Weekly Computer Tip # 382
30 November 2012


Filter your fancy Reports without basing them on Queries
(Access 2007-2010)

Have you ever had the need to print your records in Access in a fancier format than the datasheet view of the Table or Query? If so, you hopefully know about Reports. (If not, book a course! ;) Not only can you arrange and format the Report's printout the way you want, but also you can group, sort and include totals and percentages. But there is something else.

Last month one of my "old" course participants and subsequent tip subscriber (Caroline Flood of Arena Structures) told me about the new Report filter options, introduced in Access 2007. Rather than having to base a Report on a Query in order to get a subset of your data, you can now dynamically filter a Report and print off just the information you need.

Here's how:

  1. Create your Report as normal.
  2. Right-click anywhere in the report and select Report View.
  3. Right-click the text, number or date you want to filter.
  4. Use the pre-defined contextual options from the drop-down list, or build a filter using the Number Filters, Text Filters or Date Filters conditions.

The filtered report can be printed, as normal. To clear the filter, simply right-click the filtered field and select Clear filter. When you close the Report the filter is not saved.

Thanks for this great tip, Caroline! If anybody else has a tip to share, submit it by emailing karen@roem.co.uk - if your tip is selected, I'll publish it along with your name; the bragging rights will last a lifetime!

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