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Managing columns in the Reports Editor

2148  Reports Editor, Reports Editor

In a List report, each item you place is printed as a column.

Add a column

You can also add a column via the Columns menu or the context menu. In this case, you'll need to designate the desired field in the Formula Editor that appears on screen. You'll also need to give it a title (in the Title line).

The new column is added to the right of the last existing column in the report.

The fields displayed in the scroll area are those of the base file. To display the fields of another file, use the pop-up menu at the top of this list.

Note: in the Formula Editor, database files are called "tables".

Note: You cannot add or modify columns in a Pivot table report, as the editing area already contains all the necessary columns.

Insert a column

This command in the Columns menu or context menu works in the same way as the Add command, except that the new column is added before the selected column.

Modify a column

This command displays the Formula Editor, allowing you to modify the contents of the selected column (in a List report) or the selected cell (in a Pivot table report). You can also double-click on the column name.

Delete a column

This command in the Columns menu or context menu deletes the selected column.

You cannot delete a column in a Pivot table report.

Move left

Choose this command from the Columns menu to move the selected column to the left.

Move right

Choose this command from the Columns menu to move the selected column to the right.

Hide a column or row

This command, accessible via the context menu, is only available for List reports. It allows you to specify that the selected column (or row) is not to be printed. A hidden column (or row) is grayed out in the report editing area.

This is useful, for example, when you want the report to show only subtotals: simply hide the Format line. You can also use this function to hide a sub-total line or the Grand Total line.

Finally, you can hide a column that you need to use for sorting, but don't want to display in the report.

Automatic width

This command can be accessed via the context menu. When this attribute is associated with the selected column or cell, the program attempts to adjust the width of the column so that its contents fit on a single line. Manual resizing deselects the Automatic width option if it was activated for the column concerned.

Repeated values

In a List report with subtotals, the column corresponding to a field in the Sort order area will print an identical value on several consecutive lines. This will be the case if the Repeated values option is ticked in the context menu.

However, the readability of the document will most often be improved by printing only the first of these repeated values. To do this, simply make sure that the Repeated values option is unchecked in the context menu.

Warning: Select the relevant column before viewing or modifying this option.

 

 
Managing columns in the Reports Editor