BOSMAC

Information by State  Print version   What's New   BOSMAC Updates for Version 07 This version of BOSMAC07 is fully compatible with Microsoft Office 2007. You should replace your current version with this one. more...   BOSMAC Release Notes This page presents a running history of BOSMAC versions, their release dates, and summaries of the changes made. more... Related Information Download the BOSMAC07 Installation Kit (2MB) Please read all the instructions, but if further assistance is needed, please send an Email.

The Boston CPD office has significantly enhanced its BOSMAC program to better assist you in analyzing your IDIS reports (.rpt files). The enhanced program, BOSMAC07.xls, is an EXCEL program that converts eight IDIS text file Reports (PR01, PR02, PR03, PR06, PR07, PR08, PR14, and PR22 downloaded from IDIS) to data files that can then be analyzed with EXCEL filters, pivot tables and other tools. In addition to these eight files that are converted to EXCEL data files, BOSMAC can format – similar to WORD - every IDIS report for viewing and printing. All IDIS reports converted by BOSMAC are automatically saved in a folder named BOSMACFILES (not case sensitive) that can be located anywhere.

Note that BOSMAC07 does not download the IDIS reports. Downloads from IDIS must be done prior to using BOSMAC07.

Trying to analyze the downloaded IDIS text reports for a medium to large city without use of these MACROS is very labor-intense and inefficient. For example, a typical PR03 report can vary from 280 to 2,000+ pages and is not in a user-friendly format for a grantee or CPD rep looking for answers to questions such as:

To answer these kinds of questions using the text reports as initially downloaded from IDIS would require searching each page and marking the records that meet the search criteria. With the equivalent EXCEL spreadsheet of the same report, (made possible with BOSMAC07), a user can simply apply a filter that immediately displays the data of interest.

BOSMAC07 is a simple “point and click” system. After the IDIS Report has been downloaded simply click the “CONVERT” button and within a few seconds, the output data file is automatically saved to your BOSMACFILES folder as a text file. Note that the PR01, 02, 03, 06, 07, 08, 14, and 22 reports are saved as spreadsheets as well. For these reports, both the text view and spreadsheet view are opened at the same time. Shifting between the two views is a matter of clicking on their respective tabs.

Text and spreadsheet views open at same time for PR01, PR02, PR22, etc.