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Report Generator User Interface

This tutorial examines the different parts of the Report Generator user interface, including the Create/Modify Report tab, the View Station Information link, the View Report tab, and the Report Details tab.


Create/Modify Report Tab

This tab is where you define the contents of the report. Creating a report is as easy as 5 steps (hover over each numbered step for more information).

 Hover over each numbered step or area on the image for a definition of its function.

Create new/modify existing report Select stations by choosing a network from the Select network pull-down menu. Next, enter some or all of a station ID or station name in the Enter station(s) input field. This is an auto-suggest field. A list of the first 10 matches is provided. Click on a station to add it to the list of selected stations. If you know the IDs of the stations to add, just type the ID in the input field and click the Add button. The wildcard characters * (match any zero or more characters) and ? (match against any one character) may be used. Limit the stations suggested to a particular state by adding a : (colon) followed by the 2-character state code at the end of the search string. For example, 1*:OR will show all stations in Oregon whose station IDs begin with the numeral 1. Note: if the selected network is COOP, you must enter the station ID followed by “;:” followed by the 2-character state code of the station, because COOP station IDs are not unique. View report contents Minimize this pane Select Stations pane Select network in which station resides This area is where you select the data and/or metadata to appear in the report. Data Elements are based on standard sensor types, such as air temperature, precipitation, or snow depth. When applicable, elements (such as soil moisture) can be defined at various depths and value types. Elements may also have functions (such as mean, maximum, or minimum) applied. Use the Metadata tab to add any or all available metadata (such as elevation, latitude/longitude, or HUC) to the report. Enter Station ID (numeric) or Name (alpha) Add Station to Selected Stations list Station selection help Perform advanced station search Selected Stations list Remove single station from Selected Stations list Remove all stations from Selected Stations list Open Station Information pane The Manage Selected Columns area is where the order of the columns in the report is determined. Use the checkboxes in the left column and the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change the order of the columns. Use the Remove Selected Columns or Remove All links to selectively delete columns from the table. Sort station(s) by selected criteria Minimize this pane Minimize this pane Select Columns pane Display data elements Display metadata elements Filter element(s) Sort element(s) by criteria Element scrolling list Specify sensor depth Specify Value to apply to Element Specify Function to apply to Element Add element to Manage Selected Columns list Manage order of columns in report Select data type Move Data Type(s) up in list Move Data Type(s) down in list Remove selected rows from list Remove all rows from list Select report or chart output options Defines the look and feel of the final report. The frequency (e.g., hourly, daily, monthly) and time period (e.g., today, last 7 days, current water year) may be defined. Use the Custom Begin Date and Custom End Date calendars to define a specific date range. The Layout options are: Time Series: Creates a tabular report; Stacked Time Series: Creates a tabular report grouped by station; Water Year Grouped by Month; Calendar Year Grouped by Month; Chart: Creates a line chart for the defined station. Available Units of measure are English or Metric. Output formats are HTML or CSV (comma-separated values). Report frequency Determine period to report instantaneous data Report time period Number of days to include in report Set custom start and end date for report or chart Make any custom dates relative to today's date Create standard time series report Create stacked time series report Create report for current water year, grouped by month Create report for current calendar year, grouped by month Create a chart Create report or chart using English units Create report or chart using Metric units Display report or chart as a web page Display report or chart in CSV (comma-separated value) format Select the View Report button to create the report. The report will display in the View Report tab. Note: If there are any missing or incorrect report definitions, an error message describing the condition appears in red at the top of the window. Reset all values to default Generate report


View Station Information Link

The View Station Information link displays when a station is selected. Select the link to display metadata for the station, site photographs, and a map to the site (in Google Maps when available).

The Reports and Metadata Reports drop-down menus contain links to many commonly-used reports. Use the predefined reports "as-is," or as templates to create custom reports.

Hover over the screen image to see definitions of elements on the View Station Information pane.

Open Release Notes View Map of Site Station Name Predefined Report Templates View or hide station information Station Metadata Scroll Site Photos Scroll Site Photos Thumbnail Photo Site Photo Current Site & title= Email Site Contact Scroll Site Photos


View Report Tab

The View Report tab displays the results specified in the Create/Modify Reports tab.

Hover over the screen image to see definitions of elements on the View Report tab.

View report contents Create new/modify existing report Fit Contents to Current Screen Modify Time Period Change Units of Measurement Report Type, Standard. Calendar Year, Water Year, or Chart Station Name, Site ID, Location, Elevation Date/Time of Report Creation Save chart as image (png, etc.) Save to graphics format Save to .csv format Legend Display in logarithmic scale View report details, flags, etc.


Report Details Tab

The Report Details tab displays general information, such as warnings, disclaimers, contact information, and links to help and tutorials. In addition, it displays reporting frequency, element and sensor details, plus a complete list of the QA and QC flags which may be associated with the data.

Hover over the screen image to see definitions of elements on the Report Details tab..

Report Generator Report Details Tab Create new/modify existing report View report contents View report details, flags, etc.

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