Report Designer OverView

Overview

This training document provides a practical introduction to the Report Designer, explaining how to open it, work with existing templates, and customize reports such as invoices. By the end of this guide, you should be comfortable navigating the designer, editing report elements, and using fields, formulas, and controls.

Accessing the Report Designer

1. Navigate to Settings → Tools.

2. Scroll down and select Report Designer.

3. The Report Designer opens in a new workspace.

The Report Designer allows you to:

• Create static reports

• Create editable PDFs

• Modify existing report templates

Opening an Existing Report Template

1. Click the Menu icon (top-left corner).

2. Select Open.

3. Search for the required report (e.g. Invoice).

4. Choose the desired template (e.g. Invoice Standard).

All available report templates are listed here.

Creating a New Version of a Report

If you want to create a variation of an existing report:

1. Open the report template.

2. Click the Menu icon.

3. Select Save As.

4. Enter a new name (for example, to create a credit note or proforma version).

This ensures the original template remains unchanged.

Understanding the Report Structure

On the left-hand side, the Report Explorer (Tree View) displays the structure of the report.

Typical sections include:

• Top Margin

• Report Header

• Detail Section

• Footer Sections

Each section can be expanded to view the controls it contains.

Resizing Sections

• Hover your mouse over section boundaries.

• Arrow indicators appear, allowing you to resize sections such as margins or headers.

Working with Properties

Clicking on any control displays its Properties panel (gear icon).

From the Properties panel, you can:

• Change displayed text

• Format fonts and colors

• Adjust alignment and borders

• Configure summaries and calculations

Note: Many items you click (e.g. invoice lines) are table cells, not labels, but their properties are very similar.

Labels vs Table Cells

• Labels: Text boxes used for static or dynamic text

• Table Cells: Used within tables (e.g. invoice line items)

When a label is selected:

• The Properties panel identifies it as a Label

• Visual indicators help identify what text is being displayed

Using Fields (Dynamic Data)

To bind a field to a label or table cell:

1. Select the control.

2. Click the F (Field) icon.

3. Choose from the list of available fields (e.g. Invoice Number, Customer Name).

You can place any available field anywhere on the report.

Using Functions and Logic

The Report Designer supports formulas and conditional logic.

Examples include:

• Mathematical calculations

• Conditional display using IF statements

Example

The invoice number field may use an IF statement to:

• Display different text depending on document type

• Adjust output based on specific values

This allows flexible and intelligent report layouts.

Working with Images (Logos)

• Logos are added using an Image Box.

• Images must be hosted (URL-based).

Best Practice

• Set the image option to Stretch so the logo fits neatly within the image box.

Available Controls

From the left-hand control panel, you can add:

• Label

• Checkbox

• Rich Text Box (supports HTML in PDFs)

• Image Box

• Panel

• Table

• Line breaks and shapes

• Barcodes

• Sub-reports

• Embedded PDF content

• Gauges and graphs

• Page breaks

Grouping with Panels

Panels allow you to group multiple controls together.

Benefits:

• Drag and move multiple elements at once

• Keep related items aligned and organized

Example: The invoice totals section is often grouped inside a panel.

Sub-Reports and Embedded PDFs

Sub-Reports

• Embed one report inside another

• Useful for modular or repeated report sections

Embedded PDFs

• Upload a PDF (e.g. Terms & Conditions)

• Automatically print it with documents such as hire contracts

Page Layout Tools

You can control pagination and layout using:

• Page breaks

• Section sizing

• Margins

This ensures reports print exactly as required.

Summary

The Report Designer is a powerful tool that allows you to:

• Reuse and customize report templates

• Dynamically bind data fields

• Apply conditional logic

• Group and manage layout elements

• Embed images, PDFs, and sub-reports

For further training or deep dives into specific features, additional guides can be created on request.