Working with the Report Designer in ReflexBlue

Introduction

ReflexBlue uses the Report Designer from Stimulsoft. This tool provides a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to design and edit reports. Text can be directly edited on the report page without the need for opening additional windows. There is also a preview available in a dedicated tab, allowing you to immediately view the report’s result.

The Report Designer in ReflexBlue can be accessed in various ways. For more information, see Editing reports in ReflexBlue.

Report definitions

A report consists of a layout and a dataset. Together, they form a report definition.

• The layout of the report involves the arrangement and format of the report, such as page size, text, font, and colors used. In the Report Designer, you can find the layout settings on the Properties tab.

• The dataset of the report pertains to the underlying data from your records that can be used in the report’s layout through fields or variables. In the Report Designer, you can find the dataset in the Dictionary under Business Objects.

  The dataset differs for each report. All reports in ReflexBlue contain test data in the dataset that can be used during editing to check the layout in the preview. It’s also possible to edit reports with data from your administration.

Business Objects

The dataset of a report in ReflexBlue consists of a hierarchical tree structure. Below is an example of the Business Objects in a sales invoice report. The elements in the structure are referred to as fields or nodes (a list of fields and/or nodes). A node is a list containing fields and/or sub-nodes.

The fields under Business Objects are usually easy to understand based on the field name. For the more complex fields, we provide additional information in our documentation about the data they contain and how they can be used.