This document only provides an introduction to Visual report design. Users who wish to extend their knowledge can refer to various Microsoft and Visual FoxPro website resources or even acquire books devoted to this subject.
Several report training exercises are provided - introducing differing levels of complexity with Visual Reporting. These are strongly recommended for those wishing to develop their own reporting templates.
As with Text reports, Visual reports can be used to create an almost limitless range of report styles – from any BRAHMS file. Unlike Text reports, Visual reports tend to be used for viewing and printing rather than exporting your data into text files and word processors. They are most commonly used for creating lists (including loan forms), specimen labels, determination slips and the like.
The term ‘Visual’ refers to the report template design phase which uses a visual drag and drop design surface approach.
Unlike text reports, Visual Reports can directly include different types of graphics and images. For example, you may want to include a logo in a report header or pictures of plants in a species report.
Formatting Visual Reports involves learning a few new skills and tricks and there are opportunities for those with some programming skills to stretch their wings. Initially, formatting reports may seem a little complex. But here, you have almost limitless flexibility with design size and fonts, text alignment, graphical features and so on. Once you have designed and saved a good report template format, it can be used again and again with the data you have selected to report on.
The best way to proceed is to start experimenting by creating some simple reports and then to gradually build up greater complexity as needed. Go through the training exercises to see how it’s done.
BRAHMS Project © University of Oxford 1985-2011 - http://dps.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol
Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Free PDF documentation generator