Understanding Report Page Types

Learn about the available report page types when running the Create Application Wizard and Create Page Wizard.

The Create Application Wizard and Create Page Wizard include a number of pages for displaying data. Some of these page types, such as classic reports, interactive reports, and interactive grids, are straightforward reports. However, others include a report region and an associated search region. For example, a faceted search page contains a search region and a report region which can display as either a cards region or a classic report. Similarly, a smart filters page includes a search region and a search results report which can be a classic report, cards, map, or calendar.

Note: To learn more about reports and forms optimized for mobile devices, see Creating Applications for Mobile Devices and Legacy Forms Optimized for Mobile Environments.

Report Page Type Use Cases

Review common use cases for available report page types.

The following table describes uses cases for the report page types available in the Create Page Wizard and Create Application Wizard.

Note: For a more detailed comparison of report page types, see Comparison of Report Page Types.

Report Page Type	Use Case	Learn More…
Cards	Display data at a glance using information tiles that can easily include an image. Choose between three cards page layouts: Grid, Float, or Horizontal (Row). Provides summary information from a modern layout with one-click access to more details on another report or form page.	See: Managing Cards Example Cards Page Install the Sample Cards sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery
Classic Report	Display data in a simple report region. Update data by including a report and update form combination during creation. Column sorting configurable.	See: Managing Classic Reports Example Classic Report Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery
Faceted Search	Display and filter data using an intuitive experience users recognize from ecommerce sites (a left Search region and report region). Show search results as cards or a classic report. Includes built-in search capability. Users select facets in the Search region to narrow down the search results.	See: Managing Faceted Search Example Faceted Search Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery
Interactive Grid	Display data in a searchable, customizable report that supports inline editing at runtime using the mouse or keyboard. Enable end users to create highly customized reports. Users can alter the report layout by using either the Column Heading menu or Actions menu. Move columns by using the Actions menu, Column dialog, or by dragging and dropping with the mouse. Save customizations and report layout by saving a private or alternative report just for yourself, a public report, or as a primary report that can be viewed by others. Save a report layout by creating an Alternative or Private report. Download or email the report as a CSV, HTML, PDF, or Excel file. Enable and disable editing capability at by editing attributes in Page Designer. If editable, select options from the Row Action menu. If editable, add and remove rows or edit data by directly editing a cell.	See: Managing Interactive Grids Example Interactive Grid Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.
Interactive Report	Display data in a searchable, customizable report. Enable end users to create highly customized reports. Users can alter the report layout by using either the Column Heading menu or Actions menu. Update data by including an update form during creation. Save customizations and report layout by saving a private report just for yourself, a public report, or as a default report that can be viewed by others. Download, email, or subscribe to report update subscriptions in CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF format.	See: Managing Interactive Reports Example Interactive Report Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery
Smart Filters	Display data using a single search field region at the top of the page and results report. Offers a more compact UI when compared to faceted search. Search results report can display as a classic report, cards, map, or calendar. End users select filters that display as suggestion chips. Configurable search suggestions Includes built-in search capability.	See: Managing Smart Filters Example Smart Filters Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Report Page Type

Use Case

Learn More…

Cards

Display data at a glance using information tiles that can easily include an image.

Choose between three cards page layouts: Grid, Float, or Horizontal (Row).

Provides summary information from a modern layout with one-click access to more details on another report or form page.

See:

Managing Cards

Example Cards Page

Install the Sample Cards sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery

Classic Report

Display data in a simple report region.

Update data by including a report and update form combination during creation.

Column sorting configurable.

See:

Managing Classic Reports

Example Classic Report

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery

Faceted Search

Display and filter data using an intuitive experience users recognize from ecommerce sites (a left Search region and report region).

Show search results as cards or a classic report.

Includes built-in search capability.

Users select facets in the Search region to narrow down the search results.

See:

Managing Faceted Search

Example Faceted Search

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery

Interactive Grid

Display data in a searchable, customizable report that supports inline editing at runtime using the mouse or keyboard.

Enable end users to create highly customized reports. Users can alter the report layout by using either the Column Heading menu or Actions menu.

Move columns by using the Actions menu, Column dialog, or by dragging and dropping with the mouse.

Save customizations and report layout by saving a private or alternative report just for yourself, a public report, or as a primary report that can be viewed by others.

Save a report layout by creating an Alternative or Private report.

Download or email the report as a CSV, HTML, PDF, or Excel file.

Enable and disable editing capability at by editing attributes in Page Designer.

If editable, select options from the Row Action menu.

If editable, add and remove rows or edit data by directly editing a cell.

See:

Managing Interactive Grids

Example Interactive Grid

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Interactive Report

Display data in a searchable, customizable report.

Enable end users to create highly customized reports. Users can alter the report layout by using either the Column Heading menu or Actions menu.

Update data by including an update form during creation.

Save customizations and report layout by saving a private report just for yourself, a public report, or as a default report that can be viewed by others.

Download, email, or subscribe to report update subscriptions in CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF format.

See:

Managing Interactive Reports

Example Interactive Report

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery

Smart Filters

Display data using a single search field region at the top of the page and results report.

Offers a more compact UI when compared to faceted search.

Search results report can display as a classic report, cards, map, or calendar.

End users select filters that display as suggestion chips.

Configurable search suggestions

Includes built-in search capability.

See:

Managing Smart Filters

Example Smart Filters

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Comparison of Report Page Types

Compare report pages types available when running the Create Application Wizard and Create Page Wizard.

The following table describes the commonly used report page types available in the Create Page Wizard and Create Application Wizard.

Report Page Type	Description	Learn More…
Cards	A cards page features an orderly layout of information tiles. Developers choose between three layouts: Grid, Float, or Horizontal (Row). Features: Customize every aspect of a cards region's UI (including layout, appearance, icon, badge, and media). Declaratively create links from a cards page by adding actions. Action types include Button, Full Card, Title, Subtitle, or Media. Supports advanced HTML expressions including template directives for client-side conditional formatting.	See: Managing Cards Example Cards Page Install the Sample Cards sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.
Classic Report	A classic report features a simple report page based on the formatted result of a SQL query. Features: Report can display as a standard application page or as a modal dialog. Enable the Include Form option to create a report and update form combination. Enable column sorting in Page Designer by selecting a column and configuring Column, Sorting attributes. The most versatile report as it is template-driven. Choose from the predefined report templates, including Media List, Comments, Timeline, Badge List, Value Attributes Pairs, and so on. Or, create your own template to customize and visualize data. Download the report as a CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF. Supports Report Layouts to format PDF exports. Limitations compared to other report types: Using templates requires changing the SQL query column names to match the chosen template (for row templates) No support for scroll pagination or virtual scrolling. Other pagination options available. No column header groups, frozen columns, and template directives.	See: Managing Classic Reports Example Classic Report Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.
Faceted Search	A faceted search page displays and filters data using an intuitive experience users recognize from ecommerce sites (a left Search region and report region). The report region displays search results as cards or a classic report. Features: Select options from facets in the left Search region to narrow down search results. Set filters using facets that show possible values together with the occurrence count within the result set. Built-in search capability. Optionally include a chart for any facet. Toggle between a bar chart (which is the default) and pie chart type. Create facet groups for data models having multiple flag columns.	See: Managing Faceted Search Example Faceted Search Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.
Interactive Grid	An interactive grid presents data in a searchable, customizable report. Includes similar customization capabilities available in interactive reports plus the ability to rearrange the report interactively using the mouse or keyboard. Features: Extensive customization capabilities using menus or inline editing. Turn editing on or off using the region Attribute, Edit, Enabled. Built-in search capability. For both editable and non-editable reports, users can change the report layout and create private reports: If editable, users can edit the data directly. Limitations compared to other report page types: Rows are fixed height. No variable height option. Does not remember current page. Tabular form limitations: submit selected rows, always edit for small number of records Interactive report features not supported: Pivot view, Group By view, Computed columns, and complex filters.	See: Understanding Report Page Types Understanding Report Page Types Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.
Interactive Report	An interactive report page features a searchable, easily customizable report. Features: Report can display as a standard application page or as a modal dialog. Enable the Include Form option to create a report and update form combination. Built-in search capability. Change the report layout and create private reports using menus. Limitations compared to other report page types: No scroll pagination. Freeze columns not supported. Column groups not supported. Charts not as powerful as interactive grid.	See: Managing Interactive Reports Example Interactive Report Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.
Smart Filters	A smart filters page features a single search field at the top of the page and a search results report (classic report, cards, map, or calendar). While a smart filter behaves similarly to faceted search, it features a more space efficient layout. Features: Includes a search field at the top of the page with filters that display as suggestion chip. The Search Results can display as a classic report, cards, map, or calendar. Clicking a filter name displays a list of values. Clicking to right of a suggestion chip changes it to an applied filter chip and moves to the Applied Filters Area. Clicking the applied filter chip again displays a list. Built-in search capability.	See: Managing Smart Filters Example Smart Filters Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Report Page Type

Description

Learn More…

Cards

A cards page features an orderly layout of information tiles. Developers choose between three layouts: Grid, Float, or Horizontal (Row).

Features:

Customize every aspect of a cards region's UI (including layout, appearance, icon, badge, and media).
Declaratively create links from a cards page by adding actions. Action types include Button, Full Card, Title, Subtitle, or Media.
Supports advanced HTML expressions including template directives for client-side conditional formatting.

See:

Managing Cards

Example Cards Page

Install the Sample Cards sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Classic Report

A classic report features a simple report page based on the formatted result of a SQL query.

Features:

Report can display as a standard application page or as a modal dialog.
Enable the Include Form option to create a report and update form combination.
Enable column sorting in Page Designer by selecting a column and configuring Column, Sorting attributes.
The most versatile report as it is template-driven. Choose from the predefined report templates, including Media List, Comments, Timeline, Badge List, Value Attributes Pairs, and so on. Or, create your own template to customize and visualize data.
Download the report as a CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF.
Supports Report Layouts to format PDF exports.

Limitations compared to other report types:

Using templates requires changing the SQL query column names to match the chosen template (for row templates)
No support for scroll pagination or virtual scrolling. Other pagination options available.
No column header groups, frozen columns, and template directives.

See:

Managing Classic Reports

Example Classic Report

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Faceted Search

A faceted search page displays and filters data using an intuitive experience users recognize from ecommerce sites (a left Search region and report region). The report region displays search results as cards or a classic report.

Features:

Select options from facets in the left Search region to narrow down search results.
Set filters using facets that show possible values together with the occurrence count within the result set.
Built-in search capability.
Optionally include a chart for any facet.
Toggle between a bar chart (which is the default) and pie chart type.
Create facet groups for data models having multiple flag columns.

See:

Managing Faceted Search

Example Faceted Search

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Interactive Grid

An interactive grid presents data in a searchable, customizable report. Includes similar customization capabilities available in interactive reports plus the ability to rearrange the report interactively using the mouse or keyboard.

Features:

Extensive customization capabilities using menus or inline editing.
Turn editing on or off using the region Attribute, Edit, Enabled.
Built-in search capability.
For both editable and non-editable reports, users can change the report layout and create private reports:
If editable, users can edit the data directly.

Limitations compared to other report page types:

Rows are fixed height. No variable height option.
Does not remember current page.
Tabular form limitations: submit selected rows, always edit for small number of records
Interactive report features not supported: Pivot view, Group By view, Computed columns, and complex filters.

See:

Understanding Report Page Types

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Interactive Report

An interactive report page features a searchable, easily customizable report.

Features:

Report can display as a standard application page or as a modal dialog.
Enable the Include Form option to create a report and update form combination.
Built-in search capability.
Change the report layout and create private reports using menus.

Limitations compared to other report page types:

No scroll pagination.
Freeze columns not supported.
Column groups not supported.
Charts not as powerful as interactive grid.

See:

Managing Interactive Reports

Example Interactive Report

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.

Smart Filters

A smart filters page features a single search field at the top of the page and a search results report (classic report, cards, map, or calendar). While a smart filter behaves similarly to faceted search, it features a more space efficient layout.

Features:

Includes a search field at the top of the page with filters that display as suggestion chip.
The Search Results can display as a classic report, cards, map, or calendar.
Clicking a filter name displays a list of values.
Clicking to right of a suggestion chip changes it to an applied filter chip and moves to the Applied Filters Area. Clicking the applied filter chip again displays a list.
Built-in search capability.

See:

Managing Smart Filters

Example Smart Filters

Install the Sample Reporting sample app. See Installing Apps from the Gallery.