The best way to create a custom report is using the Report Wizard. To start the Report Wizard, you select the Wizard under the Report Menu. The Wizard creates a report tailored to the parameters defined in the New Report Wizard.
As with any type of software, the development of a simple report requires a basic understanding of the software. Although complex changes or developing a new complex report require extensive programming knowledge. It is recommended that complex reports be developed by a knowledgeable IT professional.
The first form for the New Report Wizard states that the wizard creates a report tailored to the parameters defined in the following steps. Click the Next button to bring you to step one.
This form of the Wizard allows you to create a new query to execute to get the data for the report or select a query from other existing query. Click the Select Data source button to open a Find form that will list all reports. Selecting one from the list will bring over the query of that report into the right section of this form. You can modify this if necessary.
Click the Preview Data button to open the Report Data Preview to see if there are existing data for the selected report.
Click Next to move you to the step two.
Fields Tab
In the Available Fields box, click the plus button before the Select Fields to show the fields for the selected report. Highlight the field you want in your report and click the Add > button to add it to the Selected Fields box. If you would like all the fields in the Available Fields box, you can click the Add All >> button and all of the fields will be added to the Displayed Fields box. If you want to remove all fields you click the << Remove All or to remove a single field just click the < Remove button.
Click the Browse Data button to open the Report Data Preview, which will display the existing data for the selected field.
You can choose the sort order of the Displayed Fields by using the Sort buttons. These buttons are used to move the selected record upward/downward one spot for each click.
The Column Heading field below the Displayed Fields box will display the highlighted field name as its default. Change the column heading to whatever column heading appropriate for the selected field.
Group Tab
Grouping the information on the report records will be sorted by their values on the Group By fields. This is optional. In the Available Fields box, click the plus button before the Select Fields to show the fields for the selected report. Highlight the field you want in your report and click the Add > button to add it to the Group By box. If you would like all the fields in the Available Fields box, you can click the Add All >> button and all of the fields will be added to the Group By box. If you want to remove all fields you click the << Remove All or to remove a single field just click the < Remove button.
Click the Browse Data button to open the Report Data Preview, which will display the existing data for the selected field.
You can choose the sort order of the Displayed Fields by using the Sort buttons. These buttons are used to move the selected record upward/downward one spot for each click.
The field below the Displayed Fields box will display the highlighted field name as its default. Change the column heading to whatever column heading appropriate for the selected field.
Total Tab
This tab is where you add summary information to the report. For each group, you can choose one ore more fields to summarized. This is optional. This allows you to have calculated total fields for Groups you added in the previous step. Each Group Field is listed in the Group box. The available fields change with each Group Level Field. This means you may have Group Total Fields for each of your Groups. For example: you selected the strPaybleID and strVendorID as Groups. Now I can have Group Totals for the Payable ID and the Vendor ID.
Select a group from the Group combo box. All selected fields in the Group By box (Group Tab) will be displayed on the Group combo box.
In the Available Fields box, click the plus button before the Select Fields to show the fields for the selected report. Highlight the field you want to summarize and click the Add > button to add it to the Summarized Fields box. If you want to remove a single field just click the < Remove button.
Click the Browse Data button to open the Report Data Preview, which will display the existing data for the selected field.
The Column Heading field below the Summarized Fields box will display the highlighted field name as its default. Change the column heading to whatever column heading appropriate for the selected field.
The Summary Function will allow you to select from a predefined functions like Sum, Average, Count and lot more.
Select the Add Grand Total check box if you want to have a grand total displayed on these selected fields.
Click Next to move to the next step.
In this tab, you will have to enter a Title for your report. In the Orientation section, select whether the layout would be Portrait or Landscape. Below is a preview window that will display how the report will look like if you selected Portrait or Landscape.
Once the style has been chosen, click the Finish Button. The Report Designer will then open allowing you to modify or edit the looks or design of the report.
In the Report Designer, whether you are in Design View, Script View or Print Preview, you will need to save the report for future use or modification. Select File and Save. A Save Layout As form will open up. Enter the Layout Name and Layout Description and click Save button. The Report Settings form will then open where you can change Settings and Criteria for the selected report.