How to: Modify a Custom Report Layout

This topic describes how to modify a custom layout that is available for a Microsoft Dynamics NAV report. From the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client, you can modify a custom layout directly or by exporting and importing the report layout as a file. From the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client client, you can only modify a report layout by exporting and importing the report layout as a file.

There two different report layout types: Word report layouts and RDLC report layouts. You modify Word report layouts by using Microsoft Word and RDLC report layouts by using SQL Server Report Builder.

Note
You cannot modify built-in report layouts.

Modifying a Custom Report Layout Directly From the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client

From the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client, you can open a custom layout directly in Word or SQL Server Report Builder, depending on the report layout type.

To modify a report layout from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client

In the Search box, enter Report Layout Selection, and then choose the related link.
The Report Layout Selection window lists all the reports that are available in the company that is specified in the Company field at the top of the window.
Set the Company field to the company that contains the report layout that you want to modify.
In the Report Layout Selection window, select the report that has the layout that you want to modify, and then on the Home tab, in the Process group, choose Custom Layouts.
The Custom Report Layouts window appears and lists all the custom layouts that are available for the selected report.
Select the report layout that you want to modify, and then on the Home tab, choose Edit Layout.
A message appears and the report layout document opens in Word, if it is a Word report layout type, or SQL Server Report Builder, if it is a RDLC report layout type.
Important
Do not close the message at this time.
Go to the document that opened and make changes to the report layout. For more information see, Making Changes to the Report Layout section that follows.
Save your changes, and then close the Word document.
Return the message in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client, and then choose Yes to import the modified report layout.

Important
Do not close the message at this time.

Modifying a Custom Report Layout by Exporting and Importing the Layout File

Unlike the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client, Word and SQL Server Report Builder cannot be opened directly from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client. To modify a report layout from the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Web client, you must first export the report layout as a file to a location on your computer or network, and then open the exported document and make the changes. When you are finished making the changes, you import the report layout into Microsoft Dynamics NAV. This procedure can also be used with the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Windows client.

To modify a report layout

In the Search box, enter Report Layout Selection, and then choose the related link.
The Report Layout Selection window lists all the reports that are available in the company that is specified in the Company field at the top of the window.
Set the Company field to the company that contains the report layout that you want to modify.
In the Report Layout Selection window, select the row for the report that has the layout that you want to modify, and then on the Home tab, in the Process group, choose Custom Layouts.
The Custom Report Layouts window appears and lists all the custom layouts that are available for the selected report.
In the Custom Report Layouts window, select the layout that you want to modify, and then on the Home tab, choose Export Layout.
Choose Save or Save As to save the report layout document to a location on your computer or network.
Open the report layout document that you saved, and then make changes. For more information see, Making Changes to the Report Layout section that follows.
Save the changes to the report layout document.
Return to the Custom Report Layouts window, select the report layout that you exported, and then choose Import Layout.
On the Home tab, choose Import Layout.
In the Import Microsoft Office Template dialog box, select the report layout document that you modified, and then choose Open.

Making Changes to the Report Layout

When modifying Word report layouts, you can make general formatting and layout changes, such as changing text font, adding and modifying a table, or removing a data field, by using the basic editing features of Word, like you do with any Word document. However, adding data fields from a Microsoft Dynamics NAV report dataset is a more advanced and requires some knowledge of the report dataset.

Making changes to RDLC report layouts is more advanced than Word report layouts. For more information about modifying an RDLC report layout, see Designing RDLC Report Layouts.

To make changes to a Word Report Layout

Use the following guidelines to make changes to a Word report layout.

For basic layout changes, use the editing features of Word.
If you are designing a Word report layout from scratch or adding new data fields, then start by adding a table that includes rows and columns that will eventually hold the data fields.
For information about adding fields for data, labels, data, and images, see How to: Add Fields to a Word Report Layout.
For information about removing a label or data field, see Removing Label and Data Fields in Word Layouts.

Tip
Show the table gridlines so that you see the boundaries of table cells. Remember to hide the gridlines when you are done editing. To show or hide table gridlines, select the table, and then under Layout on the Table tab, choose View Gridlines.

Removing Label and Data Fields in Word Layouts

Label and data fields of a report are contained in content controls in Word. The following figure illustrates a content control when it is selected in the Word document.

Content control for field in Word report layout

The name of the label or data field name displays in the content control. In the example, the field name is CompanyAddr1.

To remove a label or data field

Right-click the field that you want to delete, and then choose Remove Content Control.
The content control is removed, but the field name remains as text.
Delete the remaining text as needed.

Tip
For more information about how to work with fields and columns, see Work with Data. For more information about how to find specific pages, see Search.