Note: The settings and formats defined within the Report Writer Defaults option will be utilized when creating new custom reports and when making applicable changes to existing custom reports (for example, when adding a new field to an existing report, the system will use the defaults for the appropriate field type).
From the Report Writer screen, select the Maintenance menu and then Report Writer Defaults.
At the Report Writer Defaults screen, click the Printer Settings tab and complete the following:
Enter the option (Collate, Don't Collate, or Printer Default) to use as the default for collating reports in the Collate field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. To print in sets (page number order) if multiple copies are printed and a report is multiple pages long, enter Collate. To print all the copies of each page together (not collated), enter Don't Collate. To print using the default setting for whether or not to collate from the printer preferences for the applicable printer, enter Printer Default.
Enter the option (Horizontal, Printer Default, Simplex, or Vertical) to use as the default for duplexing reports in the Duplex field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. To print on both sides of the paper using a horizontal page turn, enter Horizontal. To print using the default setting for duplex from the printer preferences for the applicable printer, enter Printer Default. To print on only one side of the paper (not duplexed), enter Simplex. To print on both sides of the paper using a vertical page turn, enter Vertical.
In the Paper Source field, enter the name of the paper source to use as the default for which the reports will print (for example, the paper tray from which the printer gets the paper to print the reports), or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. The selections available for the paper source are based on the paper sources defined for the default printer.
Enter the desired page orientation (Portrait or Landscape) to use as the default for reports in the Orientation field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. To print the reports with the long edge of the paper down the side, enter Portrait. To print the reports with the long edge of the paper on the top and bottom, enter Landscape.
Enter the distance in inches to use as the default from the top edge of the paper to where the information should start printing on the reports in the Top Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 10 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the distance in inches to use as the default from the bottom edge of the paper to where the information should stop printing on the report in the Bottom Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 10 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the distance in inches to use as the default from the left edge of the paper to where the information should start printing on the report in the Left Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 10 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the distance in inches to use as the default from the right edge of the paper to where the information should stop printing on the report in the Right Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 10 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Click the Save button.
Click the Data Formats tab and complete the following:
To select the desired true/false style to use as the default for boolean (true/false) fields included on reports, click the Search button in the Format field (column) to the right of Boolean. On the Boolean Format screen, select the true/false style to use as the default by clicking once on the desired format. Select X/ to print 'X' on the report for the field if it is true, or print nothing if it is false. Select True/False, to print 'True' on the report for the field if it is true, or print 'False' if it is false. Select Yes/No, to print 'Yes' on the report for the field if it is true, or print 'No' if it is false. Select T/F, to print 'T' on the report for the field if it is true, or print 'F' if it is false. Select Y/N, to print 'Y' on the report for the field if it is true, or print 'N' if it is false. Select */, to print an asterisk (*) on the report for the field if it is true, or print nothing if it is false. Once the desired true/false style is selected, click the Save button.
To select the desired date format to use as the default for date fields included on reports, click the Search button in the Format field (column) to the right of Date. On the Date Format screen, select the date format to use as the default by clicking once on the desired format. Once the desired date format is selected, click the Save button.
To select the desired negative style, number of decimal places, comma style, and currency style to use as the default for decimal fields included on reports, click the Search button in the Format field (column) to the right of Decimal. On the Decimal Format screen, complete the following:
In the Formats List (on the left side of the screen), select the desired negative style format to use as the default for decimal fields with negative values by clicking once on the desired format. The negative styles include printing a minus sign in front of the negative value, printing parenthesis around the negative value, or printing the negative value as a positive number.
Enter the number of decimal places (0 to 4) to use as the default in the Decimal Places field. Leave the field blank to default to 0.
Select the Display Comma field to print commas in the values for decimal fields, if applicable. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Select the Display Dollar Sign field to print dollar signs with the values for decimal fields. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Click the Save button.
To select the desired negative style and comma style to use as the default for integer fields included on reports, click the Search button in the Format field (column) to the right of Integer. On the Integer Format screen, complete the following:
In the Formats List (on the left side of the screen), select the desired negative style format to use as the default for integer fields with negative values by clicking once on the desired format. The negative styles include printing a minus sign in front of the negative value, printing parenthesis around the negative value, or printing the negative value as a positive number.
Select the Display Comma field to print commas in the values for integer fields, if applicable. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Click the Save button.
To select the desired month (date) format to use as the default for month fields included on reports, click the Search button in the Format field (column) to the right of Month. On the Month Format screen, select the month (date) format to use as the default by clicking once on the desired format. Once the desired format is selected, click the Save button.
To select the desired negative style, number of decimal places, and comma style to use as the default for percent fields included on reports, click the Search button in the Format field (column) to the right of Percent. On the Percent Format screen, complete the following:
In the Formats List (on the left side of the screen), select the desired negative style format to use as the default for percent fields with negative values by clicking once on the desired format. The negative styles include printing a minus sign in front of the negative value, printing parenthesis around the negative value, or printing the negative value as a positive number.
Enter the number of decimal places (0 to 4) to use as the default in the Decimal Places field. Leave the field blank to default to 0.
Select the Display Comma field to print commas in the values for percent fields, if applicable. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Click the Save button.
Click the Save button.
Click the Section Fonts tab and complete the following:
To select the font, font style, color, and size to use as the default for fields included in the Report Header section on reports, click the Search button in the Section Name field (column) to the right of Report Header. On the Font screen, select the desired font, font style, color, and size, and then click the OK button.
To select the font, font style, color, and size to use as the default for fields included in the Page Header section on reports, click the Search button in the Section Name field (column) to the right of Page Header. On the Font screen, select the desired font, font style, color, and size, and then click the OK button.
To select the font, font style, color, and size to use as the default for fields included in the Group Header section on reports, click the Search button in the Section Name field (column) to the right of Group Header. On the Font screen, select the desired font, font style, color, and size, and then click the OK button.
To select the font, font style, color, and size to use as the default for fields included in the Detail section on reports, click the Search button in the Section Name field (column) to the right of Detail. On the Font screen, select the desired font, font style, color, and size, and then click the OK button.
To select the font, font style, color, and size to use as the default for fields included in the Group Footer section on reports, click the Search button in the Section Name field (column) to the right of Group Footer. On the Font screen, select the desired font, font style, color, and size, and then click the OK button.
To select the font, font style, color, and size to use as the default for fields included in the Page Footer section on reports, click the Search button in the Section Name field (column) to the right of Page Footer. On the Font screen, select the desired font, font style, color, and size, and then click the OK button.
To select the font, font style, color, and size to use as the default for fields included in the Report Footer section on reports, click the Search button in the Section Name field (column) to the right of Report Footer. On the Font screen, select the desired font, font style, color, and size, and then click the OK button.
Click the Save button.
Click the Grid Settings tab and complete the following:
Select the Display Grid field to have grid lines (dots) appear on the screen when editing a report in Report Writer to aid in aligning fields on reports. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Enter the option (Align to Grid, Display Alignment Lines, or None) for aligning (moving) objects on reports in the Grid Control Alignment field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. To align objects on reports to the grid lines (dots) when moving, enter Align to Grid. To move objects on reports freely and display horizontal and vertical layout guidelines when an object is aligned with another object (in the same section or another section), enter Display Alignment Lines. To move objects on reports freely without displaying any layout guidelines, enter None.
Enter the number of lines (dots) to include per inch on the columns of the grid in the Grid Columns field. The number can be from 2 to 99.
Enter the number of lines (dots) to include per inch on the rows in the grid in the Grid Rows field. The number can be from 2 to 99.
Select the Auto Insert Heading field to have the system automatically insert column headings in the Page Header section of a report when fields are added to the Detail section. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Select the Auto Insert Subtotals field to have the system automatically insert subtotals in the Report Footer and Group Footer sections of a report when decimal fields are added to the Detail section. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Click the Save button.
Click the X in the upper right-hand corner to close the Report Writer Defaults screen.