We will introduce Template Design of FineReport reporting software in this article.This article includes Design Style,Bind Data Column,Parameter Interface and Define Chart.

1. Design Style

The effect is as shown below:

Title: Merge cells A1 to D2 and input Region Sales Situation.

Border: Select area from A3 to D5 and clickin the toolbar, open the drop-down menu and selectto add frames both inside and outside.

Lines: Merge cells A3 to B3, right click the cell and select Cell Element. In the drop-down menu, click Insert Slope Lines. The system will pop up a dialog box to edit the slope line, input information we’d like to add: product |sales| region. Users can also adjust the words through adding spaces. Effect is as shown below：

2. Bind Data Column

The final effect is as shown below：

1.1 Bind Data Column

Drag the data column to the cell and set properties. The setting position and method is as shown below：

Following the method below and drag other data columns to the corresponding cells and set properties as shown below：

2.2 Multi-dataset Linkage

Because the data comes from two different datasets, it is required to use data filter to build connections between them.

Select cell D4 and click the Filter button in the upper right corner of the property panel as shown below：

Open Filter setting panel and add conditions as shown below, make sales of ds2 equal sales of ds1.

3. Parameter Interface

In most cases, users need to use parameters to display part of the data that meets certain requirements. Here, parameter design is actually a dynamic process of filtering data, helping the user to realize real-time interaction with data.

FineReport has an embedded parameter panel to allow users to adjust the positions of parameters; moreover, users can get different data selection style through controls setting. We will introduce the design process of parameter query on the basis of previous report.

3.1 Layout of Parameter Panel

Click Parameter Panel and you will enter the editing interface. In New Template and Datasetsection，we defined parameter “region” in dataset ds1.

The defined parameters will display in the lower-right corner; click Add All, FineReport will use default layout to generate parameter interface, where users can adjust the panel as they wish.

3.2 Style of Parameter Control

Select ComboBox as the parameter control’s type as shown below.

4. Define Chart

Apart from table, FineReport can also use chart to visually display data. We will add chart display on the basis of the previous template to show every product’s sales conditions.

We will select the cell data source, which means the data come form cells.

4.1 Insert Chart

Merge cells from A7 to D18 and click Insert>Cell Element>Insert Chart on menu, The dialog box will pop up as shown below. Here we choose Column Chart and click OK.

Select the chart, and then choose the Chart Properties-Data in the upper-right corner. Set Datasource by default.

Input formula in the Category textbox: =B4.

Set Series Name and Series Value separately =C3 and =C4.

The effect is as shown below.

Finally, clickSave.

4.2 Set Expansion Properties

We only want the chart here to reflect the whole conditions, so the Left and Upper Parent should be set None.

Select the chart and Cell Properties-Expansion setting panel is in the lower-right corner as below.