Previewing a Report
You can preview a report for the active file and then decide whether you want to print it or save it to a file.
1. Do one of the following to open the Select Report to Preview window:
◦ Select > .
◦ On the standard toolbar, click Print Preview.
◦ A
ll reports for the active file type are shown under its module. The reports for other modules in use appear under the headings for these modules. If you want to hide or show the files under a heading, you click the - (minus) sign or + (plus) to the left of the heading.
For a System file, both Report Design and Report Binder files are listed.
For a Report Binder file, the module type for the top report determines the heading under which it is listed. If a Report Binder file does not yet contain a top report, it is listed before the first module heading.
2. Select the report you want to preview. You can either generate the report as it is defined or modify its parameters to customize it.
◦ If you want to generate the defined report, click OK.
◦ If you want to generate a customized report, select the Override report properties checkbox and click OK.
If any parameter selections are required at runtime, or if you selected the Override report properties checkbox, the Report Properties window opens so you can supply parameters. For more information, see Report Properties. When finished, click OK.
The Generating Report window opens, displaying status information as the report is generated. Clicking Cancel stops report generation. If an issue exists with generating the report, a window opens, indicating the problem encountered. Otherwise, the report opens in the Preview window, where the Print Preview toolbar provides one-click access to several commands.
The following table shows the toolbar buttons when they are available for selection and describes what each one does.
Button/Tooltip | Description |
|---|---|
 | Provides for printing the report to the printer. When you click this button, the Print window opens. |
 | Provides for printing the report to a local file. When you click this button, the Print to File window opens. For more information, see Printing a Report to a File. |
 | Displays the previous page. |
 | Displays the next page. |
 | Switches between showing one page or two pages at a time. |
 | Zooms in on the current page. |
 | Zooms out on the current page. |
 | Closes the Print Preview window. |
The Preview menu provides many of the same commands as the Print Preview toolbar. It also provides a Save Report Data command you can use if you want to save the data upon which the report is generated to a Microsoft Access file.
1. Select > . The Save As window opens. The Save As type option is display-only. Microsoft Access is the only file type to which you can save data.
2. For File name, enter the name of the file that you want to create.
3. If you want the file to open after its creation, leave Open report data file selected. Otherwise, clear this checkbox.
4. Click Create.
If an issue exists with creating or opening the file, a window opens, indicating the problem encountered.
 | Clicking a Report Design or Report Binder file when you are in the file selection or file open state of the Project Navigator automatically generates the report as it is defined and opens it in the Preview window. For more information, see Project Navigator. |