Documentation/How Tos/Getting Started With the Report Builder Extension

The OpenOffice.org Base report writer is a first generation product. It works but it does not have huge features. But luckily there is the Report Builder extension from Sun.

http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/ for all extensions

http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/reportdesign for the Sun Report Builder The Report Builder extension has a lot of powerful features,including grouped records, sorting of records, different alignment of text fields, and calculations. Though it is not exactly easy to see how to use these features. One thing that can be annoying is that the tab for selecting the data source for the report disappears if you click on something else first.

You will have to spend a lot more time with this to really figure it out. But here is a short tour of the basics.

1. To use the Sun Report Writer extension, download and install it by choosing Tools > Extension Manager.
2. Then open the .odb database file for the database you want to create a report for.
3. Choose Insert > Report, and you will see the report writer interface, with the tab that disappears too quickly.

 Report_mainwindow

1. Select Table or another type of data, then select the actual source. Once you make that selection, the Add Field palette appears
2. Drag fields onto the appropriate section of the report.

Report_disappearingtab  

1. Click the Sorting and Grouping icon on the toolbar to get this window where you have a lot of control over how the fields and the report behave.

Report_sortinggrouping

When you have dragged fields onto the report, set options, inserted page numbers, and done other formatting, save the report. The report will show up in the Reports area of the main editing windows of the .odb database file.

  Report_saved