Reports and Output
Reports and their structure
Reports present data in a formatted, printable layout, usually based on a table or query. Know the report sections: report header and footer (once per report), page header and footer (every page), group header and footer (per group), and the detail section (per record). Grouping and sorting let you summarise data; aggregate functions in group footers give totals, counts and averages. Understand calculated controls and how they differ from bound controls.
Output options
Output can be printed, previewed on screen, or exported to formats such as PDF, spreadsheet or text. Know when each is appropriate: PDF preserves layout, a spreadsheet supports further analysis, and printing suits formal distribution. Understand print preview, page setup (orientation, margins, paper size) and that a report can be filtered or parameterised at run time.
Traps
A frequent trap is placing a total in the detail section instead of the group footer, which repeats it per record. Another is confusing a page footer (repeats each page) with a report footer (appears once at the end). Watch for questions about forcing a new page per group, and about whether exporting changes the original data (it does not).
Rule of thumb
Match the section to the scope of the value: per record goes in detail, per group in the group footer, per report in the report footer. If a total appears many times, check its section first.