Report Designer Wizard

You can convert an Explorer query into a standard Greentree Desktop report using a wizard. The wizard walks you through the process of designing a basic report. Once the report is generated, you can use the Report Designer to enhance the report.

To start the wizard, select Report writer from the Export menu on the main Explorer form. Then:

1. Set up report page features:

   You can preview the report design by clicking the Preview button on the form:

   Note: You can complete the report design by clicking the Finish button. This opens the report in Greentree Desktop Report Designer.

2. Click Next to define report column formats:
   • Display Name - Column headings come from the Explorer results table by default but you can change that.
   • Decimal Places - You can reassign all numeric properties included in the Explorer query here. The default value displayed is taken from the database attribute definition. Any sub-totals or totals of the property will inherit the decimal place assignment made here.
   • Sub-Total - Enables users to indicate whether or not a sub-total is required to be calculated for the report. This is inappropriate for some properties, such as an exchange rate or a unit price, and user discretion is required here.
   • Total - Enables users to indicate whether or not a total is required to be calculated for the report.
   • Add lines to sub-total columns - Select this option to add lines (over and under) around sub-totals.
   • Add lines to total columns - Select this option to add lines (over and under) around totals.
   • Set Font Options - Click these buttons to assign specific font styles, colours and effects to the report Heading, Column, Sub-Total and Total sections. In each case, a font design form displays.
3. Click Next to define report level breaks, according to the sort order assigned when you're building the Explorer query:

   The options relate to any sub-totals defined in the previous wizard form. If no sub-totals have been defined for the report, then selecting a property to group by has no effect on the report output.

   An Explorer query is limited to a single collection in the data class (for example, APControl.allInvoices) and the report writer is also limited to the assignment of a single level break within a particular repeating section (which corresponds to a data collection in an Explorer query). You can only select one of the properties listed in the group table above as a level break for the sub-totals defined in the previous wizard form.

   The output can continue to be previewed immediately to reflect the on-going design of the report.

4. Click Next to define the report name:

   Open in report writer

   Select this option to open a completed report in the Report Designer when you click the Finish button.

   Note: If the Save as option is not also selected, the report does not save to the database. You can do this in the Report Designer.

   Save as

   Click this option and enter a report name to save the report when the wizard is complete.

   Finish

   Click this button to open the report in the Report Designer.

• Query to Report Limitations