For each field that you add to the report writer, you are able to specify a number of properties which are used to control the display of the report field. These properties are described below.

Data Field Name

The data field name will initially be assigned when you insert the field in the report writer. If the field is sourced from the Main database, then the Main database data field name will be used. Similarly, if the field is sourced from the Calendar database, then the Calendar database data field name will be used. If a Blank Line was inserted to create the report field, then the data field name will initially be blank. These are simply default report field names and you are free to modify them at any time.

Code and Level

As with the data field name, the code and the level number will initially be assigned a default value based on the source of the report field (ie. Main database, Calendar database or Blank row). Once again you are free to modify these properties at any time.

The Code and the Level are used to build up a full row code for each report field in the same way as they do in an XPAC database. The full row code may be used to reference a particular report field from the current report writer in a Results expression. However, only those report fields that precede the current report field can be accessed. This is because the report writer calculates values from the first field to the last field. A field that has a full row code of FEL_Wst_Vol could be referenced in a Results expression as R(rFEL_Wst_Vol). If the report is sent to a Results database, then the Code and the Level will be used in the data field design for that database.

Units

As with the data field name, the units will initially be assigned a default value based on the source of the report field (ie. Main database, Calendar database or Blank row). Once again you are free to modify the units at any time.

Field Type

The field type property is used to control how the period data is accumulated to calculate totals. For example, to control how the month totals are accumulated to calculate the yearly total. A field type in the Report Writer is set in the same way as it is in a database.

The field type is not used to sum the scheduled records to get the period totals. This is controlled by the values in the Results expression. For example, if a Result expression contains a Main database field, then its field type in the Main database will determine how the scheduled record values are accumulated to calculate the period total.

Protection

The protection column is only relevant when the schedule report is sent to a Results database. The Protection settings are exactly the same as those in an XPAC database.

Example

The example column is used to control how the values for each report field are displayed in the schedule report. The Example column is set in the same way as it is in an XPAC database.

Colour/Font etc

You can use the same formatting options (text colour, font, background colour, row heights and column widths) available for database data sheets for report fields. See Data field formatting for more information.