Report Builder Window (Design Mode) (Report Builder 1.0)
Use the Report Builder window in design mode to design, manipulate data within, and preview your reports. In Design mode, the Report Builder window is divided into several areas: the Explorer pane, the design area, and the Report Layout pane.
In Design mode, you can:
Explore the data available to you.
Select the fields you want to display in your report.
Drag and drop fields into the report.
Position selected fields within the report.
Apply filters.
Create formulas.
Sort and group the data in the report.
Preview the results.
Adjust the size of the rows and columns within the report.
Format all items within the report.
Report Toolbar
Use the toolbar to switch between the design area and preview area, and to manipulate your data by filtering or sorting and grouping.
Design Report
Click to continue to design your report.Run Report
Click to run your report and display the data.Filter
Click to open the Filter dialog box and include only the information that you want in your report.Sort and Group
Click to open the Sort dialog box and organize report data into groups, and then specify a sort order for each data type within the group.
Explorer Pane
Use the Explorer pane to view the selected data source's available entities and folders, and their associated fields, and to select the fields and entities that you want to add to your report.
The Explorer pane is divided into two sections. When you start your report, the top section lists all the entities and folders within the data source. When an item in the top section is selected, the bottom section lists all the fields associated with that item. When you drag and drop a field from an entity on to the design area, the top section changes and now displays only the information related to that entity.
While working on your report, you might want to close the Explorer pane to free up space within the Report Builder window. To close the Explorer pane, click the Close button on the Explorer Pane toolbar. To view the Explorer pane again, on the View menu, select Explorer. To resize the explorer pane, drag the right border of the pane.
Explorer Pane Options
Search
Click to search for a specific item within the selected entity or folder, or within the entire data source. When this button is clicked, the Search dialog box is displayed.New field
Click to create a new field and add a formula to the field. When this button is clicked, the Formula dialog box is displayed.Fields
Displays a list of the fields associated with the currently selected item.
Design Area
When dragging and dropping a field, an I-bar is displayed in the location where the field will be inserted. Horizontal and vertical page breaks are displayed as a thin dashed line. The default size of the design area is 8.5 X 11 inches and the orientation is Portrait. By default, rulers are displayed and snap-to-grid is turned on.
While working in the design area, your data is represented using sample values such as "xxxxx", 0.0, or 1/1/2005. To see the actual data in your report design, you need to render the report by clicking Run Report. Your report is run and displayed in the view area. To return to the design area, click Design Report.
Table Design Area Options
Click to add title
Type a title for your report.Drag and drop fields
Drag the fields or entities you selected in the Explorer pane to this area of the report.Total rows
After the report is run, view the number of rows returned in the report. This information is entered into the text box automatically. This text box can be formatted but it cannot be deleted.Filter
View a textual restatement of the report filter. This information is entered into the text box automatically. This text box can be formatted but it cannot be deleted.
Matrix Design Area Options
Click to add title
Type a title for your report.Drag and drop row groups
Drag the fields and entities you selected in the Explorer pane to this area of the report. The data in these fields is displayed in rows.Drag and drop column groups
Drag the fields and entities you selected in the Explorer pane to this area of the report. The data in these fields are displayed in columns.Drag and drop totals
Drag the fields and entities you selected in the Explorer pane to this area of the report. The data in these fields is static data that represents a value where the row and column intersect.Filter
View a textual restatement of the report filter. This information is entered into the text box automatically. This text box can be formatted but it cannot be deleted.