0.3Interface: wizard, field explorer & sections
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Sections govern where and how often: Report Header (1×), Page Header, Details (each row), Page Footer, Report Footer (1×).
- The field explorer is the toolbox: database, formula, parameter, summary, special fields — you drag them into sections.
- Design = structure, Preview = result: you build in Design, check with data in Preview, in a loop.
Running mini-case — Farès files his first statement into the right sections
Farès, management controller in Algiers, opens a blank report for his sales statement: instead of piling everything in the same place, he applies the “how many times?” rule. Title and logo → Report Header (once). Client and Amount column headings → Page Header (each page). Data fields → Details (each row). Grand total → Report Footer (once). He drags each field from the field explorer, switches to Preview to check, then returns to Design to fix a misalignment. His grid is set: every object has its section.
Self-contained case for this section: it reappears in the lesson, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge of section 0.3.
1. Sections: the no. 1 structuring concept
A report is structured into stacked horizontal sections, which determine where and how often each element displays. By default: Report Header — once at the start (title, logo); Page Header — at the top of each page (column headings); Details — repeats for each record, the heart of the report; Page Footer — at the bottom of each page (page number); Report Footer — once at the end (grand totals). A field in Details repeats per row; a total in the Report Footer appears once. Mastering “which section for which element” is the key to every well-structured report — Farès repeats it to himself before each drag-and-drop.
2. The field explorer: the toolbox
The Field Explorer lists everything you can place: database fields (columns of the connected tables), formula fields (which you create), parameters, summary/total fields, special fields (page number, print date…). You drag them from the explorer into the sections. The Report Explorer shows in parallel a tree view of the structure (sections and objects). Farès takes his Customer and Amount fields there and drops them into Details: everything entering the report comes from there, nothing is typed at random into a section.
3. Design vs Preview, and the wizard
Two tabs: in Design, you work on the structure (boxes in sections, without data); in Preview, you see the report with real data, as it will be printed or exported. You constantly switch between the two: build in Design, check in Preview, fix in Design. A Report Wizard guides the creation of a first report (source → tables → fields → groupings) — handy to start, like Farès who generates his clean base before refining by hand. Absorbing sections, explorer and modes gives you the reading grid for all the design ahead.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Worked example — The right section makes the document
Farès places each element of his sales statement according to its frequency.
Title + logo → Report header (1 time).
Column headings → Page header (each page).
{Clients.Nom} + {Commandes.Montant} → Details (each row).
Grand total → Report footer (1 time).Reading: the same field changes meaning with its section: in Details it scrolls, in Footer it concludes.
Lesson: “how many times should it appear?” always gives the matching section.
Section vocabulary
- Sections
- Stacked horizontal bands that determine where and how often an element displays.
Simple example: Farès puts his title in the Report Header: it appears only once.
What it is not: mere visual decorations with no effect.
Reflex: before placing: how many times?
- Details section
- Section that repeats for each data record (row) — the heart of the report.
Simple example: Farès places {Commandes.Montant} there: one row per order.
What it is not: a single-appearance area for totals.
Reflex: row-by-row data → Details.
- Field Explorer
- Pane listing everything you can place: database, formula, parameter, summary, special fields.
Simple example: Farès finds {Clients.Nom} there and drags it to Details.
What it is not: a text formatting menu.
Reflex: every object comes from the explorer, by drag-and-drop.
- Design vs Preview
- Design: the structure without data. Preview: the report with real data.
Simple example: Farès aligns in Design, checks amounts in Preview.
What it is not: two different software products.
Reflex: build in Design, validate in Preview.
- Report Wizard
- Guides step by step the creation of a first report: source, tables, fields, groupings.
Simple example: Farès generates his clean base with the wizard, then refines by hand.
What it is not: an automatic export to PDF.
Reflex: start with the wizard, finish by hand.
In practice — In practice — Exploring the interface
- Identify the SECTIONS of a blank report, like Farès: Report Header, Page Header, Details, Page Footer, Report Footer.
- Open the FIELD EXPLORER: locate database, formula, parameter, summary, special fields.
- Switch between DESIGN (structure) and PREVIEW (real data) to see the difference.
- Remember the rule: a field in DETAILS repeats per row; a total in the REPORT FOOTER once.
Click-by-click script — filing a blank report (3 min)
1) File → New → Blank report: spot the 5 stacked sections in the Design tab. 2) View → Field Explorer: expand Database Fields, locate two fields (e.g. Name, Amount). 3) Drag a “Customer” label into the Page Header and the Name field into Details, just below. 4) Drag a “Total” object into the Report Footer. 5) Click the Preview tab: check like Farès — headings at the top of the page, one row per record, single total at the end.
Without a connected source, do this after 0.4; the Design → Preview → fix order is the reflex to keep.
Copy-paste template — my which-section-for-what grid
Title + logo → Report header (1×).
Column headings → Page header (each page).
Data fields {___} → Details (each row).
Page number → Page footer (each page).
Grand total → Report footer (1×).
Test: Preview → I count the appearances of each object.Sales statement
Farès files his monthly statement: headings in Page Header, {Clients.Nom} and {Commandes.Montant} in Details, total in Report Footer.
Invoice
Address and number in Report Header (once), invoiced lines in Details, net payable in Report Footer.
Stock list
Column headings repeated at the top of each page to stay readable over 20 pages, data in Details.
First wizard-built report
Farès starts via the Report Wizard (source → tables → fields), then manually moves any misfiled object.
✓ Best practices
- Ask yourself how many times the object should appear before placing it.
- Use the wizard for a first report, then refine by hand.
- Go back and forth Design ↔ Preview: build then validate.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Putting a title in Details: it repeats on every row.
- Putting a total in Details: it displays on every row instead of once.
- Staying in Design without ever checking the real rendering in Preview.
Key takeaways
- A report is structured into SECTIONS that govern where/how often an element displays.
- “Which section for which element” is the no. 1 STRUCTURING concept (Details = per row, Report Footer = 1×).
- The FIELD EXPLORER is the toolbox: you drag fields, formulas, parameters, totals, special fields into sections.
- Two modes: DESIGN (structure) and PREVIEW (real data); a WIZARD guides the first report.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Open a blank report and file 5 objects with Farès’s grid (title, column headings, 2 fields in Details, total in Footer), then check in Preview the number of appearances of each.
- I can name the 5 sections and their display frequency.
- I dragged fields from the explorer to the right section.
- I checked my filing by switching to Preview.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the notion of sections so central?
Because they determine the behaviour of each element: where it appears and how often. Report Header (1×), Page Header (each page), Details (each record), Page Footer (each page), Report Footer (1×). So where you place an object decides its frequency: a title in Details repeats on every row, a total in Details displays on every row. Always reason: “how many times should it appear?” then place it in the right section.
What is the difference between Design and Preview, and when to use each?
The Design view shows the structure (sections and objects, without data): that is where you build and edit — fast and clear. The Preview shows the report with real data (true rows, totals, pagination): that is where you check. The normal cycle: design in Design, switch to Preview to see the result, spot an issue, go back to fix it in Design, check again.
Farès wants a grand total displayed only once. Where does he place it?