How does Report Builder work?

All data in Paradigm are stored in tables, and the collection of tables (organised and structured) is called a database. Report Builder allows you to extract data from the database and generate the required data for you to make meaning and analysis. Knowing what data or information to extract is key in building a report. Report Builder is built on SQL (Structured Query Language), however, you don’t need to be able to write in SQL to create reports. It has a friendly user interface to help you create your reports.

The following are the sections you can see under the Report Builder menu in Paradigm. All the form’s functionalities, fields, and buttons are explained in detail, which will serve as your reference and will set your expectations on what you can and cannot do when you get to the point of following the workflow on how you can generate your report.

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Proceed to the section below on how to generate a report using Report Builder.

How to generate a report using Report Builder?

1 What data or information are needed for my report?

The first thing to consider when using the Report Builder menu in Paradigm is to identify the needs and requirements of generating the report. The question as to why the report is needed, what are the data or information required to address your business or institution needs, and how you want it generated.

2 Are the data or report output I want close or the same to existing Base Reports or Saved Reports?

After you’ve identified your needs, the next thing to do is to check and find the closest base or saved reports currently available in Paradigm which contains all the possible data you need for your report.

3 Do I need to update the columns or the data or information currently available in my chosen existing (base or save) report?

Once your chosen base or saved report is loaded, you can check all the available data or information to be extracted of that report name by checking the Report Columns section. However, if you wanted an output to be the same as your selected report, proceed to the Format Report section where you can immediately generate or produce the report without making any changes.