12. Sorting, grouping and pagination

Sorting, grouping and pagination

Sorting creates order, grouping creates meaning, and page breaks create readable sections.

Open Report designer on the desktop Administration.

Your goal

You can sort data on multiple levels, create header and footer groups, and control when a new page begins.

Why this is crucial in the report designer

The same data sets can seem chaotic or insightful. The correct order makes patterns visible and leads the reader from overview to detail.

Elements and settings at a glance

• Sort Fields: List of sort fields with ascending or descending order and priority.
• Group field: Data field or expression whose value changes to start a new group.
• GroupHeader: Shows group name and, if applicable, column header.
• GroupFooter: Shows group-related totals or closing information.
• Repeat Every Page: Repeats the group header on subsequent pages.
• Keep Together: Attempts to keep group or section together.
• Page break: Starts a new page before or after a volume.

Here's how to do it

1. Define the natural reader order and maximum necessary sorting levels.
2. Insert a GroupHeader and set the grouping field.
3. Place group name in the header and group total in the footer.
4. For long groups, activate a repeated head.
5. Only place page breaks where a new section makes technical sense.

Exercise

Group a list by category, sort by item number within the category, and start each category on a new page. Add a group total.

Check the result

• Sorting priorities are clear.
• Each record appears in exactly one group.
• Group totals are reset correctly.
• Page breaks do not create unwanted blank pages.

Typical errors and their solutions

• Assume sorting only in the data source: Define the required order in the report.
• Keep Together for Very Large Groups: May not be fully satisfied and create unexpected voids.
• Page break at multiple levels: May cause double breaks and blank pages.

Your result

The report reads like a consciously constructed story rather than a disorganized data export.

Further information / source

Related topics

1. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 05. Ribbons and print sequence
2. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 10. Calculated fields, totals and running values
3. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Report designer › 13. Parameters and filters

Frequently asked questions