reports it key ideas, dynamic database systems, 2002 chapter 5

Reports

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

Chapter 5

• Margins (top, bottom, left, right)

• A report heading and footer

• Page headers and footers

• Group headers and footers

• Printing controls, eg. in columns

Reports are based on queriesand add the following features

other title

Main title

duplicates hidden

Group header

data

Page footer

Group footer/summary information

Design view

other title

Main title

Group header

Page footer

Group footer/summary information

other information

Field names

Data boxes

Headers and Footers

The information in the report header and footer are printed on one page only.

For example, the last page can present what is termed a Grand Summary. This might be a count of the records in the report, or the grand total of the prices.

Headers and Footers

The information in a group header and footer is printed before or after each group respectively.

For example, at the bottom of each group Summary Information can be displayed. This might be a count of the records in the group, or the sub-total of the costs within that group.

Typical database reports include

• a title (and sub-title)• a group sub-heading• column sub-headings• data• repetitive data not being printed• a summary• grand summary• and other information, be this page

numbers, date or the author of the report.

Creating a Report

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

Example

Print a list of people with red hair in order of age, displaying the number of people in the output.

Create the Query

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

The outcome requires the names of people and their ages, in age order, where their hair colour is red.The names of the people may be their full names, separate given names and surnames or possibly surnames only.Use the Age calculation saved from previous queries.

Field Full Name:[Given … Age:Int((Date()-… Hair Colour Surname

Sort ascending ascending

Show

Criteria red

Create report by using wizard

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

select Create a report by using wizard and select the query

the wizard prompts

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

which fields? all of them

but as Hair Colour will not be displayed,

choose it last

grouping? none for the current task

sorting? already sorted by Age, but if not, choose Age

layout? tabular

style? personal preference

title? something like People with red hair

preview or modify.

Skills

page numbers, names, dates displaying summary calculations

grand summarygroup summary

non-repeating of repetitive data minimising the number of pages controlling printing, including page and

column breaks.

Page numbers• pages numbers are displayed by the field titled

[Page]

• and the number of pages in the report by the field titled [Pages]

Text can be added to the numbers by enclosing in quotes. For example,

=“page “&[Page] or

="page " & [Page] & " of " & [Pages]NB: page numbers are only for multi-page reports.

Displaying dates

as in queries, the current date can be displayed dynamically by using the calculation =Date() in a text box.

Summaries

Two types, namely

• Grand summary• Summary (group summary)

A Grand Summary appears in a • Report Footer or Header

A Summary appears in a • Group Footer or Header

Calculating the Summaries

The following functions are typically used

• Count• Sum• Avg• Max• Min

Examples of Summaries

=Count([Surname])

=Sum([Appearance Fee])

=Avg([Age])

=Max([Mark])

Examples of Summaries

When placed in the Report Footer=Count([Surname])

will display the number of records that reside in the output

Examples of Summaries

When placed in a Group Footer=Avg([Age])

will display the average age for each group in the report, eg. each Hair Colour group.

Avoiding repetitive data

Method 1 - Hiding

select the field showing the repetitive data in the Details section of the report choose Properties and set the property Hide Duplicates to Yes

set to Yes

Avoiding repetitive data

Method 2 - Groups

click the Sorting and Grouping button andchoose a field on which to set the Groupingset the Group Header and/or Footer to Yes

set to Yes

Minimising the number of pages

Keep the detail section as clean and short as possible.

Hint

Eliminate or minimise the gaps above and below the text boxes.

Columns

Set these properties in Page SetupColumns

when using Group Headers with Columns

In Group Header Properties set the property Repeat Section to yes.

Hint

set to Yes

to avoidthis problem

Controlling printing

The printing of data in groups can be controlled by utilising the properties calledForce New Page and/or New Column.

Sample output

Example 2

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

Print a list of the (full) names of people

(alphabetically) without brownish hair colour,

displaying the number of people in each hair

colour group and also overall (using a

minimum number of pages).

Sample output

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

page 58 Practical 5.1 People

Producing an output that displays

FemaleAbbott

Abram

Almond

Apponyi

…

Male

Abbery

Aitchison

Auerbach

Auld

…

where the column headings are the full word version of the gender.

Create a new table

In the new table create two fields, according to the data dictionary shown

Field Name Data Type Size

Sex Text 1Gender Text 6

Save the table, eg. Genders.

Enter data into the new table

Sex GenderF FemaleM Male

Creating a lookup list in the many table

The data relationship between the Genders and Details tables is one to many, as a Gender has many people, but any person only has one gender.

The Genders table is referred to as the one table and the Details table is then referred to as the many table.

In this table it is possible to create a Lookup List that allows for easy data entry when entering each new person’s gender.

Selecting a gender by using a lookup list

A lookup list can also be referred to as pop-down list.

Creating the lookup list

Choose Design view for the Details table.Select the Sex field At the bottom, next to

General, select the Lookup tab.

Change the Display Control to Combo Box.

Click on the Build button on the Row Source and this opens a query.

Add the Genders table to the query and the two fields to the query

close and update the row source.

Change the column count to 2as two fields were placed in the QBE,enter two Column Widths, eg. 1.5, 2.5enter a total width in List Width, eg. 4

**

*NB: the SQL statement

View the table.Click anywhere in the Sex field (column) and click the Lookup arrow.

IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002

page 63 Practical 5.3 People

Chapter 5

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IT Key Ideas, Dynamic Database Systems, 2002