Trapping a report with headers on the side
This is my first time creating a monarch for a report that doesn't have the field headers going across the top of the page. I am on Monarch version 13.
The report looks like this:
I am trying to create a trap that will read across the rows and collect the data to pivot the data into an excel sheet.
how do I set the trap to accomplish this?
Answers
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Hi Melissa
Your report layout looks like a job for a Multi-Column Region template type.
I f you have access to the PDF file for the Learning Guide I would suggest, initially, reading through it for familiarisation and then try it out. If the report you are dealing with is as clean as the sample you posted if should be quite clear. If not then by all means return to make use of the collective knowledge in the forum. I appreciate that sometime things may benefit from a light touch of guidance to help settle a process into its routine.
Grant
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Altair Forum User said:
Hi Melissa
Your report layout looks like a job for a Multi-Column Region template type.
I f you have access to the PDF file for the Learning Guide I would suggest, initially, reading through it for familiarisation and then try it out. If the report you are dealing with is as clean as the sample you posted if should be quite clear. If not then by all means return to make use of the collective knowledge in the forum. I appreciate that sometime things may benefit from a light touch of guidance to help settle a process into its routine.
Grant
Thank you Grant. I have gone through the Tutorial and figured out how to pull the information but my report has some column differences. The first page will line up like above, but the next page each column will be moved to the left slightly. screen shot below. How can I trap the data if the columns are not consistent?
Thank you!
Melissa
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Altair Forum User said:
Thank you Grant. I have gone through the Tutorial and figured out how to pull the information but my report has some column differences. The first page will line up like above, but the next page each column will be moved to the left slightly. screen shot below. How can I trap the data if the columns are not consistent?
Thank you!
Melissa
That's unlucky Melissa, although not that unusual - especially with PDF files but "interestingly" programed "text" reports also appear rather regularly.
This gets a bit messy in terms of technique.
I looks like it may be that the entire detail line shifts - left in your example but that may not reflect the rest of the report.
One question would be - "If it shifts does it still maintain the spacing and widths of the columns?".
If you have any sample files available with test data I would happily take a look at the options available.
Sometimes one can make the "columns" and fields a little wider and still find they work but I don't think that looks like the case here.
Another options would be to reformat the report lines, write out a new report and then make the model you really need for the re-written report. A 2 step process but if you have Automator it can be set up there if required.
For your detail lines, if you can left justify the lines (or something similar) and retain the columns alignments for MCR then you have a result that be used readily with MCR.
Similarly, for lines with random movements, there is a technique that involves grabbing the entire line as a single field and then slicing and dicing it into columns and then fields. Often used with awkward PDF files.
None of the above are easy to describe completely in a few words. So it is probably best to try to work out what you are dealing with so we can eliminate the approaches that may not work for you and then concentrate on the one that offers most with least complexity.
HTH.
Grant
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Altair Forum User said:
Thank you Grant. I have gone through the Tutorial and figured out how to pull the information but my report has some column differences. The first page will line up like above, but the next page each column will be moved to the left slightly. screen shot below. How can I trap the data if the columns are not consistent?
Thank you!
Melissa
Melissa,
This webinar recording may be of some help as a general understanding of an approach to working with variable width columns even when they shift by page.
https://datawatch.wistia.com/medias/fa64bjflsm
The most obviously relevant section is from about 14mins in and outlines some of the possibilities that can be deployed.
It's just a backgrounder but if it makes sense to you as it is then we have something to build on for your specific challenge.
HTH.
Grant
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Melissa,
Since your data appears to be moving left and right, you might try re-processing the PDF based on some tricks I've learned over the years. One of these options generally will help me in correcting the PDF to not shift and allow for easier trapping. My tips are listed in the thread here: https://community.datawatch.com/thread/6303
I also tend to be a strong advocate for Regular Expression trapping which will move your fields based on pattern recognition within the text. This is quite a bit more complex but very useful if you have time to learn how to use it.
Regards,
Austin
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Altair Forum User said:
Melissa,
Since your data appears to be moving left and right, you might try re-processing the PDF based on some tricks I've learned over the years. One of these options generally will help me in correcting the PDF to not shift and allow for easier trapping. My tips are listed in the thread here: https://community.datawatch.com/thread/6303
I also tend to be a strong advocate for Regular Expression trapping which will move your fields based on pattern recognition within the text. This is quite a bit more complex but very useful if you have time to learn how to use it.
Regards,
Austin
Example of using Regular Expression trapping with "Explicit Capture" selected in the Options drop-down.
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Hi Melissa,
Did you manage to get your model built for this report? I think Olly's video referenced by Grant is the correct solution, but it is difficult to be sure without a sample report as there may be other challenges that don't fit well with the variable MCR trick.
Regards,
Steve.
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Altair Employee
