How To Build An Email Report With File Attachment Using the Report Generator

Requirements

• Collect! version 12.11+
• Ability to send emails using HTML via C! please refer to How To Setup Sending Email In Collect!.
• A version of Collect! WebHost that includes the Report Generator (RG)
• Know if the email is sent to Client or Debtor "start on"

Open the Report Generator in Webhost (RG) and set the Report Settings

1. Login to the WebHost with a user level that has access to the RG and open it.
2. Toggle the Advanced OFF button to ON.
3. Select the report library in which the report should be saved by using Report Library select list.
4. In the Report Type (Destination) for the purpose of this scenario use Email Data (File Attachment). However for emails any of the following options could be selected and each option has a different behavior:
   • Email Data (No Attachment)*: Generates a report that will send the data as an email body.
     - Report Ending Code is [-EMNA] and uses the Report area to generate the output data.
     
   • Email Data (No Attachment - Sections-Sort By First Column)*: Generates a report that will send the data as an email body. This uses the same process as the [File(Sections-Sort By First Column)].
     - Report Ending Code is [-ENAG] and uses the Report area to generate the output data.
     
   • Email Data (PDF Attachment)*: Generates a report that will send the data as a PDF email attachment and uses the text area as an email body.
     - Report Ending Code is [-EPDF] and uses the Report Columns as the columns for the PDF file and the text area for email body.
     
   • Email Data (PDF Attachment - Sections-Sort By First Column)*: Generates a report that will send the data as a PDF email attachment and uses the text area as an email body. This uses the same process as the [File(Sections-Sort By First Column)].
     - Report Ending Code is [-EPDG] and uses the Report Columns as the columns for the PDF file and the text area for email body.
     
   • Email Data (File Attachment)*: Generates a report that will send the data as a file email attachment and uses the text area as an email body.
     - Report Ending Code is [-EFIL] and uses the Report Columns as the columns for the file and the text area for email body.
     
   • Email Data (File Attachment - Sections-Sort By First Column)*: Generates a report that will send the data as a file email attachment and uses the text area as an email body. This uses the same process as the [File(Sections-Sort By First Column)] described above.
     - Report Ending Code is [-EFLG] and uses the Report Columns as the columns for the file and the text area for email body.
     
   • Email - Text*: Generates a report that will send the text entered in the text area as an email body.
     - Report Ending Code is [-LEML] and uses the text area for email body.
     
   • Email - Text as PDF Attachment*: This option uses the Email Body area as a PDF attachment and email body, with this type of report the "<= Set Email Body and PDF Attachment Template" command can be used to divide the Email Body area into PDF and email body sections.
     - Report Ending Code is [-ETPD] and uses the text area for the PDF and email body.
     
5. In Start On field select Client if this email is to be sent to a client or select Debtor if it is to be sent to a debtor.
6. In Reprt Name give the report a meaningful name.
7. The Email Body section will have the email body that will be sent to the email receiver which will be discussed in step two.
8. The other settings are optional. They can be changed if needed; for more details click this link.

Create The Email Body

• Write your email body in a Microsoft Word document then copy and paste your text to RG Email Body.
  * Note all the images that are copied from the email document should be updated in the email body by using an accessible online link. This can be achieved by locating the logo online (probably on your website) and highlighting the logo/image then click the image button to update the link (URL) in the Image Info tab. Add additional parameters if needed.

  

• Or Write your email body using the EMAIL BODY text editor:
  1. Type your email body in the text editor and use the options in the tool to change color, fonts, style and direction.
  2. Add images or logos and adjust them to match your requirements.
  3. Use Collect! printable code to make the email body more dynamic. If this report is meant to be sent to a client or clients, on the right side of the EMAIL BODY there is a drop down menu called Client Form Field Codes that can be used to generate any printable code that is permitted to be used. Once the code is generated under the dropdown list the code can be dragged to any place in the EMAIL BODY text
     * Note: if the report starts on debtor the dropdown list will be changed to debtor printable codes, and the process remains the same.
  4. Any of the system fields similar to the above can be dragged into the EMAIL BODY.

Create The Attachment File

1. Select the fields like in the image.
   * Note: Collect! fields in the image below might be aliased differently in your system. To achieve the same result set please use the printable code when searching for the same field as the image. For example (Name could be searched by de.na and so on). These columns could be changed to match your need feel free to add or remove columns or even filter and sort the list using the options available to you.

   

2. Toggle Data Preview ON to preview a sample of the report data once it meets your requirements move to step 4.

Save & Check The Report Then Send The Email

1. Click Execute Report.
2. Open C! desktop application (premise) and then the report library in which you inserted the report by using Report Library in First Step above.
   * Note: if you have not changed this report library and your operator logs in to the default library then the report should appear automatically in your report library.
3. Open a test client and populate the email address with your personal or work email address.
4. While on the test client form click Print Menu and then locate the report we created in our instance. It will be named "Client Status Report Email-EFIL"
5. Clcik Print
6. Check your email. If everything is working as expected then repeat this process. Once you are familiar with this process you can send emails to a client or multiple clients in the same way that you normally print a report for a single client or multiple clients.