Adding Notes and Sub-Reports to your Reports

Sub-reports allow listing linked data underneath the record it is linked to on your report. For example, you can have a matter report that lists the names linked to the matter.

Read on for instructions on how to add sub-reports for notes, linked names, linked matters, linked events, or linked documents, to your AbacusLaw reports.

Index

•  Set Up the Sub-Report
• Designing the Sub-Report
• Setting a Sub-Report Query
• Adding the Sub-Report
• Adding a Notes Sub-Report (Names and Matters Reports Only)

Set Up the Sub-Report

Designing the Sub-Report

Any column report format can be used both as a main report and a sub-report. To design a sub-report, simply create a new report in the relevant area (e.g. if you want a Linked Names sub-report, create a Names report) that has the fields and design that you would like.

For more information on how to design reports, see this article: Customizing AbacusLaw Reports.

Setting a Sub-Report Query

The query that you set on your report only filters the information that appears on the main report. But what if you want to also filter the information that appears on the sub-report? For example: a linked names report that only shows clients.

If a default query is set on the report that you are using as a sub-report, that query will be used to filter the results when it is used as a sub-report as well.

To add a default query:

1. Edit the report that you would like to use as a sub-report.
2. Click Query on the toolbar.
3. Select the query that you would like to use from the list, or click Add to add a new query.
   
   

Adding the Sub-Report

1. Edit the report that you would like to use as the main report.
2. Click Sub-Reports on the toolbar.
3. Click the option that corresponds to the sub-report that you would like to add (Linked Events, Linked Names/Matters, or Linked Documents).
   
   
   
   
4. Select the report that you would like to use as a sub-report. Note that you can only select column reports.
   
   
   
   
5. The report will now display with the sub-report.
   
   

Adding a Notes Sub-Report (Names and Matters Reports Only)

You can also add a sub-report for linked notes (only on Names and Matters reports). Adding this sub-report is a different process:

1. Edit the report that you would like to use as the main report.
2. Click Notes on the toolbar.
3. Select your Notes Display option, then click Done.
   •  Yes: all of the note: This will display the full text of the note. Generally, you will want to select this.
   •  No: This will disable displaying linked notes.
   •  Partial: up to “***”: This will stop displaying any information after three asterisks entered into the note description. Three asterisks are used to denote private text.
     
     
     
     
4. Enter the Number of characters to indent notes. This will control the amount of spacing used to indent the notes from the left margin.
   
   
   
   
5. Enter the Notes width (# of characters across). This will control how wide the note display will be on the report. If this is too wide, it will cause the note to be cut off at the right margin of the page.
   
   
   
   
6. Enter the Number of note records to print (0 for All). This will control the number of notes that will be displayed for each matter. Notes are displayed in order of newest to oldest (e.g. if you enter 1 in this field, it will only display the most recent note on each matter).
   
   
   
   
7. A prompt appears asking: Add a blank line before printing notes?. Answer Yes or No.
   
   
   
   
8. A prompt appears asking: Print header for notes sub-report?. Answer Yes or No.
   
   
   
   
9. The report will now display with the linked notes sub-report.