Report Definitions
Working with the Report Viewer

When you run a report definition, the results display in the Report Viewer. The Report Viewer provides many options for manipulating the displayed report.

From the Report Viewer, you can also open a report for editing in the Report Editor.

Viewing reports

The Report Viewer shows the title of the report and the date and time when it ran.

After you run a report, you can use a search box to search for specific text within the report. When searching for text, click the search icon repeatedly to move the cursor from instance to instance of the search term in the report.

When viewing a list report in which paging is enabled, you usually only see a single page of results at a time (typically, 50 rows). Use page links at the top of the report to move to other pages.

When viewing a summarized report, you usually see results grouped by the values of one or more columns. Each group section shows one or more subtotals, sub-averages, or other values for that group.

Each group is expandable and collapsible for easier viewing by clicking the arrows to the left of the group headings. The Expand all group headings and Collapse all group headings links at the top of the report let you expand or collapse all group headings with a single click.

You can drill down to view detailed information about that row or cell by clicking on a row or cell of a summarized report. You can use the breadcrumb trail at the top of the report to return to the original, summarized report.

If the report developer enabled sorting, you can click on a column heading to sort the report by the values in the column. An arrow indicator and a small number beside the column name indicate in which direction (highest to lowest, or lowest to highest) the column is sorted and where it stands in the sort order, if sorting is used for multiple columns.

Actions menu

If the report developer enabled actions, the Report Viewer includes an Actions menu with one or more of the following options:

• Edit Report - Click to edit the report in the Report Editor.
• List - Click to convert a summarized report to a list report.
• Summarize - Click to open the Summarize form.

  For a list report, using this option and summarizing the values in one or more columns, or selecting the Include a column of row counts check box, converts the report from list to summarized.

  With this form you can:

  • Specify whether and how each column's values will be summarized. For each column you can select one option. Depending on the column data type, some or all of the following options are available:
    • Do Not Include - The column is dropped from the report.
    • GROUP BY - Summarized values in the report are grouped by the values in columns using this option.
    • COUNT - Displays a count of the number of rows with a non-null value in this column for each group.
    • COUNT DISTINCT - Displays a count of the number of unique values in this column for each group.
    • SUM - Values in the column are totaled for each group.
    • MAX - Displays the highest value in each group.
    • MIN - Displays the lowest value in each group.
  • Change the sort type for columns. For each column you can select one sorting option:
    • No Sorting
    • Lowest to Highest
    • Highest to Lowest
  • Change the sort order for columns. If you are sorting results by more than one column, click and hold the drag icon to the left of the column name, and drag the column row higher or lower in the list of columns to change the column order in which sorting is applied.
  • Include a column of row counts: Select the check box to add a column of row counts to the report.
  • Expand all group sections by default in initial display: Select the check box to expand all group sections by default when the report opens in the Report Viewer. If this check box is not selected, group sections are collapsed when the report opens.
  • Do not display group headings: Select the check box to exclude group headings in the report display. This results in a spreadsheet-style display with no subtotals, sub-averages, or similar values. In this view, you can sort the results in any way you want. When results are grouped, there are restrictions on how results can be sorted. The first n-1 GROUP BY columns must also be the first columns in the sort order.

  Click Apply Changes to apply your changes, or click Cancel to close the form without changes.

• Print - Click to print the report. The print dialog for your system opens.
• Export to Excel - Click to export the report data to an Excel workbook.
• Export to PDF - Click to export the formatted report to a PDF file. If the report has a chart, the chart is included in the PDF file.

  If you are working in languages other than English, you might need to provide character support for the text in the report.

• Save - Click to save changes to the report. You can also enter a new name for the report. If you specify a new name, the report is saved with that new name. Use Save As to save the report as a new report in addition to the original report.

  Note: If you run a report and save it with a new name by using Save As, and then without closing the Report Viewer, save the original report with a new name by using Save, the original report is renamed, not the second report that you created by using Save As. If you close the Report Viewer after clicking Save As and rerun the second report, you can click Save to rename the second report.

• Save As - Click to save this report, with any changes you made, as a new report. In the form that opens, specify a name, title, and description for the report. Also, select the category type (Public or Private) and category in which to save the new report.
  
  Click OK to save the copy of the report, or click Cancel to close the form without saving a copy.

Column menu for list reports

For list reports, click the triangle at the right of any column header to display the column menu, if enabled by the report developer. The menu options are:

• Filter - Click to display a form where you can select from values in the column. Only rows that have those values are displayed. Click Clear Filter to remove any filter settings. Click Apply to apply the filter. Click Cancel to exit without applying any changes.
• Sort - Select Lowest to highest or Highest to lowest. You can perform the same sort by clicking on the left of the column header. Click again to reverse the sort. An arrow, pointing up or down, appears beside the column label if the report is sorted by that column.
• Appearance - Select to display the Appearance form. Provide values for the following fields:
  • Column heading - Required. Provide a display label for the column.
  • Format values - Optional. Select a format. Click the icon to the right of the field to display the Param window, where you can configure parameters to populate the format.
  • Width - Optional. Provide the column width in pixels or as a percentage of the window width.

  Click Submit to save the settings. Click Cancel to abandon your edits and close the form.

• Summarize - Click to display the Summarize column form, which changes a list report to a summarized report that displays row counts grouped by the values in this and any other columns of the report that are selected on the form.
  
  Select the Expand all group sections by default check box to display all group sections fully expanded when the report initially displays in the Report Viewer. If this option is not selected, only the Overall Total group section and the group section for the first Group By column display.
  
  Select the Do not display group headings check box to suppress all group headings in a summarized report. When this option is selected, no subtotals, sub-averages, or similar values display in the report. The report displays as a spreadsheet with the values for each Group By column repeated on each row. When this option is selected, you can sort results using any combination of columns. If this option is not selected, sorting options are limited, because displaying group headings requires that the results be sorted first by the Group By columns, in their group order, to keep detailed rows in the correct group section.
  
• Delete - Select to remove the column from the report. A confirmation form appears. Click Submit to remove the column. Click Cancel to keep the column and close the form.

Column menu for summarized reports

For summarized reports, right-click any column header to edit, reformat, or delete that column. The menu options are:

• Heading - Click to display the Heading form and change the text for the column heading.
• Format - Click to display the Format form. Press the down-arrow and select a valid format for the data values in the column. Some formats permit or require parameters. Specify parameters by clicking the icon next to the format field.
• Width - Click to display the Width form. Specify the column width as a numeric value followed by a selected unit (pixels, or as a percentage of overall report width).
• Delete - Click to delete the current column. If you delete a group-by column, any chart included in the report is deleted. You cannot delete a report that has only one column.
• Sort - Hover the mouse over the Sort command and click one of the options to re-sort the rows of the report based on just the values of this column. Select whether to sort values from lowest to highest, or highest to lowest.
• Display Values Across Columns / Display Values Vertically - When the data values for a column display vertically within a single column, click Display Values Across Columns to display the column's values horizontally. This creates a pivot table. When the data values for a column display horizontally across columns, click Display Values Vertically to display the column's values vertically within a single column.

Filtering

Filter conditions restrict which rows of data are included in a report (such as "only orders from these customers" or "only open cases"). Filter conditions display above the report results. However, filter conditions can be defined in the rule form and not display on the report.

You can add new filter conditions in the Report Editor, or in the report definition that supports the report.

The report developer can enable the following options:

• Provide filter parameters before the report runs: When a user runs the report, a form opens where the user can provide parameters that the report's filters use. The form displays default values that the developer set for each parameter. You can accept some or all of the default values, and run the report.

  The parameters submitted are valid only for the current running of the report, and do not change the default parameter values.

• Edit the filter conditions: The report user can edit existing filter conditions (for instance, changing "less than 100" to "greater than 100" or "less than 150"). Any changes are valid only for the current execution of the report.
• Select both null values and not null values: You can specify null and not null values in the filter panel in the Report Viewer. An error message displays if the user searches for a date range by entering a From date that is later than the To date in the Data time column filter panel. An error message displays when the value entered in Greater than or equal tois greater than Less than or equal to.

Editing filter conditions

Filter conditions that you can edit display as hyperlinks. Click a filter link to open the Edit filter form. This form shows the following information and options for the selected filter:

• The column name to which the filter applies. This entry cannot be edited.
• Relationship: Select a relationship operator for the condition, such as Is Equal or Starts With.
• One or more comparison values for the condition:
  • Specify one or more values. Separate multiple values with commas. Enclose text values that contain spaces or special characters in quotation marks, such as "Pegasystems Inc.".
  • Specify the name of a property (if, for example, you want to select cases where the date of resolution was the same as the date on which they were created), or select a different property using the SmartPrompt option by entering some characters and clicking the down arrow.
  • Specify an expression by using the Calculation Builder.
  • Click Pick Value to select one or more valid values for the column.

  If you selected Is Null or Is Not Null, you do not have to provide a comparison value.

• Specify an optional Filter Caption to describe the condition in business terms. If you specify a caption, the caption displays on the report for the condition.
• Click the chevron to the right of the Advanced Options header to display additional options:
  • Use Null If Empty: Select the check box to use a comparison value of NULL if one is not specified.
  • Ignore Case: Select the check box to perform case-insensitive comparisons. 

Click Apply to save your changes, or click Cancel to close the form without changing the filter.

Related Information

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