Customized Reports

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Overview

For all accounting reports, there is on the top of the form two fields and some buttons for these fields : definition and layout.

If you find it complex, you can ignore them and fill other fields.

However, they are useful to record report types, and avoid to enter parameters at every time you want to run a report, and also to change the layout of the report.

Definition

We call definition the whole set of parameters for the report, including the layout.

When you are using gestinux for the first time, a default definition is shown. If you have updated the country field for your company, and there is a default definition for this country and this report, it will be selected. Otherwise, it will be the definition valid for all countries, if this is meaningful.

Definition should be stored in the database, in order to be available for all computers. That's why you will be prompted to store the default definition when you close the window.

To copy or rename a definition in the database, enter another name and click the button on the bottom of the form. You will be prompted to remove the previous definition name (rename) or not (copy).

Stored definition will be loadable from database on all computers, with the first button at the right of the name field.

The second button allow deleting the definition in the database. If you delete all definitions, the default will be again available when you restart from the menu.

The 3rd button allow to import a definition saved in a file. This can be :

• another definition installed with the software release.
• a definition installed from a package specific to a country.
• a downloaded file or e-mail attachment, created or improved made by a contractor for you.

It is possible, for experimented users, to save a definition as a file. The default folder is the one containing definition installed with the software. Take care to avoid overwriting, because they will be overwriting at the next install. This is normally not possible with Linux because the installation folder is writable only to admin user.

Layout

Layout includes : printed fields (amongst those available), titles, comments, frames, fonts, size and color of characters, images, page size, etc...

For each report, there is a default layout depending on your country or not.

It is possible to edit a definition with Lazarus designer. This requires some experience. Today, there is not a lot of help and some bugs with Lazarus 0.28.2 make this job rather tedious. We hope this will be improved shortly.

Click the button on the right to edit a layout. When you close the designer, you will be able to try with data. It will be saved in the database with the definition, using the Save button on the bottom of the form. You can also save it in a file (.lrf) and read such a file containing a layout you downloaded or received.