Excel Report Builder
Excel Report Builder is an easy and convenient tool for the creation and customisation of reports which takes advantage of the formatting and presentation capabilities of Microsoft Excel 7.0, 8.0, 2000. The program allows the rapid construction of reports as forms, columnar reports and master-detail reports.
General Principles of operation.
Two possibilities are available for the choice of datasource for your reports:
- Your own application can generate the data for which the report is to be generated. In this case, the Word Report Builder will construct the report based on the data contained in a temporary table.
- Excel Report Builder can make use of SQL through a query editor which is part of the program. This allows the formation of pre-defined reports which are run at a regular interval - e.g. aged debtor &c.
Here are some of the features of Excel Report Builder:
- A GUI style design environment, which allows the user to design their reports visually inside MS Excel.
- On screen preview facilities, also within MS Excel.
- Reports can be saved and then viewed and printed as pure Excel documents - there is no need to send any additional executables to third parties to whom you wish to send reports.
- The GUI interface means that the learning curve is minimal and that users can be operational with a minimum of delay.
- Excel Report Builder has the ability to produce mailing labels and multi-column reports using the capacities of Excel.
- The reports are created and printed rapidly.
- The page size can automatically be scaled down in order to print several report pages on each sheet of printer paper.
- The use of different fonts, sizes, styles and colours is fully supported, just as it is under Excel.
- In fact, it is by harnassing the power of Excel that gives Excel Report Builder these abilities.
- Reports may be printed in Portrait or Landscape mode.
- No technical knowledge is needed in order for the user to customize his or her own reports.
- It is possible to call the Excel Report Builder from other programs (put_rep1.exe).
The combination of the above qualities make the Excel Report Builder a tool which should be considered seriously by any organisation with a need to effectively and efficiently disseminate information both between their own staff and to clients, suppliers &c.
