I have not found a good answer in the knowledge base, so my findings are below. If there is a better way or a best practice procedure, I would appreciate any recommendations in the comments.
I would like to improve the following drawback:
Using the Report Designer, the import of personalizations adds an extra step to migrations. If something were to fail without a manual backup, the import could not be undone. In many situations, the old-fashioned report output would be sufficient.
Is the use of the Report Designer, with the (unfortunate) need to export/import personalizations required, or is there a way around it?
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LN CE report development without report layout editor
When using LN Studio with a Cloud Environments connection, it is not possible to maintain report layouts. An error message “’external editor ‘Report Layout Editor’ (<report>)’ has encountered a problem. Action is not allowed in a cloud development environment” is given. This makes sense as the report editor is based on functionality that the Baan Windows (BW) client provides, which is no longer in use with a Cloud Environments connection.
I found KB2144698 (‘HTTP Error 504 when trying to edit Report Layout from LN Studio’), which has the following information:
“…
Resolution :
To connect to LN Cloud Environment from LN Studio HTTP-OAuth2 protocol needs to be used.
The option "Edit all Layouts" is starting the Ascii Editor (ottadvformedit) which is not supported for LN Cloud Environments.
Please use Report Designer instead.
…”
The Report Designer Development information can currently be found at: https://docs.infor.com/lnes/latest/en-us/lnesolh/default.html?helpcontent=lnrptdsgndg/cover.html
It provides the option to generate reports and session logic to query the data for the report. The report can be maintained in the Design Mode of the Report Designer. Other reports can also be personalized with the Report Designer. The Report Personalizations are deployed to different environments with the Export/Import functionality for personalizations.
Based on this, I believe that the development procedure for more complex report requirements should be like the following:
- Create the report session or library that handles the report in LN Studio.
- Create the report in LN Studio, add input fields, and an empty Detail layout.
- Run the session/process that opens the report in LN UI and select the ‘Personalization -> Personalize Reports …’ option in the Select Device Dialog.
- The Report Designer should open, and the report layouts can be maintained.
- Optional: Create a report script in LN Studio.
- Finalize the development.
- Deliver the development activity component with a PMC solution.
- Export the report personalization.
- Install the PMC solution on the target environment.
- Import the report personalization on the target environment.
