Report Engine (Design Question)

[Abhi]

I am in process of designing a report generation application.
Now here is breif background about my workplace ......

my system admin is a big microsoft hater .... so does not allow any
microsoft technologies.
God knows how i am able to survive ... but anyway I have to come up with a
report generation application which will generate report on a daily basis.

I haven't started the design yet .... I was thinking of creating a console
..NET app which will run everyday with some command line parameters and
create the reports and export it somehwere on the server.

Now can you guys think of any other approach which might appeal to my system
admin as he is open to XML and web service option. Any insight as to how I
can make this as a XML web service will help me a lot. If I am not wrong I
will be needing IIS inorder to create a XML web service. I will have to
convince my sys admin on that.

Well bottom line .... I need some advice as to what different approaches I
can take inorder to create my report generation application which will be
freindlier to my sys admin too.

Abhi

[Daniel O'Connell]

Re: Report Engine (Design Question)


"Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OjF58%23Jk DHA.424@TK2MSFT NGP10.phx.gbl.. .[color=blue]
> I am in process of designing a report generation application.
> Now here is breif background about my workplace ......
>
> my system admin is a big microsoft hater .... so does not allow any
> microsoft technologies.
> God knows how i am able to survive ... but anyway I have to come up with a
> report generation application which will generate report on a daily basis.
>
> I haven't started the design yet .... I was thinking of creating a console
> .NET app which will run everyday with some command line parameters and
> create the reports and export it somehwere on the server.
>
> Now can you guys think of any other approach which might appeal to my[/color]
system[color=blue]
> admin as he is open to XML and web service option. Any insight as to how I
> can make this as a XML web service will help me a lot. If I am not wrong I
> will be needing IIS inorder to create a XML web service. I will have to
> convince my sys admin on that.
>
> Well bottom line .... I need some advice as to what different approaches I
> can take inorder to create my report generation application which will be
> freindlier to my sys admin too.
>[/color]

Hmm, your question isn't too clear in one respect: Exactly how do you need
to access the report? Do you need to provide a webservice and expose it on
the fly? Eoes it even have to be available via http? Or do you just have to
write to \\somemachine\s omeshare\somefi le?
If you just need to write a file that something else will load, any .NET
executable can generate XML documents with the System.Xml namespace classes.
Furthermore, for console work, you can probably get away with using Mono
(go-mono.com) instead of the MS framework. Your sysadmin may be more open to
that.
[color=blue]
> Abhi
>
>[/color]

[Abhi]

Re: Report Engine (Design Question)

End result is that the management needs to see the report. I am currently
planning to create the reports and export it as HTML/PDF files and store it
on a share drive.

Abhi


"Daniel O'Connell" <onyxkirx@--NOSPAM--comcast.net> wrote in message
news:0K9ib.5433 98$Oz4.453056@r wcrnsc54...[color=blue]
>
> "Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:OjF58%23Jk DHA.424@TK2MSFT NGP10.phx.gbl.. .[color=green]
> > I am in process of designing a report generation application.
> > Now here is breif background about my workplace ......
> >
> > my system admin is a big microsoft hater .... so does not allow any
> > microsoft technologies.
> > God knows how i am able to survive ... but anyway I have to come up with[/color][/color]
a[color=blue][color=green]
> > report generation application which will generate report on a daily[/color][/color]
basis.[color=blue][color=green]
> >
> > I haven't started the design yet .... I was thinking of creating a[/color][/color]
console[color=blue][color=green]
> > .NET app which will run everyday with some command line parameters and
> > create the reports and export it somehwere on the server.
> >
> > Now can you guys think of any other approach which might appeal to my[/color]
> system[color=green]
> > admin as he is open to XML and web service option. Any insight as to how[/color][/color]
I[color=blue][color=green]
> > can make this as a XML web service will help me a lot. If I am not wrong[/color][/color]
I[color=blue][color=green]
> > will be needing IIS inorder to create a XML web service. I will have to
> > convince my sys admin on that.
> >
> > Well bottom line .... I need some advice as to what different approaches[/color][/color]
I[color=blue][color=green]
> > can take inorder to create my report generation application which will[/color][/color]
be[color=blue][color=green]
> > freindlier to my sys admin too.
> >[/color]
>
> Hmm, your question isn't too clear in one respect: Exactly how do you need
> to access the report? Do you need to provide a webservice and expose it on
> the fly? Eoes it even have to be available via http? Or do you just have[/color]
to[color=blue]
> write to \\somemachine\s omeshare\somefi le?
> If you just need to write a file that something else will load, any .NET
> executable can generate XML documents with the System.Xml namespace[/color]
classes.[color=blue]
> Furthermore, for console work, you can probably get away with using Mono
> (go-mono.com) instead of the MS framework. Your sysadmin may be more open[/color]
to[color=blue]
> that.
>[color=green]
> > Abhi
> >
> >[/color]
>
>[/color]

[Daniel O'Connell]

Re: Report Engine (Design Question)


"Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OfA8CBUkDH A.2528@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> End result is that the management needs to see the report. I am currently
> planning to create the reports and export it as HTML/PDF files and store[/color]
it[color=blue]
> on a share drive.
>[/color]
In that case you probably don't need a webserivce(unle ss the report data
needs to be accessible from a number of places for other reasons). You
should be able to simply write out xml files with your .NET app. Mono should
support the functionality you need if you need to deploy on a Linux machine,
dump out your xml files, and be done with it. Will that be sufficent?
If not, leave mre information and I'll see if I can think up anything else.[color=blue]
> Abhi
>
>
> "Daniel O'Connell" <onyxkirx@--NOSPAM--comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:0K9ib.5433 98$Oz4.453056@r wcrnsc54...[color=green]
> >
> > "Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:OjF58%23Jk DHA.424@TK2MSFT NGP10.phx.gbl.. .[color=darkred]
> > > I am in process of designing a report generation application.
> > > Now here is breif background about my workplace ......
> > >
> > > my system admin is a big microsoft hater .... so does not allow any
> > > microsoft technologies.
> > > God knows how i am able to survive ... but anyway I have to come up[/color][/color][/color]
with[color=blue]
> a[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > report generation application which will generate report on a daily[/color][/color]
> basis.[color=green][color=darkred]
> > >
> > > I haven't started the design yet .... I was thinking of creating a[/color][/color]
> console[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > .NET app which will run everyday with some command line parameters and
> > > create the reports and export it somehwere on the server.
> > >
> > > Now can you guys think of any other approach which might appeal to my[/color]
> > system[color=darkred]
> > > admin as he is open to XML and web service option. Any insight as to[/color][/color][/color]
how[color=blue]
> I[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > can make this as a XML web service will help me a lot. If I am not[/color][/color][/color]
wrong[color=blue]
> I[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > will be needing IIS inorder to create a XML web service. I will have[/color][/color][/color]
to[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> > > convince my sys admin on that.
> > >
> > > Well bottom line .... I need some advice as to what different[/color][/color][/color]
approaches[color=blue]
> I[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > can take inorder to create my report generation application which will[/color][/color]
> be[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > freindlier to my sys admin too.
> > >[/color]
> >
> > Hmm, your question isn't too clear in one respect: Exactly how do you[/color][/color]
need[color=blue][color=green]
> > to access the report? Do you need to provide a webservice and expose it[/color][/color]
on[color=blue][color=green]
> > the fly? Eoes it even have to be available via http? Or do you just have[/color]
> to[color=green]
> > write to \\somemachine\s omeshare\somefi le?
> > If you just need to write a file that something else will load, any .NET
> > executable can generate XML documents with the System.Xml namespace[/color]
> classes.[color=green]
> > Furthermore, for console work, you can probably get away with using Mono
> > (go-mono.com) instead of the MS framework. Your sysadmin may be more[/color][/color]
open[color=blue]
> to[color=green]
> > that.
> >[color=darkred]
> > > Abhi
> > >
> > >[/color]
> >
> >[/color]
>
>[/color]

[Abhi]

Re: Report Engine (Design Question)

Thanks Daniel for your input.
I was thinking of doing something so that in the future I can even built
interface for the PDA's so that it will be accessible from there too.
Currently the management wants some kind of interface where a person will
sit and run the reports everyday. But I wanted to go one step further where
the person doens't need to do anything because the reports are very standard
and can be programmed so that it doesn't need any interface.

I was more inclinde towards a web service because my sys admin seems to be
liking pearl, so I thought may be I can built a web service and then he can
create a pearl.NET cosumer. I dont know if that is possible.

Another thought came to my mind as to make a fat client and install it on
the client computer, but I dont think so that is the right thing.
Web application seems impossible because my sys admin hates IIS, I mean he
simple hates IIS.
Anyway I can convince him or any other alternative for that route, becaue I
think web is the ideal way to go.

Abhi


"Daniel O'Connell" <onyxkirx@--NOSPAM--comcast.net> wrote in message
news:kKrib.4628 06$2x.183896@rw crnsc52.ops.asp .att.net...[color=blue]
>
> "Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:OfA8CBUkDH A.2528@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...[color=green]
> > End result is that the management needs to see the report. I am[/color][/color]
currently[color=blue][color=green]
> > planning to create the reports and export it as HTML/PDF files and store[/color]
> it[color=green]
> > on a share drive.
> >[/color]
> In that case you probably don't need a webserivce(unle ss the report data
> needs to be accessible from a number of places for other reasons). You
> should be able to simply write out xml files with your .NET app. Mono[/color]
should[color=blue]
> support the functionality you need if you need to deploy on a Linux[/color]
machine,[color=blue]
> dump out your xml files, and be done with it. Will that be sufficent?
> If not, leave mre information and I'll see if I can think up anything[/color]
else.[color=blue][color=green]
> > Abhi
> >
> >
> > "Daniel O'Connell" <onyxkirx@--NOSPAM--comcast.net> wrote in message
> > news:0K9ib.5433 98$Oz4.453056@r wcrnsc54...[color=darkred]
> > >
> > > "Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > news:OjF58%23Jk DHA.424@TK2MSFT NGP10.phx.gbl.. .
> > > > I am in process of designing a report generation application.
> > > > Now here is breif background about my workplace ......
> > > >
> > > > my system admin is a big microsoft hater .... so does not allow any
> > > > microsoft technologies.
> > > > God knows how i am able to survive ... but anyway I have to come up[/color][/color]
> with[color=green]
> > a[color=darkred]
> > > > report generation application which will generate report on a daily[/color]
> > basis.[color=darkred]
> > > >
> > > > I haven't started the design yet .... I was thinking of creating a[/color]
> > console[color=darkred]
> > > > .NET app which will run everyday with some command line parameters[/color][/color][/color]
and[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> > > > create the reports and export it somehwere on the server.
> > > >
> > > > Now can you guys think of any other approach which might appeal to[/color][/color][/color]
my[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> > > system
> > > > admin as he is open to XML and web service option. Any insight as to[/color][/color]
> how[color=green]
> > I[color=darkred]
> > > > can make this as a XML web service will help me a lot. If I am not[/color][/color]
> wrong[color=green]
> > I[color=darkred]
> > > > will be needing IIS inorder to create a XML web service. I will have[/color][/color]
> to[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > > convince my sys admin on that.
> > > >
> > > > Well bottom line .... I need some advice as to what different[/color][/color]
> approaches[color=green]
> > I[color=darkred]
> > > > can take inorder to create my report generation application which[/color][/color][/color]
will[color=blue][color=green]
> > be[color=darkred]
> > > > freindlier to my sys admin too.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Hmm, your question isn't too clear in one respect: Exactly how do you[/color][/color]
> need[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > to access the report? Do you need to provide a webservice and expose[/color][/color][/color]
it[color=blue]
> on[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > the fly? Eoes it even have to be available via http? Or do you just[/color][/color][/color]
have[color=blue][color=green]
> > to[color=darkred]
> > > write to \\somemachine\s omeshare\somefi le?
> > > If you just need to write a file that something else will load, any[/color][/color][/color]
..NET[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> > > executable can generate XML documents with the System.Xml namespace[/color]
> > classes.[color=darkred]
> > > Furthermore, for console work, you can probably get away with using[/color][/color][/color]
Mono[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> > > (go-mono.com) instead of the MS framework. Your sysadmin may be more[/color][/color]
> open[color=green]
> > to[color=darkred]
> > > that.
> > >
> > > > Abhi
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >[/color]
> >
> >[/color]
>
>[/color]

[Daniel O'Connell]

Re: Report Engine (Design Question)


"Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OePudXZkDH A.4008@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Thanks Daniel for your input.
> I was thinking of doing something so that in the future I can even built
> interface for the PDA's so that it will be accessible from there too.
> Currently the management wants some kind of interface where a person will
> sit and run the reports everyday. But I wanted to go one step further[/color]
where[color=blue]
> the person doens't need to do anything because the reports are very[/color]
standard[color=blue]
> and can be programmed so that it doesn't need any interface.
>
> I was more inclinde towards a web service because my sys admin seems to be
> liking pearl, so I thought may be I can built a web service and then he[/color]
can[color=blue]
> create a pearl.NET cosumer. I dont know if that is possible.
>
> Another thought came to my mind as to make a fat client and install it on
> the client computer, but I dont think so that is the right thing.
> Web application seems impossible because my sys admin hates IIS, I mean he
> simple hates IIS.
> Anyway I can convince him or any other alternative for that route, becaue[/color]
I[color=blue]
> think web is the ideal way to go.[/color]

Well, don't quote me on it, but research mono, I seem to recall hearing
about a ASP.NET host for Apache...you'll have to look however.
[color=blue]
>
> Abhi
>
>
> "Daniel O'Connell" <onyxkirx@--NOSPAM--comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:kKrib.4628 06$2x.183896@rw crnsc52.ops.asp .att.net...[color=green]
> >
> > "Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:OfA8CBUkDH A.2528@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...[color=darkred]
> > > End result is that the management needs to see the report. I am[/color][/color]
> currently[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > planning to create the reports and export it as HTML/PDF files and[/color][/color][/color]
store[color=blue][color=green]
> > it[color=darkred]
> > > on a share drive.
> > >[/color]
> > In that case you probably don't need a webserivce(unle ss the report data
> > needs to be accessible from a number of places for other reasons). You
> > should be able to simply write out xml files with your .NET app. Mono[/color]
> should[color=green]
> > support the functionality you need if you need to deploy on a Linux[/color]
> machine,[color=green]
> > dump out your xml files, and be done with it. Will that be sufficent?
> > If not, leave mre information and I'll see if I can think up anything[/color]
> else.[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > Abhi
> > >
> > >
> > > "Daniel O'Connell" <onyxkirx@--NOSPAM--comcast.net> wrote in message
> > > news:0K9ib.5433 98$Oz4.453056@r wcrnsc54...
> > > >
> > > > "Abhi" <sourcecode116@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > > news:OjF58%23Jk DHA.424@TK2MSFT NGP10.phx.gbl.. .
> > > > > I am in process of designing a report generation application.
> > > > > Now here is breif background about my workplace ......
> > > > >
> > > > > my system admin is a big microsoft hater .... so does not allow[/color][/color][/color]
any[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> > > > > microsoft technologies.
> > > > > God knows how i am able to survive ... but anyway I have to come[/color][/color][/color]
up[color=blue][color=green]
> > with[color=darkred]
> > > a
> > > > > report generation application which will generate report on a[/color][/color][/color]
daily[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> > > basis.
> > > > >
> > > > > I haven't started the design yet .... I was thinking of creating a
> > > console
> > > > > .NET app which will run everyday with some command line parameters[/color][/color]
> and[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > > > create the reports and export it somehwere on the server.
> > > > >
> > > > > Now can you guys think of any other approach which might appeal to[/color][/color]
> my[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > > system
> > > > > admin as he is open to XML and web service option. Any insight as[/color][/color][/color]
to[color=blue][color=green]
> > how[color=darkred]
> > > I
> > > > > can make this as a XML web service will help me a lot. If I am not[/color]
> > wrong[color=darkred]
> > > I
> > > > > will be needing IIS inorder to create a XML web service. I will[/color][/color][/color]
have[color=blue][color=green]
> > to[color=darkred]
> > > > > convince my sys admin on that.
> > > > >
> > > > > Well bottom line .... I need some advice as to what different[/color]
> > approaches[color=darkred]
> > > I
> > > > > can take inorder to create my report generation application which[/color][/color]
> will[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > be
> > > > > freindlier to my sys admin too.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hmm, your question isn't too clear in one respect: Exactly how do[/color][/color][/color]
you[color=blue][color=green]
> > need[color=darkred]
> > > > to access the report? Do you need to provide a webservice and expose[/color][/color]
> it[color=green]
> > on[color=darkred]
> > > > the fly? Eoes it even have to be available via http? Or do you just[/color][/color]
> have[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > to
> > > > write to \\somemachine\s omeshare\somefi le?
> > > > If you just need to write a file that something else will load, any[/color][/color]
> .NET[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > > executable can generate XML documents with the System.Xml namespace
> > > classes.
> > > > Furthermore, for console work, you can probably get away with using[/color][/color]
> Mono[color=green][color=darkred]
> > > > (go-mono.com) instead of the MS framework. Your sysadmin may be more[/color]
> > open[color=darkred]
> > > to
> > > > that.
> > > >
> > > > > Abhi
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >[/color]
> >
> >[/color]
>
>[/color]