View source for Reports Based on Multiple Tables - Overview

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=Overview=

This article will run you through the process of creating one of the most useful [[Reports|reporting]] features available in a [[SmartSimple]] [[instance]]: the ability to relate information from two recordsets (tables) into a single report. 

In this specific exercise, you will create a query that uses the company table and the contact table.

=Connecting Multiple Recordsets for a Report=

1. Click the 9-square menu icon on the top right of your page.

:: {{Icon-Menu}}
2. Under the tab '''Tools, '''select '''Reports. '''

The list of available reports in your system will be displayed.

3. Click the '''+ icon '''on the top left, above the [[List View Overview|list]] of reports, to create a '''New Report.'''

4. The '''New Report '''page is displayed, with fields for you to fill out.

:: [[File:New report pag.png|700px|border]]
For this example exercise, fill out the following fields with the corresponding information: 

* '''Report Name: '''List Companies and Contact
* '''Report Description: '''Joins the company and contacts table. 

5. Click the '''Save '''button.

You will now select the two tables that are required in the report.

6. Click on the new tab called '''[[Report Recordsets|Recordsets]] '''in the top row of tabs. 

:: [[File:Recordsets tab.png|750px|border]] 
7. Set the primary table to '''Primary Table '''to '''Organizations '''and the '''Inner Join '''as '''Contacts.'''

To do so, simply set both the '''Organizations '''field (found under the '''Company and Account '''heading) and the '''Contacts '''field (under '''Users and Contact) '''to '''Inner Join: '''

:: [[File:Company and contact inner join.png|250px|border]] 
* The '''Organizations '''recordset will report on company information that you have entered into the system, including all organization-specific [[Custom Fields]] that are related to organizations.
* The '''Contacts '''recordset will report on all contacts ''outside ''of your organization (although this does not automatically mean that they are [[External|}external]] [[User|users]]). This table will include all contact-specific and [[User Role|role]]-based [[Custom Fields]]. 

8. Scroll down to the bottom of hte page and click '''Save.'''

=Inner and Outer Joins=
There are two types of joins supported in [[SmartSimple]] – inner joins and outer joins.

* An '''inner join''' displays the intersection between the two tables.

:* This is the most common type of join used, and is the default join type when you [[Adding a Table to a Report|add tables to a report]].
:* When you join the company table and the contact table with an inner join, the report will find the matching record(s) from the contact table related to each company.
:* If no match is found, the record from the company is not included in the results.
:* If multiple results are found in the contact table, the company information will be repeated.

* An '''outer join''' is very different from an inner join. Instead of limiting results to those in both tables, it limits results to those in the "left" company table.

:* This means that if there are no records in the contact table, a row in the report will still be returned for that company, but with NULL values for each column from contact.

1. Open the '''Report Builder'''.

: 2. Add the '''following fields''':
: [[Image:Reps98.png]]
:* The '''Field''' list now contains fields from both tables.

3. '''Build''', '''save''', and '''preview''' the report.

: [[Image:Reps97.png]]
:* The company name, city, and state information is displayed from the company table for each matching record from the contact table.
:* No company details will be displayed if there are no contacts.

{{PrevNextStart}} [[Creating a Public – Internet Enabled Report]]
{{PrevNextMid}} [[Using an Outer Join]] {{PrevNextEnd}}

[[Category:Reports]]