Embed a Report within a Form

Often when you're viewing a master record, you want to see a list of related detail records (What are detail and master records? Read about relationships.) For example, say you're running a project, wouldn't it be great to see a list of related tasks when you're viewing the project record? No problem. You can easily create an informative display form like the one in the figure below. To do so, you can embed a report within the display form.

This Project record features an embedded report of related task records.

To embed a report:

1. Display the form you want to embed the report on.

   This form must belong to a master table. You can't embed a report within a detail record. To access a form, display a report of the table's records and click the view button (or ) next to any record.

2. On the upper right of the screen, click the Customize this Form link and select Edit the layout of this form in the Form Builder.

   The Form Builder's Elements tab appears.

3. Add the report link field (that links to the details table) to the form.

   Don't know how to add form elements and work with the report builder? Read how. The report link field is easy to spot as it's usually named after the detail table you want to display. Also, when you select the field, its type displays in the Form Builder's right pane (see Figure 2).

   
   When you select the Tasks field on the left, QuickBase displays
   info and controls to the right of the form elements list, and shows the field type at the top.

4. In right-hand pane, select Display the related --records-- directly on the form.

   This lets QuickBase know you want to show the report. If you select the other option, Display just a link to the related --records--, QuickBase would insert a hyperlink instead of a list. The link opens the report you're about to specify.

5. Click the Base the display on the report dropdown and select the report you want to show within the master record.

   You can see and edit report settings directly from this screen, if you want. To do so, select a report from the dropdown, then click the blue report... link to the dropdown's right. The report opens in the report builder. DO NOT select a report set with matching criteria (filtering). Doing so means that you may not show some records that users expect to see in a list of related records.

6. If you want the embedded report to display in Grid Edit mode, turn on the Editable checkbox.

   When you make the report editable, viewers can edit detail records the report contains directly on the master form. They can also add new records without navigating to a new screen (even if the master record has not yet been saved). See Figure 3. Read more about enabling spreadsheet-style editing of an embedded report.

   
   An Embedded Grid Edit Report lets users edit and add records spreadsheet-style.
   Editable reports don't display in Grid Edit mode when you merely display the master record form.
   Like any other data-entry field on the form, embedded Grid Edit reports are only editable when you're editing or adding a master record

   NOTE: Embedded Grid Edit reports speed data-entry. But there are certain situations in which you won't want to turn this feature on. What are they?

7. Set the dimensions of the embedded report.

   Form real estate can be valuable. If your report takes up too much room, you can limit its size in one of two ways:

   • Limit the size of the list in pixels. Tell QuickBase how many pixels tall to make the list. When you do, the program creates a box within the form that contains the report. It features scroll bars on the bottom and right sides, which let users scroll down the list. It's almost like a window that lets viewers see and scroll through the list of records. Don't lowball this number or you'll confuse your users who'll get a peak of a report heading with no records. A minimum of 200 pixels is usually best. But see for yourself: Enter a number and click Preview to see how it looks.

   • Limit the list to a certain number of rows. When you do so, QuickBase displays only the number of records you specify. The program adds navigation controls so users can click through all related records without leaving the form. For example, if you set the number of rows to three, QuickBase divides the list into pages of three records each. Users click page links and QuickBase show the list three records at a time.

8. Tell QuickBase when the report should appear on the form.

   When do you want the list of detail records to display? Only when the form is in display mode? Edit mode? Or both? Specify your preference by selecting one of these options within the Display when this form is used for: dropdown.

FAQ - My embedded report isn't showing all the records that relate to the master record. What's wrong?
Make sure the report you insert has no filtering/matching criteria set. If it does, you won't see the records you expect to see. OK, but how do you know which reports have matching limitations? You can see or edit a report directly from this screen. To do so, select the report from the list and click the report... link to its right. QuickBase opens the report in the Report Builder so you can make changes.

Related Topics

• Adding detail records from within a master record

• Adding records to multiple tables from within a single form

• About custom forms

• Creating custom forms

• Creating Dynamic Form Rules

• Associating a custom form with reports and roles

• Editing a custom form

• Copying a custom form

• Deleting a custom form

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