Designing Dynamic Reports
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I'm developing an app that allows the user to create custom data structures (which are stored in an underlying database). Currently, I'm in the proccess of designing a module that will generate reports from the user's custom data structures. (This way the user can obtain some quick output without having to design a report from scratch) My question is: If the amount of fields in the custom data structure exceeds the width of the page, is it customary to continue the report columns onto another page or rearrange the fields so that all fields reside on the same page?
If my answer has helped you, one of my articles may also be a help. Also remember that your best friend's name is google.
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I'm developing an app that allows the user to create custom data structures (which are stored in an underlying database). Currently, I'm in the proccess of designing a module that will generate reports from the user's custom data structures. (This way the user can obtain some quick output without having to design a report from scratch) My question is: If the amount of fields in the custom data structure exceeds the width of the page, is it customary to continue the report columns onto another page or rearrange the fields so that all fields reside on the same page?
If my answer has helped you, one of my articles may also be a help. Also remember that your best friend's name is google.
I'm not sure whether you mean a page on a screen view or the printed page, but isn't this a question to be put to the potential users? or based on 'Lessons learned'? Whatever you decide, possibly based on advice from CP, it may not be what your users want. On the other hand, as this is a design question, If the only way the user can get the information they want is to include data fields in a report that either: Doesn't fit on the page (printed or otherwise), or is: Rearranged so the info in the columns is perhaps dificult to read, maybe a single report with that many columns is not the best design choice?
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I'm developing an app that allows the user to create custom data structures (which are stored in an underlying database). Currently, I'm in the proccess of designing a module that will generate reports from the user's custom data structures. (This way the user can obtain some quick output without having to design a report from scratch) My question is: If the amount of fields in the custom data structure exceeds the width of the page, is it customary to continue the report columns onto another page or rearrange the fields so that all fields reside on the same page?
If my answer has helped you, one of my articles may also be a help. Also remember that your best friend's name is google.
I'd be more inclined to go with data dump type functionality, you no longer control the content therefore you lose control of the output. Display the data in a grid (if possible) and output via csv.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH