Introduction

This book is intended for advanced report authors who create complex reports. It provides report authors with in-depth knowledge of the powerful features found in Impromptu.

This book contains information about

• advanced reporting techniques, including conditional highlighting, advanced filters and calculations, and prompts

• how to work with templates and frames

• how to create crosstab reports, drill through reports, and sub-reports

• integrating Impromptu with other applications

• setting up your reporting environment

• optimizing performance

This book is aimed at advanced report authors who already know how to sort, group, associate, and filter data. To learn these skills, you should read

• Discovering Impromptu

• the Impromptu online help

For more information about using this product, visit IBM Cognos on the Web (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/). For information about education and training, click the Education link from this site.

This document is available as online help and an online book.

Our documentation includes user guides, tutorial guides, reference books, and other materials to meet the needs of our varied audience. An annotated list of other documentation, the Documentation Roadmap, is available from the Windows Start menu or the Impromptu Help menu.

Note: Some Asian languages are not supported by IBM Cognos Impromptu, IBM Cognos Impromptu Web Reports, and IBM Cognos Visualizer.

Finding information

To find the most current product documentation, including all translated documentation, access one of the IBM Cognos Information Centers at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cogic/v1r0m0/index.jsp.

You can also read PDF versions of the product release notes and installation guides directly from IBM Cognos product disks.

Samples disclaimer

The Great Outdoors Company, GO Sales, any variation of the Great Outdoors name, and Planning Sample depict fictitious business operations with sample data used to develop sample applications for IBM and IBM customers. These fictitious records include sample data for sales transactions, product distribution, finance, and human resources. Any resemblance to actual names, addresses, contact numbers, or transaction values, is coincidental. Other sample files may contain fictional data manually or machine generated, factual data compiled from academic or public sources, or data used with permission of the copyright holder, for use as sample data to develop sample applications. Product names referenced may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.