Problem in Customizing Notes/History Report Template (ACT! 6.0) 1

[R2D2C3PO]

I am the Admin of a shared database in ACT! 6.0. The database resides on a Windows 2000 server while we users are accessing the database from our desktops which are running Windows XP. The database has about 24,000 records out of which only 9,000 have Notes/History. If I go to Reports menu and run 'Notes/History', I would get a report for just the 9,000 records which is correct. But, that report does not list the Record Manager in the detail field. So, one who looks at the report can not know who entered the Notes (which is very necessary when there are multiple users). So, I went to 'Edit Report Template' and edited notehis6.rep to add RecordManager field to the detail. It worked except that the new report listed all 24,000 records (when I wanted the report with only the 9,000 records which have Notes). Then I put the original template back and found that even if I do a minor touch to the report template (like moving any field to the left or right), the report would then list all contact records even if most of them have no Notes.

In short, my question is this: How to modify Notes/History Report Template (notehis6.rep) that comes with ACT! 6.0, without losing its ability to list only the records which have some Notes/History.

Thanks in advance for anyone who try to help! I would be happy to buy lunch or dinner if you solve the problem!

 

[GLComputing]

Did you save the report with the same name? Some ACT! 6 reports have hard-coded functionality built in that depends on the report name (save a back or the report to another name so you can restore easiy if needed)

You might also have a look at Crystal Clear Reports for ACT! 6. It adds heaps of customisable reports that can not be created in the ACT! report writer:

http://www.glcomputing.com.au/main.php?prodid=36&s=2

Regards,
Mike Lazarus
ACT! Evangelist
GL Computing, Aust

http://www.GLComputing.com.au

For ACT! by Sage and ACT! for Lotus Notes

 

[R2D2C3PO]

Hi Mike,

Thank you very much for your reply. You are truly an ACT! Evangelist! The problem was solved just by giving the original name to the template! (I can not believe someone has programmed it like that!)

I would take a look at the Crystal Clear Reports.

Thanks again.

Johny
P.S. To make good on my promise, is there a place I can order a lunch for you? (I am in New Jersey, USA.)

 

[GLComputing]

It was coded like that to provide need reports from a report writer that actually couldn't do them.

It was actually a neat workaround for the problem without having to re-do the entire module or make it more complex.

Crystal Clear Report is very powerful (it has a trial) and the reports are written in Crystal (a very standard report writer) so can be customised if the 30 or so built in don't cover when you need.

I've worked with ACT! since 1987, so I should know a bit about it

I'm in Sydney, Australia ;-)

Regards,
Mike Lazarus
ACT! Evangelist
GL Computing, Aust

http://www.GLComputing.com.au

For ACT! by Sage and ACT! for Lotus Notes