Hello Team,
Currently, we have been trying to generate a Station Offset Report using the tool "Point Feature Station Offset Elevation Report" and have been successful in using the tool. We understand that there's several types of report templates to choose from! What we don't understand is how to edit a report to add or eliminate certain columns. We are happy with the template "StationOffsetNorthingEastingElevationFeature.xsl" but all that we are missing is the "description" column that we can find in other reports but not on the template report we are happy with. Does anyone know how to do this action for editing or creating offset reports?
Any help is highly appreciated!
It will depend on your version and workspace, but you need to find where the .xsl files are located. Maybe try:
C:\Program Files\Bentley\OpenRoads Designer CE 10.10\OpenRoadsDesigner\Default\Reports\StationOffset
Once you find it, you can make a copy at the same location and edit as needed, should be simple if another report has the exact item. I recommend the program Notepad++ for editing.
You will need to understand some HTML syntax as well as XLST syntax. And you need to look at the raw XML file to confirm that the raw file contains the description attribute.
Google can be helpful to find examples. Studying other reports is also helpful.
I second the recommendation for Notepad++. in the Plugins > Plugins Admin dialog box, find and install the XML Tools plugin and make sure that in the xsl files are recognized as XML, which they are.
When editing an XML/XSL file, use the Check Syntax command in the XML Tools plugin after every edit and use undo if necessary to back up your edits until no errors are detected.
Once you get comfortable with XML editing, you can back off on this a bit, but error checking in XML is a black art as the error is often far away from where the error checking software says it is. It might report a missing closing tag but where it stops is usually where it finds another closing tag, just not the one it is looking for. So then its up to you to figure out where the missing closing tag is. A simple typo can cause a lot of headaches.
Charles (Chuck) Rheault CADD Manager
MDOT State Highway Administration
Editing XML files is a black art for sure. That is what has kept me from doing anything more than dipping a toe into those murky waters.