Overview of Content on Report Output Levels

Each output level of a report can have different content. This includes docked filters, headers, footers, descriptions, charts, tabular data, and data exceptions.

Some areas of report output levels contain text fields, such as the report title, and others are designed to display non-tabular data, such as charts. The contetn you should include in each output level is primarily determined by the audience and the purpose of the output level. For example, a custom report that only you will use may not need a report header, report footer, or similar report sections. However, these are useful if the report will be sent to other staff members. If you add an area to an output level that does not have content in it, that part of the output level does not display when the report is run.

Note: When creating a report, you can select a layout to have the appropriate output level areas automatically included in the report. See Display Data Using Record or Tabular Layouts.

Report Output Level Areas

Report Section	Description
Docked Filters	This is used to display runtime selectable filters at the top of the report for easy changes to the report search parameters. This is added to or removed from the design surface by selecting or clearing the Docked Filters check box on the Display tab.
Page Header	This displays only on printed reports. By default, the page header contains the Current Date text field, which is a variable that outputs the date when the report is run. This is added to or removed from the design surface by selecting or clearing the Page Header check box on the Page Setup tab.
Report Header	This contains text fields that display at the top of each page of the report. By default, the report header contains the Title and Sub Title text fields. This is added to or removed from the design surface by selecting or clearing the Report Header check box on the Display tab.
Output Descriptions	This contains text that you can modify to provide general information about the report. Output descriptions can display inline, as text on a separate tab, or by rolling over the columns in the report. See Display Output Descriptions. This is shown on the design surface by selecting Display Descriptions Inline from the Output Descriptions button on the Display tab.
Search Criteria Descriptions	This contains text explaining the filters that are added to the report. Search criteria descriptions can be displayed inline or as text on a separate tab in the report. See Overview of Search Criteria Descriptions. This is shown on the design surface by selecting Display Search Criteria Inline from the Search Criteria button on the Display tab.
Charts	This contains charts that you insert into the report. Charts provide a graphic representation of data and are most useful for quickly comparing groups of data. This is added to or removed from the design surface by selecting or clearing the Charts check box on the Display tab.
Data Area	This contains database fields you add to the report, which outputs tabular data. This is used in almost all reports, as it provides text with specific details about specific records or specific numbers summarizing groups of records. This is removed from the design surface by selecting Do Not Display Data from the Data button on the Display tab.
Report Footer	The report footer is similar to the report header, though the text fields in the footer display on the bottom of each page of the report. By default, the report footer contains the Record Count text field. This is a variable which displays the number of records returned on the page. This is added to or removed from the design surface by selecting or clearing the Report Footer check box on the Display tab.
Data Exceptions	This contains information summarizing the data exceptions that are indicated in the data area. Data exceptions are used to highlight specific information in the report that meets certain criteria you define. This is added to or removed from the design surface by selecting or clearing the Exceptions check box on the Display tab.
Page Footer	The page footer is similar to the page header section. The text fields added to this section display at the bottom of printed reports. By default, this contains the page number text field. This is a variable which outputs the current page number and the total number of pages in the report. This is added to or removed from the design surface by selecting or clearing the Page Footer check box on the Page Setup tab.