Creating a simple List report

The first thing you have to do when you want to design a new custom report is create the data model. Where is the data coming from that I want to show in the report? Is it all in one table or do I need multiple tables? If there are multiple tables, how will I connect the records from the different tables? A good suggestion that I can give is to first make a draft drawing on a piece of paper of the layout of the report you want to create. Write down the fields that need to be visible on the report and then find out which table they are coming from. After that, if there are multiple tables find out how the tables are related and write that down.

This way, when you open the designer you already know what you need to do. Many novice and experienced developers make the mistake of not thinking before they begin. And then it can get confusing very quickly in the report designer.

Now that we have a good idea of the tables that we will require, it's time to open the report...