Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting Documentation
Index

Print Setup

This guide explains how to configure print jobs in Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting for automated report generation and distribution.

Understanding Print Jobs

Print jobs define:

  • Which financial report to generate
  • The date range for the data
  • Dimension and budget filters
  • Output format and destination

Accessing Print Jobs

  1. Search for Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting Print Jobs in Business Central, or open Print Jobs from the Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting menu page
  2. The Print Jobs list page opens
  3. Here you can view, create, and manage all print jobs

Identification

Field Description
Run ID Unique identifier for the job (required)

Report Selection

Field Description
Financial Report The financial report to generate

Date Configuration

Field Description
From Date Formula Date formula for the start date, relative to today's system date
To Date Formula Date formula for the end date, relative to today's system date
From Date (Calc) Calculated start date (read-only)
To Date (Calc) Calculated end date (read-only)

Filters

Field Description
Budget Filter G/L Budget name filter
CostBudget Filter Cost Budget name filter (not shown by default; add it via Personalize)
Bus.Unit Filter Business Unit filter (not shown by default; add it via Personalize)
Shortcut Dimension 1 Code Shortcut Dimension 1 filter; the column carries the dimension's own caption (e.g. Department Code)
Shortcut Dimension 2 Code Shortcut Dimension 2 filter
Shortcut Dimension 3 Code Shortcut Dimension 3 filter
Shortcut Dimension 4 Code Shortcut Dimension 4 filter

Output Configuration

Field Description
File Format PDF, XLSX, DOCX, HTML, or XML
Output Email, SharePoint, or Zip
Email Recipient email addresses, separated by ; (when Output = Email)
SharePoint Path SharePoint path (when Output = SharePoint)

Creating a Print Job

Step 1: Add New Job

  1. Open Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting Print Jobs
  2. Click New or press Alt+N
  3. Enter a unique Run ID

Step 2: Select Report

  1. Click the Financial Report field
  2. Select from available financial reports
  3. The report's description will be used in emails

Step 3: Configure Dates

  1. Enter From Date Formula
  2. Enter To Date Formula
  3. Review the calculated dates (From Date (Calc) / To Date (Calc))

Date Formula Examples:

Formula Meaning
<-CM> Start of current month
<CM> End of current month
<-CY> Start of current year
<CY> End of current year
<-1M> One month ago
<-1Y> One year ago
<-0D> Today

Common Combinations:

Purpose Start End
Current Month <-CM> <CM>
Last Month <-1M-CM> <-1M+CM>
Year to Date <-CY> <-0D>
Current Quarter <-CQ> <CQ>

Step 4: Add Filters (Optional)

If your report needs specific filters:

  1. Budget Filter: Enter budget name
  2. Dimension Filters: Enter dimension values
  3. Use standard filter syntax

Step 5: Configure Output

  1. File Format: Choose the file type
  2. Output: Choose delivery method
  3. Email or SharePoint Path: Enter destination details

Step 6: Test

  1. Click Manual Run Single to download the generated file
  2. Review the generated output
  3. To test the Email or SharePoint delivery itself, filter the list to this job and click Manual Run All
  4. Adjust configuration as needed

Managing Multiple Jobs

Running All Jobs

To run all visible jobs:

  1. Set filters to show desired jobs (or show all)
  2. Click Manual Run All
  3. If Output = Zip, a combined zip file is downloaded

Running Filtered Jobs

  1. Filter the list to show specific jobs
  2. Click Manual Run All
  3. Only visible jobs are executed

Running Single Job

  1. Select the specific job
  2. Click Manual Run Single
  3. The file is always downloaded to your browser; the Output setting is ignored

Output Options Detail

Email Output

Sends the report via email:

  • Uses the Financial Reports Print email scenario
  • Attaches the report file
  • Automatic subject and body

SharePoint Output

Uploads the report to SharePoint:

  • Requires the separate Hougaard SharePoint companion app
  • Specify the path in the SharePoint Path field
  • File is uploaded to that location

Note: Without the companion app the job stops with "Print job %1 has Output = SharePoint, which requires the Hougaard SharePoint app to be installed."

Zip Output

Packages reports for download:

  • Multiple reports combined into one zip
  • Downloaded to your browser
  • Useful for generating packages manually; when run from the Job Queue there is no browser, so the zip is discarded

Examples

Example 1: Monthly P&L to CFO

Run ID: Monthly-PL
Financial Report: INCOME-STMT
From Date Formula: <-1M-CM>
To Date Formula: <-1M+CM>
File Format: PDF
Output: Email
Email: cfo@company.com

Example 2: Weekly Sales Dashboard

Run ID: Weekly-Sales
Financial Report: SALES-DASH
From Date Formula: <-1W>
To Date Formula: <-0D>
Department Code (Shortcut Dimension 1): SALES
File Format: XLSX
Output: Email
Email: sales-mgr@company.com

Example 3: Quarterly Board Package

Run ID: Q-Board-BS
Financial Report: BALANCE-SHEET
From Date Formula: <-CQ>
To Date Formula: <CQ>
File Format: PDF
Output: SharePoint
SharePoint Path: /sites/Board/Reports/Quarterly

Example 4: Budget vs Actual

Run ID: BvA-Monthly
Financial Report: BUDGET-ACTUAL
From Date Formula: <-CM>
To Date Formula: <CM>
Budget Filter: 2024-BUDGET
File Format: XLSX
Output: Email
Email: controller@company.com

Actions

Manual Run All

Executes all jobs within current filter:

  • Processes each job sequentially
  • Zip output combines all into one file
  • Email/SharePoint deliver individually

Manual Run Single

Executes only the selected job:

  • Always downloads the file to your browser, regardless of Output
  • Useful for checking the report content

Explode by Dimension

Duplicates the selected print job into one job per dimension value:

  1. Select the source job
  2. Click Explode by Dimension
  3. Choose the shortcut dimension (1-4) and optionally a dimension value filter
  4. One new job is created per dimension value, with Run ID <source Run ID>-<value> and the value set as that dimension's filter; values whose Run ID already exists are skipped

Add Job Queue

Creates a Job Queue Entry:

  1. Select the jobs to schedule (Ctrl/Shift-click)
  2. Click Add Job Queue and confirm
  3. A Job Queue Entry for codeunit "AFR Print Jobs Hgd" is created with Status On Hold, description "AFR Print Job, see parameter string" and the selected Run IDs as its Parameter String; the message "Job Queue Entry created!" is shown and nothing else opens
  4. Open Job Queue Entries to set the recurrence and change Status to Ready

If the selected Run IDs do not fit the 250-character Parameter String, an error is shown; select fewer jobs, shorten the Run IDs, or leave the selection empty to run all jobs.

Best Practices

Naming Convention

Use descriptive Run IDs:

Daily-Sales-Email
Weekly-KPI-SharePoint
Monthly-Board-Package

Date Formulas

  1. Test First: Verify dates calculate correctly
  2. Consider Timing: Formulas are evaluated relative to today's system date on the day the job runs
  3. Month Boundaries: Use -CM and +CM for full months

Filters

  1. Specific Filters: Don't over-filter
  2. Dimension Consistency: Match your report design
  3. Budget Naming: Use exact budget names

Testing

  1. Manual First: Always test manually before scheduling
  2. Check Output: Verify format and content
  3. Validate Dates: Confirm date range is correct

Troubleshooting

Report Not Generated

  • Verify financial report exists
  • Check for report configuration errors
  • Review Job Queue logs

Wrong Date Range

  • Review date formula syntax
  • Check calculated dates on the page
  • Test with different dates

Missing Data

  • Check dimension filters
  • Verify budget filter if used
  • Ensure data exists for the period

File Format Issues

  • The output is always the standard Account Schedule report rendered in the chosen format
  • PDF is most reliable
  • Test format before production