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Report Builder
Tutorial


Designing the Report Layout

Now that you have access to all the necessary database fields, attached the memo file, and created both calculated fields, you are ready to design the report layout. To design the report layout, you must perform these steps:

  1. Create additional band lines.
  2. Insert and format the fields.
  3. Adjust the page margins.

Figure 6–6 shows the report layout, including the Recall memo, you will create for this letter.

Figure 6–6: Report Layout

You will insert the Recall memo when you insert all the fields for the layout.

Creating Additional Band Lines

Because you used the default report layout, you must create additional band lines to hold the fields for the letter.

Follow these steps to create additional band lines:

  1. Choose Create Band Line. The Create Band Line dialog box appears.
  2. Create 27 record band lines.
  3. Choose Create Band Line again. Activate the New Page Line toggle box, then choose OK. Report Builder inserts a new record band line at the top of the report. When Report Builder generates the report, it starts a new page every time it displays this band line.
  4. Choose OK to return to the report layout.
Inserting and Formatting the Fields

Now that there are enough band lines to display all the letter information and you have created the necessary calculated fields, you can insert the fields on the layout, including the memo field, Recall, that contains the text of the letter. When you identified the Recall memo field in Recallet.txt, you entered “NEWMEMO Recall:” on the first line of the memo file. Now that you have attached the Recallet.txt memo file to the report definition, when you access the Insert Fields dialog box, the field selection list contains the Recall memo field.

Follow these steps to insert the fields:

  1. Insert the following database, calculated, and memo fields at the left margin of the layout on the band lines indicated in the following table:
  2. Band Line
    Fields
    10
    Today–Date
    13
    Contact
    14
    Name
    15
    Address
    16
    Address2
    17
    City–State–PC
    19
    Recall (memo field)

  3. Enter the text fields listed in the following table at the left margin of the layout on the indicated band lines:
  4. Band Line
    Text String
    22
    Sincerely,
    26
    Todd Winmill
    27
    Quality Assurance Manager

    Report Builder represents each database and calculated field with a series of x’s or 9’s and the memo with a single line of m’s.

  5. Select the Recall memo field and choose Properties Format. The Format dialog box appears:
  6. The default format of the Recall memo field is left-justified and word-wrapped with a width of 60 characters.

  7. Change the format for the memo field to 6.5 inches so that the memo fills the space between the margins, then choose OK.
Adjusting the Page Margins

The next step in designing the layout is to change the page margins to standard margin width.

Follow these steps to modify the page characteristics:

  1. Choose Properties Page Layout. The Page Layout dialog box appears:
  2. Change all four margins from the default (.5 inches) to 1 inch, which is the standard margin width for a letter.
  3. Choose OK to return to the report layout.

Figure 6–7 shows the complete report layout that incorporates the Recallet.txt memo file. Notice the Recall field. It not only represents the body of the letter, but also includes the opening greeting.

Figure 6–7: Completed Recall Letter Report Layout


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