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Creating Reports

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • How to create a report step by step
  • What data source, type, group by, and filter mean
  • How to save and change a report

1 The Report Designer

In Lesson 22.1, you looked at reports. Now you’ll build one: a bar chart of SNWR’s open incidents by assignment group. 🛠️

The report designer with four steps across the top. 1 Data: name the report Open incidents by group and pick the table Incident. 2 Type: pick Bar. 3 Configure: Group by Assignment group. 4 Style: pick colors and titles. On the left are the settings, with the filter Active is true. The preview shows bars for SNWR Service Desk, Network, Hardware, and Database, with Save and Run buttons at the top.
Figure 1. Data, type, configure, style. Then Run and Save.

2 Create a report

  1. Open Reports > Create New.
  2. Data: give it a name, like “Open incidents by group”. Pick the source: the table, like Incident.
  3. Type: pick a chart, like Bar.
  4. Configure: choose Group by, like Assignment group. Choose what to count (usually Count).
  5. Filter: open the condition builder and add Active is true.
  6. Click Run to see it, then Save. ✅
Word Meaning
Source The table (or a saved data source) the data comes from
Group by The field that splits the data into bars or slices
Aggregation How to measure each group, usually Count
Filter Which records to include (same condition builder as lists)

💡 Good to know: A quick shortcut: right-click a column header in any list and choose Bar Chart or Pie Chart. It builds a report from the list and its filter.

3 Changing a report

  • Open it from Reports > View / Run.
  • Change the type, group by, or filter, then Run to preview.
  • Click Save to keep the change, or Save as to make a copy.

⚠️ Heads up: A report on a huge table with no filter can be slow. Always add a filter, like Active is true or Opened in the last 30 days.

⭐ Remember: Source → Type → Group by → Filter → Run → Save.

4 Let’s try it: build your first report

  1. Open Reports > Create New. Name: SNWR Open incidents by group. Source: Incident.
  2. Type: Bar. Group by: Assignment group.
  3. Filter: Active is true. Run it.
  4. Change the type to Pie and run again. Which is easier to read?
  5. Save it.

5 Quick recap

  • Create reports in Reports > Create New
  • Pick a source, a type, a group by, and a filter
  • Click Run to preview and Save to keep it
  • Shortcut: right-click a list column header to chart it
  • Always filter big tables

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Which setting splits the data into bars? Show answer

Group by.

2 How can you make a quick chart straight from a list? Show answer

Right-click a column header and choose Bar Chart or Pie Chart.

3 Your report is very slow. What should you add? Show answer

A filter, to include fewer records.

Nice work! You finished this lesson. 🎉

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