1Overview #
Custom reports are questions your own people wrote, rather than the ones that ship with the ERP. This screen runs one and shows the answer three ways: a grid of rows, a pivot you rearrange yourself, and a chart.
The standard reports have their own viewer with its own options. This one is deliberately plainer: a custom report carries whatever parameters its author gave it, and nothing else.
2Who it is for #
- Anybody running a report built for this company.
- Somebody who wants to rearrange an answer - a pivot by month, by branch, by product - without asking for a new report.
3What it is not for #
- Writing the report. That is done where custom reports are defined.
- The standard reports - those open in their own viewer, which carries the full option set, presets and scheduled delivery.
4Step by step #
- Open the report from Reports > Custom Reports. - The page opens on the report you picked.
- Fill the parameters the report asks for, then run it. - A report with no parameters runs straight away.
- Read it as a grid, or switch to Pivot or Graph. - All three read the same rows - they are three views of one answer.
- In the pivot, drag columns into Rows, Columns, Values or Filters. - Click a value's name to change how it adds up. Date columns also offer their month and year.
- Save Layout keeps the arrangement for this report; Reset Layout returns to the default. - The layout is remembered per report.
- Export to Excel, PDF or CSV, or Print. - Both follow the view you are looking at.
5The fields #
The toolbar
What each button does, and when it is available.
- Export to Excel / PDF / CSV - Writes what is on screen to a file. Optional Greyed until the report has rows.
- Print - Prints the view you are looking at. Optional Greyed until the report has rows.
- Save Layout / Reset Layout - Keeps or forgets how you arranged the pivot. Optional Remembered per report, for you.
- Cancel - Stops a report that is still running. Optional What stays on screen is the PREVIOUS answer.
Parameters
These come from the report itself, so they differ from one report to the next.
- The report's own parameters - Whatever its author asked for - a date range, an account, a branch. The hint under each says what it takes. Varies What the report returns.
6Rules and integrity #
- Three views, one answer - The grid, the pivot and the chart all read the rows the report returned. Changing the pivot does not re-run anything.
- Cancel leaves the run before - If you stop a report, what remains on screen is the PREVIOUS answer - not a partial new one. Read the notice before trusting the figures.
- The layout is yours - A saved pivot layout is remembered for this report and for you. It changes nothing for anybody else.
- Export and print follow the view - Whichever of the three you are looking at is what is written or printed.
7Shortcut keys #
- F5 - Run the report again.
- Esc - Close the page (from a view with nothing open).
8If something does not work #
"The report was cancelled. The rows on screen are from the run before." / "The report was cancelled."
- Why
- You stopped it. What is on screen, if anything, is the PREVIOUS answer.
- What to do
- Run it again; do not read the old figures as though they were new.
"No data"
- Why
- The report ran and returned nothing - an answer, not a failure.
- What to do
- Widen the parameters. Remember your report option cuts what you may see before any parameter does.
"No saved layout found for this report."
- Why
- Nothing has been saved for it yet.
- What to do
- Arrange the pivot and press Save Layout.
"Layout saved successfully." / "Layout restored successfully." / "Layout reset to default."
- Why
- Not errors - the screen confirming what it did.
- What to do
- Nothing to do.
A saved layout will not apply
- Why
- A layout saved against different columns cannot be laid over the report as it is now.
- What to do
- Reset the layout and arrange it again.
Export or Print is greyed out
- Why
- Both need rows: until the report has run and returned something there is nothing to write.
- What to do
- Run the report first.
The print window never appears
- Why
- Printing opens a pop-up, and the browser blocked it.
- What to do
- Allow pop-ups for this site and print again.
The report is not in the Custom Reports list
- Why
- Custom reports are gated by their own module and by the rights held against them.
- What to do
- An administrator checks the module on the licence and your right on that report.
The chart shows fewer categories than the grid
- Why
- A chart caps how many categories it draws so it stays readable; the rest fold together.
- What to do
- Narrow the report, or read the grid for the full list.
A scheduled delivery of this report sends the old question
- Why
- A delivery keeps the parameters it was saved with.
- What to do
- Make a fresh delivery if the question itself has changed.
9For an administrator #
- Where the reports come from - Custom reports are defined for this company; this screen only runs them. A report that returns nothing usually needs its query looked at rather than its parameters.
- Gating - Custom reports are gated by their module on the licence, and by rights held per report.
This is the help InvoiceNET® ERP shows beside the Custom Report Viewer screen. Whether you have the screen depends on the modules of your licence and the rights your administrator has given you.
See this screen for yourself
The demo is the real product, with a company of your own.