A Report Builder is an end-user report writer tool for extracting information from a CablePro database in a highly structured manner. Reporting styles can vary from simple columnar output to extravagant form letters and sales invoices. Some reports extract and/or manipulate data from a single database, while other reports may require several databases and complex formulae to generate information in the desired manner.

 

CablePro contains menu options made available to the user for pre-defined reports. While these reports can usually fulfill the majority of end-user needs, times arise when a custom report has to be created. If the means to create/modify reports has not been included in an application, the programmer has to be hired to create the report for the user (usually at a substantial cost). The CablePro Report Builder puts the power of creating/modifying reports into the users hands.

 

As with any new tool there is a learning curve involved. However, a willingness to experiment can pay huge dividends to yourself and/or firm. You can create as many new reports as you want without paying a programmer to create them for you.

 

This Report Builder is an extremely powerful tool, comparable in features to software costing hundreds of dollars. Practically any type of report that you require can be created with this simple, yet highly effective tool.

 

Report Builder Overview

What is a report builder?

What are some features of this report builder                

Understanding what a database is

Understanding what a database filter is

 

Quick Tour

The report manager screen - managing reports you create

The report creation screen - Get acquainted!

Bands - An overview on how they process database information

Frames - How they print text and database information on reports

Dictionaries - Stores database field information and other useful data

Pictures - How to change data appearance on a report page

 

Tutorials

Tutorial overview

The Reports Manager screen

Define the report size and title

Create a simple column style report

Clean up the report - Change the font style

Resize the DETAIL band

Add a header page and column headers to a report

Sort the report on one database field

Combine multiple fields into one formatted field

Some additional cleaning up

Add additional sorts for the report

Add a filter to print only desired database entries

Filters - Take 2!

Add some graphics to the report

Create a report footer to show number of records selected

Forcing a page breaks / printing a large memo field

Printing group break counters in a Group Footer report band

Printing group break dollar amounts in a Group Footer report band

Printing a Grand Total on the last report page