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29. Defining reports, invoice layouts
1) Concept
2) Altering a Report
3) Common changes
4) Uses
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29.1 Concept
If your business has programming experience, it may be in a position to amend the standard reports and/or to create additional reports. Users are free to do this, but RCL Acceptum cannot be held responsible for any errors that this process generates.
Users are strongly advised NOT to change existing reports, but to copy and rename them to give a basis for creating new reports. In order to use these new reports, users will need to place an entry in Report Lists under the appropriate report 'Type'.
To copy an existing report, go to the folder c:\RCL\Acceptum\Reports (assuming the standard install folder has been used) and identify the report to be copied. For each report 2 files are needed '.frt' and '.frx'. Select and highlight the 2 files and then press Ctl+C and then Ctl+V to copy and paste them into the same folder.
The 2 files will now be named 'Copy of nnn.frt' and 'Copy of nnn.frx' where nnn is the original report name.
Now rename the 2 files using a new report name and ensuring that both files have the same name (before the file extension). The report has now been copied and is ready for alteration.
An easier method, is to open the Report Selection Criteria that uses the report, select the report from the list of available reports and click Create, you will be prompted to enter the name of your new report, after which the report is created and available for modification and running under the Report Selection Criteria window.
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29.2 Altering a Report
To alter a report, either click Modify on a Report Selection Criteria window, or select the menu option 'Utilities|Systems|Modify Report' then on the standard Open dialog navigate to the c:\RCL\Acceptum\Reports folder and select the report to be altered prior to clicking 'Open'.
After changes have been made, click the standard 'X' button to close the dialog.
A prompt will be given for the changes to be saved or discarded.
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29.3 Common changes
Position of reported fields: click a field box or text item and drag it to the new position required.
Reported field widths and heights: when a report field is clicked, its outline changes to show small bars in the middle of each side. Move the mouse over a side bar and click, then drag the mouse up/down left/right to alter the size of the print field.
If you click the mouse on a blank area of the report and drag it across several fields, each field will be selected. Then use the Format|Size menu options to give the selected field the same height or width.
Use the Format|Align menu option to place the fields on the same axis alignment (vertical, horizontal, left, right, top, bottom, etc)
Alignment of data within a field: double click a field to open the 'Field Properties' dialog. Click the Format tab to set whether the data is Left, Right or Centred. Click OK to close the dialog.
Font size and type: select a field or constant text then Use menu option Format|Font to select the new font, its size and attributes.
New constant text: from the Report Controls tool bar click the 'A' button then click a blank area of the report and type the text required. Use the Format|Font menu option to change the text to the desired font etc.
Change constant text: double click the text to be changed to open the 'Field Properties' dialog, type in the new text using the Delete key to remove unwanted characters.
New field: from the Report Controls tool bar click the 'ab' button then click a blank area of the report. The 'Field Properties' dialog will open, type in the field name desired in the top 'Expression' input field. Click OK to save and close the dialog. The new field in now added to the report.
Warning: if the field named used is not within scope when the report is run, an error will be given by the application and the report will not run. For this reason you are advised to add new fields only when absolutely certain about field and variable names.
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29.4 Uses
a) users want to use pre-printed letter head stationery. User will then need to change the customer/supplier documents (Quotes, Invoices, Remittance Advices, etc.) by deleting the company name, address, logo attributes etc. at the top of the standard format.
b) users want to alter the layout of a standard report by moving fields around within the report. This may be due to existing layouts not maximising space on the users printer.
c) users may wish to have a simplified version of a report by removing fields from the standard report.
d) users may wish to create their own reports which are not covered by standard reports.
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