2.5Managing sections (suppress, shrink, remove blanks)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Section Expert = fine layout: suppress, remove blanks, page breaks, keep together — control after content.
- Hidden details = summary: only headers and subtotals remain — the management view in one click.
- Conditional suppress = dynamic: a formula decides (True = suppressed) — test the direction before releasing.
Running mini-case — Farès and the two versions of the report
Final act: management wants a one-page summary (totals per customer and region), operations want the full detail. Farès refuses to maintain two reports: he suppresses the Details section via the Section Expert — only blocks and their subtotals remain, the summary is born. Then he drives this suppressing with a “Show detail? (Yes/No)” parameter: the same report switches between summary and detail. He finally fixes pagination — “new page after” each region, “keep together” each group, blank removal — and adds conditional suppressing of zero-amount rows. Level 2 is delivered: structured, totalled, filtered, parameterized, paginated.
Epilogue of the 2.1-2.4 thread: Farès's report switches summary/detail — ready for level 3 (formulas).
1. The Section Expert
Fine layout goes through section management, via the Section Expert. Key options: Suppress a section, always or conditionally; Suppress Blank Section to leave no empty space; New Page Before/After to force a page break (each group or invoice on a new page); Keep Together to stop a section or group splitting across two pages. These settings finely control display and pagination — essential for clean documents. Farès applies them to his Region > Customer report.
2. Summary vs detail
By suppressing the Details section, you get a summary report (only subtotals per group); shown, a detailed report — the same report can switch between both, sometimes via a parameter (“Show detail? Yes/No”, 2.4). Condition: the summary rests on groups and subtotals (2.1, 2.2) — without them, suppressing details leaves nothing useful. You can also use several sections of the same type (Details A, Details B) for complex layouts. Farès thus delivers a management summary and an operations detail from a single file.
3. Conditional suppressing
Conditional suppressing: showing or hiding a section from a formula — suppress a detail row if the amount is zero, show an alert section only if a condition holds (“Customer over limit”). In the Section Expert, click the formula button next to “Suppress” and write a condition returning True when it must be suppressed — mind the direction, reversed from intuition. Removing blanks and managing page breaks avoids gaps, empty pages and unwelcome splits. Farès suppresses zero rows and locks his groups' pagination.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Hands-on example — Summary or detail on demand
Farès's report, one file, two views:
Details shown → detailed report (each order).
Details suppressed (Section Expert) → summary (only per-customer totals).
{?ShowDetail} = "No" → suppress Details (conditional suppress formula).Reading: the same report serves management (summary) and operations (detail).
Lesson: drive suppressing with a formula or a parameter, testing the True = suppressed direction.
Section vocabulary
- Section Expert
- The tool setting each section: suppressing, blank removal, page breaks, “keep together”.
Simple example: Farès opens the Section Expert to suppress Details and paginate by region.
What it is not: the report creation wizard (level 1).
Reflex: fine display = Section Expert.
- Suppress
- Not showing a section, always or CONDITIONALLY via a formula (True = suppressed).
Simple example: Farès suppresses Details for the summary, and zero-amount rows by formula.
What it is not: permanently deleting report data.
Reflex: hiding = Suppress, True = suppressed.
- New Page / Keep Together
- “New Page Before/After” forces a break; “Keep Together” stops a section or group splitting across two pages.
Simple example: Farès breaks a page per region and keeps each customer group in one piece.
What it is not: record sorting or filtering.
Reflex: pagination = breaks + keep together.
- Summary vs detail
- SUPPRESSED Details of a grouped/totalled report = summary (totals only); shown = detail. One report switches via parameter.
Simple example: Farès's report: summary for management, detail for operations, one file.
What it is not: two separate reports to maintain.
Reflex: summary = groups + totals + suppressed details.
In practice — Hands-on — Manage sections
- Open the Section Expert: spot each section's options (suppress, remove blanks, new page, keep together).
- Build a SUMMARY report by suppressing the Details section (shows only subtotals per group); compare with shown detail.
- Set PAGE BREAKS (“new page after” on a group footer) and “keep together” so a group is not split.
- Use CONDITIONAL suppressing (formula) to show/hide a section from data (e.g. suppress a row if amount is zero).
Ready-to-say script — delivering summary and detail in one file (30 s)
“One file for two uses: suppressed, it is the one-page summary for management — totals per customer and region; shown, it is the detail for operations. A parameter switches between both, pagination is locked per region, and zero rows are suppressed. No more double maintenance.”
Say while switching Farès's report: suppressed summary, then shown detail, via the parameter.
Copy-paste template — summary/detail switch
[Summary] Details section → Suppress (Section Expert): headers + subtotals remain
[Switch] Details suppress formula: {?ShowDetail} = "No" // True = suppressed
[Zero rows] Details suppress formula: {Commandes.Montant} = 0
[Pagination] Region Group Footer → “New Page After” + “Keep Together”Invoice per page
Farès forces a new page per invoice: each customer starts at the top of a clean page.
Over-limit alert
Alert section shown only if the balance exceeds the limit: visible when relevant.
Blanks removed
Empty sections leaving gaps: Farès turns on blank removal, no more airy pages.
Reversed direction
Formula suppressing everything except zero rows: Farès fixes the direction — True suppresses, False shows.
✓ Best practices
- For a summary, suppress the Details of an already grouped/totalled report.
- Drive the detail/summary switch with a parameter (Yes/No).
- Use “keep together” so a group is not split across two pages.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Suppressing Details with no groups/subtotals (nothing useful remains).
- Leaving empty sections creating gaps or blank pages.
- A suppress formula with the reversed direction (you suppress when the condition is true).
Key takeaways
- The SECTION EXPERT sets each section: SUPPRESS, REMOVE BLANKS, “new page”, “KEEP TOGETHER”.
- SUPPRESSED DETAILS = SUMMARY report; shown = DETAILED. One report can switch (via a parameter).
- CONDITIONAL suppressing (by formula): show/hide from data (suppress a row if amount is zero, alert on condition).
- REMOVE BLANKS (avoids gaps/empty pages); manage PAGE BREAKS and “keep together”.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
On your grouped and totalled report: suppress Details (summary), add a switch parameter, set page breaks + keep together, then suppress zero rows by formula.
- I can suppress Details for a summary (groups + subtotals required).
- I can paginate (new page, keep together, blanks removed).
- I can suppress conditionally by formula (True = suppressed).
Frequently asked questions
How to build a summary report (totals only)?
By SUPPRESSING the Details section of an already grouped and totalled report. Method: (1) make sure you have groups and subtotals (2.1, 2.2) — the summary rests on them; (2) suppress the Details section via the Section Expert (Suppress); only Group Headers (names) and Group Footers (subtotals) remain, plus the grand total. Variants: drive suppressing with a “Show detail?” parameter (same report as summary or detail); or use drill-down (dig into a group on demand). Summary reports are perfect for steering: totals per category at a glance, without detail noise.
What is conditional section suppressing for?
To show or hide a section from a CONDITION (formula) evaluated for each occurrence — a dynamic layout. Typical cases: suppress a detail row if the amount is zero (show only what is useful); show an alert section only if a condition holds (“Critical stock” if quantity < threshold); switch detail/summary by parameter; adapt layout by record type. Mechanism: in the Section Expert, click the formula button next to “Suppress” and write a formula returning TRUE when it must be suppressed. Mind the direction (True = suppressed) and test with varied data.
How to get a summary report (totals only)?