Classic Reports

StarTeam offers a wide variety of Classic reports that are pre-formatted in HTML. However, you can modify the HTML formatting or the columns used in the report by modifying the correct template for the report. You can also use StarTeam Datamart to extract data from StarTeam Server and place the data into a relational database where reporting tools (Crystal Reports and Business Objects) can access it.

Report generation is affected by sorting, grouping, and selecting items in the file, change request, topic, or task list of the view window. Before you generate a report, arrange the data in the upper pane of the client.

This topic provides some examples of why you might generate reports and information about customizing report templates. Reports are generated for a variety of reasons. The following examples describe three possible scenarios for generating a report using change requests and a brief walkthrough on how to generate them.

Although these examples apply only to change requests, you can create additional reports for other items. You can also export data for use in spreadsheets and other applications.

Manager wants a report of all CRs resolved across a project

  1. The manager selects the root folder from the folder hierarchy, and selects the Change Request tab. The list of change requests display in the upper pane.
  2. The manager selects the Status=Resolved filter from the Status list.
  3. The All Descendants (either from the toolbar or the Change Request menu) button is activated.
  4. Finally, he or she selects Change Request > Reports to generate a Change Request Summary Report.

Team leader wants to see CRs based on responsibility

  1. The team leader selects the project folder that corresponds to his or her team from the folder hierarchy, and selects the Change Request tab. The list of change requests display in the upper pane.
  2. The team leader selects the <Show All> filter from the Status list.
  3. The All Descendants button is activated.
  4. The team leader clicks the header of the Responsibility column to sort the change requests based on the responsible team member.
  5. Finally, the team leader selects Change Request > Reports from the main menu to generate a Change Request Detail Report.

Developers want to see CRs for which they are responsible

  1. The individual programmers select their project folders from the folder hierarchy, and select the Change Request tab. The list of change requests display in the upper pane.
  2. The programmer applies a query (Responsibility Equals <username>) to view only his or her assigned change requests.
  3. The All Descendants button is activated.
  4. Finally, the programmer selects Change Request > Reports to generate a Change Request Detail Report.

Report Templates

StarTeam allows you to customize report templates. The templates are located in the folder you designated during installation. For example, if you used the default installation path for the Cross-Platform Client on a Windows platform, the Reports folder is C:\Program Files\Micro Focus\StarTeam Cross-Platform Client <version>\Reports. Be aware that different clients and different releases of just one client will probably have different installation folders. You may need to put templates in more than one location. All the templates are in HTML format.

You can open and edit the report templates in any text editor, Microsoft's Developer Studio, or HTML tool. A simple and easy method of creating and editing templates is to use Microsoft Word, which includes automated HTML file generation.

The Reports folder includes a series of templates for each type of report. Each template provides the formatting information needed to create a part of the report. For example, the Change Request Default report uses the following templates:

  • ChangeDefault.Title
  • ChangeDefault.GrpInfo
  • ChangeDefault.Group1
  • ChangeDefault.EndReport
xDefault.Title
Processed first and only once. It uses the title you provide in the Reports dialog as the Report Title.
xDefault.GrpInfo
Processed once for each group. Although you can sort data by clicking column headers, this does not result in groups for a report. You must use the Sort and Group feature to arrange groups.
xDefault.Group1
Repeated for each item, in this case, each change request, in the report. It creates a record for the item and separates it from the records for other items with a horizontal line.
xDefault.EndReport
Processed only once. It totals the number of items in the report.