Excel Rendering Issues with Report Studio

[tinas]

Hello -

We are using Cognos 8.2 Report Studio and I encounter problems occasionally choosing to run the report as Excel. For example, when footers are on the Report Studio report they are fine in HTML. However, when rendering as Excel the first row of data is chopped off. There have been numerous cases where the appearance differs from that of the html; i.e., extra spaces/carriage returns added inside of fields. 

Has anyone else experienced similar problems?

Does anyone have a solution to what I have described, especially the issue with the footers removing the first row on the report?

Thank you!

Tina Stapleton
BI Analyst
DHTS - Duke University Health Systems

[COGNOiSe administrator]

Sounds like a bug to me ... Did you open a case with Cognos, yet?

[goose]

In all our reports we have created conditional layouts for the different output types (XLS, PDF & HTML). In our xls views we leave out allot of the formating and sometimes have to add/remove stuff to get the excel output looking right.

Also have you tried the using the various excel output options, maybe the problem your are experiencing will not happen in all the excel output types.

Hope you come right.

[MDXpressor]

There is a knack to rendering Excel, for sure.  The secret is in creating tables in the Header and Footer which match the same number columns you have in your list/container.  You can then use cell-merge to create structure in your Header or Footer.  The most important part of it is to leave 1 row in the table with no merged cells.  In order to hide that row, I will then normally select the Row (through the parentage selector on the Properties pane) and set it's box type to 'None'.  By setting the unmerged line to None it doesn't create the blank row, but more importantly, it keeps the integrity of the auto-size on the data container instead a text item in the Header or Footer.

[tinas]

I tried what MDXpressor recommended and was able to work around my issue by using tables in the Header and Footer.  Sometimes you just gotta find those work arounds!  Seems many people have problems with the way Excel formats and I'll go ahead and open a case with Cognos as well. 

Thanks for your help!

[tinas]

I have logged a case with Cognos and am waiting a reply.  I'll post the reply so it's available here for anyone else that may run into similar issues.

[EArumugam]

can anyone help in the blew attached issue.

when i try export the chart report to excel 2007 i am getting a error message and blank merged cell.

attahced the screen shot the same..

[bbtresoo]

There is a knack to rendering Excel, for sure.  The secret is in creating tables in the Header and Footer which match the same number columns you have in your list/container.  You can then use cell-merge to create structure in your Header or Footer.  The most important part of it is to leave 1 row in the table with no merged cells.  In order to hide that row, I will then normally select the Row (through the parentage selector on the Properties pane) and set it's box type to 'None'.  By setting the unmerged line to None it doesn't create the blank row, but more importantly, it keeps the integrity of the auto-size on the data container instead a text item in the Header or Footer.

Hi MDX,

Ur work around works fine except for image , I have an image right aligned in a table cell which looks fine on pdf but shows up left aligned in Excel, Do u have any ideas how Can I nail it.

Any help will be appreciated . Tks

Cognos 10.2.2
Report Studio

[MFGF]

Hi MDX,

Ur work around works fine except for image , I have an image right aligned in a table cell which looks fine on pdf but shows up left aligned in Excel, Do u have any ideas how Can I nail it.

Any help will be appreciated . Tks

Cognos 10.2.2
Report Studio

Not all formatting options in Report Studio are supported in Excel - for example, table widths in % are not supported, nested tables are merged into a single table etc. Take a look at Appendix E of the Report Studio User Guide to see what is not supported - this might give you ideas about how you can change the structure of your report to something Excel can handle.

http://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/documentation/docs/en/10.2.1.1/ug_cr_rptstd.pdf

Cheers!

MF.

[bbtresoo]

Not all formatting options in Report Studio are supported in Excel - for example, table widths in % are not supported, nested tables are merged into a single table etc. Take a look at Appendix E of the Report Studio User Guide to see what is not supported - this might give you ideas about how you can change the structure of your report to something Excel can handle.

http://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/documentation/docs/en/10.2.1.1/ug_cr_rptstd.pdf

Cheers!

MF.

thank you very much for your tip