12.3 Using a Template

All templates contained in the template folder will be available in the File > New dialog box:

To create a new report based on a template, click the appropriate template.

A common mistake when attempting to create a report based on a template is to open the template for editing and then saving the template as a report. Doing this will create a report but it will not be linked to the template and you will not be able to cascade changes from the template to the report.

Templates and Scales

A template should be created at the scale that the majority of the reports will be reported at. Sometimes, however, a few reports may need to be created at a scale that is different to that of the template.

When a template is used, the scale of the new report, which is defaulted to the default scale of the template, must be specified.  If the scale is changed, Report Authority will automatically adjust the scale of the new report as follows: 

• All monetary data objects whose scale was the same as the template’s default scale will be automatically adjusted to the new scale selected.
• The scale of all other monetary and numeric objects will be left unchanged.

Editing segments

Segments which have not been marked as being editable in the report contain a locked icon in the outline panel.

• Selecting these segments will load their content into the editor but you will not be able to make any manual edits except for changing the data object value using the Value Editor panel if the adaptor type is manual or editing the rounding difference property of a data object using the Value Editor panel.

If when editing a report a need arises to amend the content of a segment which is locked for editing, there are two options:

• If the edit is appropriate for all reports based on the template, then edit the template’s segment and refresh links in the report to cascade the template’s segment content to the report.
• If the edit is not appropriate for all reports based on the template, then edit the segment's property in the template to allow editing in the report and refresh links in the report to cascade the segment's property change.  This will then allow manual editing in this report (and all others based on the same template).

Adding or deleting segments

You cannot add or delete segments in a report linked to a template.  If when editing a report based on a template the need to suppress a segment arises, a new suppression rule must be created in the template so that the segment will be correctly suppressed in the report.

If when editing a report based on a template the need for a new segment arises, the new segment must be added to the template and an appropriate suppression rule created so that the new segment does not appear in other reports where not appropriate. See the section titled Content Suppression for a detailed discussion on how to design efficient and appropriate suppression rules.