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# Creating Reports

A report is a Writer text document that can show your data in an organised order and formatting. In LibreOffice Base, you have a choice to create a report either manually using drag-and-drop in the Report Builder window, or semi-automatically by following a series of dialogue boxes in the Report Wizard.

The following list gives you some information to decide which method to use for your data:

Report Builder | Report Wizard
Started by "Create Report in Design View" command. | Started by "Use Wizard to Create Report" command.
Full flexibility to use report headers and footers, page headers and footers, multi-column reports. | Uses a Writer template to generate a report document.
Use drag-and-drop to position the record fields or other design elements like pictures or lines. | Select from several given choices to arrange the data records.
Generates a one-time snapshot of the data. To see an updated report, execute the same report again to create a Writer document with the updated data. | You can choose to generate a one-time snapshot with fixed data, or a "live" report with links to the current data at the time when you open the Base file.
Saves the report as a Writer text document. Stores the information how to create the report inside the Base file. | Saves the report and the information how to create the report inside the Base file.
Choose Open in the context menu or double-click the report name to create a new report with the current data. | Choose Open in the context menu or double-click the report name to either see again the static snapshot of the data from first creation time, or to create a new report with the current data. This depends on your choice on the last page of the wizard.
Choose Edit in the context menu of a report name to open the Report Builder window, with the report's information loaded. | Choose Edit in the context menu of a report name to edit the Writer template file that was used to create the report.

## Creating a New Report Manually In Design View

1. Open the database file in which you want to create the new report.

2. In the left pane of the database window, click the Reports icon.

3. Click Create Report in Design View.

4. Follow the instructions in the Report Builder guide.

## Creating a New Report With the Report Wizard

1. Open the database file in which you want to create the new report.

2. In the left pane of the database window, click the Reports icon.

3. Click Use Wizard to Create Report.

4. Follow the steps of the Report Wizard to create the report.

Related Topics

Using and Editing Database Reports

Using Databases in LibreOffice Base

Database Overview