(Legacy) Set the Layout Used by a Report
Note
Custom report layouts feature is a legacy feature that is being phased out. Instead, you should start creating custom layouts (also called user-defined layouts) as described here.
A report can be set up with more than one report layout, which you can then switch among as needed.
Depending on the layouts that are available for a report, you can choose to use a built-in RDLC report layout, a built-in Word report layout, or a custom layout. For more information about RDLC and Word report layouts, built-in and custom layouts, and more, see Manage Report Layouts.
When custom report layouts are defined, you can select them from customer and vendor cards to specify that the selected layouts will be used for documents that you crate for the customer or vendor in question. For more information, see Define Document Layouts for Customers and Vendors.
Tip
Document reports (not lists) that use a Word report layout are typically faster than those that use an RDLC report layout. So if you have the option to choose between a Word or RDLC report layout for a document report, use the Word report layout for the best performance.
To change which report layout to use for a report or document
Choose the
icon, enter Report Layout Selection, and then choose the related link.The Report Layout Selection page lists all the reports that are available for the company that's specified in the Company field at the top of the page. The Layout Description field specifies the layout that's currently used on the report.
Set the Company field at the top the company that includes the report.
This field let's you set a different layouts for same report report in different companies.
To change the layout that is used by a report, on the row for the report, set the Selected Layout field to one of the following options:
- RDLC (built-in), uses the built-in RDLC report layout on the report.
- Word (built-in), uses the built-in Word report layout on the report.
- Custom, uses a custom layout on the report.
Note
If you choose a report layout of type RDLC (built-in) or Word (built-in) and you get an error message that the report does not have a layout of the specified type, then you must choose another layout option or create a custom report layout of the type that you want to use. See the next procedure.
If you selected a built-in RDLC or Word report layout, then no further action is required, and the layout will be used the next time the report is run.
To change the custom layout to use for a report layout
You may also want to change the currently used custom layout. For more information, see Create and Modify Custom Report Layouts.
All custom report layouts that exist for report layouts in a company are listed on the Custom Report Layouts page. On the Report Layout Selection page, you can see which custom layouts are available for each report in the Custom Layouts FactBox.
- On the Report Layout Selection page, on the line for the report layout that you want to change, choose the lookup button in the Custom Layout Description field.
- On the Custom Report Layouts page, select the row for the custom layout that you want to use, and then choose the OK button.
The name of the selected custom layout is now shown in the Custom Layout Description field and will be used the next time the report or document is previewed, printed, or sent.
You can now go to your customer and vendor cards to specify which of the layouts to use for different documents that you crate for the customer or vendor in question, such as order confirmations or payment reminders. For more information, see Define Document Layouts for Customers and Vendors.