Difference between revisions of "Create a Basic iReport Template"

Revision as of 19:38, 16 September 2013

Creating a Basic Report Using the Wizard

IMSMA^NG provides an iReport Wizard to help in the process of creating new iReport templates.

To create a report:

1. From the File menu, select New....

The iReport Wizard window displays.

2. From the Report Templates list, select the template you would like to use for your report. Blank A4 or an IMSMA specific template are preferrable

Figure 1. iReport Wizard – Step 1

3. Click the Launch Report Wizard button.

The window to name the report and file location displays.

Figure 2. iReport Wizard - Step 2

4. Select the desired Data Source for the report and choose Next

Figure 3. iReport Wizard - Step 3

5. Select the desired data fields for the report and choose Next

Figure 4. iReport Wizard - Step 4

Table 2. iReport Wizard – Buttons for selecting fields
Button	Description
	Includes the selected field in the report.
	Includes data for all fields in the report.
	Removes the selected field from the report.
	Indicates all fields from the report.

It is recommended to always include the guid field when designing a report

6. Click the Next: The window to group the report data displays. The group by step allows you to list item records that have the same value for the selected group by field together in the report. If you would like to group the report data, select the attribute on which you would like to group the data from the Group list.</

Figure 5. iReport Wizard - Step 5

7. Click the Next button and then Finish

The Wizard is complete and the iReport template designer window is open. Depending on your selections your template will look different from the example below.

Figure 6. iReport Wizard - Final Step

iReport Designer Orientation

Once your initial iReport Template has been created you can begin adding data elements to the template, modifying the layout and formatting and other aspects of modifying an iReport Template. Below is a brief orientation to the panes and functions available in the iReport Designer. If any of the panes or windows are unavailable they can be added back by selecting the Window menu.

Report Inspector

The Report Inspector pane displays a hierarchical structure of the iReport template and provides access to the available fields, parameters, and variables as well as all formatting elements of the report. Each node can be expanded for more details about the elements contained in it.

Report Canvas

The middle area of the iReport Designer displays a graphical representation of the iReport template that corresponds to the hierarchical structure in the Report Inspector. In this pane you move elements around on the canvas as well as select individual elements for editing.

Properties Pane

This pane will display all of the properties of items selected in the Report Inspector or Report Canvas. The Properties Pane displays a context-senstive list of properties for any selected item for editing.

Palette

The Palette is the area where individual graphic elements can be selected and dragged onto the canvas. This includes subreports and crosstab elements.

Formatting Tools

The Formatting Tools pane provides access to various formatting functions designed to manage the size and space between elements on the report.

iReport Output

This pane displays any problems or output from the reports.

XML and Preview Views

In addition to the Designer View, iReport Designer provides 2 additional views, the XML View and the Preview. Using the XML View you can get an editable version of the .jrxml file created by iReport Designer. This is useful for troubleshooting specific problems with a report but is generally only for advanced users.

XML View

The Preview view runs the current version of the iReport template and generates an output file with the results of the report. This is useful for ensuring that the report is function as desired prior to importing into {IMSMANG}}. This is the primary method for running iReport templates within the iReport Designer.

Preview View

Template:NavBox HowTo use iReport