Working with Report Layouts (Report Builder)
Report Builder has three predefined report layouts from which to choose: table, matrix, and chart. A report layout is similar to a template in that it is a preset format that you use as the starting point for your report so that the format does not have to be re-created each time you create a new report. Each report layout provides an organizational structure that determines how your data is presented within the report. Before selecting a report layout, you should consider the data that you are using and the purpose of the report. For example, suppose you want to show how much your company has increased its market share over the past three years. You could use a matrix report to provide this information and show market increases over an extended period of time; but, to really make this data have visual impact, you would probably want to create a report using a chart instead.
Here's another example: suppose you want to create a report that shows the sales-to-date for each salesperson in your organization. You would probably choose the table report layout to create this simple report. Then, to help organize the content of the report, you could group salespeople by region.
Working with a Report Layout
To choose a report layout, select the Table, Matrix, or Chart option in the Getting Started pane. Then, you can begin to add data and text boxes to the layout.
Handles
The width of the entire report automatically adjusts to accommodate the number of fields that you add. You can adjust the width of columns and the height of rows within the report layout by hovering on a cell or column edge and, when the pointer changes shape, click and drag to increase or decrease the size of the column or row.
Adding Fields or Entities to a Report Layout
After you select a layout, select the fields and entities from the Explorer pane and drag them to the design area. An I-bar appears at the insertion point. For more information, see Working with Fields and Exploring the Primary Entity and Its Related Data (Report Builder).
Grouping and Sorting
Data in a report can be placed into groups, and then sorted in ascending or descending order. In the example above, the data was grouped by region. We could also sort each salesperson by last name from A to Z within in each region. For more information about grouping and sorting, see Grouping and Sorting Data (Report Builder).
Hyperlinks cannot be added to a report layout.
In This Section
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
Describes the different areas of the table report layout and how to work with them. |
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Describes the different areas of the matrix report layout and how to work with them. |
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Describes the different areas of the chart report layout and how to work with them. |
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Describes text boxes and how to work with them. |
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Describes how to work with images in the report layout. |
See Also
Concepts
Designing a Report (Report Builder)
Creating and Working with a Report (Report Builder)
Report Builder How-to Topics