Selecting the right containers gives you the ability to easily manage and organize your
reports.
The template for new reports starts with a Page Root in the report structure, which is a Mini Page container expanded to its
maximum width and length. Other containers used for the report are dropped within the Page Root.
Although you could drop all the elements directly on the Page Root, building up the report in blocks
of containers allows you to group elements together, move the groups around, and align the children
elements within a parent container.
- A Mini Page is used for the main container of a report page. The default name is PageRoot. The
default Layout Direction when you add elements to a Mini Page is top to bottom, down the length of
the page. This container propagates: when a report is printed, if a Mini Page fills, a copy is made
and the leftover material flows to the copy or copies as needed.
- Use a Layout Node for page headers and footers. A Vertical Box (Layout Node) defines a
rectangular area in the report in which the elements are laid out top-to-bottom by default. A Layout
Node does not propagate; the contents of headers or footers can not spill over into another page.
Within the header or footer Layout Node, use Stripe (Mini Page) containers for elements that should
be laid out left-to-right across the page. Adding a Stripe to a Layout Node automatically extends
the Layout Node across the page.
- Use a Stripe (Mini Page) container for table rows. A Stripe (Mini Page) container is a Mini Page
with the Y-Size set to "max", so it stretches across the report page. Items added to a Stripe are
laid out left-to-right. if the elements within a Stripe exceed the page width, the row is broken
into the next line.
- Use a Mini Page for a report page with a different layout, such as a different first page.