Create iPad Reports - Part 1 - Creating a weblink to generate a pdf report

Step by step instructions on rendering any report via pdf, including passing variables.

iPad does not support Java, which is used in rendering charts. This post gives a workaround for accessing the report from a web link and printing it to PDF

With R19, CRM On Demand will have official support of Safari on the iPad. Out of the box tabular reports will work, but the graphs wont as they are generated using flash. A work around is to generate these reports from weblinks that create pdf versions of the reports. Pdfs are fully supported on the iPad and will no doubt rebuff any attack on lack of reporting by our competitors.

This “How to” post will assist you in creating two types of weblinks;

1) for a basic report that just needs to be renderend in pdf and

2) a report that you need to pass a variable to and render in pdt (filter on current account record, as an example).

Creating a weblink to generate a pdf report.

a. Open an existing report you want to use.

You can create these weblinks anywhere you wish in CRM OD, you can even have a reporting tab with links to all the reports you wish. This is the simplest way to show a report on the ipad. Just take an existing report you like and run it to get the url for it.

b. Open report and goto bottom and click on “Printer Friendly” option, then “PDF”

 c. The PDF version of this report will open in a new window. Copy the URL.

It should look something like this:

https://secure-ausomxdsa.crmondemand.com/OnDemand/user/analytics/saw.dll?Go&ViewID=o%3ago%7er%3areport&SearchID=2gp3h2d98l99af10ivi8dbv1i2&Style=ondemand&Options=rfd&ViewState=gp3blmmlmhjrtsm5cil58b8uou&viewName=compoundView%211&Action=Download&Format=pdf

d. Create a new Weblink Field in CRM On Demand and copy the entire URL.

e. Put the new field on the layout and you are done.

Create iPad Reposrts - Part 2 - Passing a parameter as a filter and rendering the report as a PDF.