11. Format numbers, dates and text

Format numbers, dates and text

Formatting translates technical values into readable business language - with proper decimals, currency, percent, date and text flow.

Open Report designer on the desktop Administration.

Your goal

You can format numbers, money, percentages and dates consistently and display dynamic text without truncation.

Why this is crucial in the report designer

A value only becomes clear through its format: 0.15 can mean proportion, percentage or amount of money. Good formatting prevents misinterpretations and speeds up reading.

Elements and settings at a glance

• Text format string: Sets the display format using wildcards, such as date, number, percent, or currency.
• Format String Editor: Provides categories and previews for common formats.
• Text alignment: Aligns text within the element; Numbers mostly on the right.
• Can Grow: Makes the element taller for long content.
• Can shrink: Reduces empty space when content is short or missing.
• Word Wrap: Wraps text within the available width.
• Process Duplicates: If necessary, controls how repeated same values are represented.

Here's how to do it

1. Determine the technical meaning and required accuracy of the value.
2. Select an appropriate category in the Format String Editor.
3. Align values consistently and set decimals consistently.
4. Enable meaningful growth and breaks for variable text.
5. Check zero, negative values, large numbers, various dates and long texts.

Exercise

Format a date, a quantity with three decimal places, an amount with two decimal places, and a discount as a percent. Also test a two-line item name.

Check the result

• Decimal and thousand separators match the language.
• Currency and percentage value are interpreted technically correctly.
• Date format is clear and complete.
• Long texts do not obscure subsequent content.

Typical errors and their solutions

• Percentage scaled incorrectly: Check whether the data returns 0.15 or 15.
• Currency symbol fixed as text: Can be incorrect with foreign currencies; use data or appropriate format logic.
• Rigid height: Leads to truncated content in translations and long texts.

Your result

Numbers and texts speak a clear, consistent language – regardless of data length and output page.

Further information / source

Related topics

1. For Customizer – Customize screens and forms › Report designer › 07. Tables and repeated detail lines
2. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 09. Data fields and expression editor
3. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 17. Multilingual reports

Frequently asked questions