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Data Model view

The Report Editor's Data Model view is a work area in which you create, define, and modify data model objects (queries, groups, columns, parameters, and links) to be used in your report.   In this view, objects and their property settings are represented symbolically to highlight their types and relationships.   To create the query objects for your data model, you can use the Report Wizard, Data Wizard, or the Query tools in the tool palette.

Reports Builder uses the data model to determine what data to retrieve for the report.   The data retrieved from the database may or may not appear in the report output.

Access

To display the Data Model view:

Painting region

The painting region is the area in which you can create, modify, position, or delete objects while viewing their graphical representations on the screen.   Objects have only their relative positions in the data model graphically represented in an editor.   To see an object's settings, you must open its property sheet by double-clicking the object.

Object representation

The data model objects that you can create in the painting region include queries, groups, columns (summary and formula), parameters, and links.  You cannot cut, copy, paste, or duplicate data model objects (that is, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Duplicate are disabled in the Edit menu.

Group hierarchy in the data model is determined by parent-child relationships or position in the editor.  If there is no parent-child relationship between two groups (for example, they are siblings or unrelated groups), then the hierarchy is determined by reading from left to right then top to bottom in the Data Model view.   Column hierarchy is determined by reading from top to bottom inside each group.

Rulers

Rulers are located around the left and top edges of the painting region. Rulers are initially hidden in the Data Model view. To show rulers, choose Viewright arrowRulers.

Units

You can set the unit of measurement of the ruler to any of the following, by selecting Formatright arrowLayout Optionsright arrowRulers:

When you change a report's Unit of Measurement property, the ruler units are updated to reflect the Unit of Measurement. When you set Design in Character Units to Yes, the ruler units are changed to character cells.

Markers

Markers move along both of the rulers to track your cursor location in the painting region. The rulers scroll along with the painting region. Likewise, when you magnify part of the painting region, the rulers are updated to reflect the magnification.

Ruler guides

Ruler guides provide you with a point of reference for creating and modifying objects. To create a ruler guide, click one of the rulers and drag into the painting region.   To show ruler guides, choose Viewright arrowRuler Guides.

Grid

Inside the painting region is a grid to help you position objects in the viewing region. The grid is drawn in relationship to the rulers. In the Ruler Settings dialog box, you specify the interval at which grid lines appear per unit on the ruler.   For example, if you have a Unit of inches and a Grid Spacing of 0.5, there will be one grid line per half-inch on the ruler. Choose Viewright arrowGrid to display the grid.

Toolbar

To use the tools in the toolbar, click the desired tool to perform the action.   If the tool is designed to perform an action on a group of objects, it appears grayed out until one or more objects are selected.   Then clicking the tool performs the action on the selected object(s).

Tool palette

The tool palette is a set of tools you can use to create and manipulate objects. Click a tool to activate it for a single operation, or double-click a tool to "lock" it for multiple operations.

Status bar

In the Data Model view, the status bar displays the following information: