Those of you who do project management with Merlin on your Mac  and have checked our post series explaining how to create custom templates for Merlin reports, know by now…

• How to modify existing reports
• How to edit description or report template names
• How to create your own report templates
• How to localize a Merlin report template
• Further tips for localizing an xslt report template
• How to add  an option in an xslt report template
• How to add  an option in a python / wbl report template
• How to add a property into an existing xslt report
• How to add a property into an existing python /wbl report template

Now let’s do some magic with the reports.

• Map a status or flag information to a graphic file
• Define the size of the project image over the options
• List overdue tasks along with the next activities, in “Next Due Activities” report
• Report planned, actual and planned vs actual work per phase in a chart
• Report expected work costs per role for your resources
• Report expected work costs per resources’ group
• Report the project’s name in the Next Due Activities report
• Modify the “Milestone Trend Report” to show the WBS in the table and in the chart
• Report expected or actual resources’ work per phase
• Report resources work cost per phase
• Report cash flow for expected cost or approved budget
• Report billable costs entered on elements
• Report element costs by type
• Report issues
• Report Events
• Output Project’s WBS
• Resources Time allocation to various tasks and subtasks
• Calendar View
• Working hours distributed in time per resource and assignment
• Work Chart
• Information report with hierarchy
• Complete vs Expected Complete % Analysis
• Resource Groups’ or Roles’ Units Utilization Distribution
• URLs report

URLs report

Merlin for Mac OS X allows you to attach elements onto your project structures to keep track of additional information. As you probably already know, you can use 5 element kinds; events, files, information, issues, risks or checklists.

On some kinds of elements you may record among other project related data also URLs.

This report outputs all URLs recorded in [the elements of] your project. The report uses standard techniques explained in previous posts to filter for project elements containing following valid URL prefixes, i.e.  ‘http://’ or ‘file:///’.

Iterates those elements and shows its URL, element  and item item.

Please remember: Custom Merlin reports we provide as templates, can be downloaded and used for free. Furthermore, you may modify and distribute as you like and find appropriate.

URLs in a sample project in Merlin:

An output sample:

Installation:

• Extract the zip first
• place the contained mrept package under the following path of your mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Merlin/Reports
• (in case you have no “Reports” folder please create it first and pay attention to name it exactly as “Reports”)
• restart your Merlin and
• call File > New Report… to find the new report called “URLs Report”.