There are two aspects of a successful report: the information
presented and how it is presented. A report that identifies related
groups of information and draws attention to important facts will
be more effective than one that simply shows columns of data.
When you have selected the data that is going to be included
in your report and how you want it to appear, you can then continue
developing your report with custom formatting. There are many things
you can add to your request in order to make your report more effective.
You can:
- Add titles,
headings, and footings. You can also change column titles with the AS
phrase, and create headings and footings for different levels of
the report (including each sort group, each page, and the entire
report).
- Change the
format of a field and the justification of a column title.
- Determine the
width of a report column.
- Dynamically
control the display of subtotals, headings, and footings based on conditions
you define.
- Highlight a
group of related information and separate it from other groups by inserting
blank lines or underlines between each group.
- Emphasize data
using color to highlight certain values in your report based on conditions
you define.
- Format your
report using external cascading style sheets.
- Add drill-down
capability to your report. This adds extra value by linking your
report to other reports or URLs that provide more detail.