[sims] Report data from SIMS...

[ComputingData]

Could someone an example of an exported (end of term) school report file from SIMS? Also does there exist a method in SIMS to import a school report file?

[Bev]

I do all my end of year reports in SIMS. What are you looking for? Are you wanting to see a printed report, or the setup?

[ComputingData]

An exported file, plus can you re-import exported files?

[vikpaw]

@ComputingData - you're not really making much sense. I don't think you understand how SIMS reports work. I see that you work for a reports software company, are you looking to integrate some how? The best thing to do is to contact Capita about becoming a partner.

 

If you're looking to do something for a particular school, then you'll need to give us more details about how they use SIMS. There are two modules that will allow reports to be formulated, Assessment Manager which allows comment and grade inputs, into a spreadsheet like format, and Profiles which is the dedicated module which has comment banks and more of a structure / work flow to it. Both allow some degree of import / export. It's not easy to just import a whole file, you would need to import sections / comments etc.

 

Exporting the individual bits of data from SIMS is easy enough as is the end report. Re-importing is not straight forward. You can however take a completed file and attach it manually to a student's record, but this is a slow, lengthy process.

 

Let us know what you are trying to do, and maybe we can advise a bit better.

[CAM]

I'm guessing you are a company and not a school. A school will typically create a Word template with tags that are replaced with a pupil's data when exported as a Word XML file. Schools can also fetch grades in the Reporting module that can export to Excel, RTF, Word or just preview it. For automated reports, there is a tool called CommandReporter that can run a pre-made report and output a CSV file (I think? Or XML one of the two). I've not used CommandReporter myself.

 

You cannot access the SQL database directly. A) Good luck trying to work it out in the first place. B) Unless Capita have authorised you to access SQL directly, any school doing so could net themselves a 4-figure repair bill from Capita.

 

To enter data back in, schools must use the Data In routines in the software itself, typically from a CSV or XML file.

Edited February 10, 2013 by CAM

[ComputingData]

Thanks for both of your replies. I didn't want to have to go down this route, but I might see what's involved becoming a capita partner.

[vikpaw]

It depends what you want to do. Let us know and we can help.

If you prepare a finished report there are other ways to pull the data back semi automatically. Look into existing sims partners recordlinkwriter I think it's called from cohesion.