Enhanced CSV Dataset

Version

 Application Scenarios

File dataset uses data from files in TXT/Excel/XML format. Data from these files is loaded and presented in a tabular form in the dataset for use in templates. Four types of file dataset are supported in FineReport currently, including text dataset, Excel dataset, remote Excel dataset, and XML dataset.

You may often use CSV files to store data and hope to use CSV files as file datasets without converting them into Excel files.

Functions

After installing the plugin, you can directly use files in CSV, TSV and customized formats as file datasets, requiring no conversion to the Excel format.

Note:

You can set in template datasets and server datasets.

Plugin Installation

To download the plugin, click Enhanced CSV Dataset.

For details about how to install plugins in the designer, see Designer Plugin Management.

For details about how to install plugins on the server, see Server Plugin Management.

Procedure

1. Template Dataset

Choose Template > Template Dataset, click +, and select CSV Dataset.

The file type is CSV, same as the current TXT file type, with Comma as the default separator.

The file type is TSV, similar to the TXT file type, with Tab as the default separator.

2. Server Dataset

Choose Server > Server Dataset, click +, and select CSV Dataset.

Note:

File types and corresponding settings of server datasets are the same as those of template datasets.

Adding Other File Types on Decision-making Platform

Adding File Type

Log in to the decision-making platform after installing the plugin, choose System Management > System Setting > General, enter the needed file type (such as TXT,TAB) in Extended Dataset Configuration, and click Save. Then the extended file types supported by CSV datasets are defined.

Note:

1. You can customize the file type for supporting datasets with special types. If the input box of File Type is empty, CSV and TSV file types are supported by default.

2. The content (TXT,TAB) entered in File Type, separated by the comma (,), indicates that supported file types include CSV, TSV, TXT, and TAB.

Preview

In the designer, create a CSV dataset, and select the file type. You can see that the newly added TXT and TAB file types are included.

On the decision-making platform, create a CSV dataset, and select the file type. You can see that the newly added TXT and TAB file types are included.

Note:

This document introduces how to create datasets based on CSV and TSV file types.

Templated Dataset

1. CSV file type

Choose Template > Template Dataset, click +, select CSV Dataset, and select CSV as the file type.

After adding the template dataset, you can drag the fields to design the report.

Save the template and click Pagination Preview. Then the preview effect is shown in the following figure.

2. TSV file type

Choose Template > Template Dataset, click +, select CSV Dataset, and select TSV as the file type.

After adding the template dataset, you can drag the fields to design the report.

Save the template and click Pagination Preview. Then the preview effect is shown in the following figure.

Server Dataset

For details about creating datasets, see section "Templated Dataset." After creation, the dataset appears under Server Dataset on the left. You can drag the fields to design the report.

Note:

The preview effect is the same as that of section "Templated Dataset."

If you have not installed the plugin, you can refer to section "Plugin Installation" to install it.

CSV File Type

After installation, choose System Management > Data Connection > Server Dataset > Create Dataset, and select CSV Dataset.

Select CSV as the file type, click Server File to select the needed file in CSV format, click Preview, and click Save.

Then the CSV dataset appears in the left list of existing datasets.

TSV File Type

Follow the steps in section "CSV File Type" to create a dataset, select TSV as the file type, click Server File to select the needed file in TSV format, click Preview, and click Save. Then the TSV dataset appears in the left list of existing datasets.

Note:

Server datasets on the decision-making platform is synchronized with those in the designer, requiring no duplicate creation.