Report Output Builder

To learn more about this capability, click the Launch video button.

Use the Report Output Builder to add and remove output columns, choose sorts, change the formatting of the text on a report, add a watermark, and/or modify a report's layout. You can access this feature when you create a report, copy a report, or edit a report, or you can change the report output without doing anything else.

If you access Applied Epic using a web browser, you must install Layout Builder from Help > Connection Suite to add and edit layouts.

Access the Reports/Marketing area.

The My Reports list defaults when the Reports/Marketing screen opens. If the report is in a different list, click the button for that list on the navigation panel, or click on My Reports in the view filter and make a different selection.

These are the options:

Account
Activity
Applications
Claim
Claim Contracts
General Ledger
Interface
Management
Opportunities
Policy
Transaction
Marketing Preview

Click to highlight the report.

The next steps depend on what you are doing:

Creating a Report
1. Do one of the following:
  - Click Actions > Create New Report on the options bar.
  - Click Actions > Create New Report on the menubar.
  - Right click the report and select Create New Report.
2. Click Layouts on the navigation panel.
Copying a Report
1. Do one of the following:
  - Click Actions > Copy Report To on the options bar.
  - Click Actions > Copy Report To on the menubar.
  - Right click the report and select Copy Report To.
2. Click Layouts on the navigation panel.
Editing a Report
1. Do one of the following:
  - Click the Edit button .
  - Double click the report.
2. Click Layouts on the navigation panel.
Changing the Report Layout Only
1. Do one of the following:
  - Click the Edit button .
  - Double click the report.
2. Click Layouts on the navigation panel.

You can do the following:

Create a New Layout
1. Do one of the following:
  - Click the Add button .
  - Press [Insert] on your keyboard.
2. In the Add Layout pop-up window, enter a Name (required) and Description (optional) for the new layout, select a Field Set, and click Finish.
Copy an Existing Layout
1. To copy an existing layout (for example, as the basis for a new, similar layout), click to highlight the layout and do one of the following:
  - Click Actions > Copy Layout To.
  - Right click the layout and select Copy Layout To.
2. In the Copy Layout pop-up window, choose a Language and enter a Layout Name and a Description (optional) for the copied layout.
3. Select the Print checkbox if you want to set the copied layout to print. This checkbox defaults selected or unselected based on the print selection for the original report, but you can change it if necessary.
4. In the Create Copies In frame, select This Report to save your copy to the same report as the original. Select the Other Reports checkbox to save your copy to a different report.
5. Use the search filter to find reports matching selected criteria. In the Search where area, make a selection in each dropdown menu to locate the desired report. The fields vary, depending on the dropdown menu options you choose.
  
  These are the choices in the first dropdown menu:
  - Report Area
  - Report Name
  - User Code
  - User Name
These are the choices in the second dropdown menu:
- Equals
- Contains
1. You can change the columns that display in the list if necessary.
  1. Click the Select Columns link on the right side of the header bar.
    
    The Select Columns window displays.
  2. Select the checkbox next to each column that should be included in the list.
    
    Deselect the checkbox next to each column that should be removed from the list.
  3. Columns will display in the order in which they are listed. To move a column up or down in the list, click the column and then click the up arrow or down arrow to change its position.
  4. Click OK or press [Enter] to save your changes.
    
    Click Cancel to close the window without saving your changes.
2. Select the checkbox for each report to which you want to copy the layout. To copy the layout to all reports displayed in the list, click the Select All link.
3. Select the Other Reports checkbox to populate the Select Reports list with available reports.
4. Optionally enter a Comment to provide additional information about the copied layout.
5. Click Finish to copy the layout or Cancel to close the window without copying the layout.
  
  Note: If the source report contains any criteria that are absent from the destination report, these criteria will be removed from your copied layout. A pop-up window will display, listing the criteria to be removed.
Update an Existing Layout
1. Click to highlight the layout and do one of the following:
  - Click the Edit button .
  - Double click the layout.

If you are adding or editing a layout, the Report Layout window displays. Use the menubar and toolbar to assist you with formatting:

Menubar
- File
- - Save (Ctrl + S)
  - Save All (Ctrl + Shift + S)
  - Exit
- Edit
- - Undo
  - Redo
  - Cut
  - Copy
  - Paste
  - Delete
  - Select All
- View
- - Toolbars: Show or hide the toolbars listed in submenu
  - - Align Toolbar
    - Center in Form Toolbar
    - Horizontal Spacing Toolbar
    - Language Toolbar
    - Make Same Size Toolbar
    - Vertical Spacing Toolbar
  - Draw Grid: Add or remove grid lines.
  - Fields Combo Box: Show or hide the Fields dropdown menu in the properties area.
  - Rulers: Show or hide rulers.
  - Preview Layout
- Format
- - Align: Click and drag the items you want to align, or click each item while pressing [Shift].
  - - Lefts
    - Centers
    - Rights
    - Tops
    - Middles
    - Bottoms
    - To Grid
  - Make Same Size: Click and drag the items you want to make the same size, or click each item while pressing [Shift].
  - - Width
    - Size to Grid
    - Height
    - Both
  - Horizontal Spacing: Click and drag the items you want to space, or click each item while pressing [Shift].
  - - Make Equal
    - Increase
    - Decrease
    - Remove
  - Vertical Spacing: Click and drag the items you want to space, or click each item while pressing [Shift].
  - - Make Equal
    - Increase
    - Decrease
    - Remove
  - Center in Form: Click and drag the items you want to center, or click each item while pressing [Shift].
  - - Horizontally
    - Vertically
  - Add Detail Region: Double click to open the Formula Editor.
Toolbar
Click and drag the items you want to align, or click each item while pressing [Shift].
- Align to Grid
- Align Lefts
- Align Centers
- Align Rights
- Align Tops
- Align Middles
- Align Bottoms
- Make Same Height
- Make Same Size
- Size to Grid
- Make Horizontal Spacing Equal
- Make Vertical Spacing Equal
- Increase Vertical Spacing
- Decrease Vertical Spacing
- Remove Vertical Spacing
- Center Horizontally
- Center Vertically
- Increase Horizontal Spacing
- Decrease Horizontal Spacing
- Remove Horizontal Spacing
- Make Same Width
- The Save button saves only your temporary layout.
- The Save All button saves the entire report instance (criteria, layout, and delivery options).
- The Language dropdown menu displays the language of the current output and allows you to switch to another language’s layout.

Parts of the Screen

The Output Builder screen is comprised of the following areas:

Tabs

Data Columns: You can drag criteria on this tab to the Major Sorts and Minor Sorts boxes and to the canvas.

Double click a folder to open it. When you have navigated to the desired criterion, drag that item to the Major Sorts box, the Minor Sorts box, or the desired location on the canvas.

Another way to move the selected item to the canvas is to click on the criterion in the list, and then click on the desired location on the canvas. Clicking on another part of the canvas after doing that places the next criterion on the canvas.
Insert: You can drag non-data items from this tab to the canvas.
Criteria: This tab lists criteria for the selected report type. You can drag items from this tab to the canvas.
Language: Use this tab to specify the language(s) your report layout will support.
- Use the Add and Delete buttons to add or remove languages from the layout. When you click Add, you are prompted to select an existing language from which to copy the layout. Deleting an existing language also removes all text and settings specific to the layout for that language.
- Select a language in the list and click the Edit button to specify which language is active for editing. The active language displays in the Language dropdown menu on the Format Toolbar. If you want to activate a different Language for editing, use this dropdown menu to select it.

Note: Every report must have one default language. The default language cannot be deleted.

Canvas: This is the main area of the screen. It is where information is moved, added to the report, etc.

Properties: Properties of the selected field display. Use this area to specify font, font size, font color, format, highlight color, alignment, location, and field size. Items on the Insert tab have additional properties.

Note: If you are editing a report layout for a language other than the default, some properties are disabled and cannot be edited. Those properties are not language-specific and can only be changed on the default layout. Any changes you make to them on the default layout will be applied to all other languages for that layout as well.

Major Sorts: The primary criteria by which the report will be sorted. A major sort is used to group output based on common data. The Major Sort Footer allows you to calculate subtotals automatically based on the major sort. For example, the Producer Commission report is typically generated with a Major Sort of Producer Code, which groups the items associated with specific producers under their producer codes. When you select a major sort, the layout defaults to create page breaks based on that sort. The page break is optional, and you can change this setting to omit page breaks. The default report also includes subtotals, per producer, in the Producer Code Major Sort Footer.

Minor Sorts: Secondary criteria by which the report will be sorted. A minor sort organizes data without the option to create page breaks or subtotals based on the minor sort. For example, the Producer Commission report is typically generated with a Major Sort of Producer Code to group items associated with each producer. However, the items associated to each one are organized and listed based on the selected Minor Sort (e.g., by account name or by transaction code).

This example shows a Minor Sort by Account Name, then a Minor Sort by Item #.

Account Name	Item #
Joseph Abbott	135
Joseph Abbott	139
Josephine Baker	13
Josephine Baker	17
Ted Jones	129
Ted Jones	141
Ted Jones	152

Options

Add a Column Heading
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Label to the desired area on the canvas.
3. Double click in the Text field in the Properties area.
1. Enter the text for the new item.
  
  Note: Be sure to add data columns below the new column heading. Data columns added in the Detail section of the canvas automatically create their own column headers.
Add a Company Logo or another image
1. If you are adding the image to the report header, click on the Report Header bar on the canvas, click on the bottom middle square, and drag the header to the desired size.
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Picture Box to the desired area on the canvas.
3. In the Properties area, click in the Image field to activate the ellipsis (...) button.
1. Click the ellipsis (...) button.
2. Browse for the desired image and click Open.
3. Resize the picture box manually using the handles around the image, or enter the Size in the Properties area.
Add a Detail Region
This feature adds a new area to your layout that includes only results that meet or do not meet a particular criterion.
1. On the menubar, click Format > Add Detail Region.
2. In the Formula Editor window, navigate through the folder structure to find the desired criterion.
3. Select a qualifier of equals (=) or does not equal (<>) and enter the desired value.
4. Click OK.
5. A blank detail section is added to the layout. Copy the desired fields from the report’s main Details region to the new section. You may also want to add the field by which you are filtering.
  
  If you want this section to replace the original Details region, select the original Details region. If you have created a new layout for a report, select the original Details region and change its Height (under Layout) to 0.00. If you are editing an existing layout that has fields in the original Details region, delete any fields from the original Details region and change its Height (under Layout) to 0.00.

Add a Formula

Add a Label to an item
Labels are most often added next to Total fields so that the person who prints the report knows what is being added, averaged, or counted.
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Label to the desired area on the canvas.
3. Double click in the Text field in the Properties area.
1. Enter the new text.
Add a Line to the Layout
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Line to the desired area on the canvas.
3. Click in the square on the canvas and drag to expand the line.
4. Click and drag the squares to change the size and angle of the line.
5. To change the color of the line, click in the Color field and click the dropdown button. Click on the desired color on the Custom, Web, or System tab.
Add a Major Sort

To add a major sort, drag an item from the Data Columns tab to the Major Sorts box. The major sort, shown with a green heading, is automatically added to the layout.

Double click a folder to open it. When you have navigated to the desired criterion, drag that item to the Major Sorts box, the Minor Sorts box, or the desired location on the canvas.

Another way to move the selected item to the canvas is to click on the criterion in the list and then click on the desired location on the canvas. Subsequently clicking on another part of the canvas places the next criterion on the canvas.

To remove a major sort from the layout, click on the major sort and press [Delete].
Add a Minor Sort

To add a minor sort, drag an item from the Data Columns tab to the Minor Sorts box.

Double click a folder to open it. When you have navigated to the desired criterion, drag that item to the Major Sorts box, the Minor Sorts box, or the desired location on the canvas.

Another way to move the selected item to the canvas is to click on the criterion in the list and then click on the desired location on the canvas. Subsequently clicking on another part of the canvas places the next criterion on the canvas.

To remove a minor sort from the layout, click on the minor sort and press [Delete].
Add a Shape to the Layout
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Shape to the desired area on the canvas.
3. To specify the shape, click in the Style field of the Properties area and choose the shape.
1. To size the shape, drag the squares surrounding it, or enter its dimensions in the Size field of the Properties area.
2. To choose a line color for the shape, click in the LineColor field and click the dropdown button. Click on the desired color on the Custom, Web, or System tab.
3. To choose a fill color for the shape, click in the FillColor field and click the dropdown button. Click on the desired color on the Custom, Web, or System tab.
Add a Total
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Click Total and drag it to the section where you want it to display, such as the Major Sort Footer section or the Report Footer section.
3. In the Properties area, locate the Misc > TotalType property, click the down arrow next to Count, and change the selection to Sum or Average if applicable.
4. Click the empty box next to the Data > Data Field property, click the ellipsis (...) button, and then drill down to the folder containing the variable that you want to total. Highlight the variable and click OK.
5. To add a label next to the variable, drag Label from the Insert tab next to your total box on the canvas.
6. In the Appearance > Text property, enter a label for your total field (such as Total).
Add a Watermark
1. Click on any area on the canvas and press the [Esc] key. Page properties display in the Properties area.
2. Click in the Watermark field of the Properties area, and then click the ellipsis (...) button.
1. Browse to the image that you want to use as a watermark and click Open.
2. Click in the WatermarkPrintOptions field, click the down arrow, and make a selection.
3. Click in the WatermarkSizeMode field, click the down arrow, and make a selection.
Add an Address to a Layout
Use this feature to add client addresses to the report.
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Address to the desired area on the canvas.
3. Change the data fields if necessary.
  1. In the Properties area, click in the Address field you would like to change, and then click the ellipsis button.
  2. The Data Field Editor window displays. Double click folders as necessary to open them, navigate to the correct item, and click OK.
Add Data to the Layout

Double click on an item on the Data Columns tab to move it to the canvas, and then drag the edges of the box to size it. You can also click once on the item, click the area on the canvas where you want to place it, and drag its edges to resize it.

Double click a folder to open it. When you have navigated to the desired criterion, drag that item to the desired location on the canvas.

Another way to move the selected item to the canvas is to click on the criterion in the list, and then click on the desired location on the canvas. Subsequently clicking on another part of the canvas places the next criterion on the canvas.

To remove an item from the layout, click on the item and press [Delete].
Add the Current Date each time the report is generated
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Date to the desired area on the canvas.
Add the Current Time each time the report is generated
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Time to the desired area on the canvas.
Add Page Numbers
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag PageNumber to the Page Footer area on the canvas
Change a Column Title
1. Click on the item you want to rename.
2. Double click in the Text field in the Properties area.
1. Enter the new text.
Change a Compare Number
The Compare Number data property is available for certain data elements related to comparison sets, which are available on the Balance Sheet - Comparisons, Income Statement - Comparisons, and Trial Balance - Comparisons reports.
1. Select the appropriate data element.
2. Under Data, select the CompareNumber property. The number here corresponds with the order in which this comparison set displays in the Selected list for the Accounting Month/Comparatives criteria.
3. To switch to a different comparison set, enter a different number. If you enter a number without a matching comparison set (for example, if you enter 5 and the report includes only three comparison sets), nothing will print for this field.
Change Paper Orientation
1. Click on any area on the canvas and press the [Esc] key. Page properties display in the Properties area.
2. Click in the PaperOrientation field of the Properties area, click the down arrow button, and select Portrait or Landscape.
Change Paper Size
1. Click on any area on the canvas and press the [Esc] key. Page properties display in the Properties area.
2. Click in the PaperSize field of the Properties area, click the down arrow button, and make a selection (Legal, Letter, etc.).
Change the Font Alignment in a field on the Canvas
1. Click on the item on the canvas.
2. Click in the HorizontalAlignment field of the Properties area and click the Down arrow button.
1. Select the alignment:
  - Left
  - Center
  - Right
Change the Font of an item on the Canvas
1. Click on the item on the canvas.
2. Click in the Font field of the Properties area and click the ellipsis (...) button.
1. Choose the Font, Font Style, and Size.
2. Select the Strikeout and/or Underline checkbox(es) if applicable.
3. Click OK.
4. To change the color of the item's font, click in the FontColor field and click the dropdown button. Click on the desired color on the Custom, Web, or System tab.
Get a Count, Average, or Sum for a specific criterion
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. Drag Total to the desired area on the canvas.
  
  Note: Total produces different results, depending on where you place it on the layout. If you place the Total in the a major sort, it calculates the total for only that section. If you place the Total in the report footer, it calculates a grand total for the entire report.
3. In the Properties area, click in the TotalType field to activate the dropdown menu, and then make a selection:
  - Count
  - Average
  - Sum
1. Next, specify the criterion for which you would like the count, average, or sum calculated. To specify the criterion, click DataField in the Properties area and then click the ellipsis (...) button.
1. The Data Field Editor window displays. Double click folders as necessary to open them, navigate to the correct item, and click OK.
2. Click in the Format field in the Properties area and click the ellipsis (...) button.
3. The Format Editor window displays. Choose the Format Type, make other selections as applicable, and click OK.
Highlight text on the report
1. Click on the item you would like to highlight on the canvas.
2. Click in the Highlight field of the Properties area and click the dropdown button.
1. Click on the desired highlight color on the Custom, Web, or System tab.
Page Break by Major Sort

To page break by major sort, click to highlight the appropriate sort in the Major Sorts box.

Click PageBreak in the field properties area. Click the down arrow to the right and choose True.
Place an item on the Canvas
You can place an item in one of two ways:
- Drag the desired item to the correct location on the canvas.
- Set the X and Y coordinates of the item.
  Note: X and Y Coordinates are specified for the upper left corner of the selected item.
  1. Click the plus sign next to Location in the Properties area.
    
    Double click in the X field and enter the desired location.
    
    Double click in the Height field and enter the desired location.
Preview the Layout
1. Click View > Preview Layout on the menubar.
2. The Print Preview screen displays.
  
  Click Page Setup to specify the print parameters or to change the printer to which the document should be sent. Fill this window in as you would for any other document.
  
  Change the Zoom percentage to change the size of the document on the screen for easier viewing.
  
  Click the Single Page View , Double Page View , and Multiple Page View buttons to specify the number of pages that should display on the screen.
  
  Use the First Page, Previous Page, Next Page, and Last Page buttons to scroll through the pages on the screen, or enter the desired page number in the field provided and press [Enter].
  
  Click the Print button to print the document. The Print window displays. Print this as you would any other document.
  
  Click Close to exit the screen without printing the document.
Remove an item from the Canvas
1. Click on the item.
2. Press [Delete] on your keyboard.
Resize an item
1. Click on the item you would like to resize on the canvas.
2. You can resize the item in one of two ways:
  - Resize the object manually.
    
    The selected item is surrounded by small squares. Click on a square and drag it to change the highlighted object's size.
  - Specify the height and width in inches.
    Click the plus sign next to Size in the Properties area.
    
    Double click in the Width field and enter the desired width in inches.
    
    Double click in the Height field and enter the desired height in inches.
Set the Page Properties

Click on any area of the canvas and press the [Esc] key. Page properties display in the Properties area.

Edit the page orientation, page size, and watermarking options as necessary.
Show/Hide Grid Lines
1. Click on any area on the canvas and press the [Esc] key. Page properties display in the Properties area.
2. Click in the DrawGrid field of the Properties area.
3. Click the down arrow button. Select False to hide the grid or true to show it.
Show/Hide Rulers
1. Click on any area of the canvas and press the [Esc] key. Page properties display in the Properties area.
2. Click in the ShowRulers field of the Properties area.
3. Click the down arrow button. Select False to hide the rulers or true to show them.
Snap to Grid
This function automatically align items to the grid on the canvas.
1. Click on any area of the canvas and press the [Esc] key. Page properties display in the Properties area.
2. Click in the SnapToGrid field of the Properties area.
3. Click the down arrow button. Select False to refrain from snapping items to the grid or true to snap items to the grid.

To complete the layout, click File > Exit. You are prompted with the following message.

To save only the layout , click Layout Only.
To save the entire report (criteria selections, layout, and delivery options), click Save All.
To close the Output Builder without saving your changes, click Discard Changes.
To close this message and make further changes to your layout, click Cancel.

Function	Explanation
+	Use between data elements or report controls to add the items together.
-	Use between data elements or report controls to subtract one item from another.
*	Use between data elements or report controls to multiply items.
/	Use between data elements or report controls to divide items.
()	Use around data elements or report controls to group items together.
^	Use to raise a number to the power of another number.
&	Use between data elements to join the strings together.
%	Use between data elements to find the remainder of one number divided by another number.
ABS(exp1)	Returns the absolute value of a number, i.e., a number without its sign.
AVG(exp1,exp2,expn)	Returns the average (arithmetic mean) of its arguments; add additional variables and separate with commas.
CEILING(exp1,x)	Rounds a number up, to the nearest integer or to the nearest multiple of significance.
CONCATENATE(exp1,exp2,expn)	Use to join two or more strings together; add additional variables and separate by commas.
DATEDIFF(exp1,exp2)	Returns the difference, in number of days, between two date variables.
FLOOR(exp1,x)	Rounds a number down, toward zero, to the nearest multiple of significance.
IF(exp 1, exp2,expn)	Evaluates whether a condition is met, and returns one value if TRUE and another if FALSE.
INT(exp1)	Rounds a number down to the nearest integer.
MAX(exp1,exp2,expn)	Evaluates a set of expressions and returns the expression with the maximum value; add additional variables and separate with commas.
MIN(exp1,exp2,expn)	Evaluates a set of expressions and returns the expression with the minimum value; add additional variables and separate with commas.
MOD(exp1,exp2)	Returns the remainder after a number is divided by a divisor.
POWER(exp1,x)	Returns the result of a number raised to the power of another number.
PRODUCT(exp1,exp2,expn)	Multiplies all the numbers given; add additional variables and separate with commas
ROUND(exp1,x)	Returns a numeric expression rounded to a specified number of decimal places
SIGN(exp1)	Returns the sign of a number: 1 if the number is positive, 0 if the number is zero, or -1 if the number is negative.
SQRT(exp1)	Returns the square root of the specified numeric expression.
SUM(exp1,exp2,expn)	Sums the contents of two or more data fields; add additional expressions and separate with commas.