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Auto Refresh for Reports


Auto Refresh for Reports Ayman
5/25/2007 9:26:57 AM
sql server reporting services:
I have a report with two graphs that automatically refreshes every 15
seconds. The graphs are pretty large so you have to scroll down to
see the graphs on the bottom. However, once the page refreshes it it
scrolls back up automatically. It's frustrating for the users since
they are in a manufacturing environment and need to constantly monitor
the graphs and cannot scroll down after every 15 seconds.

Is there a way to freeze the pane so it doesn't auto scroll down but
the auto refresh still runs?

Thanks
Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Lisa Slater Nicholls
5/25/2007 9:48:51 AM
That's interesting. Is the information at the top of the page not
meaningful to them, then? If so, is there any way you can flip the
orientation of the content on the page? Flip or reorient the axes, I mean?

I think there could be a way to do what you want with javascript but I'm
really not sure and IAC it's always good design to put the most meaningful
content on a page where the user will see it when the page first appears,
so... it's worth asking this question...

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Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Ayman
5/25/2007 9:58:56 AM
On May 25, 12:48 pm, "Lisa Slater Nicholls" <l...@spacefold.com>
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Both charts are essential. Like I said, it's a manufacturing
environment and this is needed for quality control. So they'll want
to look at both charts, and it's in convenient for them to scroll back
down after a refresh. Basically, both charts (in some reports there
are 4 charts) contain similar data but for different parts of the
manufacturing line. The data gets put in (relatively) at the same
time, so it's important for them to be able to monitor all the
graphs. It's more of a convience than anything, they can scroll down
within the 15 seconds then back again after the refresh, but it can be
frustrating when you're working for 2-4 hours continuously in an
environment that has loud sounds, not so good smells, and people's
sweat (now that we're in summer... it's worse). I actually have not
rolled this out to many users, but I know they will talk about
changing this.
Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Lisa Slater Nicholls
5/25/2007 11:41:10 AM
I understand that both charts are essential. What I'm thinking is: can the
charts be side by side instead of one below the other? Can axis labels be
at the top rather than the bottom? Would it make sense to turn one or either
of the reports 90% so that it is easier to get to the most significant data?

I am certainly not disagreeing that it is an important usability issue --
particularly so in the environment you describe although any user can be
impatient about something like this.

IAC, thinking about possible ways to minimize the problem through design is
a way of attempting to show respect for the people who use your work, and
who do real work... often with the slowest and least-capable computers owned
by the company, in my experience... and I respect *you* for that.

So you may have already thought all of this, through but I thought I would
throw out some ideas just in case.

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Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Ayman
5/25/2007 11:53:02 AM
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I'll try it on Monday since we're leaving early today (I believe and
hope!). I appreciate your input, and I think I did try side by
side... I'm too young to be forgetting but they give me a lot of work
so I can't remember what I did when. If you please the users, they'll
usually be too embarrassed to ask for too many changes. Plus it's our
job to make things that work, for them not us! Our professor taught us
well at my University, and I'm a people person and developer... yeah
oxymoron right? They still owe me cookies for my enhancements
though... any suggestions on getting them to pay up?
Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Lisa Slater Nicholls
5/25/2007 1:02:46 PM
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Well, that's one way of putting it <g>. Another, more positive way -- I
almost wrote this before -- is that by anticipating the difficulties and
showing them that you have noticed them yourself and are doing your best,
you've put yourself and your users "on the same side". They know you aren't
refusing to do something out of laziness or selfishness, and they can
appreciate that some things are harder than others, even if they don't know
all the reasons.

Users tend to ask for much more unreasonable things if they feel that
developers say "no" as a reflex without even trying! By saying "yes" to
everything you can, even before they ask, you show them that you only say
"no" when you have no other choice. They're not embarrassed, they're
invested in your success and energy, because they know you put it to good
use on their behalf.

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Good for you (and your professor)! And no it's not an oxymoron <g>. Post
back here and let us know how it goes... And I will try to think of
something to do about the "refresh" situation...

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Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Lisa Slater Nicholls
5/25/2007 2:08:47 PM
OK, I've thought about it. Check out this blog entry first, and then I'll
describe what I have in mind...
http://weblogs.asp.net/jgalloway/archive/2006/12/12/reporting-services-add-a-logo-to-the-report-manager.aspx

Briefly, what you'd do is this:

* hack ReportingServices.js to add an onload event, using the code you find
at the link above, except our behavior will be different than adding a logo
image, which is all he is using it for...

* -- your code in this event is going to run for every report, so you need
to check the URL of the page that's loaded (I can't think of this off the
top of my head but I think it's window.location or window.location.href) and
see if you are on the page that needs this technique.

* -- if it's "that report", your javascript code needs to locate an element
(such as a DIV) in that page output that represents whatever part of the
page you want to jump to. (View source, you should be able to find
something suitable for this purpose).
Then modify it with a hidden anchor tag, and navigate to it. That's pretty
easy, like this:

var ox = document.getElementById('mydiv');
ox.innerHTML += "<a id='myanchor' style='visibility:hidden;'>&nbsp;</a>";
window.location = "#myanchor";

.... waddya think??? The users would have to allow script, of course, but so
does most of RS, probably...

The only thing I don't know for sure is that this code would run on each
refresh, but in my tests it seems to.

HTH,

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Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Ayman
5/30/2007 11:24:27 AM
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I thought there would be a simple way to just press a button or
something, guess not. I'm swamped with work but I'll try to get this
going if I can sometime soon. Thanks for your input! Oh yeah, I hate
java script by the way.
Re: Auto Refresh for Reports Lisa Slater Nicholls
5/30/2007 2:46:24 PM
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Sorry to hear that <rofl>. I don't think there is going to be a way around
it, except for the design-ish things we discussed, which will mitigate the
issue a bit...

Well, I'll help if you get stuck...

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