Used Saved Retrieve Specs with Reports

From the Inside Sesame Help Desk

I've just completed my first translation from Q&A to Sesame. The data all came over and so did the form and programming. I made the form look better and am really happy with that. But, my old Q&A reports don't seem to work correctly. I retrieve the records I want in the report but the printed report seems to have used a different set of data. Any ideas? Without my reports I'm lost.
Joe M

We spoke with Joe and looked at his Sesame application. He had done almost everything right during translation except for preparing his reports. They all had their Q&A retrieve specs still attached. When the reports were run they were using the attached retrieve specs instead of the records Joe had selected. That's the way Sesame reports work. If you save a retrieve spec with a report, it will always take precedence over the current result set of records. You don't get the Q&A option of making temporary changes. Joe and other users have complained that their retrieve specs for their reports are somewhat complicated so it's much easier to modify them than to try and remember just what should be included for each report.

Here's an easy and safe way to do reports in Sesame. Look at your current report design in Designer and write down the retrieve spec. Then select Preview Application and go to the retrieve spec (Search) screen. Type in the retrieve spec that was in the report design. Press Shift-F8 to open the Spec Manager. Select Retrieve and click on the Save tab. Name the retrieve spec the same as your report and add a comment to remind you to make the appropriate changes.

Close the preview and repeat this process for each of your reports that has an attached retrieve spec. Make sure to detach the retrieve spec from all your reports and resave them. When you reconcile your design, set the fourth option - Should Reconcile replace the Saved Specs in the target application? - to Yes.

Now, whenever you want to run a report, open the Spec Manager at the retrieve spec, select the appropriate saved spec, make any temporary changes, retrieve the records, and run the report. It will always work correctly and you'll be surprised how quickly you and your users get used to the routine.