BlackLine Quick Start: View a BlackLine Report

Overview

In this exercise, we will create a Chain that illustrates how to download the most recent BlackLine Report.

Now that we have a OneCloud Workspace setup and connections to BlackLine, let's create a Chain. This first chain will perform the following steps:

• List available BlackLine Reports

• Download a BlackLine Report

• Preview the contents of the BlackLine report

Step 1: Create a Chain

If necessary, navigate to the "Sample Workspace for BlackLine".

💡 Workspaces is on the left-side navigation panel.

• Click on the "DEV" Environment, prompting the Chains pallet to appear.

  • Alternatively, click "Build" on the left-side navigation panel.

• Hover over the blue (+) icon near the lower-right corner. Click "Create a Chain".

  • Name the Chain "Get BlackLine Report".

• Save the Chain.

Step 2: Add a Command to List BlackLine Reports

Add the first Command, selecting BlackLine ➡️ Reporting ➡️ List Reports.
💡 Use the Find tool to search for "BlackLine" and "List Reports".

• Choose the List Reports Command by double-clicking the icon, which will auto-load the Command into the Chain Start circle.

  📓 Alternatively, click-and-drag the icon onto the pallet. Then move the icon in the Chain Start circle. The Chain Start will show a plus (+) icon indicating that the command may be placed at the start of the Chain.

• Click-hold-and-drag the 🔽 from the upper Command to the 🔽 at the top of the lower Command to connect the two.

• Double-click (or click + pencil icon) to edit the Command.

• Rename the Command: "List BlackLine Reports".

• Save the change.

Step 3: Add a Command to Run a Salesforce Report

Add the second Command, selecting BlackLine ➡️ Reporting ➡️ Download Report.
💡 Use the Find tool to search for "BlackLine" and "Download Report".

• Click-and-drag the icon onto the pallet.

• Click-hold-and-drag the 🔽 from the upper Command to the 🔽 at the top of the lower Command to connect the two.

• Double-click (or click + pencil icon) to edit the Command.

• Rename the Command: ""Download BlackLine Report".

• Enter either:

  • The Report ID: 1781229 (shown)

  • The Report Name:

    • Click the 🔽 to the right of "List BlackLine Reports"

    • Select "Reports"

      • Transform the "Reports" output:

        • Click on the variable icon

        • Click "Select transformation"

          • Choose "Get Value from JSON".

          • Click the blue "+" box

            • Type 0 & hit enter/return

            • Type id & hit enter/return

          • Click "Accept".

• Save the changes.

Step 4: Add a Command to Preview the Data

Add a second Command to the Chain.

• Select the File Utilities ➡️ List File Content Command.
  💡 Use the Find tool to search for "File Utilities" and "List File Content".

• Connect the "Get Data" Command to the "List File Content" Command.

• Edit the "List File Content" Command.

  • Rename the Command: "Preview Report".

  • Scroll down to set the File Name parameter to Response.

    • From the left-side panel, choose "Download BlackLine Report" 🔽.

      • Click "Report".

  • In the "Preview Lines" parameter below, set the value to "10".

• Save the Command.

Step 5: Publish & Run the Chain

Publishing is an important feature in OneCloud. Chains must be published, before they can be run. A Chain and its respective Commands will not be executed otherwise. Whether making one alteration or many, the Chain must be published every time a Chain or Command is edited.

Publish ➡️ Execute ➡️ Run Chain.

• To publish a Chain, click "Publish" near the upper-right corner.

• Optionally, add a Publish Chain Comment. For this example, leave it blank.

• Once published, the "Execute" button becomes active. Click it.

• Once executed, the "Run Chain" button is activated. Click it.

• The Chain will animated when it is running.

• Click on the Anaplan Upload File Command.

• When the Chain has been run, the outputs will be available to view.

📚 Related Topics from this Section:

The BlackLine BizApp

The File Utilities BizApp

Connections

Environments