Overview of Reports
A key component of TMS is the ability to view your data and create reports based upon your data. The reporting capabilities of TMS OnLine/OnSite (starting with version 2011.5.4) consist of two parts: data sources and report definitions.
Data Source = A Data Source contains information for retrieving a subset of data from any database. This general structure includes the user selected data fields, aggregated data, source tables, relationships, and filters and sort criteria.
Report Definition = A Report Definition contains information on the layout of a particular Data Source.
If you have recently upgraded to a 2011 version of TMS OnLine or TMS OnSite, from either an older version (2010.5.3 and earlier) or another TMS product altogether (such as TMS Enterprise), read the Reporting Differences Between Versions topic.
There are four types of data sources: Cross Tab, Detailed List, Summary List, and View. Creating a data source with one of these types is the first step to reporting in TMS OnLine/OnSite.
The next step is creating a report definition to match up with the data source you created. There are three types of report definitions: Designer, Standard, and Template. Only the Standard report definition type will be linked to a data source created within TMS. Designer report definitions are linked to a data source created in the TMS Report Designer from ComponentOne. Template report definitions are exactly as the name implies - a template for future report definitions - and these are not linked to data sources at all.
In addition to the three report definition types, you also have the ability to create Email Reports. These reports distribute multiple data sources to individuals via their email addresses.
