Appearance Tab

Style Group

You can the style data, titles, and text of a selected field. The Style group is shown in the following image.

Style group

The commands are:

Scope: Indicates whether style options apply to the data, title, or both.
Bold: Applies bold font formatting to the text or selected object.
Italic: Applies italic font formatting to the text or selected object.
Underline: Underlines the text or selected object.
Left: Aligns the text or selected object to the left.
Center: Aligns the text or selected object to the center.
Right: Aligns the text or selected object to the right.
Default: Applies the default alignment options. In this case, numerals are aligned to the left and text is aligned to the right.
Column Width: Sets column width options.
Copy Style: Copies the style of the selected object, enabling the Paste Style command.
Paste Style: Pastes your copied style settings to the selected field.
Match Style: Copies the specific style settings from one column to another.
Font Name: Changes typed or highlighted text to the selected font.
Font Size: Changes typed text or a selected object to the selected size.
Color: Changes typed text or a selected object to the selected color.
Background Color: Changes the background color. Opens the Color dialog box, where you can select the background color.
Defaults: Resets the typed text or a selected object to the default style settings.
Borders: Turns borders and gridlines on or off.

Related Information:

Format Group

Use the tools in the Format group to change the formatting of numeric detail fields. For example, you can add percentage signs to data and indicate currency (with or without symbols). This group is unavailable when the format option or edit option for the selected field are eight characters in length or attempt to go over eight characters in length.

Note: If you select Sort Down, Sort Across, or For Row, the options in the Format group will be unavailable.

The Format group is shown in the following image.

Format group

The commands are:

Currency: Adds a currency symbol in front of the field data. Enables the selection of a currency, for example Floating Dollar or Fixed Euro. The symbol used is that of the currency selected. If a Fixed currency is selected, no symbol appears. If a Floating currency is selected, the currency symbol appears.
Percent: Adds a percentage symbol after the field data.
Comma: Enables the display of commas in the field data.
More Decimals: Decreases the number of decimal positions shown.
Less Decimals: Increases the number of decimal positions shown.

Display Group

In this section:

Data Visualization Dialog Box

You can add a data visualization column to a report, display numeric data differently, and add conditional styling. The Specific group is shown in the following image.

Specific group

The commands are:

Data Bars

Enable the Data Visualization dialog box, through which you can add a data visualization column to the right of a selected numeric field. The column displays values in each row using horizontal bars that extend from left to right in varying lengths, depending on the corresponding data values. For more information, see Data Visualization Dialog Box.

Aggregation

Displays numeric data using a variety of aggregation types. Different aggregation types are available depending on the field and the column type for that field. These aggregation types are:

(None)
Sum
Average
Count
Count Distinct
Percent of Count
Distinct Values
First Value
Last Value
Minimum
Maximum
Total
Percent
Row Percent
Median
Mode
Average Square

Traffic Lights

You use the Traffic Lights functionality to set styling and hyperlinks conditions. Adds conditional styling or modifies existing conditional styling by applying colors to a field in the output when the field meets specified criteria. Options include: None or Add/Edit Conditions. If you select Add/Edit Conditions, the selection option changes to Sorted Data.

To style a specific condition, select a condition and then use the Style group. This will only style the condition you selected.

The styling you add to a condition appears as a preview in the Report canvas when you select the condition in the Traffic Lights drop-down list box.

Hide Field

You can hide or show a selected field in the output. Fields added to a report or chart are visible in the output by default. The Visibility group is shown in the following image. Options include On, Off, or Variable. When a data field is invisible, it appears on the Report canvas (dimmed) and is not visible in the report output.

Note: An invisible column or field may be used in the report as part of a calculation, even though it is set to invisible and will not display in the output.

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Data Visualization Dialog Box

You use the Data Visualization dialog box to define the data visualization bar graphs that appear in your report.

If you are setting conditions to control the display of bar graphs, you use the Data Visualization Conditional Styling dialog box instead of this one.

The Data Visualization dialog box contains the following fields or options:

Visualize

Initiates the Data Visualization feature.

Color

Specifies the color of the bar graphs. Select a color from the drop-down list. Black is used as the default color.

The color option is the default for HTML, PDF, and PS formats.

Pattern

Specifies the shading patterns for bar graphs. Select a shading pattern from the drop-down list.

This option is only available for PDF and PS formats to make graphs in black and white reports more readable. If the report format is HTML, the Pattern option button is inactive because the shading option is only available for PDF and PS formats.

Graphlook

Specifies how the graph looks. Select a look from the drop-down list.

Note: Graphlook Gauge or Quality do not support negative values. Use Bar Graphs instead.

Scale

Specifies the relative bar graph scaling for multiple report columns under a common Across sort field to which you have applied data visualization.

Note: This option only appears when applied to the entire report.

Choose one of the following options from the Scale drop-down list:

Uniform

Specifies that each vertical bar graph be scaled based on the minimum and maximum values of the entire set of values compiled from each Across column to which you have applied data visualization bar graphs.

Distinct

Specifies that each vertical bar graph be scaled based on the distinct minimum and maximum values for each Across column to which you have applied data visualization bar graphs.

Maximum Length:

Specifies the length of the longest bar graph.

Default. The default length of 60 pixels is used for a vertical bar graph and 80 pixels for a horizontal bar graph.

Custom. Sets the value for displaying the vertical or horizontal bar graph for the maximum data value in the associated report column. This value must be a positive number.

This value is initially expressed in the current windows measurement units (inches, centimeters), then converted into the corresponding number of pixels.

Width:

Specifies the width of the bar graphs in a report.

Default. This value is preset based on the current font size.

Custom. Sets the value for displaying the width of the bar graphs in a report. This value must be a positive number.

This value is initially expressed in the current windows measurement units (inches, centimeters), then converted into the corresponding number of pixels.

Default Values button

Resets all defaults.

Conditional Styling button

Opens the Data Visualization Conditional Styling dialog box where you can define conditions and colors for bar graphs.

Links Group

How to:

You can add a hyperlink or drill-down procedure to a selected field in a report. The Links group is shown in the following image.

Links group

The command is:

Hyperlink: Adds a hyperlink or drill-down procedure to a selected field in a report. For more information, see How to Create a Drill Down Procedure.

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Procedure: How to Create a Drill Down Procedure

On the Appearance tab or Report tab, in the Links group, select Hyperlink.
The Drill Down dialog box displays.
Click the Add new item button on the Drill Down dialog box toolbar.
The Drill Down fields are enabled.
In the Drill Down dialog box:
1. The Drill Menu Items field is automatically populated with a default drill-down name. You may rename it as needed, or delete the name if you are using only one drilldown.
2. Select one of the following Drill Down Types from the drop-down menu:
  - Execute Procedure
  - Execute Guided Procedure
  - URL
  - URL from field
  - JavaScript
  - Refresh BI Portal
  Note: The Refresh BI Portal drill-down type will be displayed only when you are working with a report that was created in the Content development area.
3. Double-click in the Source field.
  - If you selected the Execute Procedure Drill Down Type, the Open File dialog box opens.
    Select the procedure to drill to and click OK.
  - If you selected the Execute Guided Procedure Drill Down Type, the Guided DrillDown dialog box opens. For more information, see How to Create a Guided Drill Down Procedure.
  - If you selected the URL Drill Down Type, type a fully qualified URL to drill to.
  - If you selected the URL from field Drill Down Type, select a source field from the drop-down menu which contains the URL to drill to.
  - If you selected the JavaScript Drill Down Type, enter the function to drill to. In the Parameters field (Step 4 below), type the arguments for the function.
  - If you selected the Refresh BI Portal Drill Down Type, select Current page only or All pages in portal to refresh when the drilldown is triggered.
4. Select a Target Frame from the drop-down menu:
  - _blank - opens the target procedure in a new window.
  - _self - opens the target procedure in the same window as the source. This is the default. In addition, it is the only option available if you selected the Refresh BI Portal drill down type.
  - _parent - opens the target procedure in the same frame as the anchor.
  - _top - opens the target procedure in the current window.
5. Double-click in the Parameters field.
  The Parameters dialog box opens.
Click the Add new item button on the Parameters dialog box toolbar.
The Parameter fields are enabled.
In the Parameters dialog box:
1. The Parameter Name field may appear, depending on the Drill Down Type you selected. Select a name from the drop-down menu or, if no drop-down menu appears, type a parameter name.
2. Select a parameter type from the drop-down list box:
  - Field - allows you to select a specific field from the Parameter Value drop-down menu.
  - Constant Value - allows you to specify a constant value for the parameter in the Parameter Value field.
  - Variable - allows you to specify a variable for the parameter in the Parameter Value field.
Click OK.
The Parameters dialog box closes and you return to the Drill Down dialog box.
Click OK.
The Drill Down dialog box closes.

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Procedure: How to Create a Guided Drill Down Procedure

On the Appearance tab or Report tab, in the Links group, select Hyperlink.
The Drill Down dialog box opens.
Click the Add new item button on the Drill Down dialog box toolbar.
The Drill Down fields are enabled. The Drill Menu Items field is automatically populated with a default drill-down name. You may rename it as needed, or delete the name if you are using only one drilldown.
In the Drill Down type list, click Execute Guided Procedure.
Double-click in the Source field.
The Guided DrillDown dialog box opens.
Click Browse.
The Open File dialog box opens.
Select the drill-down procedures that you want to use.
To select multiple procedures, hold down the Control key and click the procedures.
Click OK.
You are returned to the Guided DrillDown dialog box, with the selected procedures displayed in the procedures list box.
Optionally, use the procedures list box toolbar to change the order of the procedures, undo or redo changes, or delete a procedure from the list.
To add parameters for a procedure, select it in the procedures list box, then click Add in the Parameters list box.
The Drill Down Parameter dialog box opens.
In the Drill Down Parameter dialog box, do the following:
1. Type a parameter name in the Parameter name field.
2. To specify a field as a parameter value, select Field and use the drop-down list to select a field from the highlighted procedure.
3. To specify a constant value as a parameter value, select Constant value and type the value in the available field.
4. To change the wording of the prompt that displays when users select a drill down procedure, type the new wording in the Prompt field.
Click OK.
You are returned to the Guided DrillDown dialog box, as shown in the following image.
Click OK.
You are returned to the Drill Down dialog box.
In the Drill Down dialog box, select a Target Frame from the drop-down menu. The available options are:
- _blank. Opens the target procedure in a new window.
- _self. Opens the target procedure in the same window as the source.
- _parent. Opens the target procedure in the same frame as the anchor.
- _top. Opens the target procedure in the current window.
Click OK.
The Drill Down dialog box closes.

Active Technologies Reports Group

You can choose to show or hide columns in an active report, as shown in the following image.

active reports group

Present Hidden: You can select which columns are hidden from view, in the report output, when using the HTML active report output format.