Progress
Report Builder
User’s Guide


Layout Area

The layout area contains a combination of text fields and data fields. The text fields appear on the layout exactly as you enter them on the layout. However, by default, Report Builder represents data fields with symbols that indicate the field type, such as xxxxxx for character data and 99999 for numeric data. Data fields can be database fields or user-defined fields, such as aggregate or calculated fields. (See "Fields," for a complete description of the different types of fields.)

By default, Report Builder indicates a field’s position and width on the layout with a shaded area called the field width indicator. Figure 1–12 shows the default manner in which Report Builder represents fields on the report layout. Notice that Report Builder displays the text of the field labels. This is because the labels are text fields, not data fields.

Figure 1–12: Default Representation of Fields in Layout

You can change how Report Builder represents data fields on the layout by modifying the field width indicator or by displaying the actual data field names. You can modify the field width indicator by changing the shading color or by using an outline box instead of a shaded area. If you prefer to see the actual data field names, enable the Field Names setting on the View menu.

Figure 1–13 shows the same report definition, except that here the Field Names setting is enabled.

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Figure 1–13: Layout with Field Names Enabled

In addition to text and data fields, you can also place lines, rectangles, and bitmap images on the report layout. Report Builder represents the images as they appear in the bitmap file.

Figure 1–14 shows rectangles and a bitmap image on the report layout.

Figure 1–14: Graphics in the Layout

Notice that the image is on a freeform band line. When you insert an image, Report Builder automatically converts the band line to freeform (fixed height) and resizes it to accommodate the image.

You can create report layouts containing up to a maximum of 256 lines; the maximum layout width is determined by the horizontal ruler setting and the page layout settings.


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