Working with Your Data (Report Builder 2.0)

After you create the initial layout for your report by running the wizard to add tables, matrices, and charts, you can customize the content and appearance of your report. You can change the data, change the organization of data, and vary the appearance of your report in the following ways:

  • Add parameters to enable the user to choose the data to retrieve from a data source. You can create parameters that accept a single value or multiple values. You can design cascading parameters so that the values of one parameter determine the values of the next parameter. Specifying parameter defaults enables a report to run automatically on first view, and specifying parameter available values provides a drop-down list that enables a user to choose only valid values.

  • Add filter expressions to display or hide categories of data in the report. You can filter data in the query so that it is not retrieved from the data source, or you can filter data for the report or for parts of a report, for example, a table or chart. You can also filter on a parameter value.

  • Change the sort order for data by changing the sort expression. When you change the sort order for data in a chart, you change the colors that are used for each category.

  • Change the way data is grouped on a table, matrix, or chart by changing the group expression. You can also delete the detail row in a table or matrix so that only the subtotal rows display.

  • Modify default aggregate functions to add a ratio, for example, change a calculation from sum of sales to a percent of sales.

  • Add conditional expressions to highlight data, for example, show data that indicates immediate action is needed in a bold font or bright color.

Topics in this section help you learn to customize parameters and expressions. For more information about changing report layout, formatting, or adding interactivity, see topics in Designing the Report Layout (Report Builder 2.0).

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