E-mail a URL for a Report Definition Snapshot

Starting with the second maintenance release of SAS Web Report Studio 4.31, you can open a report, make modifications, and e-mail the URL for the report definition snapshot. The report definition snapshot is a customized report that is created from an original SAS Web Report Studio report and then e-mailed to a recipient. Group break information is included in a snapshot.

Note: The e-mail option is available only for saved reports.

The report definition snapshot is always associated with the original report, but the original report remains unchanged when the snapshot is created with modified content and e-mailed to a recipient. If the original report is deleted, any snapshots that are associated with that original report are automatically deleted. This feature is useful when you want to create a custom report (without altering the original report) and share the customized report with other users by e-mailing them the URL for the snapshot.

In View mode, you can select File

E-mail. The default e-mail application (for example, Microsoft Outlook) opens, and the generated URL for the report is automatically copied into an e-mail message. In this case, the section that you are currently viewing appears when the recipient clicks the link in the e-mail message. If prompt values exist, they are set to the values that you are using when you are viewing the snapshot. You will not see the Define Section and Prompt Values dialog box, unless a prompt has an unassigned value.

Here is an example of an e-mail message with the URL for a snapshot.

An E-Mail Message with a URL for a Snapshot

Note: System administrators can set a system option, which specifies that standard text appears in e-mail messages with a generated URL for a snapshot. In this example, the standard text appears both before and after the generated URL.

Here is the generated URL for the snapshot in the preceding example:

http://server01.orionstarsports.com:8080/SASWebReportStudio/openRVUrl.do?rsRID=SBIP%3A%2F%2FMETASERVER%2FUser+Folders%2Fsasdemo%2FMy+Folder%2FSales+Report+for+Second+Quarter+2012.srx%2FEmailed%2F120724_144922%28ReportCI%29=0

When the recipient clicks on the URL in the e-mail, SAS Web Report Studio opens in their browser. If the recipient is not logged on, then they are prompted to enter their user ID and password. After logging on, the snapshot appears. The name of the report definition snapshot is displayed in this format:

Sales Report for Second Quarter 2012/Emailed/120724_131850

The filename includes a timestamp in the YYMMDD_HHMMSS format (which is YearYearMonthMonthDayDay_HourHourMinuteMinuteSecondSecond).

The snapshot filename also appears in the Welcome window and in the list of recent files when you select File

Open Recent for both the user who sent the snapshot and the recipient after they clicked on the link in the e-mail message.

Here is an example of how snapshots appear in the Welcome window.

Welcome Window with Snapshot Filenames