The Report Body

Once the basic characteristics of the report has been defined in the layout section, the next step is to define (optionally) the header and footer sections, then the body. See the diagram below which divides a report page into each of these sections.

Strictly speaking, these three sections need not be placed in any particular order. However, if you specify the body section before the header, then the contents of the header will not appear until the following page. The header or footer can be defined more than once if you wish to change the information appearing in the top or bottom of the report, depending on the page being printed. For example, if you were constructing a financial statement that combined a profit and loss statement with a balance sheet, the first header section might include the heading 'profit & loss report'. Just before the balance sheet was about to begin printing, a 'break to new page' instruction might be specified, then another header section which contained a different heading. This time, perhaps, 'balance sheet for...'

The same can be done for footers. This is an extract from a typical financial statement:

#header

! [@centre]

Profit & loss statement for acme corporation

#footer

! [@rightjustify]

Continued next page...

#body

! [@nojustify]

Revenue

This extract contains a number of commands and special instructions that require further explanation. But for now, focus on how the report is divided into sections using the #header, #footer and #body commands. Keep in mind that the #body section is mandatory. Without it there would be nothing to print!

Specific punctuation symbols in the #header, #footer or #body sections of the report have special meanings. The open and closed square brackets tell the report printing system to exchange the name inside the brackets with the information the name 'requests'. For example, the following set of report instructions:

This is the time: [time] and this is the date: [today]

Would print, if the time was 11:30 am and the date the 15^th of July 2006, the following:

This is the time: 11:30 and this is the date: 15/07/06

As can be seen, the square brackets [ ] instruct CAPITAL to replace their contents with special information. This is the foundation upon which all reports are based.

The most important information to include on reports, of course, are related to account codes; their descriptions, their balances for the period or year, and/or the prior budget or year. The section Periods, Balances & Groups discusses how to add account codes and groups of account codes, to your reports.

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Related Topics:

The Report Writer/Editor