Specifications

Defining queries
188 InfoMaker
3 Select the object you want.
InfoMaker opens the Report painter and displays the report. You can also
open a report by double-clicking it in the System Tree, or, if it has been
placed in a window or visual user object, selecting Modify DataWindow
from the control’s pop-up menu.
To learn how you can modify an existing report, see Chapter 6,
“Enhancing Reports.”
Defining queries
A query is a SQL SELECT statement created in the Query painter and saved
with a name so that it can be used repeatedly as the data source for a report.
Queries save time, because you specify all the data requirements just once. For
example, you can specify the columns, which rows to retrieve, and the sorting
order in a query. Whenever you want to create a report using that data, simply
specify the query as the data source.
❖ To define a query:
1 Select File>New from the menu bar.
2 In the New dialog box, select the Database tab.
3 Select the Query icon and click OK.
4 Select tables in the Select Tables dialog box and click Open.
You can select columns, define sorting and grouping criteria, define
computed columns, and so on, exactly as you do when creating a report
using the SQL Select data source.
For more about defining the
SELECT statement, see “Using SQL Select” on
page 165.
Previewing the query
While creating a query, you can preview it to make sure it is retrieving the
correct rows and columns.
❖ To preview a query:
1 Select Design>Preview from the menu bar.