Creating and using reports

L E S S O N 6 Creating and using reports Lesson objectives To present data from your tables, you will need to generate reports. To create and use reports, you will: a b Create a standard report with data in rows and columns. Create a report that groups information by categories and includes summary information. Ashbury Training 2005 6-1

Access 2000: Level 1 a Creating a report Although you can print datasheets and forms in Access, creating reports usually makes your data more presentable and meaningful. You can specify the fields that you want to include, and organize the data by grouping and sorting the records. You can also include summary calculations in your reports. The Access Report Wizard prompts you with questions and uses your responses to create a report based on a table or a query that you designate. Figure 6-1: The grouped and sorted report in Print Preview mode. Task A-1: Creating a report and selecting the data source 1. Open the Reports database Maximize the Database window 2. Display the list of report objects There are none. 3. Click on New (Or, from the Database window, select Create Report By Using Wizard.) To create a report. 4. In the New Report dialog box, select Report Wizard To use the Report Wizard to create the report. 6-2 Ashbury Training 2005

Lesson 6: Creating and using reports 5. Display the Choose The Table Or Query Where The Object s Data Comes From drop-down list and select tblhumanresourcesdata To base the report on the tblhumanresourcesdata table. 6. Click on OK To advance to the next dialog box. Task A-2: Adding fields to the report 1. From the Tables/Queries dropdown list, select Table:tblHumanResourcesData 2. Verify that strempid is selected Click on > To add the strempid field to the report. 3. Add the following fields to the report: inthours curpayrate strdept memcomments 4. Click on Next> To advance to the next dialog box. Grouping data in a report Access provides the option of grouping the report by the entire contents of a field, which means that the final report will divide the table into categories of related records. For instance, if you group the contents of the strdeptcode field, then the employees will be listed by department in the report. You can group up to 10 fields or expressions in a report. Sorting data in a report After you have grouped your data, you can further organize it by specifying a sort order. You can sort up to 10 fields or expressions. Ashbury Training 2005 6-3

Access 2000: Level 1 Task A-3: Adding a group and specifying the sort order q Objective: To organize the data in the report by the strdept field, so that Access displays all of the records for the same department together; to order the data within each department by the curpayrate field. 1. From the list box, select the strdept field Click on > To add a grouping level on the Department Code data. When you select a field to be grouped on, Access also sorts by that field. 2. Observe the sample report The strdept field is pulled out of the Detail section of the report and placed above it. 3. Click on Next> To advance to the Sorting dialog box. 4. In the first sort box, display the drop-down list Select curpayrate To choose curpayrate as the field to sort by (within each department). It will be in ascending order. 5. Click on Next> To advance to the next dialog box. Report layouts A layout refers to the arrangement of data and labels on a report. You can select one of six layouts. Report styles The style defines how the title and the information in the Detail section are displayed on the report. 6-4 Ashbury Training 2005

Lesson 6: Creating and using reports Task A-4: Selecting the layout and style of the report 1. Observe the dialog box The default layout is Stepped and the Orientation is Portrait. The field width will be adjusted so all fields fit on a page. 2. Click on Next> To accept the default layout of Stepped for the report and advance to the next dialog box. 3. In the format box, select Corporate Click on Next> To set the style to Corporate and advance to the next dialog box. Task A-5: Adding a title and previewing the report 1. Type Hours and Rates by Department 2. Click on Finish To preview the report. 3. Observe the Print Preview window The report has the title at the top and current date and page number at the bottom. Data is grouped by department code. The records within each department group are sorted by pay rate data. Text fields are left-aligned; number fields are right-aligned. 4. Explore the toolbar by displaying ScreenTips 5. Move the mouse pointer over the report page The mouse pointer changes to a magnifying glass. Ashbury Training 2005 6-5

Access 2000: Level 1 6. On the report, click the mouse button 7. On the report, click the mouse button 8. Click on the vertical and horizontal scroll arrows to view the report To zoom out to single-page view. The Comments field width is adjusted so all fields fit on a page. To return to 100% view. The report lists the employees in pay rate order grouped by the departments in which they work. Report sections The Report Wizard automatically adds a title, the date, and page numbers to your report. This data is placed in one of the sections of the report. When you view the design of the report, the window might be divided into several areas. These areas control where the information is printed in a report. The following table describes the various report sections: Section Placement Commonly used for Report Header At the beginning of the report. Displaying the title and date of the report, or a cover page if the report is long. Page Header At the top of each page. Making column headings in a tabular report. Group Header Detail Group Footer Page Footer At the start of each group. In the body of the report. At the end of each group. At the bottom of each page. Indicating how the information in the report is grouped. Displaying information for each record. Displaying summary calculations performed for each group. Adding page numbers to a report. (You can place the expression =Page in this section in an unbound control.) Report Footer At the end of the report. Providing summary calculations for all records in the report. Task A-6: Viewing the report design 1. Click on Close To close Print Preview and open the Report Design window. 6-6 Ashbury Training 2005

Lesson 6: Creating and using reports 2. If necessary, close the toolbox, field list, and property sheet Observe the design of the report The report Design View window is divided into several sections. The report header contains the title. The strdept Header is for each group. The Detail section contains the fields. The page footer contains a control to provide page numbers and a function to print the current date. Ashbury Training 2005 6-7

Access 2000: Level 1 3. Observe the controls Labels and fields in the report Design View window are much like those used for form design. 4. Close the report Design View window Renaming a database object You can rename a table, query, form, report, page, macro, or module from the Database window. The object must be closed before you rename it. If you rename a table, you need to update any reference to the object in forms and reports in the Record Source property in the property sheet. Task A-7: Renaming the report q Objective: To rename the Hours And Rates By Department report object. 1. Right-click on the report Hours And Rates By Department Choose _Rename_ 2. Type rptmyhoursandrates Press R To rename the report. The new object name adheres to the Leszynski Naming Convention by using the tag rpt. To complete the renaming. 6-8 Ashbury Training 2005

Lesson 6: Creating and using reports b Creating a report that contains totals Calculated fields A report can be based on a table or a query. Basing a report on a query is an easy way to include calculated fields and selected records, or to print data from more than one table. Although you can add a calculated field to a report after it is created, it is much easier to create the calculated field in a query and use the Report Wizard to add the calculated field to the report. Figure 6-2: The report after Task B-4 is completed. Task B-1: Creating a report with the Report Wizard q Objective: To view the query the report will be based on; to create the report by specifying its source, fields, field groups, and sort order. 1. Open the qryemployeeinformation query and view the results Change to Design View Close the query Design View window Thirteen fields are included, the last of which is the calculated field, Gross Pay. The information is from four joined tables. Only selected fields are included. Gross Pay is a calculated field. Ashbury Training 2005 6-9

Access 2000: Level 1 2. Display the list of report objects Click on the New button To display the New Report dialog box. 3. Select Report Wizard From the Choose The Table Or Query Where The Object s Data Comes From drop-down list, select the qryemployeeinformation query To base the report on a multi-table query. 4. Click on OK To advance to the next dialog box. 5. Add the following fields to the report: strfirstname strlastname strdeptname inthours curpayrate Gross Pay Click on Next> 6. Select strdeptname To advance to the Grouping dialog box. To group the data by the department name. Click on > Click on Next> To advance to the Sorting dialog box. 7. Display the first sort level drop-down list Select strlastname Display the second sort level drop-down list Select strfirstname To produce a primary sort on the employees last names. If there are duplicate last names, they will be secondarily sorted by first names within each department. Summary information You can perform summary operations on currency, number, and yes/no field types in the report. Using calculations in your report enables you to summarize data. You can calculate summary, average, minimum, and maximum values. These values can be calculated for each group, for every record included in the report, or for both. 6-10 Ashbury Training 2005

Lesson 6: Creating and using reports Task B-2: Adding summary fields and choosing a layout 1. Click on Summary Options... To display the Summary Options dialog box. 2. Observe the options The main area displays the fields on which you can perform calculations. Only number and currency values can have summary operations performed on them. Three fields in this report qualify: inthours, curpayrate, and GrossPay. 3. For the field curpayrate, check the Avg check box There are four different types of summary information: Sum, Avg, Min, and Max. 4. Observe the Show box The Average Pay Rate summary information will be displayed as both a subtotal (for each department) and a grand total (for all departments). 5. For the field Gross Pay, check Sum Observe the Show box The Total Pay Rate summary information will be displayed as both a subtotal (for each department) and a grand total (for all departments). 6. Click on OK To return to the Sorting dialog box. 7. Click on Next> To advance to the Layout dialog box. The layout of the report determines the arrangement and page orientation of information in the report. 8. In the Layout box, select Block 9. Click on Next> To advance to the Format dialog box. Ashbury Training 2005 6-11

Access 2000: Level 1 Task B-3: Finishing and previewing the report 1. From the list of styles, select Bold Click on Next> 2. Type Employee Pay Summary The sample image displays the effect of the Bold style. To advance to the next dialog box. To give the report a title and preview the report. Click on Finish 3. Observe the report The information is grouped by the department name. The summary data is displayed for every group. The gross pay summary data does not display dollar signs. A grand total for gross pay is displayed at the end of the report. 4. Click on Close To close the Print Preview window and view the report design. 5. Observe the report design The Report Wizard built the design as you progressed through the Wizard dialog boxes. Report properties You can enhance the appearance of a report by modifying the properties of its controls. To do this, select the control, display the property sheet, and change specific property settings. For example, you can use the Format property to customize the way numbers, dates, times, and text are displayed and printed. 6-12 Ashbury Training 2005

Lesson 6: Creating and using reports Task B-4: Viewing and changing field properties q Objective: To format the summary value for the Gross Pay field to display dollar signs. 1. In the strdeptname Footer section, for the =Sum[Gross Pay] text box control, display the property sheet 2. Click in the Format property text box (Use the Properties button or the right-click menu shortcut.) To display the values with a leading dollar sign. Display the Format dropdown list Select Currency 3. Preview the report The AutoFormat feature You can use the AutoFormat feature to quickly change the appearance of a report. Task B-5: Changing the appearance of a report 1. Return to Design View Choose _Edit Select_All_ (Or press Ctrl + A.) 2. Click on the AutoFormat button To display the AutoFormat dialog box. 3. From the Report AutoFormats list, select Casual The sample image of the report updates to display the Casual style. Ashbury Training 2005 6-13

Access 2000: Level 1 4. From the Report AutoFormats list, select Compact Click on OK 5. Preview the report To return to the report design. The appearance of the report is changed. Close the preview window 6. Save the report Printing reports When you want to print a report, you can print all records, a selection of records, or a specific range of pages. You can also specify the number of copies to print and the page orientation (portrait or landscape). Other printing options include margins and paper size. Task B-6: Examining the Print dialog box 1. Choose _File Print..._ To display the Print dialog box. 2. Observe the Print dialog box The printer is the default Windows printer. The Print Range is All, which prints all the pages of the report. You can select another option to print specific pages if you do not need to print the entire report. 3. Click on Cancel To close the Print dialog box without printing. 4. Close the report Do not save changes if prompted. Close the database 6-14 Ashbury Training 2005

Lesson 6: Creating and using reports ( Practice Unit for Lesson 6 In this activity, you will create a report by using the Report Wizard. 1. Open the database Reptprac. Display the list of report objects. 2. Use the wizard to create a new report based on the tblbookorders table. Include the Customer, Quantity, Book Title, and Sales Id fields. Group the report by the values in the Sales Id field. Sort within groups by Book Title. 3. Select the Outline 1 layout and the Soft Gray style. Add the title Sales Representative Summary. View the report. 4. View the report Design View window. 5. Close the report. 6. Close the database. Figure 6-3: The completed Sales Representative Summary report. Ashbury Training 2005 6-15

Access 2000: Level 1 ) Wrap-up for Lesson 6 a Why would you use the Report Wizard? b Why would you base a report on a query? 6-16 Ashbury Training 2005

Ashbury Training 2005