Inserting a data set field
Most of the information in a report is derived from data set fields. The report displays this data as it is stored in the data source. For example, in a customer orders report, you place customer name, order number, item, quantity, and price fields in the report.
To insert all the fields in a data set, choose Data Explorer, expand Data Sets, then drag the data set, and drop it in the page. BIRT Report Designer creates a table and the required column bindings, and places all the fields in the detail row of the table. The fields appear in the order in which they appear in the data set.
Often, however, you do not want to insert all the fields, or you want to insert them in a particular order. To place individual data fields, first insert a container element, typically a table, in which to place the fields. Although you can place data fields in a grid or directly on the page, you typically place fields in the detail row of a table or a list. If you place a field in a grid or in the page, only one value appears in the generated report. Unlike a table or list, the grid and page do not go through all the data rows in a data set.
To access and insert data set fields, choose Data Explorer, expand Data Sets, and select the data set. Then drag data set fields from Data Explorer and drop them in the container, as shown in Figure 6‑16.
Figure 6‑16 Use Data Explorer to insert data set fields in the report