Configure Output Channel

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Explanation

Output Channels are managed via the Output panel. In order to use most options in the Output panel at least one Output Channel must be configured. Read more about Use Output.

Figure 1: Output in Context pane

Prerequisites

The context pane must display the Output panel. Read more about Configure Context Pane.

System Effects

The Output Channels you define are stored in your user profile.

Window

N/A

Related Window Descriptions

N/A

Create Output Channel

To create an Output Channel open the Output panel in the Context pane. If the Output panel is not visible read about how to configure it in Configure Context Pane.

Figure 2: Output Panel

Click Add button and the dialog Configure Output dialog is displayed

Figure 3: Configure Output dialog.

The dialog is divided into several sections.

Name. This is where you enter the name for the Output Channel
Generate File of Type. This is where you define the file type and file extension settings. Five file types are supported, CSV, XML, Text, HTML and Other Extension. To change the file extension of the file from the default file extension select Use other extension check box and enter the required file extension in the text box.
Numerical Settings. This is where you define the numerical settings for the file, read more in Numerical Settings.
List Separator Settings. List separator settings only apply for the file type CSV. If this is set to Default the windows default separator will be used in CSV format. If you change this setting, the CSV files will be created using the custom list separator specified.
Action to Perform. Here you specify what to do with the output file. Two options are available:
- Open: Select this option to open the generated file using the default application associated with the file type or using the custom specified application. If there is no default application standard windows file open dialog is displayed allowing you to select the program a program from a list.
- Print: Select this option to print the generated file using the default printer configured for the default application associated with the file.
Application to Start. This is where you define which application to start, read more in Application to Start.

Click on the Create button and your output channel is created.

Numerical Settings

Under Numerical Settings you can set the numerical settings.

Current Settings in Windows - This will apply current system settings according to Windows numeric format. If the format is Number, the data will be changed according to the Windows number format. If the data format is Currency, the data will be changed according to the Windows currency format. If the data format is Percent, the data will be changed according to the Windows percent format. If the data format is not specified, the data will be changed according to the Windows number format. For instance if the current settings in windows specifies the number of digits after decimals as 3 it will truncate the values at the 3rd decimal digit. If this is not intended "Custom Format" should be used.
Custom Format - This will replace the existing digit grouping symbol, decimal separator and the digit grouping pattern of the number when exporting. The format of the number will be retained. Note: Custom format settings can only be used to alter existing settings in the application. For an example, if the digit grouping symbol is not visible in the application for a particular column, setting a custom digit grouping symbol would not set a digit grouping symbol for that column when the data is exported.

If the Default option is selected, the file will be loaded in the default application registered for the respective file extension. If Other option is selected you can specify an application to load the file in. If there is no default application or if the other application you specified cannot be found windows will prompt you to select an application to open the file in.

No Application

Figure 4: Application to Start Dialog Box

Click on Advanced button to open the Advanced Command Line Options dialog. This allows the specification of advanced command line arguments. The place where the file name will be passed is specified by the @FILENAME symbol. So you have to add that to the list of arguments

For example to open a file in outlook you can give outlook.exe as the application to start and give the advanced command line argument like below, so that the outlook considers the specified file as an attachment. In outlook /a followed by a specified filename is considered as an attachment.

/a @FILENAME

Note: Applications may have different parameters. You must know which command line arguments to use in the application you are starting.

Figure 5: Advanced Command Line Arguments

Edit/Delete Output Channel

To edit or delete an output channel right-click on the Output Channel in the context panel and select Edit or Delete from the context menu. Edit will open the Configure Output dialog, see above.

Figure 6: Context Menu options on Output