Access reporting tools

Low- to no-code users also benefit from a step-by-step report building interface, extensive tutorials, sample data sets, and report templates. As Report Designer connects to a wide variety of database types, you can bolt right onto your existing data stack. Although users can design, deploy, and manage interactive ad-hoc reports and dashboards within minutes, some users report trouble navigating through some advanced features.

However, advanced features might be a challenge for novice users. AgencyAnalytics is a popular enterprise SEO and marketing dashboard that helps marketing agencies show their clients how campaigns are unfolding. Its built-in SEO tools include backlink reports, rank tracking, and site audits. AgencyAnalytics allows marketers to white label the dashboard and provides clients personal logins to watch their marketing campaign performance in real-time.

You can also schedule and automate branded reports that provide timely SEO updates. However, some users report that the features are rudimentary at best, so it's not the right reporting tool for advanced analysis. AnswerRocket is an AI-powered BI analytics and reporting tool built for businesses that demand direct access to their data. As it leverages natural language processing, you enter your queries just as you would ask someone a question in plain English.

Once you type in the question, smart algorithms get to work finding the best data source based on data you've already ingested using its set of various data connectors.

If you can't figure out what kind of data you're after, AnswerRocket will make suggestions based on available data sources. You can also build interactive visualizations and dashboards, automate entire workflows, uncover actionable insights, and more.

This enterprise BI and reporting tool is ideal for large companies who want to make data-driven decisions accessible to everyone. TL;DR: AnswerRocket is perfect for large corporations who want to make data-driven decisions across departments. However, some users report that it can be buggy. AnswerRocket pricing: available upon request, and a free trial is available. SAP Crystal Reports is a popular reporting tool among small and medium-sized businesses.

As it's a Windows-based, on-premises, reporting tool, you can use it both online and offline. Although it's SAP's de facto standard in reporting, Crystal Reports isn't the most accessible tool on this list. This is because you must use a proprietary language to use it. However, those who have the patience to learn how to use SAP Crystal Reports will benefit from visually appealing, dynamic, and richly formatted reports from just about any data source.

You can also deliver the output in 28 languages and over a dozen different formats. So, if your operations extend beyond your borders, this might be the right reporting tool for you. However, you need to know the proprietary language to use it. Mode Analytics is a fully-featured data analytics and reporting tool for business-minded analysts and data scientists.

Mode Analytics makes connecting data sources to the built-in SQL editor and visualization platform a breeze. You can also auto-update dashboards whose themes and styles can be tailored on the fly to generate attractive data visualizations.

Another thing you can do is create Python or R notebooks and share them without worrying about replicating development environments because you can share the data, analysis, and resulting dashboard all through Mode. It's an excellent tool for data scientists and code ninjas who want to share dashboards and reports and collaborate more efficiently. TL;DR: Mode Analytics is highly user-friendly and perfect for code-loving data scientists who want to collaborate seamlessly.

However, non-technical users will have to contend with a significant learning curve. Mode Analytics pricing: available upon request, and a free trial is available.

The open-source BI tool Metabase helps businesses of all sizes analyze data and ask less complex questions about day-to-day operations on a unified interface. You can quickly monitor pre-set goals, manage databases, modify KPIs, and more. This cloud-based and on-premises platform is the perfect solution to improve the data literacy of team members while generating visually appealing charts of your data.

As Metabase focuses on more mundane aspects of data, it's not for the data engineer looking to engage in advanced analytics. It's best suited for teams looking to generate simple but attractive reports while keeping costs down.

TL;DR: Metabase is ideal for businesses of all sizes who want to engage in data analytics on a tight budget. However, the data interface can prove to be a challenge for more advanced users. Looker is a data analytics and reporting tool that allows data teams to explore data in any way they like while breaking down data silos. It helps companies reimagine their data visualization and business intelligence projects and quickly integrate data from disparate sources into a single view.

So, if you're passionate about writing SQL queries or working with its built-in data modeling language LookML and git integration, this might be the right solution for you. Looker is the ideal solution for companies with big budgets and a need for complex analyses and real-time snapshots. TL;DR: Looker is a data analytics and reporting tool that is perfect for a data team with a mix of skill levels. However, Looker demands deep pockets and isn't for everyone.

If you work with data, then you've probably heard about Tableau. It's the most popular data analysis and visualization tool that helps transform raw data into actionable insights. Tableau connects easily to data stored just about anywhere and in any format. Its low-code interface also allows business users to effortlessly generate a wide range of attractive visualizations and interactive dashboards.

You can also increase the magnification to zoom in on details. Note: If you want to include fields from multiple tables and queries in your report, do not click Next or Finish after you select the fields from the first table or query on the first page of the Report Wizard.

Instead, repeat the steps to select a table or query, and click any additional fields that you want to include in the report. Then, click Next or Finish to continue. In the Navigation Pane, open the table or query that will be the record source for your labels by double-clicking it. On the Create tab, in the Reports group, click Labels. Follow the directions on the pages of the Label Wizard.

Access displays your labels in Print Preview so that you can see them as they will appear when they are printed. You can use the slider control on the Access status bar to zoom in on details. For more information about viewing and printing your report, see the section View, print, or send your report as an e-mail message.

Note: Print Preview is the only view you can use to see multiple columns — the other views show the data in a single column. If you aren't interested in using the Report tool or the Report Wizard, you can use the Blank Report tool to build a report from scratch. This can be a very quick way to build a report, especially if you plan to put only a few fields on your report. The following procedure explains how to use the Blank Report tool:. On the Create tab, in the Reports group, click Blank Report.

A blank report is displayed in Layout view, and the Field List pane is displayed on the right side of the Access window. In the Field List pane, click the plus sign next to the table or tables containing the fields that you want to see on the report. Drag each field onto the report one at a time, or hold down CTRL and select several fields, and then drag them onto the report at the same time. In Access, the design of a report is divided into sections. You can view your report in Design view to see its sections.

To create useful reports, you need to understand how each section works. For example, the section in which you choose to place a calculated control determines how Access calculates the results. The following list is a summary of the section types and their uses:. Report Header This section is printed just once, at the beginning of the report.

Use the report header for information that might normally appear on a cover page, such as a logo, a title, or a date. When you place a calculated control that uses the Sum aggregate function in the report header, the sum calculated is for the entire report.

The report header is printed before the page header. Page Header This section is printed at the top of every page. For example, use a page header to repeat the report title on every page.

Group Header This section is printed at the beginning of each new group of records. Use the group header to print the group name. For example, in a report that is grouped by product, use the group header to print the product name. When you place a calculated control that uses the Sum aggregate function in the group header, the sum is for the current group. Detail This section is printed once for every row in the record source.

This is where you place the controls that make up the main body of the report. Group Footer This section is printed at the end of each group of records.

Use a group footer to print summary information for a group. Page Footer This section is printed at the end of every page. Use a page footer to print page numbers or per-page information. Report Footer This section is printed just once, at the end of the report. Use the report footer to print report totals or other summary information for the entire report. Note: In Design view, the report footer appears below the page footer. However, when the report is printed or previewed, the report footer appears above the page footer, just after the last group footer or detail line on the final page.

Controls are objects that display data, perform actions, and let you view and work with information that enhances the user interface, such as labels and images.

Access supports three types of controls: bound, unbound, and calculated:. Bound control A control whose source of data is a field in a table or query is a bound control. You use bound controls to display values from fields in your database.

A text box is the most common type of bound control. For example, a text box on a form that displays an employee's last name might get this information from the Last Name field in the Employees table. Unbound control A control that doesn't have a source of data a field or expression is an unbound control. You use unbound controls to display information, lines, rectangles, and pictures. For example, a label that displays the title of a report is an unbound control.

Calculated control A control whose source of data is an expression rather than a field is a calculated control. You specify the value that you want in the control by defining an expression as the source of data for the control.

For example, the following expression calculates the price of an item with a 25 percent discount by multiplying the value in the Unit Price field by a constant value 0. An expression can use data from a field in the report's underlying table or query, or from a control in the report. When you create a report, it is probably most efficient to add and arrange all the bound controls first, especially if they make up the majority of the controls on the report.

You can then add the unbound and calculated controls that complete the design by using the tools in the Controls group on the Design tab.

You bind a control to a field by identifying the field from which the control gets its data. You can create a control that is bound to the selected field by dragging the field from the Field List pane to the report. The Field List pane displays the fields of the report's underlying table or query.

Alternatively, you can bind a field to a control by typing the field name in the control itself or in the box for the ControlSource value in the control's property sheet. The property sheet defines the characteristics of the control, such as its name, the source of its data, and its format.

Using the Field List pane is the best way to create a control for two reasons:. A bound control has an attached label, and the label takes the name of the field or the caption defined for that field in the underlying table or query as its caption by default, so you don't have to type the caption yourself.

A bound control inherits many of the same settings as the field in the underlying table or query such as for the Format , DecimalPlaces , and InputMask properties. Therefore, you can be sure that these properties for the field remain the same whenever you create a control that is bound to that field. If you already created an unbound control and want to bind it to a field, set the control's ControlSource property to the name of the field. However, in all other views Layout view, for example, or when the report is printed or previewed , the report footer appears above the page footer, just after the last group footer or detail line on the final page.

For an introduction to planning and designing a database, see the article Database design basics. The record source of a report can be a table, a named query, or an embedded query. The record source must contain all of the rows and columns of data you want display on the report. If the data is from an existing table or query, select the table or query in the Navigation Pane, and then continue to Step 2.

Continue to Step 2 and use the Blank Report tool,. Create the table s or query that contains the required data. Select the query or table in the Navigation Pane, and then continue to Step 2. The report tools are located on the Create tab of the ribbon, in the Reports group. The following table describes the options:. Creates a simple, tabular report containing all of the fields in the record source you selected in the Navigation Pane.

Opens a blank report in Layout view, and displays the Field List from where you can add fields to the report. Displays a wizard that lets you select standard or custom label sizes, as well as which fields you want to display, and how you want them sorted. Click the button for the tool you want to use.

If a wizard appears, follow the steps in the wizard and click Finish on the last page. Access displays the report in Layout view. Resize fields and labels by selecting them and then dragging the edges until they are the size you want. Move a field by selecting it and its label, if present , and then dragging it to the new location.

Right-click a field and use the commands on the shortcut menu to merge or split cells, delete or select fields, and perform other formatting tasks. In addition, you can use the features described in the following sections to make your report more attractive and readable. The fastest way to add grouping, sorting, or totals to a desktop database report is to right-click the field to which you want to apply the group, sort, or total, and then click the desired command on the shortcut menu.

You can also add grouping, sorting, or totals by using the Group, Sort, and Total pane while the report is open in Layout view or Design view:.

Click Add a group or Add a sort , and then select the field on which you want to group or sort. Click More on a grouping or sorting line to set more options and to add totals. For more detailed information about grouping, sorting, and totals, see the article Create a grouped or summary report. Access includes tools for highlighting data on a report. You can add conditional formatting rules for each control or group of controls, and in client reports, you can also add data bars to compare data.

Select the required controls and on the Format tab, in the Control Formatting group, click Conditional Formatting. In the New Formatting Rule dialog box, select a value under Select a rule type :. To create a rule that is evaluated for each record individually, select Check values in the current record or use an expression. To create a rule that compares records to each other by using data bars, click Compare to other records.

Under Edit the rule description , specify the rule for when the formatting would be applied as well as what formatting should be applied, and then click OK. To create an additional rule for the same control or set of controls, repeat this procedure from step 4.