The chapter and topic nodes you use to create the Report View structure do not have to be created ahead of time; you can start with the Report View Manager and create the nodes and any layouts as you go. Therefore, we recommend to always use the Report View Manager for any changes to the Report View so you can get a better feel for which chapters and topics you really need to add or modify since you can see the progress of the report outline as you proceed.
For each chapter and topic node that you create, you are presented with various properties that the node should have, such as its caption, what layout to use, and in the case of a topic node, which topic comment area to use in the database to save any comments you enter.
You can add nodes at any time, so if you forgot one, or wanted to add additional ones to enhance an existing Report View, you can do so using the Report View Manager. Caution: if you add, delete or modify nodes for a report view, then any reports you have created earlier that use that report view will also take on those changes. The Report View Manager will warn you whether a Report View is being used in a report or not, so use your best judgment when modifying a Report View in those cases. As you can see in the image below, there are several areas displaying a caution indicating that this view is used by two reports. If you are making changes that will affect the look of the report, it might be a better idea to save the Report View as a new Report View, and change that one instead. This way, any reports that you have already completed will not be affected by your new changes. To make a copy, just click on the Save As button, and it will ask you for the new name; an exact copy of the current view will be created for you to modify.
Below is an example of the Report View Manager with the Texas 7A-0 Report View loaded:
View functions:
New
Create a new Report View from scratch.
Rename
Rename the selected Report View (this does not affect the report layout).
Delete
Delete the current report view. If the report view is in use by one or more reports, it will only be marked as inactive. Inactive views will appear gray in the View pull down.
Save As
Creates an exact copy of the selected view. Useful if you wanted to create a similar looking report, perhaps just wanting to create a report that is the basically the same but adds or removes one or more topics. Also useful if you need to make a change to the report layout but you have created several reports in the past and you don't want those reports to take on the changes.
Use with current report
Allows you to change which Report View is being used for the current report. Be careful, because if the selected Report View's Topic Comments don't match the current Report View's Topic Comments, the new Report View might not have all your data. However, this feature can be useful if you want to print the inspection data differently, or partially, depending on who will be reviewing the report.
Node functions:
Add Chapter
Add a new chapter to the Report View. Chapters are typically used to define a page layout for all its child topics, including headers and footers. For example, one chapter could define that all its topics will be landscape with 1 inch margins, and another chapter defines that all its topics will be portrait, with 1/2 inch margins. Static heading text, such as chapter headings, also are defined in a Chapter layout. Note: a root chapter, a chapter with no parent chapter, will cause page numbering to restart again at 1. This allows a single report layout to have multiple sections each with their own page numbering sequence.
Add Topic
Add a new topic to the Report View. A topic is an area where you can enter comments. Topics also reference a topic layout, which is used to define any static text, such as topic headings, to be printed when a topic's comment is also printed.
Remove Node
Delete a node from the Report View
Note: to change the order of a chapter or topic, you can simply drag-n-drop the node to the new location. To move a chapter where it would then be a child to another chapter, you will need to use the Parent Chapter pull down list to select the new parent.
Node Properties:
Caption
Specify the caption that should be shown in the navigation tree. Keep in mind that a tag is available, $Caption, which can be resolved to the current caption. For example, you can use the $Caption tag in Chapter and Topic layouts for dynamic headings; i.e. by using that tag you can use the same layout for multiple Chapters or Topics, and still provide a different heading each time a Chapter or Topic is printed. So it is a good idea to specify a caption that can also be used in the printed report.
Parent Chapter
Specify the parent chapter that the node will be a child of in order to organize a report's overall print order. You can also drag-n-drop nodes using the Node tree panel on the left. If you need to move a folder inside an empty folder (i.e. make it a child node of that empty folder), you must use the Parent Chapter method since a folder cannot be drag-n-dropped into a folder unless it is expanded (and an empty folder cannot be expanded).
Chapter/Topic Layout
Specify the layout to use for the selected chapter or topic node. A Chapter Layout defines the page layout for all child topics, as well as any text that should be printed when the report generator needs to print that particular chapter. A Topic Layout defines how to print the particular topic and associated comments, such as any indentation or headings. See Chapter Layout Manager for more information about chapter layouts, and see Topic Layout Manager for more information about topic layouts.
Topic Comment (topic nodes only)
Specify the database field to use to store any comments that will be entered for this topic. All topics in the Report View should have a unique database field so that the comment data won't be shared or editable in multiple topics. An exception to this rule is if you are using a topic strictly as a place holder, in that the topic layout itself will contain everything that needs to be printed, and the topic comment will remain empty. In such cases, you could create single database field that these types of topics all point to. You might use that approach when creating topics for disclaimers, contracts or invoices that don't need to be edited and can be created entirely in the topic layout itself. Note that in a Work View, multiple topics will typically use the same Report View topic (all rooms will need a reference to the "doors and windows" topic for example).
Checkbox Group (topic nodes only)
If the topic layout has checkboxes, you can specify the checkbox group to use that corresponds to the topic's checkboxes. The main application window will create an area just above the comment panel which will contain the checkboxes from the checkbox group. This provides access to the checkboxes in the topic layout.
Hint (topic nodes only)
Select a hint to display in the hint window, if desired.
RapidRemark View (topic nodes only)
Select the RapidRemark View to display in the RapidRemark panel for the selected topic.