As we work with the information in tables and queries, we often want a printed report of that data. Creating professional looking reports with Microsoft Access is easy and it is convenient.

We’re going to create a report from the data in our query. There are a couple of ways to create report. One is the Auto Report Feature which creates a report automatically. But we’ll create a more sophisticated report with the report wizard grouping invoice information by customer.

We want to create a printed report of our query. So we make sure it’s selected. Then we click on the new object button is drop down arrow. We select report in the dialog box, we’ll select the report wizard. We double click on it and the first report wizard dialog box displays. We select the field we want on our report in the order that we want to appear, the last name, invoice number, due date, and invoice total. Then we click on Next.

The report wizard asks how we want to view our data by customers is the default selection. The sample to the right shows how the data will be grouped and for each customer lasts name, the report will display invoice number, due date and invoice total. That’s what we want.

So, we click on Next. This dialog box asks if we want any grouping levels in addition to those already shown. We don’t, so we click on Next. Now, the wizard asks us which field we want to sort and sub sort by within the customer last name group.

We choose invoice number so that all records within each customer group are sorted by invoice number. So, we click on Next and the wizard now asks us which lay out we want for the report. We like the default choice step so will leave it and then click on Next.

The report wizard asks us what style we would like to use is. We select the style we like and the style is preview to the left. We move to the final dialog box. The wizard asks us to name our report. We’ll title it “sales by customer”. We’re done defining our report so we click on the Finish button.

The report wizard now takes the choice that we made, creates the report and displays it in the preview window. We maximize the window for a better look and when the pointer is positioned over the report. It resembles a magnifying last.

We can use it to change our view of the report. We can zoom out to a reduced full page view simple by clicking anywhere in the report. This gives us a good look at the lay out of the report and if we want to zoom in to a close up view of a part of the report. But we just simple point there and click.

And to print the report, we can just click on the Print button. Here it is the report and now, we can print a sale by customer report anytime with current invoice data. And we can use report design tools to organize and summarize report data in almost anyway we want.

So, in just about an hour’s time you’ve seen how Microsoft Access 97 gives you powerful and flexible ways to manage your data. And there are more Access features that you can explore like creating web pages of your data with hyper links. So enjoy learning and using Microsoft Access 97.