How to print data from portal?

[Andrew5]

I have a very simple set up: client contact data with a 1 to many relationship in a portal that lists charges and payments. I need to make a printable billing report for each client. I can set up a header, footer, and grand summaries, but how do I get the report to print portal data restricted to one client? Thanks.

[Matthew Stetson]

There are traditionally two ways to do this:

1. Build the report on a layout for the line items rather than the client. You can isolate the specific records you want using a Go To Related Record script step from the client record through the relationship that seeds the portal.

2. Build the report with a fairly large portal and use the Sliding/Printing Up option to remove the empty rows.

The first option is almost always the better choice. The only time I've used the second is when I need to list records from multiple related tables on the same report and didn't want a temporary table to aggregate them all.

Hope this helps!

[Andrew5]

Thank you, although could you be more concrete as to your answer? I start a new layout, put the client name in the header, and put the fields from the portal in the body. I have a button that takes me from the client main screen to the report, but the data that shows up isn't what I need. Hmm.

My portal data will generally exceed the size of the screen.

[Søren Dyhr]

but the data that shows up isn't what I need

You took notice of which of tables it should go from, the most atomic one namely itemlines.

But perhaps you should tell us why it isn't what you need? "Exceedes" could have a lot of interpretations!

--sd

[FestiveEmbalmer]

Did you forget to use the "Go To Related Record" script step? Just going to the new layout will not display the records you want.

Go To Related Record

Also, make sure you are viewing the data in list view. You can approximate the same look/feel of your portal by grouping your fields similarly and sizing the body field to a small row.

Edited March 6, 2008 by Guest

[Matthew Stetson]

As already stated, the two big things are to make sure the button uses Go To Related Record to isolate the line items you want. Just switching layouts will show all records (or the last found set) rather than just those related to the original. Also, if the layout is set to View as Form (you can check in the View menu when in Browse mode) you will only see the first record rather than the list.

The other thing; if you copy/pasted the fields from the portal to the new layout they may be referencing the wrong table object. Double-click each one and make sure they're pointed to the same table object you used to create the layout.

[Andrew5]

I have poked around with Go to Related Record but it seems to me this is not my answer. For example. given a main table of contact names, there is a child table portal with a 1 to many relationship that holds charges, dates, etc. The portal appears on the contact screen. It is a scrollable portal. I need another layout that will display the charges of one customer suitable for printing- ie an invoice. I can make a report that will print all charges, sorted alpha by customer with subsummaries, etc. but how can I restrict that report to just one customer? The charges for that one person could be many pages long. Thanks everyone.

Edited March 8, 2008 by Guest

[Søren Dyhr]

GTRR have a (SO) option, otherwise will you show the entire related table ... without the SO option chosen will a script fired from a single portal line get you to that lines corresponding record in the related table, surrounded by the rest of the records in the table.

There is a subtle difference in speed between with or without the option chosen. On the other hand can it deal with a TO not connected to same TOG ... and another powerful feature reveals itself:

http://www.sumware.net/robfm/savingfoundsets.php

So depending of which part you use, just one of them or both will you get significant results pretty different, but extremely handy.

--sd