How-To Videos
| Introduction to the Jet Scheduler | Trigger-based Email & Dynamic Text | Batch Scheduling |
|---|---|---|
| Excel file used in this video | Excel file used in this video |
Overview
The Jet Scheduler is a powerful tool that allows you to schedule reports to be automatically run by the Windows Task Scheduler. You can also control where the output file is saved, if the report should be emailed once it has been generated, and the output format of the report.
Listed below are the steps necessary in using the Jet Schedule.
Creating a New Scheduled Task
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To set up a scheduled report, open the report in Excel, click the Jet ribbon, and click the Schedule button.
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Click the New Task... button to schedule a new task.
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General Tab
The General tab allows you to choose the specific name of the scheduled task and if the report should be run when you are logged off. It also provides you with the ability to turn on logging to troubleshoot errors with the Scheduler process, as well as to use Batch File Generation for the reports.
- Task Name: This represents the name of the task as it will appear in the Scheduled Task window.
- Run when logged off: Enabling this allows tasks to be scheduled when the user scheduling them is not logged in to the workstation. This can allow tasks to be scheduled outside of normal business hours. More details on this configuration of permissions needed to enable this feature can be found in the Knowledge Base article here: Scheduler Permissions
- Logging: If logging is turned on then when the scheduled task is ran it will generate details on the execution process. This will normally be used when working with a member of the Jet Reports Support Team to troubleshoot an issue with the Scheduler
- Batch File Generation: This will be used when a batch file is being used to run the same report for multiple scenarios. More details on this can be found in the Knowledge Base article here: Batch Scheduling
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Reports Tab
The Reports tab contains general information about the scheduled task. It also allows you to define how the file should be saved once it is finished running.
- Source: This selection will enable you to schedule a single Jet Report to be run or to schedule all Jet Reports in a folder to be run
- Input: This represents the folder and file name of the report that will be run
- Output: This represents the folder and file name of where the finished report will be saved
- Format: This drop-down list will allow you to define the format of the finished report. The available options are:
- Jet Workbook: This will save the report as a normal Excel file with all Jet Reports functions still in the report
- PDF: This will save the report as a PDF file (if your version of Excel supports that ability)
- Values Only Workbook: This will save the report as an Excel file with all Jet Reports functions removed. The recipient would not be able to refresh the report as it will be a static Excel file
- CSV: Opens the workbook, runs the report, breaks all links with the Jet add-in by permanently removing all Jet functions, deletes all hidden rows, columns, and sheets, and saves the workbook in the output directory as a CSV file with all visible sheets.
- TXT: Opens the workbook, runs the report, breaks all links with the Jet add-in by permanently removing all Jet functions, deletes all hidden rows, columns, and sheets, and saves the workbook in the output directory as a text file with all visible sheets.
- Web Page: This will save the report as a HTML file with a single sheet. This should be used when there is a single sheet in the report
- Web Page by Sheet: This will save the report as a HTML file with multiple sheets embedded in it. This should be used when there are multiple sheets in a report
Schedule Tab
The Schedule tab defines the frequency of how often the report will be run.
- Recurrence: This selection allows you to choose how often the report is ran. The available options for the recurrence field are:
- Once: The report will only be run one time
- Daily: The report will be run every day (it is possible to set on the next tab the number of days to wait between runs)
- Weekly: The report will be run every week (it is possible to set on the next tab the days of the week for the report to be run on)
- Monthly: The report will be run every month ( it is possible to set on the next tab the months for the report to run on and the days of the month for the report to be run on)
- When Idle: The report will run every time that the computer goes into idle mode
- At Startup: The report will be run each time that the computer is turned on
- At Logon: The report will be run each time that you log on to the compute
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Frequency Selections: These choices will change depending on the selection made in the Recurrence field. Once a Recurrence selection is made, the Schedule tab will populate with general information about when the schedule task will be run:
This image is with a Weekly Recurrence has been specified.
- Date: This represents the first date that the report will run
- Time: This represents the time that it the report will run for this and subsequent schedules
- Weeks between report runs: This specifies how many weeks the Scheduler will wait between report runs before running the report again
- Days: This represents the days of the week that the report is scheduled to run.
Email Tab
The Email tab allows you to define who the report will be sent to if emailing is desired.
- Send method: This drop-down will allow you to specify whether the report will just be ran with no email, or if it will be emailed using Outlook or using the more generic Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). SMTP must be pre-configured in the Application Settings in order for it to be used.
- Recipients: Email addresses will be specified here for all recipients of the report. Email addresses should be separated by a semi-colon.
- Subject: This allows you to give a custom subject to be sent as part of the email.
- Body: This allows you to specify a custom body to be sent as part of the email.
- Attach report: If this box is checked the report will be attached to the email. If the box is unchecked the report will not be attached. This can be used as a type of notification when used in conjunction with the subject and body of the email to allow a user to know that the report has been run
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