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All of your Clients & Profits data is stored in a single file called a database on your file server

Although your database looks like one file, it actually contains space for every kind of information you could possibly add into Clients & Profits. The Report Writer accesses the different files stored within the database, letting you print custom client, job, and accounting reports.

The key to printing custom reports is knowing which files contain the information you need. For example: to print a client list, a custom report would include fields from the CLIENT file. To print a job cost report, a custom report would contain fields from the COSTS file. To print a custom client invoice aging report, the report would show fields from the AR file.

Custom reports are easy to create when they show data from a single file. Simple reports, such as a job list or a vendor list, contain fields from only one file (e.g., the JOBS file or the VENDOR file).

You can mix fields from different files on the same report to show more information. For example, a custom job summary report can show task totals (from the JOB_TASK file), the client name (from the CLIENT file), the status description (from the STATUS_CODES file), and the job name (from the JOBS file).

Custom reports are limited to showing up to 25 fields per report. These 25 fields can be from any file.

Planning Custom Reports

Because custom reports require a certain structure, there is some inflexibility to make large changes once they are saved (for example, changing the job list to show estimates). So it is important to plan your custom reports before creating them.

First, sketch out the rough layout of the report. Describe the report’s objective; what is it that you want to see; then decide what fields should be in each row and column. The most important fields to the report should be added first. This ensures that the report will select data from the right file. Print the report with only the most important fields first, to prove that the report works correctly. Once it is basically working, it can be fine-tuned.

Custom reports are list-based. This means they are composed of rows and columns, like a spreadsheet. For example: A job list has columns that contain information from the JOBS file, such as the client number, job number, job name, and production status. Each row would show a separate record from the database;one for each job selected by the query.

Don’t worry about adding everything you need at the same time. Later, you can add, move, and delete fields from the report as needed.

File Connections and Duplicate Fields

Clients & Profits X is a relational database. This means Clients & Profits X uses connections to associate one file to another automatically. Many files are internally “connected” to make printing easier and more efficient. Knowing how certain files are connected can make your custom reports more useful.

The connection between jobs and clients, for example, lets you print a job list for a query from the client file. Since a job is associated with one client, you can find all of the jobs for any client field. This gives you the ability to print custom job lists by division, for instance.

Most files aren’t linked through connections. Instead, certain fields are duplicated in many places. These fields are copied to new records as they are saved. Examples of duplicated fields are client numbers (e.g., CLIENTS. C_NUM, JOBS.J_CLIENT_NUM, AR. AR_CLIENT_ NUM, COSTS.COST_CLIENT_NUM) and job numbers (e.g., JOBS.J_NUM, COSTS.COST_ JOB_NUM, AR-ITEMS.AX_JOB_NUM, etc.). The duplicate fields are used to select records with queries when the files aren’t connected.

COMMONLY-USED DATA FILES
File Name	Contains	Connections
ACCOUNTS	Char of Accounts; G/L account balances
AP	Accounts Payable; vendor invoice headers	VENDORS
AR	Accounts Receivable; client invoice headers	CLIENTS
AR_ITEMS	Billing amounts from client invoices	AR
CHANGE_ORDER	Change orders
CHECKS	Checkbook records
CHECK_ITEMS	Line items from checkbook records	CHECKS
CLIENTS	Client names, address, and account information
COSTS	All job costs (A/P line items, time, expenses, transfers)	JOBS, AP
FINANCE	Temporary file used to build financial statements
GROUPS	Groups
JE	Journal Entries from the General Ledger	ACCOUNTS
JOBS	Job tickets	CLIENTS
JOB_TASK	Job tasks	PAYMENTS
PAYMENTS	Client payments	PURCHASE_ORDER
PAYMENT_ITEMS	Line items from client payments	CLIENTS
PO_ITEMS	Line items from purchase orders
PURCHASE_ORDER	Purchase / Insertion order headers
RETAINERS	Client retainer schedules
STAFF	Employees
STATUS_CODES	Production and billing status codes
TASK_TABLE	Task Table
VENDORS	Vendors
WORKING	Agency Information

 

Learn more:

Custom report basics
Making custom reports
The C&P file structure
Modifying custom reports
Selected records with queries
Exporting data with custom reports