Once you’ve added the columns to your report, it’s time to format them so they appear how you wish. You can adjust the columns’ order, column format, and even make columns invisible.
Additional Information
Don’t have a report created yet? Check out the Report Designer Overview and Creating New Reports - The Basics.
Once you’re ready to get started, you’ll need to open the report in Report Definitions in the Avanti Desktop, if it’s not open already. By default, this can be found in Report Designer.
Select a column by clicking on it, then adjust its settings. Once you select a setting, there’s a brief description at the bottom of the Column Settings.
Body Alignment
Select the alignment of the text within the column, excluding the header text. The Options are left, right, or center justification.
Column
This is the column positioning. The value in this field defines where in the report the column appears, with 1 being the first column to the left.
Column Format
The Column Format determines how information within the column displays. Each source will have its default format that you can adjust if you’d like.
For example, an earning amount will default to Decimal Precision 2 so that the cents display. If you’d like to round to the nearest dollar, you can change it to Numeric.
Format | Definition |
|---|---|
Numeric | Sets the number of leading zeros places to print in a number column ranging from 1-9. Numeric values don’t include decimal places. |
Date | Formats value in date format. |
Date Time | Formats values in a date and time format. |
Decimal Precision | Sets the number of decimal places to print in a number column ranging from 1-6. |
Yes or No | Returns a value of 1 for Yes and 0 for No. Used for checkboxes. |
Boolean (True or False): | Returns a value of 1 for True and 0 for False. Used for checkboxes. |
Rate Precision | Formats values to the rate precision set up in the payroll parameters. |
Custom | Custom formatting for printing display. |
SIN | Formats data into 000-000-000 formatting. |
Unit of Measure | Formats data in units of measure. The options are hour, day, week, month, year, period, unit, or amount. |
Column Totals
Used to indicate whether you want the column total displayed at the bottom of the column. The default value is None, meaning that the column will not display a total at the bottom. In order to use this setting, the column must not contain letters - only numbers can be summed into a total.
Formulas can be used if multiple columns are needed in the total calculation, providing those columns have Sum selected for Column Totals.
For example, Column 3 could use a Column Totals formula to subtract the column total of Column 1 from the column total of Column 2.
Selecting Sum will add all values from the entire column into one value that appears as a total on the report’s last row.
Column Width
Define a column’s width by either entering a numerical value (1 being the smallest width) in the column settings or clicking and dragging the column until it is the correct width. The text will truncate if your header or body text is longer than the column width.
Criteria
Enter which earnings, deductions, or benefit codes, to name a few, will be included in the report. If criteria is required, you’ll need to update it before making other changes to your report.
Formula
You can only create a formula in columns with Formula as a source. Once a formula is added to the report, the formula field will become enabled for that column.
Header Alignment
Position the column’s header text to the left, right, or center.
Header Text
Header text appears at the top of the column on the generated report. If your heading is longer than your column width, your heading will truncate. If necessary, this field can be left blank.
Row Totals
Used to indicate whether you want the column to be included in the row Totals column displayed at the very right of your report.
The default value is No, meaning that the selected column will not be included in the Totals column. If any column is Yes, an additional column will be added at the end of your report. You can change the settings for this column as you would any other.
Additional Information
You cannot include a formula in the row total. Even if a Formula source column is set to Yes, its value won’t added to the total.
Visible
Determine whether the column is visible in the generated report. This is great for including information in a formula without displaying the column on the generated report. Select No to hide a column from the generated report.
Looking for more ways to perfect your report? Take a look at:
Sorting Reports if the information isn’t in the order you’d like.
Styling Reports to add colours, display borders, adjust margin size, and set the fonts on your report.
Filtering a Report for details about preventing some information from being included in the report.
Formula Driven Report to perform calculations using data from other columns.
Include Your Report on the Avanti Self-Service Portal to add your finished report to ASSP for others to use.