Adding data values and captions

Before you place a data object onto the report design window, click one of the icons on the integrated toolbar to specify whether you wish to drop the item or its title, and whether the object is part of a table.

Dropping the object as a simple report field:

  • Form field value object
  • Form field title object - Places the caption for the selected object. Use for field labels.

Dropping the object aligned as part of a table (the space allocated for the column will be the larger of the space required for the data or the title, helping to align the title and data in the columns of a table):

  • Table column value object
  • Table column title object - Places the caption for the selected object. Use for table column headers.
  • Table column value object for a column without a title - if you are not going to have a column header, the space allocated for the column is set to the maximum required by the value only.
Allow the Report Designer to determine the type of dropped object.
  • Create element based on the document context
    The object type created for a field is determined by the location in the document. Consider dragging a numeric field to two different locations in a document. In the first instance, the object is dropped into the OnEveryRow stripe and it becomes a Decimal Format Box. In the second instance, the object is dropped onto a Map Chart and it becomes a chart Item element.
    Table 1. Rules governing element creation based on context
    Element Condition
    ITEM (“key” is set if field isn’t numeric, “value” otherwise) Parent element is a MAPCHART
    CATEGORYITEM (“key” is set if field isn’t numeric, “value” otherwise) Parent element is a CATEGORYCHART
    Same object as option “Create a table column title object” Parent element is of class grwTableHeader
    Same object as option “Create a table column value object” Parent element is of class grwTableRow
    Same object as option “Create a table column value object for a column without title” Parent element is of class grwHeadlessTableRow
    Same object as option “Create a form fields value object” If none of the above are applicable.

The data objects are automatically contained in a Word Box if the data type is defined as less than 30 CHAR, and in Wordwrap Boxes if the data type is defined as larger than 30 CHAR. If the data type is Numeric, the data object is contained in a Decimal Format Box.

The text property of the Word Box or Word Wrap Box, or the value property of the Decimal Format Box, specify what will print in the report output. The value property of the Decimal Format Box can be calculated using an Expression. See Using RTL Expressions.