The report builder

What it is. The screen where you decide what a report shows.

What it does. You choose which records to include, which columns to show, how to group them and what to total. A preview updates as you go, so you see the answer before you save.

Why it helps. Nobody has to export to a spreadsheet and rebuild the same summary every week.

Opening the builder

There are two ways in.

For a new report — Reports → New Report → pick a type. See Starting a new report.

For an existing report — Reports → a folder → the report's name → Edit.

1. Click Reports in the top menu.
2. Click the folder, then the report's name. It runs.
3. Click Edit at the top.

The builder opens.

What you are looking at

Part	Where	What it is for
Outline	Tab, top left	Your columns and groups. This is where you shape the report.
Filters	Tab, top left	Which records are included.
The preview	The large area on the right	What the report will look like.
Report name	Top	What it will be called.
Undo / Redo	Top	Step back or forward.
Run	Top right	See the full result rather than a preview.
Save	Top right	Keep it.
Close	Top right	Leave. You are warned if you have unsaved changes.

Nothing is saved until you click Save, so you can experiment freely.

Adding a column

Where: the builder → Outline → Add column…

1. Click the Outline tab if you are not already on it.

   

2. Click the Add column… box.

3. A list of available fields appears. Type to narrow it.

   

4. Click the field you want.

It appears in the preview straight away.

Reordering and removing columns

• To reorder: drag a column in the Outline list into a new position.
• To remove one: click Column actions on its heading, then Remove column.

Column actions is also where you total a column — see Grouping and totals.

Saving your work

Button	What it does
Save	Keeps your changes to this report.
Save & Run	Saves, then shows the full result.
Save options → Save As	Makes a copy under a new name and leaves the original alone.

The first time you save, you are asked for a name and a folder.

Save As is the safe way to experiment with somebody else's report: take a copy, change the copy, leave theirs alone.

Leaving without saving

Click Close. If you have unsaved changes you are warned first, so you cannot lose work by accident.