Cognos Report Studio

Using Blocks, Classes, Conditional

Styles, and Conditional Blocks

Introduction
You may utilize blocks to add backgrounds such as
a company logo or company color. Conditional
formatting is useful to highlight important
information.

Blocks
Block
A container where other objects are inserted
Useful when the business wants to see their logo or company color in a report
Conditional Styles
Specifies conditions and styles for an object
Useful when the business needs to easily identify key information
Conditional Block
A block used for conditional display, utilizing variables
Useful when you have one report with multiple options: i.e. run all data, run specific data, run specific pages, etc
Classes
Specifies a class to apply to an object
Useful when you have many objects that utilize the same format; may be reused on different objects within the report

Scenario
The company requires that all reports contain their
company color of green in the background
A Block is needed

The company needs to track the inventory for each Branch

Each branch needs to be on its own page
A page set is needed

The company wants to highlight inventory based on the

percent of change between the closing inventory and the
opening inventory
Classes and Conditional Styles are needed
When the percent of change is negative, change the font to red
When the percent of change is between 0 and 50%, change the font
to orange
When the percent of change is above 50%, use the default format

Step One

Write the query, include a filter for the year

Step Two

Set up the page

Add a Block to the page
Set block Size to 8.5in by 14in and Overflow to Content is not clipped

Set the Color & Background

Background Image
Background Effects
Requires that the size and overflow is set
Allows borders, fill, shadows, and/or Images to be defined

Background Color
Foreground Color
Uses a custom color

Step Two Continued

Add a Crosstab object

Build the Crosstab with Branch Code, Product Line, and Product to the rows, sorted by Branch
Code
Add Month to the top column and sort ascending by Month Number
Add the opening inventory, quantity shipped, additions, closing inventory, unit cost, and % of
Change to the second column section
Section by Branch Code and Product Line

In order for the report to page break by Branch Code add a Page Set : Add the Inventory Query
and set Grouping & Sorting; sort by Branch Code and add Product Line to the Detail Sort List

Step Three
Anytime you are using conditional styles, adding
classes will be helpful.
You might receive additional requirements where the same
formatting that you have already used is needed on a
different column or columns. Also, if you have applied the
same format for multiple columns, then receive instructions
to change the format, update the class and anywhere that the
class has been utilized will be updated.

Add Classes
Open the View menu and select Classes
Drag a Class to the Local Classes section
Set the Class Properties
Add a Label
Set the Background Color
Set the Foreground Color
Set the Font

Step Four

Add conditional styles to satisfy the requirement to change the font color based on the % of
Change
Select the % of Change column, including the total
From the Properties - Crosstab Intersection, select Conditional Styles

Click on the New Conditional Style icon and select New Conditional Style
Select the % of Change data item from the list
Change the Type of conditional style to Numeric Range

Step Four Continued

Add a Conditional Style name

Add the Range and Style
Click on the New Value icon and enter a value
-.01
Select a Style for the range by clicking on the menu for that range
Click on the (Default) menu and scroll down to the Classes you defined at the
beginning of step four
Repeat for each range

Step Five

Run Report to validate the format

New Requirement
You receive a new requirement to allow the
consumer to either run the entire report or to
select the Branch Code and Product Line
You will need to add a Conditional Block,
variables, prompts, and a prompt page

Add Prompts and Conditional Blocks

Navigate to the Inventory Query and add optional prompts for Branch Code and Product
Line

Navigate to the Report Page and add a Conditional Block just under the existing Crosstab

We will add information to the Conditional Block after we set up the prompt page, including a variable

Add a Prompt Page and Define

Prompts

From the Page Explorer select Prompt Pages and add a Page from the Toolbox
Open the page you just added and format the page
Add a title to the page
Add a value prompt for the Output Type
Enter a Parameter name and click finish
Set the Static Choices
Add a String Variable
Define the Properties

Formatting Prompt Page Continued

Add a Conditional Block just under the Select Output Type Value Prompt

Select the Conditional Block and set the Block Variable to str_Output Type variable
Set the Current Block to Specific Branch/Product
Add Value Prompts for the Branch Code and Product Line

Go through the steps to create a new Query for each type

Add a Cascade Source to each prompt for Pagetorun

Test the prompt page to ensure it operates as expected

When Entire Report is selected the report should start running

When Specific Branch/Product is selected the prompts for

Branch Code and Product Line should display

Finish Format of Report Output Page

Open the Report Page

Select the Conditional Block
Set the Block Variable to str_Output Type
Set the Current Block to Entire Report
Drag the current crosstab report to the Conditional Block

Copy the Crosstab, ommitting the Branch and Product sections

Select the Conditional Block again and set the Current Block to Specific Branch/Product

Format the Specific Branch/Product

Page

Add a table to the block; 1 column, 4 rows

Add a Layout Calculation for the Branch to row one and Product Line to row two
Paste the Crosstab in row four

Test the report by running for the Entire Report and by Specific Branch/Product to ensure
the report is working properly

Q& A