Specification Files

Specification files are useful for formatting data into, and out of, reports.

Use an output specification file to import data into a custom report and format it. Output specification files must be in Excel (XLS) format. To import an output specification file:

1. From the Reports drop down, select Specification Files.
2. To import a new specification file, click New.
3. From the Type list, select the type of specification file to import:
   • AccountContactCenterDetail - For custom formatting of Account Contact Center Detail reports.
   • ContactCenter - For custom formatting of campaign or sub-campaign Contact Center Detail reports.
   • CampaignReport - For custom formatting of campaign or sub-campaign All Attempts, All Contacts, or Best Contact Detail reports.
   • DialerReport - For custom formatting of campaign or sub-campaign Dialer Detail reports.
   • Input - For extracting data from your contact information. Use these files when importing new contact lists.
   • ListProfileDetail - For custom formatting of List Profile Detail reports.
4. Click Browse to locate the specification file.
5. Select the file and click Open.
6. Click Import Specification. The file appears in the specification file Name list.

Output specification files should be tested to verify that the report data is formatted properly. The test processes 100 lines of data from an existing report or a test report file. To test an output specification file:

1. After importing the specification file, click Test from the Actions menu. The Specification Files page appears with the Name of the file and the Type of the file identified.
2. In the Start Processing Input on line field, enter the line on which the test processing is to start. The test processes 100 lines of data from this line number forward. For example, if the file you are using for the test contains 30,000 lines of data and you enter 10,000 in the Start Processing Input on line field, the test will process data in lines 10,000-10,099.
3. Select the file on which to run the test.
   • Use Report File - Select this option to run the test on an existing report file stored on your PC. (This option appears only if there are report types of the correct type available to test.)
   Select the file to use from the list.
   • Use Test File - Select this option to use a standard test report file.
   Click Browse to locate the test file on your PC or network. The test file should be appropriate for the output specification file you are testing. For example, if you are testing a Dialer Detail report output specification, the test file you use must contain the data fields that are included in Dialer Detail reports.
4. Click Run Test. When the test is finished, the File Download window appears.
5. Click Open to view the test results file in a text editor, or click Save to save the file to your PC or network.

There are two ways to update an existing output specification file. The first is to import the new file using the same file name. In this case, the system overwrites the existing file but keeps the same name. The second is to import the new file using a different file name. In this case, the system deletes the old file and replaces it with the new file. You see only the new file on the list of specification files. The system also updates the specification file name in any scheduled report jobs. To update an existing output specification file keeping the same file name:

1. On the specification file list, click the file name. The Edit File page appears.
2. Click Browse to locate the updated version of the file on your PC or network.
3. Select the file and click Open. The file must be an Excel (XLS) file and must be the same type of output file as the original. The file name appears in the File field on the Edit File page.
4. Click Save Specification to upload the new version of the file and replace the previous version.

Once a specification file is updated, any scheduled reports that use this specification file will automatically use the new version of the file the next time the report is generated.