2.2 Reports
There are two commands in the File menu that relate to reports:
the New Report command and the Open Report command. The
reports created and manipulated by these commands can be saved and
transferred between company files or applications.
To create a new report, select New Report from the File
menu. This will call up a dialog that requests information about the
Report parameters. By default, the report applies to all cost centres
and its title is 'New Report'. Make any changes to these parameters
that are necessary before clicking on the button marked 'OK'.
Figure 2.2.1.1 -- New Report Window
The New Report window is called up, along with a Report
menu which contains three items: Recalculate, Insert Row,
and Insert Column. The first of these functions is used to
update the information in the cells, while Insert Row and
Insert Column are tools used to reposition the data.
Figure 2.2.1.2 -- Report Menu
To edit the information inside a cell, double-click on it to call
up the cell dialog. This dialog allows you to import information from
accounts, make calculations, or simply insert text into the body of
a cell. This information may be updated at any time by double-clicking
on the cell again or by using the Recalculate command in some
cases.
Figure 2.2.1.3 -- New Cell Dialog
The blanks in the dialog can be filled in as follows:
a) Height- the height of the cell itself. Defaults to 16.
b) Width- the width of the cell. Defaults to 70.
c) Text- the text to be contained in the cell, if
no calculations will be made.
d) Hilite- toggle on or off to hilite the entire cell.
e) Align- choose whether the text in the cell will line up
flush left, flush right, or be centered.
f) Text Style- choose font, font size, style, and text colour
in this box.
g) Numeric Style- choose from a set of format considerations
for numeric values that appear in the cell:
- Negate reverses the integer sign of the sourced value
- Round to integer forces an integer number value
- Format w/commas puts placeholder commas to separate thousands,
millions, etc.
- Mult takes the value and multiplies it by the number in the
Mult field.
- % of cell takes the source value and compares it to the value
found in the cell designated in the Percent of Cell field. The output
will be an expression of the relationship in percentage form.
- Credits in parens puts credits in parentheses.
- Show zero amounts allows the cell to show zeroes instead of
a blank field when it contains a zero value.
- Add takes the value and adds it to the number in the Add field.
To import a value from a GL account, select New Ledger from
the File menu, or type in the keyboard command equivalent,
<cmd-N>. This will call up a Source dialog that can be filled
out to your specifications.
Figure 2.2.1.4 -- Source Request Dialog
Choose the source from four possibilities:
i) Account Ac- the AC number of an account
ii) Account GL- the GL number of an account
iii) Report Cell- the value in a cell in this report
iv) Request Value with Query- type in a query that will
request a value from the user- for instance, '5 + 2 =', or
'Yesterday's closing common share price'. An alert will appear
and the user will be prompted to type in a number in answer
to the query. This number will appear in the cell.
If you chose Account AC or Account GL, then choose the value from the
account that you will be using by selecting it from the 'Use Value Of'
selectible field. Choose the applicable period from the field below it.
If you choose Request Value with Query, then type in your Query in the
appropriately marked field.
Once you are finished editing this dialog, click 'OK'. To erase this
source request, click 'Delete'. To cancel the request or cancel changes
to it, click 'Cancel'.
2.2.2 Opening an Existing Report
To open an existing report, select Open Report from the File
menu. This will call up an open file dialog. Locate the report and select
it by clicking on it and then pressing the button marked 'OK'. If you
want to abort this operation, press the button marked 'Cancel' instead.
The report will appear in read-only (non-edit) mode. To switch the report
to edit mode, click on the small pencil icon in the horizontal scroll bar.
