Creating a New Detailed Reporting Query

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create a new detailed reporting query in SAP SuccessFactors Canvas Reports.

Introduction to Page Designer

When you create a new canvas report with Report Center, a report with a single blank page is generated. The content of the canvas report page is built using Page Designer. Page Designer builds pages based upon components.

You can add a report component by dragging and dropping the appropriate icon onto the canvas or by right clicking the canvas page. The Page Designer will insert a generic placeholder for the component.

Sample canvas page in Page Designer.

Managing Pages with Page Designer

When you create a new canvas report with Report Center, a report with a single blank page is generated. The content of canvas report pages is built using Page Designer. Page Designer builds pages based upon components. Details on adding components is in the next section.

Choose Page, then choose Add Existing Page.

Page Designer also allows you to manage the pages within a report, which includes:

  • Adding Pages (new pages or pages that exist in another report)
  • Renaming Pages
  • Reordering Pages
  • Deleting Pages (orphaned pages or pages from the current report)

To add a new page in Page Designer:

  1. In Report Center, edit the report to create a new page.

  2. Using the Page menu, select one of the following:

    • New Page to add a new, blank page with an auto-generated name to the report.

    • Add Existing Page to select to add either a page from another report or an orphaned page that is not assigned to any report.

      Note

      You can delete existing orphaned pages from the Add Existing Page dialog box.

    The new or selected page loads in Page Designer.

Rename or reorder pages, as outlined in the following text.

To change the name of pages in Page Designer:

  1. In Page Designer, select the Pencil icon.

  2. Type in the name of the new page.

  3. Choose OK.

To change the order of pages in Page Designer:

  1. In Page Designer, select the Reorder icon.

  2. Use the up and down arrows to update the page order.

  3. Choose OK.

Choose Delete, then OK.

To delete a page in Page Designer:

  1. In the Page menu, select Delete.
  2. Confirm the deletion by choosing OK.

Editing Report Pages with Page Designer

Screenshot of the Page Properties options.

When creating or editing a page, the page properties panel becomes available. You can use the panel to access several options:

  • Edit page properties allows you to:

    • Name the page

    • Set the page orientation

    • Configure the page margins

    • Configure the page (canvas) size

  • Edit designer properties allows you to:

    • Configure a background grid to assist with the layout of components

    • Manage overlapping components

  • Validate Page checks the pages for errors.
  • Grid Options allows you to quickly configure some of the same grid options that were available in Edit designer properties.

List Reports Component

Queries are the building blocks of Canvas Reports in SAP SuccessFactors. Queries on live data from all SAP SuccessFactors modules can be built using the Detailed Reporting query tool.

The Detailed Reporting query tool provides the query functionality within Page Designer.

A List Report component pulls data from queries and displays the information as a list of transactions or records in the Page Designer tool. When adding a List Report component, you can build a new query or select a query previously built using Detailed Reporting. The following explains how to use the Detailed Reporting tool to build queries.

Sample List Reports Component.

To add a List Report component to the canvas in Page Designer, complete the following steps.

  1. Right-click the blank area of the canvas.
  2. Select Add Table→List Report.
  3. Resize the table on the canvas by dragging the edge of the component.

Detailed Reporting Query Launch

Steps to launch a detailed reporting query, as outlined in the following text.

To populate the List Report component with data, you must design the query. To create a query with live data, you will use the Detailed Reporting query tool. To launch the query tool, complete the following steps.

  1. Select a List Report component and edit a query.
    • Select the List Report component.
    • Choose Edit Query in the Edit tile.
  2. Ensure Detailed Reporting is selected and launch the Detailed Reporting query tool.
    • On the Select Query page, verify Detailed Reporting is selected and choose New.

Exercise: Create a New Canvas Report

Business Example

In this exercise, you will create a new canvas report and configure the page settings.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Report Center.

  2. Create a new canvas report called Your Name Exercise Report.

    1. Choose New.

    2. Select Canvas and choose Select.

    3. Type the name of the report (Your name + Exercise Report) and choose Create.

    Result

    The Page Designer loads and creates a new page.

  3. Rename the page to Manager Report.

    1. Point to the page name to access the Edit icon, that is, the Pencil icon.

      Note

      The pencil icon has been changed to white text which can be very difficult to see.

    2. Select the Edit (pencil) icon.

    3. Replace Page #1 with the name Manager Report.

  4. Check the boxes beside Show Grid and Snap to Grid.

  5. Set the page layout to landscape.

    1. Under Page Properties, choose Edit page properties.

    2. Set Orientation to Landscape.

    3. Choose OK.

  6. Right-click the canvas and notice the menu.

    Notice Add Component and Edit Component in the top left.

  7. Return to Report Center by selecting Report Center from the breadcrumb menu (Home→Report Center→Report name) in the top-left corner.

Summary

Learning

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