails and other processing options to reflect the actual data source name used by the report. See demo image.
The Search & Replace dialog for report paths is now expanded to allow targeting of five other categories of saved settings. See 'Changing Login, Report Paths & Other Settings without Previewing' and this demo image. This is useful when you need to globally change saved settings for emails, export files, attachments, arguments, or parameters. You may block some or all of these categories (see 'Disabling Find & Replace Categories').
Temp files (~*.tmp, *}.rpt) older than 7 days are now deleted upon exiting Visual CUT.
Added TXT_Split_Tags command line argument allowing fast splitting of a single text file into multiple files based on tags embedded within the text file.
Excel Features:
Added XLS_Refresh command line argument to refresh external data used by Excel queries and pivot tables.
Added XLS_Split_Tabs command line argument to generate a separate PDF or Excel file from each excel tab.
When using XLS_AutoFilter to freeze panes in a location deep into an excel worksheet, top rows and left columns no longer become hidden.
You can now specify the excel file for XLS_AutoFilter processing (in the past, only the exported file could be targeted for auto-filter and/or freeze panes options).
XLS_Save_As can now save to CSV format. This is useful for reports that contain subreports because such scenarios don't export well directly to CSV.
XLS_Pivot_Table operations now handle cases where wrong number of arguments were provided as a failure rather than as a warning. This ensures the user is aware of the problem.
Visual CUT can now handle multiple XLS_Pivot_Table arguments. This means that a single excel data export can automatically generate multiple pivot tables.
PDF Features:
Tag formulas for PDF_Bookmark_Tags now support an optional argument to control the vertical margin above the location of the tag used as the bookmark page location target. This allows you to override the default of 20 millimeters vertical margin.
Added PDF_Flatten command line argument. This allows flattening all form fields and annotations in a list (wild cards are supported) of pdf files.
PDF_Link_Tags can now handle any type of link such as 'https://' and 'Tel:' links.
Email Features:
When an email failure occurs, a 1-sentence diagnostic is now added to a) the progress window, b) email log, and c) email failure alert. For example, "Unable to establish a TCP or TLS connection to the SMTP server." This facilitates troubleshooting by avoiding the need to review the verbose email log.
Email queuing is now faster and avoids creating/renaming/moving a temp .eml file.
Preview mode in email message HTML editor now displays dynamically referenced images.
Added a user manual section on Embedding Report as Image in Email Message Body. See demo image.
Fixed image file embedding inside an email message when the path contains spaces.
Added group number to the end of .eml file names.
The Email_Failure_Notices_From option can now be set through the Log/Alert tab of the Options dialog. This is useful when the target address is not allowed as a sending address.
When VC_Skip_Email is used, the test for missing attachments is now also skipped.
Added a Disable_Email_Statusbar_GUI option (for Master_DataLink_Viewer.ini) to hide the email queue panels in the status bar.
Added a Disable_Email_Log_Activity_GUI option (for Master_DataLink_Viewer.ini) to disable the 'Log Email Activity' checkbox and hide the Notepad button to open the log file.
Other Features:
Auto-conversion from mapped to UNC path now also applies when the user select multiple reports loading into the report grid and when copying .rpt file/settings.
When saving command lines to a batch file via the scheduling string dialog, Visual CUT now auto-detects cases where a conversion is needed to the local character set. This is needed because, for example, a European PC using code page 480 encodes ü differently than an American PC using code page 437. Also, for cases where you need to force the use of a specific code page (consultant working for a foreign customer), added a Batch_File_Save_CharSet option to DataLink_Viewer.ini. Note: this makes a difference only when a command line contain special characters.
When the Visual CUT database is redirected via a connection string, the Version Info window now reflects that info. For example: VC Database via Connection String [Server=Serv1\sql2].
A new Encrypted_Password_Set_Entry command line argument allows administrators to automate the saving of Encrypted Passwords to targeted ini files. For detail, see 'Setting Encrypted Password Entries.'
Fixes:
Fixed handling of application load failure scenario that could cause a hanging process.
Fixed FTP_Upload issue caused by trying to create target folders when they already exist.
Fixed interactive use scenario when a parameter is removed from a previously saved report.
Added skip logic for folder testing when Printer (Specified) export uses a printer name that starts with '\' character.
Fixed a bug in After_Success_Batch processing with Burst option. Also, added a description to the user manual of how After_Success_Batch can be used to log processing to a text file.
Fixed a problem caused by exporting and then navigating to Preview tab and back again.
Fixed [VC_NULL] handling for subreport parameters.
Fixed duplicate processing of some command line arguments in cases where multiple export file names are specified (for example, "c:\temp\Sales.xlsx;c:\temp\Sales.pdf").