05. Ribbons and print order

Ribbons and print order

Bands are the temporal dramaturgy of a report: They determine what is printed once, per page, per group or for each data record.

Open Report designer on the desktop Administration.

Your goal

You understand the main band types and can arrange heading, page header, detail row, group total and grand total in the right place.

Why this is crucial in the report designer

Bands make a report dynamic. The same template handles one record or ten thousand because each tape has a clear repeat rule.

Elements and settings at a glance

• Top Margin / Bottom Margin: margins; they exist in every report and are repeated on every page.
• ReportHeader: Unique beginning of the entire report, such as title and period.
• PageHeader / PageFooter: Repeat on every page, ideal for column headers, page numbers or short labels.
• Details: Repeats its contents for each record of the current data member.
• GroupHeader / GroupFooter: Open and close a professional group; suitable for group name and group total.
• ReportFooter: Single end of report, often for totals and closing information.
• Detail report: Own child report area for a master-detail relationship.
• SubBand: Divides a volume into functional sections, for example for conditional variants.

Here's how to do it

1. Highlight the report or a band and open the context menu.
2. Add only the ribbons needed for the purpose.
3. Place static column headers in the PageHeader or GroupHeader and data rows in detail.
4. Place group and total totals in the appropriate footbands.
5. Check the print order in the multi-page, multi-group preview.

Exercise

Build a list with report title once, column heading on each page, a repeating detail row and grand total at the end.

Check the result

• Each piece of content appears exactly as often as technically intended.
• Column headings are also on subsequent pages.
• Totals are in the correct scope.
• Empty bands do not create unnecessary gaps.

Typical errors and their solutions

• Title in the detailed volume: The title is repeated for each record.
• Total in PageFooter: It can appear per page instead of once.
• Delete tape: Also deletes all items contained therein; use Undo or a backup beforehand.

Your result

You consciously control repetition and sequence - the report works regardless of the amount of data.

Further information / source

Related topics

1. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 04. Data source, data member and field list
2. For Customizer – Customize screens and forms › Report designer › 07. Tables and repeated detail lines
3. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 12. Sorting, grouping and page breaks

Frequently asked questions