Creating Reports
A report is a Writer text document that can show your data in an organized order and formatting. In LibreOffice Base, you have a choice to create a report either manually using drag-and-drop in the Report Builder window, or semi-automatic by following a series of dialogs in the Report Wizard.
The following list gives you some information to decide which method to use for your data:
Report Builder |
Report Wizard |
Started by "Create Report in Design View" command. |
Started by "Use Wizard to Create Report" command. |
Full flexibility to use report headers and footers, page headers and footers, multi-column reports. |
Uses a Writer template to generate a report document. |
Use drag-and-drop to position the record fields or other design elements like pictures or lines. |
Select from several given choices to arrange the data records. |
Generates a one-time snapshot of the data. To see an updated report, execute the same report again to create a Writer document with the updated data. |
You can choose to generate a one-time snapshot with fixed data, or a "live" report with links to the current data at the time when you open the Base file. |
Saves the report as a Writer text document. Stores the information how to create the report inside the Base file. |
Saves the report and the information how to create the report inside the Base file. |
Choose Open in the context menu or double-click the report name to create a new report with the current data. |
Choose Open in the context menu or double-click the report name to either see again the static snapshot of the data from first creation time, or to create a new report with the current data. This depends on your choice on the last page of the wizard. |
Choose Edit in the context menu of a report name to open the Report Builder window, with the report's information loaded. |
Choose Edit in the context menu of a report name to edit the Writer template file that was used to create the report. |
Creating a New Report Manually In Design View
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Open the database file where you want to create the new report.
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In the left pane of the database window, click the Reports icon.
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Click Create Report in Design View.
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Follow the instructions in the Report Builder guide.
Creating a New Report With the Report Wizard
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Open the database file where you want to create the new report.
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In the left pane of the database window, click the Reports icon.
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Click Use Wizard to Create Report.
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Follow the steps of the Report Wizard to create the report.