FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display the results of write-in-number questions?

There are two methods to display the results. These vary by the type of information desired.
  1. The statistical results of write-in-number questions without a graphic plot.
    1. Go to Analysis Plot Select the write-in-number question and Table as plot type. Place the plot where desired.
    2. Highlight the table. Right-click to open the menu. Select Properties
    3. Go to Select Options Data to show and select the statistical values desired.
    4. Then click the Finish button to close.
    5. The plot will refresh with the statistical data displayed.
  2. A graphical plot of write-in-number questions is possible by modifiying the edit form.
    1. Go to Data Browse Database and review the values within the database for this question, and record the maximum, minimum, and increment values.
    2. Go to File Edit Form Definition.
      1. Select the EZF file to modify
      2. In the Edit Form Definition window:
        1. Select the write-in-number question
        2. Change the question type:
          • If the increment value is a whole number - select weighted score as the new type.
          • If the increment value is a decimal number - select single choice as the net type.
        3. Go to Questions New response and enter the Response code or number range and the Response text for the range from the minimum value to the maximum value in the increment value.
          • For a true representation of the data - do not skip any values in this range!
        4. When finished go to File Save As and enter a name for the modified EZF.
        5. Go to File Close to end the Edit process.
    3. Go to File Open Form and enter the name for the modified EZF.
    4. Go to Analysis Plot Select the write-in-number question and type plot. Place the plot where desired.
      • If the plot has no values you need to change to the original database. Follow the procedures in the next section to correct this.

How do I report on a different database using the same report?

Follow these steps to change the database while keeping the same report.
  1. Go to File Preferences Report Properties and type in the path to the database you want to report on, starting with the drive letter. (EX: C:\Program Files\Raosoft\mysurvey.dbf) Make sure you include the file extension (.DBF or .DAT) if you are using a non-ODBC database.
  2. Click Save on the Report properties window then choose File Save in EZReport.
  3. Now choose File Close Report to close EZReport.
  4. Reopen EZReport and your report. The database will have changed and you can now do additional reporting on it.

Notes:
- The field names in the survey form you are reporting on need to match those in the database you change to.
- If the database does not contain proper field names, or lacks data, the graphs will appear blank.

How do I report on "follow-up" or "hidden" questions?

Follow-up questions can be reported on in the same way as write-in text questions after making one change. In EZSurvey or EZReport's Edit Form function, change the question type from "hidden" to "write-in text". Save your changes to the .EZF form, and re-open the form in EZReport. It is a good idea to make a backup copy of the .EZF form before making the changes, especially if the survey is still running.
See File Edit Form Definition for more information.

How do I use the command line features?

In Raosoft EZReport users have the ability to perform specific commands from the command line environment. In order to use the command line environment you need to understand the commands you can use and the file types you can use.

The file types that can be accessed using the command line are ".ezf," ".frm," ".dbf," ".dat," ".rpt," and ".pdf."

The commands that can be invoked in the command line environment are: Queryall, Query, Print, and Quit.

When reading the below command lines, they are interpreted as follows:

It is important to note that the files come before the commands, and that quit is the last command.

c:\>ezreport.exe myfile.rpt myfile.pdf print quit
Opens a report, along with the last form and database used with that report, makes a PDF file, prints the report, and exits.

c:\>ezreport.exe myfile.rpt
Opens a report, along with the last form and database used with that report.

c:\>ezreport.exe myfile.ezf myfile.rpt print quit
Opens an EZSurvey file (and its database), a report, prints to the default printer, and exits without opening a window.

c:\>ezreport.exe myfile.frm myfile.dbf myfile.rpt myfile.pdf quit
Opens a form, database, and report, saves the report as a PDF file, and exits without opening a window.

c:\>ezreport.exe ezdemo.ezf "QUERYALL=Managers=JOBCATEG.HAS A,C,D"
Creates a query called "Managers", and applies it to all charts and tables

c:\>ezreport.exe ezdemo.ezf "QUERY=My Group=JOBCATEG.HAS A"
Assumes that you've created a query called "My Group", and changes the query on the command line.

EZReport also allows you to write a script file that contains a list of commands. The script file is called from the command line by entering:
c:\>ezreport.exe script=scriptfilename.txt quit

The body of the script file should look like this:

	OPEN=file.rpt
	EXPORT=file.pdf QUERYALL="query_1=DATE < 20010131 & DATE > 20010101"
	PRINT QUERY="query_2=DEPT='SALES'; query_3=DEPT ='FINANCE'"

How can I view my database in EZReport?

The DataBrowse Database menu allows you to view your database while working in EZReport.

In EZReport how do I skim through the pages without actually looking at each individual page?

Under ViewThumbnails click on a page to navigate to that page. When the cursor is on the thumbnails window, you can use the number pad + and - to change the zoom. The * and / will toggle the display from vertical to horizontal and back. To reduce flicker, the thumbnails update intermittently.

Why don't my Thumbnails update when I make a change to my report?

In EZReport the thumbnails window is set to update periodically. This has been set to prevent monitor flickering. In order to force the program to update sooner, simply click on the thumbnails window and all pages will immediately update once the thumbnail window is the active window.

Why can't I get my plots and comments to show on the same page?

In EZReport the imported comments are automatically placed into new pages. If you wish to have pages with both comments and plots residing on the same page, your comments need to be generated first. You may also create the comments on a separate page, then cut and paste them where desired.

How do I set up queries to view only the records I want?

  1. Select Data Browse Database.
  2. Click on the gray box in the upper left corner of the database table (where the number column and column name row meet) and choose Query from the menu that appears.
  3. The Logic section determines what action your query is based on. Choose from the following options:
    • IF will only select queries if the given expression is satisfied
    • AND or & will only select queries if both expression A and expression B are satisfied
      (ex: Email.STARTSWITH 'raosoft' & Email.CONTAINS '@' will only select records which have the email address raosoft@anything.com.)
    • OR or | will select queries if either statement A or statement B is satisfied
      (ex: Email.CONTAINS 'linusp' | FName.CONTAINSALL 'Linus' will select records which have linusp in the email address OR if the first name is Linus.)
    • XOR or ^, also known as the Exclusive OR operator, is used to perform logical exclusions on two expressions according to the following table:
      If expression1 is: AND expression2 is: Then the result is:
      True True False
      True False True
      False True True
      False False False
    • NOT or ! eliminates values that do not satisfy the given expression.
      (ex: !FName.STARTSWITH 'L' will select all records with first names that DO NOT start with the letter L.)
  4. In the Question listbox choose which question you would like to query on.
  5. In the Comparison listbox choose a comparision operator. (e.g. Is, IsNot, Contains, Contains all, Contains any etc. ).
  6. In the Value area type in or select the value(s) you want to test for.
  7. Selecting an option in each of these sections creates a query. To add the query to the Select records matching these conditions: box click on the Insert button
  8. Repeat steps 3-7 for each query you would like to test.
  9. To view the database with the query applied click on the OK button when finished