Time for action – making a copy of the previous report

In this chapter, we will use the report we created earlier. To do so, we will open it and save it with the name 09_Using_Formulas.prpt. Then we will modify its layout to fit this chapter. Finally, we will establish default values for our parameters. The steps for making a copy of the previous report are as follows:

  1. We open the report 07_Adding_Parameters.prpt that we created in the previous chapter. Next, we create a copy by going to File | Save As... and saving it with the name 09_Using_Formulas.prpt.
  2. We will modify our report so that it looks like the following screenshot:
    Time for action – making a copy of the previous report
  3. As you can see, we have just added a rectangle in the Details section, a label (Total) in the Details Header section, and we have modified the name of the label found in the Report Header section. To easily differentiate this report from the one used in the previous chapter, we have also modified its colors to grayscale. Later in this chapter, we will make the color of the rectangle vary according to the formula, so it is important that the rest of the report does not have too many colors so the results are easy for the end user to see.
  4. We will establish default values in our parameters so we can preview the report without delays caused by having to choose the values for ratings, year, and month.
  5. We go to the Data tab, select the SelectRating parameter, right-click on it, and choose the Edit Parameter... option:
    Time for action – making a copy of the previous report
  6. In Default Value, we type the value [G]:
    Time for action – making a copy of the previous report
  7. Next, we click on OK to continue. We should do something similar for SelectYear and SelectMonth:
    • For SelectYear, the Default Value will be 2005.
    • For SelectMonth, the Default Value will be 5. Remember that the selector shows the names of the months, but internally the months' numbers are used; so, 5 represents May.

What just happened?

We created a copy of the report 07_Adding_Parameters.prpt and saved it with the name 09_Using_Formulas.prpt. We changed the layout of the report, adding new objects and changing the colors. Then we established default values for the parameters SelectRating, SelectYear, and SelectMonth.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset