Quick Start: Build Your First Report
This quick start guide walks you through creating your first report in Articles. You’ll learn how to create a new report, connect it to data, place fields on the page, preview the results, and export the finished document. Articles gives you full control over layout, formatting, and expressions, so even a simple report demonstrates the power of the designer.
1. Create a New Report
Open Articles and choose New Report from the main toolbar. You’ll start with a clean, empty layout containing the basic page structure. Every report begins with a blank canvas and a set of bands that define where content appears.
The designer window includes:
- Report Canvas — The main design surface where you place text, fields, images, and layout elements.
- Report Tree — A structured outline of all bands, objects, and components in your report.
- Properties Panel — A detailed editor for formatting, alignment, data binding, and behavior.
- Toolbars — Quick access to alignment tools, object insertion, zoom, and layout commands.
This workspace is where all report design happens. Articles gives you precise control over every element, so the layout you create is exactly the layout you get.
2. Add the Essential Bands
Reports in Articles are built using bands—horizontal sections that define how content repeats or appears on each page. For a simple data‑driven report, you’ll typically use:
- Page Header — Appears at the top of every page (titles, logos, column headings).
- Data Band — Repeats once per row of data from your selected dataset.
- Page Footer — Page numbers, dates, or disclaimers.
To add a band, right‑click the canvas or use the toolbar’s Insert Band options. Drag bands into the order you need using the Report Tree.
3. Connect the Report to Your Data
Open the Data panel to view all available datasets. Articles automatically lists the tables, queries, and views available from your connected database.
To bind your report to data:
- Select a dataset from the Data panel.
- Assign it to your Data Band using the Properties panel.
- Expand the dataset to view its fields.
Once a dataset is assigned, the Data Band will repeat once for each record returned by the query or table.
4. Place Fields and Text on the Page
Drag fields from the Data panel directly onto the Data Band. Each field becomes a text object bound to that column. You can place as many fields as needed to build your row layout.
Use the Properties panel to adjust:
- Font — Size, weight, color, and style.
- Alignment — Left, right, center, or justified.
- Formatting — Currency, dates, decimals, percentages, and custom masks.
- Expressions — Calculated values, conditional text, or combined fields.
For column headings, place static text objects in the Page Header band. Align them above the fields in your Data Band for a clean, tabular layout.
5. Preview the Report
Select Preview from the toolbar to generate a live version of your report. Articles runs the report against your data and displays the output exactly as it will appear when exported or printed.
In the preview window, you can:
- Navigate pages
- Zoom in and out
- Search text
- Export to any supported format
- Print directly
If something doesn’t look right, return to the designer, adjust your layout, and preview again. Articles encourages iterative refinement.
6. Export or Send Your Report
Once your report looks the way you want, choose an export format from the preview window or the main toolbar. Articles supports over 30 formats, including PDF, Excel, Word, HTML, CSV, images, and label formats.
You can also send the report directly by email using your configured mail settings, or save it to any folder or network location.
7. Save Your Report
Choose Save to store your report in the Articles library. Saved reports appear in your organized list of documents, ready to run again, modify, or include in automated workflows.
Your first report is now complete. As you explore more features—grouping, expressions, parameters, conditional formatting—you’ll discover how much control Articles gives you over every detail of your documents.