Report Properties

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The Report Properties window is where you name the report, set printing and page options, sub-totalling and totalling, and when a new page is started.

1 To open the Report Properties window, do one of the following:

$image\bullet.gif$ From the Report List , click on Add or Copy.

$image\bullet.gif$ From the Report Writer toolbar, click on the Properties icon. (the icon displayed at the top of this page)

$image\bullet.gif$ From the Report Writer Activities menu, select Report Properties.

2 Complete the details on each tab according to the instructions below.

3 Click Save when you have completed all of the report details.

General tab

$image\dash.gif$ Name - Enter a name for the report.

$image\dash.gif$ Paper size - Select the paper size for the report from the drop-down list. By default the paper size will be A4, portrait.

$image\dash.gif$ Add to memorised reports - Select $image\radial.gif$ if you want the report to appear on the list of memorised reports in Elite Payroll.

Note Sort order and filter changes that you make to reports will only be available when you access the reports through the Report List or if you save the changes to the memorised report list. These changes won't be recognised when you access reports through the reports menu.

$image\dash.gif$ Output to - You can either print your report, or you can export it to be used with another program. For example, you might want to export a report to a word processing or spreadsheet program. You can also use this feature to export your payroll data to an accounting program if you know the required file format.

To export the report to a file, for loading into another program, select $image\radial.gif$ Export. When you select Export, the Export tab will be displayed.

Export tab

$image\dash.gif$ File Name - Enter a name for the export file. By default, the file will be saved to the C:\Program Files\Elite Payroll\Reports folder. To save the file to a different location, type in the folder name as well as the file name.

For example, to save a file named Allowance to a floppy disk, type in A:\allowance.xls. (after you select the file Type).

$image\dash.gif$ Type - Select the type of file you want the report to print to from the drop-down list. File types include:

$image\bullet.gif$ Basic (.bas) $image\bullet.gif$ Tab Delimited (.tab)

$image\bullet.gif$ Excel (.xls) $image\bullet.gif$ QuickBooks (.iif)

$image\bullet.gif$ Lotus (.xls) $image\bullet.gif$ Text (.txt)

$image\bullet.gif$ Other (.txt)

If the type of file does not exist, select Other. Selecting Other will allow you to specify what character should separate each item and what character should separate each record.

$image\dash.gif$ Separator and Terminator - Separator and Terminator are only enabled when Type - Other. You'll need to refer to your other programs manual to find the correct export settings.

The separator is the ASCII character code of the character between fields. The terminator is the ASCII character at the end of a record.

See Exporting report data

Page alignment tab

$image\dash.gif$ Orientation - Select the orientation of the page - landscape or portrait. Use Landscape if your report has a lot of columns.

In general, unless you're having printing problems, you should only change the paper orientation because changing the other settings can cause alignment problems. However, if your printer does not print the report across the entire page or at the proper scale, you can use the following functions to position and "stretch" the report across and down the page.

$image\dash.gif$ Set Printing Start Position -·Specify the printing start position. DO NOT change this unless you're having difficulties aligning remittance certificates, pay slips or reports.

Across Page Enter the distance in millimeters that Elite Payroll should start printing from the left hand edge of the paper.

Down Page Enter the distance in millimeters that Elite Payroll should start printing from the top edge of the paper.

$image\dash.gif$ Print to Scale - Generally you should leave this unchanged. DO NOT change this unless you're having difficulties with remittance certificates, pay slips or reports printing too far to the right or too far down the page.

Across Page – Enter the scale - percentage of normal size, that the report should print across the page. By default it is 100% of normal size. If a pay slip was printing too far to the right you would reduce this percentage. If a pay slip was finishing too far to the left you would increase this percentage.

Down Page – Enter the scale - percentage of normal size, that the report should print down the page. By default it is 100% of normal size. If a pay slip was printing too far down the page you would reduce this percentage. If a pay slip was finishing too far up the page you would increase this percentage.

Totals tab

$image\dash.gif$ Report Fields - Specify which fields are to be sub-totalled, and which fields are to be included in the Grand Total. If Add was pressed this tab won't display any fields as they have not been placed on the report yet.

S/T Clicking to place a Yes in this column will create a Sub-Total in the field every time one, or both, of the sort fields change.

G/T Clicking to place a Yes in this column create a Grand Total in the field at the end of the report.

$image\dash.gif$ Print Totals Only - If you want the report to add up the figures for the period specified, and then show a total for that period, place a tick next to Print Totals Only.

$image\dash.gif$ Reset Sub Totals When - Select from the drop-down list when the sub-totals should be reset. Selecting:

1st Sort Field Changes - will change the sub-total fields only when the Sort By field changes.

2nd Sort Field Changes -will change the sub-total fields only when the Then by field changes.

Both Sort Fields Change -will change the sub-total fields only when the Sort By and the Then by fields change.

Paging tab

$image\dash.gif$ Disable Auto Paging - Selecting þ Disable Auto Paging will cause Elite Payroll to fill the current page before creating a new page. Removing the tick will cause Elite Payroll to start a new page each time one, or both, of the sort fields change.

$image\dash.gif$ Divide Page Into - If you're creating pay slips and you want more than one to print on a page, select the number of page divisions:

1 Vertical Section – This will use the whole page.

2 Vertical Sections – This will divide the selected page size into 2 equal sections. Elite Payroll uses this to define the 2 per page pay slips.

3 Vertical Sections – This will divide the selected page size into 3 equal sections. Elite Payroll uses this to define the 3 per page pay slips.

$image\dash.gif$ Section Height - The default section height will be set based on the number of page divisions selected. This value can be changed, but you should only do so if there are alignment problems when printing the report. You could, for example, use the section height settings to create a report that prints 4 pay slips per page.