Report builder - overview

What is the Report Builder?

The report builder is a tool that enables you to create a financial statement report (or any other report for that matter), with a simple drag-and-drop interface. The excel report will include the necessary Datarails formulas to keep your data constantly updated.

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What are the prerequisites to work with the report builder?

Have your data connected to Datarails
Have a defined Datarails excel function (i.e Value = Sum (Amount) )
- In case you don't have such a defined function you can easily create it through the web (Left pane → Excel Add-in → Function → Plus icon on the top left) or through Datarails Excel Add-In (Datarails tab in Excel upper ribbon → Function→ Add Function)

How can you access the Report Builder

There are 2 ways to access the Report Builder:

Through the Web portal of Datarails
- In the left pane click on Excel-Addin
- Click on Report Builder

2. Through Datarails excel add-in

Go to Datarails tab in the Excel upper ribbon
Click Functions
Click Advanced
Click Report Builder

How can you structure your report’s Rows/Columns?

The Report Builder enables you to build your Rows/Columns structure with a drag-and-drop interface, where two fields in your data can either have a Parent/Child connection or a Siblings connection. In Addition, fields can be brought into the report more than once.

Parent/Child Connection
1. What does this mean? This means that values in the report will show data that exists in values from the parent field AND values from the child field
2. How to create?
  - Drag the parent field to Rows/Columns
  - Drag the child field and drop it on the parent field (the parent field will be highlighted in blue)
    - In the below Example: parent field is “Account level 1” and child field ( “Account level 2”) is dragged from the fields pane on the left and dropped on Account level 1

3. How is Parent/Child connection represented in the report preview?

- In Rows: Parent/Child connection between 2 fields is represented by Indentation of field value
- Full Row Structure:

- In Columns: Parent/Child connection between 2 fields is represented by having the values one under the other

4. Parent filter - in a Parent/Child connection you can show the Child field for selected values of the parent field. The way to do that is through the parent filter

For example: if you want to see Account level 2 details only for Income (and not for all the values in Account level 1 field), click on the parent filter and choose Income

In the preview Income (value from Account level 1) will have the details of the relevant Account level 2 field and Cost of Good Sold (another value from Account level 1) won't show details of Account level 2

Siblings connection

What does this mean? This means that values in the report will show data that exists in values from “sibling a” field OR values from “sibling b” field
How to create?
- Drag field A to Rows/Columns
- Drag field B to be below or above field A
  - In the below Example: “Account level 1” and “Department” has a Siblings connection

3. How is Siblings connection represented in the report preview?

In both Rows and Columns values for siblings fields will appear one after the other

4. Examples Siblings connection usage

Showing Actual data for entire year, but Budget data only for last month. In the example below Scenario (filtered on Actuals) and Scenario (filtered on Budget) have Siblings connection
Showing Account level 2 details for income and Department details for Expenses. In the example below Account level 2 and Department have siblings connection

What are the Report Builder outcomes?

After clicking on “Download to Excel” you’ll get the report either in a new Excel file (if you accessed the Report Builder from the Web) or as a new tab in your existing Excel file (in case you accessed the Report Builder from the Excel Add-in).

The Excel received will include Datarails formulas to make your report live with data that is constantly updated.

How to create your first report

A step-by-step guide:

From the Web or from the Excel Add-in, Open the Report Builder.
In the upper left corner, open Function drop down to chose the function you need for your report