Understanding the Results Panel

As you create or modify a report, the Results Panel displays the Layout Canvas in the default Interactive Design view, or in the Query Design pane when you select Query Design view. When you execute a report, the Results Panel displays the Output window. If the output window is closed or if there is no report to preview, the Results Panel is blank. You can select Query Design view or Interactive Design view from the Design group of the View tab or Home tab.

The following image shows the Results Panel, which displays a chart preview when you first enter InfoAssist to create a chart. The Resources Panel appears to the left of the Results Panel.

After executing a report to generate output, if you minimize or close the Output window, the Results Panel displays empty space, as shown in the following image.

Using the Query Design Pane in the Results Panel

The Query Design pane displays the Filter area, and the Query field containers. The Query Design pane is displayed in the Resources Panel below the Data pane when you select the default Interactive Design view.

The Results Panel provides a larger area for displaying the Query Design pane. This feature is useful when you are designing a report with multiple filters or numerous fields. You can select Query Design view or Interactive Design view from the Design group of the View tab or Home tab.

The following image shows the Query Design pane in the Results Panel of the InfoAssist application window. It is displaying report field containers that include Filter, Sum, By, and Across.

Query Design Pane in the Result Panel

Depending on whether you are creating a report or a chart, the Query Design pane displays selected data source fields using different types of field containers. For reports, the Query Design pane displays Column Labels, Row Labels, and Measures field containers. For charts, the Query Design pane displays Filter, Legend (Series), Categories (Axis), and Measures (SUM) field containers, as shown in the following image.

Query Design pane for report query

Understanding the Layout Canvas

The Layout Canvas displays a preview of the report being created or modified in the Results Panel when you are in the default Interactive Design view. To select Interactive Design view, go to the Design group of the View tab or Home tab and select Interactive. The Layout Canvas is always fully maximized (within the Results Panel) and cannot be minimized, cascaded, or tiled. However, whenever no report exists, a blank canvas is displayed.

The Layout Canvas displays either live data or sample data, depending on whether you selected Data from Source (the default) or Use Sample Data in the Design group of the Home tab. When you select Data from Source, a live preview of the report being built is refreshed in the Layout Canvas as you add and remove data source fields in the report. When you select Use Sample Data, the Layout Canvas displays sample data from the Master File, with the same formatting and styling used to display live data.

The following image shows a preview of a report displayed in the Layout Canvas in Interactive Design view.

Layout Canvas query preview

Understanding the Output Window

Reference:

When you run a report, the output is displayed either as a output window in the Results Panel or in a new browser window. You can create and display multiple output windows in several different ways, depending on the following options. You can select these options in the Output Window group of the View tab:

Cascade
Tile Horizontally
Tile Vertically
Switch
Single Tab
New Tab
New Window
Single Window

Output window and tab options are also available in the Status Bar, and output window display options are also available in the Navigation Taskbar.

Note: When you run a report, tab focus will be on the output window and pressing the Tab key will not move the selection. To move the Tab focus out of the output window, press F6.

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Reference: Output Target Options

The following are output target options that you can select.

Single Tab. When you select Single Tab and run a report, a new output window is created in the Results Panel, a report instance is created, and an output tab is placed on the Navigation Taskbar. As you modify a report, the same output window is refreshed each time the report is run. This option, which is the default, is ideal when you are working with just one report.
New Tab. When you select New Tab, each time you run a report, a new output window is created in the Results Panel. A new report instance is also created and preserved by the addition of a new output tab on the Navigation Taskbar. Each output tab maintains the output of the report that generated the corresponding output window. Selecting an output tab on the Navigation Taskbar loads the associated output instance into the output window.
New Window. When you select New Window, each time you run a report, a new browser window is opened and populated with the report output. The output is not displayed in the Results Panel, and an output tab is not added to the Navigation Taskbar.
Single Window. When you select Single Window and run a report, a new browser window is opened and populated with the report output. As you modify the report, the same browser window is refreshed each time the report is run. If the browser window is closed and the report is run, a new browser window is opened again and is refreshed for each subsequent run. The output is not displayed in the Results Panel, and an output tab is not added to the Navigation Taskbar.

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Reference: Output View Options

The following are output view options that you can select.

Cascade. When you select Cascade, if multiple output windows exist, they are cascaded diagonally across the Results Panel, as shown in the following image. This option does not affect open browser windows when you select New Window or Single Window.
Tile Horizontally. When you select Tile Horizontally, if multiple output windows exist, they are tiled horizontally, one above another, across the Results Panel, as shown in the following image. This option does not affect open browser windows when you select New Window or Single Window.
Tile Vertically. When you select Tile Vertically, if multiple output windows exist, they are tiled vertically, side by side, across the Results Panel, as shown in the following image. This option does not affect open browser windows when you select New Window or Single Window.
Switch. When you select Switch, a drop-down menu opens, where you can select any active report to view the output. The selected report is loaded into the output window or browser window, depending on the selected output window or tab option.

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Reference: Output Format Options

The Output window can display report output in any of the supported formats, which include HTML, active report, active Flash, PDF, active PDF, Excel formats, and PowerPoint. For more information on the additional Excel formats available for reports, see Excel Output for Reports.

The following image shows HTML report output, which is the default output format, as displayed in the Output window. The Resources Panel is displayed on the left.

HTML report in Query Output window

The following image shows active report output displayed with an output location of new window.

Active report in Query Output window

The following image shows active Flash output displayed with an output location of new window. The drop-down menu for the second column of data exposes the reporting options.

Active Flash output in Query Output window

The following image shows PDF report output displayed with an output location of new window.

PDF report in Query Output window

The following image shows active PDF report output displayed with an output location of new window.

Active PDF report output in new window

Note: The active PDF output can only be displayed if you have Adobe Reader 9.0 or higher.

The following image shows Excel 2000 report output displayed with an output location of new window.

Excel report in Query Output window

The following image shows PowerPoint report output displayed with an output location of new window.

PowerPoint report in Query Output window