Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : July/August 2004

DialogLink 4.0: XML and Reports

DialogLink 4.0 now lets you generate reports in Microsoft® Word or Excel using the XML output option. Using the Report feature, you can do more than just save documents in Word or Excel format; for example, add a table of contents with hyperlinks to individual titles and specify a standard layout style.

XML Downloads via DialogLink 4.0

DialogLink 4.0 introduces XML, an output option typically used to add content to a corporate intranet. Through DialogLink 4.0, XML output can also be used to generate Word or Excel reports offline.

View Figure 1

The XML command works similarly to the TYPE command, except that instead of seeing the records in the Retrieve buffer, the records are downloaded and saved onto your hard drive. See Figure 1. XML supports use of ERA (Electronic Redistribution and Archiving) to provide you with an easy way to make sure your redistribution and archival activities comply with copyright law. For more on ERA, see: support.dialog.com/searchaids/era.

Dialog provides the downloaded records in fully formed XML in your choice of format options. The XML command pulls records directly from the databases; therefore, the XML command retains all the value-added indexed field information available in the record. The Dialog Bluesheets provide information on the fields for each database, thereby serving as the stylesheets.

Creating Reports with DialogLink 4.0

DialogLink 4.0 offers report building functionality. Downloading records in XML is a precursor to using the report builder. Conduct your search and download selected records into a file using the new XML command. The records are saved locally in XML; then you can select a template provided by Dialog or build your own custom templates. The custom template builder examines the XML file and lets you utilize any fields in that file. The available fields in the XML file and the custom template builder are database-specific.

View Figure 2

view Figure 3

Before DialogLink 4.0, users conducted their searches, cut and pasted the records into word processing tools, and then spent valuable time formatting the records into a report that could be sent to their managers or customers. With DialogLink 4.0, you can use a template that accompanies the software, which transforms the results into a polished report that includes a cover sheet, hyperlinked table of contents and the fields you specify for each record (Figures 2, 3).

View Figure 4

With the template-building tool, you can also create templates specific to your needs. A trademark search report might show for each record the exact trademark, date first used, owners, legal action pertaining to the mark, and the image from Files 226, 246 or EUROTMKS. A drug pipeline report could include the company name, chemical name, drug name, therapeutic class, indications, status and country for each record in File 128. A review of surface coatings research in the OneSearch® category COATINGS could provide the article title, author, journal, publication year, and abstract for each record selected (See Figure 4). Using Microsoft Word templates, you can automatically generate a table of contents and cover sheet for each report.

View Figure 5

Microsoft Excel reports offer a spreadsheet with column headers and the fields you specify for each record (see Figure 5).

Check the Dialog Web site at www.dialog.com/training or www.dialog.com/webtraining to attend a training session and learn how easily you can generate reports with DialogLink 4.0.

top