Reporting Aesthetics An ACEware Webinar 1:00-2:00 pm February 14 th, 2008.

Reporting AestheticsAn ACEware Webinar

1:00-2:00 pm February 14th, 2008

Today’s Agenda

Moving a Field Fonts Adding Text Entries Adding Lines & Boxes Graphics! Adding & Editing Columns Page Setup Functions & Format Options

To modify a report

Select and run your query

If you selected an additional report, select the appropriate report from the User Defined list

The report now opens in "modify" mode

Select the appropriate report area

Check Modify Report on the Printing Options

screen

The Report Designer

Moving a field

From Reports Control Toolbar select arrow tool Select the field/object Click and drag the field “Nudge” with the arrow keys

Arrow Tool

Field Positioning

Double-click a field to bring up the Report Expression Box

Allows the contents of a field to wrap to a new line, even if the Expression Box is not

large enough

Field Positioning

Double-click a field to bring up the Report Expression Box Text moves down

according to length of field information

above

Contents will always display at the bottom

of the band

Text will always display at the top of

the band

Changing Font Properties

Click the expression box or text entry to bring up the Font Properties

Select Format / Font / Color

Make selections

Click OK

Adding Text Entries

Click the Text Tool on the Report Controls Toolbar

Click where you want the text to appear. A blinking cursor marks the spot.

Begin typing!

Text Tool

Remember If editing multiple

items..lock ‘em

Editing Text Entries

Again, begin with the Text Tool

Select the text entry

Make changes, and click away from text

HINT: This is very similar to workingin a word processor

Adding Lines

Click the Line Tool on the Reports Control Toolbar

Click and drag the line--either vertically or horizontally, to the length you want.  

Line Tool

Formatting Lines

To change the thickness of the line, select Format | Pen

Select the appropriate width. Remember, there are 72 points to an inch

Adding Boxes

Boxes are excellent for calling attention to fields.

Draw a box with one of the rectangle tools(select square or round rectangles)

Rectangle Tools

Rounded Rectangles

If you selected the Rounded Rectangle, you may also select the rounding style.  To do so, draw the rectangle, then double-click it to open the Round Rectangle window.  Then select the Style.

Rectangle Formatting To change the thickness of the line, select Format |

Pen then select a size option.   To change the fill type, select Format | Fill then

select the fill type. (great for Headers)

To change the fill color, select Format | Background Color then select the color

To change the border color, select Format | Foreground Color then select the color

Adding Graphic (including your logo)

Place a copy of the image in your Student Manager folder

Click the Picture Tool on the Report Controls toolbar

Picture Tool

Click in the report where you want to place the graphic and draw a box.

Releasing the mouse opens the Report Picture window

Adding Graphic (including your logo) cont.

Click the Ellipsis button ([...] to the right of the File field).  This opens the Open window for you to find and select your graphic file.

Select the graphic and click OK

Set picture options

Ellipsis button

REMEMBER:Your File

MUST be on the network

serverTIP: Create a subfolderF:\manager7\images\

Adding Graphic (including your logo) cont.

Clip Picture – If the picture is bigger than the frame you created, only a section of the original picture will display.

Scale picture, retain shape - Displays the whole picture, filling as much of the frame as possible while retaining the relative proportions of the picture.  

Scale picture, fill the frame - Display the whole picture, filling the frame completely.  If necessary, the picture will be distorted

Adding Columns

Select File | Page Setup

Enter the number of columns you want on the report in the Number field.  

Set the width of each column in the Width field.  

Set the spacing between columns in the Spacing field

Click OK

Field Formatting Options

Field Formatting Options

Double-click a field to open the Report Expression window

Click the Ellipsis button to the right of the Format Field to open the Format window

Ellipsis

Field Formatting Options

Selecting the field type (Character, Numeric, Date) will enable the appropriate options

Number Formatting Options

999,999.99Displays 6 digits of the amount and 2 decimal places with a comma in the 1,000 place.   Note:  if you want the dollar sign to be displayed, enable the Currency option (remember you must put in one more placeholder for the dollar sign).

The ***.** in a report means your formatting is wrong

(missing 9’s)

Date Formatting

NICEDATE – returns the date in text format.  You must pass it the date field.  You can also pass it a second date and it will give you the date range in text format

Other Formatting Functions

CERTDATE - Returns date in formal date format (i.e., 10th day of January, 2008).

CMONTH - Returns the name of the month from the specified date expression

LASTPLUS - Returns formatted name

NAMER - Returns formatted Name

NICETIME - Translates military time into civilian time

SHOWPHON - Returns formatted phone number

Other Formatting Options (cont)

SHOWPYNB - Returns credit card number formatted with dashes--OR--check number

SHOWSSN - Returns formatted SSN/ID

TNAMER - Returns formatted Instructor Name.

TRIM - Trims spaces off the end of a character expression

UPPER - Returns the specified field in Upper Case

Summary

Moving a Field Fonts Adding Text Entries Adding Lines & Boxes Graphics! Adding & Editing Columns Page Setup Functions & Format Options

Questions?

Reporting Intermediate February 21st 1 PM CST Course Construction - Coordinators February 26th 2 PM CST

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