AutoReports will only meet your needs when you need to present the data in one table or query. If you want to combine data from multiple tables, group data or create
summary calculations, then you really need to use the Report Wizard.
The Report Wizard is very powerful and is nearly always the right way to get started with any
multi-table report[1].
It allows you to select fields from multiple tables and queries, to create summary calculations and choose a formatting scheme. To start the Report Wizard, display the Report view of the database window and double-click the Create Report By Using Wizard option.
The following Simulation takes you through the creation of a report with the Report Wizard.
In the next lesson you will learn about navigating the report, and then you will get a chance to create your own report with the Report Wizard.
You can divide the content of an Access report into two general categories:
- information derived from records in one or more tables, and
- everything else.
The everything else category includes the title, page headers and footers, introductory and explanatory text, and any logos and other graphics.
Just as you can create a form that includes all the fields in a table by using the Form tool, you can create a report that includes all the fields by using the Report tool, which is located in the Reports group on the Create tab.
But such a report is merely a prettier version of the table, and it does not summarize the data in any meaningful way.
You are more likely to want to create a report based on only some of the fields, and that is a job for the Report wizard.
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Report Wizard
The Report wizard leads you through a series of questions and then creates a report based on your answers.
So the first step in creating a report is to consider the end result you want and what information you need to include in the report to achieve that result. After you provide that information, the wizard creates a simple report layout and adds a text box control and its associated label for each field you specify.
For example, you might want to use a Products table as the basis for a report that groups products by category.
When you give the grouping instruction to the wizard, it first sorts the table based on the category, and then sorts the products in each category.
In the space at the top of each group (called the group header), the wizard inserts the name of the category.
[1]
multi-table report:A multi-table report in MS Access combines data from multiple related tables into a single report. This allows you to display information from different sources in a cohesive and organized manner, such as customer information and their corresponding orders.