Records and Totals

Every report in the Report Builder is one of two kinds, chosen with Show: Records, a listing of individual rows, or Totals, figures counted or added up across rows. Choosing the right one first decides what you can do with the report afterwards.

Where to find it

Architect Panel → Data:

• Report Builder — the Show switch is in the top bar

Admin Panel → Reporting:

• Report Builder — the same screen, once granted

Records

A row listing: one line per record, with the columns you tick under Columns to show, filtered and sorted as you choose. Use it for working lists and exports: "every open complaint with its owner and age", "applications received this week".

• Results shows the rows; CSV downloads them.
• A listing has no chart. The Chart tab says "A chart needs totals. Switch Show to Totals and group by something, or use Results for a row listing."
• Because it has no chart, a listing cannot be added to a dashboard.
• A listing can be sent on a schedule as a CSV or spreadsheet. See Scheduled Delivery.
• Large listings are capped at a maximum number of rows, so use filters rather than exporting a whole datastore.

Totals

Figures across rows: a count, a sum, an average and so on, optionally grouped by one or two fields. Use it for anything you would chart or put on a dashboard: "open complaints by category", "income by month".

• Up to six figures and two groupings.
• The Chart tab draws it. See Charts in the Report Builder.
• Add to dashboard on the Chart tab puts it on a BI dashboard.
• A total with no grouping can be saved as a summary figure that appears above results. See Standard Reports and Summary Figures.

Choosing

1. Ask what the reader will do with it. Act on individual records: Records. Compare or track numbers: Totals.
2. Choose Show first, then columns or figures, since the two use different parts of the Inspector.
3. If you need both, save two reports: a Totals report for the dashboard and a Records report listing what is behind it. On a dashboard, Show the records on a chart also lists the rows behind a figure.

What goes wrong and how to tell

• The Chart tab is empty with "A chart needs totals": the report is set to Records.
• Add to dashboard is greyed out: there is no chart yet; run a Totals report first. The button is hidden altogether if you cannot edit any dashboard.
• "A summary figure has to be a total, not a row listing. Switch Show to Totals.": you tried to save a listing as a summary figure.

Worked example

A housing team wants to see voids by area each week and to chase the oldest ones. It saves "Voids by area" as Totals, grouped by Area, and adds the bar chart to its dashboard. It saves a second report, "Void properties", as Records with Address, Area, Void date and Officer, sorted by Void date, and sends it every Monday morning as a spreadsheet to the voids officers.

Recommendations

• Decide Records or Totals first.
• Use Totals for dashboards and Records for working lists and exports.
• Filter listings rather than exporting everything.
• Pair a chart with a listing where people need to act on what the chart shows.