7.1 How to Create a Simple Type of Report

Consider creating a simple type of report named, for example, "Customer's Data".

1. First of all, press [New Report] button in the top menu of "Custom Reports" section and specify the name of your new report. Click [OK] button.

Then, create one or more SQL queries to select required data. To facilitate this task, you can use "Visual Query Builder", which is located on the toolbar in the "Edit Report" form.

You may open previously saved file with SQL queries, by using the corresponding button in the top menu - [Open Query From File].

"Visual Query Builder" window (see image below) consists of database tables on the right side(1). Choose necessary data on the right (2) and double-click it, or drag-and-drop it to the left (3).

Check necessary rows of selected tables (4) and "Visual Query Builder" will create SQL queries based on this (5).

You can add additional items and conditions to these queries in the table below (aggregate, sort type, grouping etc) and all changes will be displayed in the SQL queries at the bottom of the window.

The [Run Query] button serves to check the correctness of created queries. Press [OK] button if your queries are correct.

Your selection appears in the right pane of the window as a result.

The next tab in the "Edit Report" form is "Report Designer". It allows to design new report on your taste.

Use bands - an area on a design page, which behaves according to its type - to create necessary fields of your report. To create a Report of a simple format you should select from the toolbar following objects or bands as:

• "Report Title", which contains the immediate name of a report

• "Page Header" - headers of report columns

• "Master Data" - attaches to the performed in "Visual Query Builder" window dataset and places the data that will be displayed in the Report

• "Page Footer" accommodates the total designation of the page: the page number, the current date, company name and so on.

To enter desired text in the selected bands you should choose "Text object" from the designer toolbar. Click the "Text object" and moving the mouse cursor over the page click again.

The object is inserted at the mouse position. The text editor window will open right away; if it does not appear automatically, then double-click the object by mouse.

Type report name in the "Report Title" band and then click [OK] button.

Using "Text" objects you can assign names to headings of tabulated data.

In our case, the titles names will be the following: "Firstname", "Lastname", "Email", "Company name". They are identical to dataset headers.

To attach dataset to "Master Data" band double-click the mouse on its area. It calls the "Memo" window, where you should select the required dataset and press [OK] button.

In order to number customers in your Report, you should perform the following manipulations:

1. In the "Memo" window select "Text" tab and choose "ABC" option by clicking it with your mouse. This will call an editor's form, where you can choose the "Variables" tab and select "Line#" position in the list that appears.

It will be moved to the lower field "Expression. Hit [OK] button.

2. To attach the following information you should click "Data" tab in the similar "Memo" window, that launches after choosing "Text object" from the toolbar, and select from the list of dataset the required column.

In our case, this should be "Firstname" column. After clicking the [OK] button, it will be displayed in the "Master Data" band.

Make analogous manipulations with other dataset columns, in particular, "Last_name" "Email" and "Company".

"Page Footer" band allows to number report pages and place the current date at the end of the page.

Choose "System text" from the toolbar and select PAGE position in the system memo that will appear from the system variable, then choose "Master Data" in the "Data Band" field and your dataset in "DataSet" field, then click [OK].

To set the current date you should act as in the previous example just select except Page DATE value.

The report design is finished. To preview the report either select the “File -> Preview” menu item

or click the corresponding button in the toolbar:

We considered the example of creation a simple type of report. If it is necessary to create a more complicated report with complex design, please contact us and we will gladly assist you!