HIGHER
ADMINISTRATION
CREATING REPORTS
IN MS ACCESS
South Lanarkshire Council
Administration
Higher
Creating Reports in MS Access
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Creating a Report
3
3
GETTING STARTED
3
INSERTING A HEADER/FOOTER IN THE REPORT
9
ENHANCING THE REPORT
11
CHANGING FONT AND STYLE
12
INSERTING A LABEL
13
CHANGING THE SORT ORDER
13
PRACTICAL EXERCISE 1
15
PRACTICE MATERIAL 2
16
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Creating Reports in MS Access
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INTRODUCTION
To date we have displayed our data in a database using tables or queries. However
to enhance the appearance of the table/query or show only part of the table/query
we can use reports. Reports can be used to present the data from the table/query in
a way that is much clearer and easier to understand. You can also use a report to
change layouts to suit your requirements but we must remember that reports can
only be used to display the data. Any changes that you want to make to the data
must be made in the original table and the computer will automatically update the
report accordingly.
Creating a Report
There are 3 ways to create a Report:
 Create your own from a blank design
 Use AutoReport
 Report Wizard.
We will use the Report wizard as the computer will ask questions and then set up the
Report for us, this will allow us to edit the layout to suit our preferences.
GETTING STARTED
1 Open the file called HOLIDAY1.
Click on the
Reports tab.
Click on create
Report by using
wizard.
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Creating Reports in MS Access
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3
The Report wizard window will appear on your screen. You can change the table
you wish to extract the information from for your Report, however in this example
we have only one table in our database, HOLIDAY.
We now select the fields we want in our Report by clicking on the arrow icon. >
In this example we want: CUSTOMER ID, CUSTOMER NAME, RESORT AND
ACCOMMODATION fields.
NOTE:
If you wanted all the fields in your Report, by clicking on the double arrow they
would all go over into the selected fields area.
Similarly if you move a field over in error click on the
return to the available field box.
<
arrow and it will
Check the correct
table is selected for
your Report.
Click on the
arrow to move
the fields across.
Click Next once the 4
fields have been
moved across.
4
The next window will ask about grouping levels. We don’t want any so click on
Next.
Click Next.
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5
The next window asks about how you want to sort the report as shown below:
Select Resort from
the drop down list.
Ensure Ascending
is shown.
Click Next.
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Creating Reports in MS Access
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6 The next window is giving you the chance to decide the layout for your Report.
There are 3 options available and these are shown below
COLUMNAR
COLUMNAR
Displays all the
fields on the right
hand side with the
data next to it.
TABULAR
TABULAR
Displays the
fields along the
top with the data
underneath it.
JUSTIFIED
JUSTIFIED
Specified layout.
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Follow the steps below to select the layout for your report:
Select Tabular
layout.
Select
Portrait
Click Next.
7 Now you have to decide the style for the Report, again there are various choices.
As you click through the different styles you will see a preview of each one.
Select Corporate.
Click Next.
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8 You will now be asked to give your Report a title.
Key in HOLIDAYS
2004 as your title.
Click Finish to view
your Report.
9 Your Report should be the same as the one shown below.
By using the wizard you have created a very simple Report. We will go on and learn
how to adjust the reports so that all the data is visible, insert headers and footers and
change the font colour and style to make it look more attractive.
As with forms, any changes to the layout or font colour etc has to be completed in
Design View.
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INSERTING A HEADER/FOOTER IN THE REPORT
You can either insert a page header/footer which means that it would print on every
page of your Report or you can insert a Report header/footer which will only be
printed on the first page of the Report and the Report footer is printed on the last
page of the Report.
From the example you have just created you will see the title of the report has been
inserted as a Report Header and you will insert your name in a Report footer using
the following instructions.
1 Open the Report Holidays 2004.
2 Click on the design icon
at the left hand corner of the screen.
3 The screen will change to the design view of the Report as shown below:
Click and drag the
arrow downwards to
create room to insert
a footer.
4 In design view the toolbar should be shown on your screen automatically, if it is
not go to the View menu and drag down to Toolbox.
Click on the label icon and
then click into the Report
footer space once, now key in
your footer.
In this example key in your
Own Name.
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5 Your Report footer should now look like this:
6 Now right click to view the Report using the View icon at the left hand side of the
screen.
View icon.
Select print preview from the options given and your report should be the same
as shown below
Report Header.
Report Footer.
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ENHANCING THE REPORT
If you look closely at the Holidays 2004 Report we have created, some of the
information is truncated on your screen. We are now going to adjust the Report so
that all data is visible.
1
In the page header section click on the heading Customer Name. Insert the
pointer between the words Customer and Name and press the shift and return
key. Your heading should look like below:
Now alter the width of the heading box by clicking at the right hand side of the
box until the pointer changes to a
and drag to the appropriate size.
2
Click onto the heading Customer ID and move the pointer over the heading until
the pointer changes to
symbol. Now drag the heading to come before
Customer Name. Adjust both headings so they are visible.
3
Adjust the headings in the detail section to correspond with the headings in the
page header section of the report design.
3 Now adjust Name of Accommodation so the word Accommodation appears on
the second line. Remember to sort the size of the heading box.
4 Now adjust the headings/ Remember to move the pointer over the heading until
it changes to
symbol which allows them to be moved. Ensure the headings
are evenly spaced out in the design.
4 Lastly, in the report header section we need to pull down the blue line that
separates the header section from the detail section. Move the pointer over the
line until it changes to a
symbol and then drag it down until it is below the
headers as shown below:
5 Centre the Customer ID data by clicking on the centre align icon.
6 Adjust the remaining data of the detail section.
Remember to check how the report looks in print preview as you make changes
and that in the header section in design view all headers must be visible as this is
what is printed on the report. However the headings in the detail section need not
be visible as long as the data is visible in the Print Preview.
7 Save the report and print one copy of it.
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CHANGING FONT AND STYLE
In the Report we can change the font style, size and colour as well as adding
borders and fill colours to text boxes.
You can either change each heading and data box individually or if you want them to
change to the same font we can select all headings at once and then change the
font, style etc.
1 Open the Holidays 2004 Report.
2 In design view, click on the Report header, hold your shift key and click on Report
footer.
3 On the Formatting toolbar change the font to Algerian, size 26 and bold. Click on
the font colour icon
and select purple. On the Formatting toolbar click on
the backfill/border colour icon
and select pale blue.
4 Click anywhere in the Report to deselect the headings. Adjust the size of the
report header box making it the same width as the report and centre the text.
Move you name heading to the right hand side of the report and make the box
the size required so that all data is visible.
5 Select the Page headings in the Report using the same method as above.
6 Select Comic Sans Font, size 12, bold and red. Adjust the boxes so that all data
is visible.
7 Select the headings in the Detail Section of the report and select Times New
Roman font, Size 10 and green font colour. Remember you have to check Print
Preview that all data is visible.
8 Save the Report and close it down.
You could also choose to insert a line/border colour on one of the textboxes by
selecting the textbox and clicking on the icon
and choosing the colour.
The same applies to choosing a special effect for the textbox, select the textbox you
want to apply the special effect to then click on the icon
and choose the
special effect i.e. raised.
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INSERTING A LABEL
We can insert an additional label in our report in a similar way to inserting labels
when using forms.
1 Open up the Holidays 2004 Report in design view.
2 Click on the label icon
on the toolbar and then select Arial font, size 14, bold
and yellow colour. Click on the left side of the report footer section and key in
LAST UPDATED APRIL 2004.
3 The footer section should look like this:
4 Save the report and print one copy of it.
CHANGING THE SORT ORDER
Once you have created the Report you may decide to change the sort order or to
insert a sort order.
1 Click on the reports tab and select HOLIDAYS 2004.
2 Click on the design icon.
3 Click on the Sort/Grouping icon on the toolbar.
4 The following menu will appear:
In the first box
select Customer ID
from the drop down
list select and
ascending in sort
order.
Select Resort
and ascending
close the menu
to accept the
adjustments.
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5 Open up the Report in print preview and check the sort order has changed. Your
report should now be the same as below:
6 Save the report and print one copy.
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PRACTICAL EXERCISE 1
1 Open up the database Equipment.
2 Create a Report using the wizard which includes the following fields:
Supplier Name
Equipment
Quantity
Price per Item.
3 Insert Supplier Name as a grouping by highlighting the label and clicking on the
> arrow.
4 Sort in descending order of Price per Item.
5 Use a stepped layout and portrait.
6 Name the Report Equipment Inventory.
7 Adjust the Report header to Comic Sans font, size 26, bold, colour blue with a red
line border. Insert the header in the centre of the page.
8 Insert a Report footer - Own Name 2004. Use Arial font, size 20, italics, black
colour with a yellow fill. Position at the left side of the page.
9 Change the page header layout to be the same as below:
10 Change the labels in the page header to Times New Roman font, size 12, bold
and orange.
11 In the Detail section of the report to match with the page header.
12 Change the Supplier Name to Britannic Bold, size 11 and purple colour.
13 Save the report and print one copy of it.
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Creating Reports in MS Access
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PRACTICE MATERIAL 2
1 Open the database Staff1.
2 Click on the Reports tab and create a Report using the Wizard, insert the
following fields in the Report.
First Name
Last Name
Department
Salary Grade
3 Insert Department as a Grouping.
4 Sort on Salary Grade in ascending order.
5 Select the layout as Outline 1 and Landscape page orientation.
6 Select the style as Bold.
7 Change the Report Header to Staff Salary Information.
8 Insert a Report Footer with your Own Name.
9 Insert a Page Header of Home Electronics.
10 Change the Report Header, Report Footer, Page Header and Page Footer to
Arial Font size 14 and blue.
11 Alter the headings so that all data is visible.
12 Extend the Report Header box to the whole width of the page and fill with pale
pink colour and centre the text.
13 Change the other headings to Britannic Bold, size 10, bold and green.
14 Change the fields to Comic Sans, Red and size 10, make only the departments
bold.
15 Save the report and print one copy and submit for marking.
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