Print formats in Adempiere are of two types, one is print format which just displays the tab information and print format which displays the relevant information in entire tab, not confined to single tab.
First let us discuss about the simple print format which displays only the current tab infomration
1. Login into adempiere
2. Open any window, for Ex. I am opening Product window
3. Then click on report button on tool bar
4. When we click on this report, button system checks whether there is any print format already set up for this tab, if there is no print format setup for this tab, then it creates new print format automatically with the existing widgets in the active tab. Gyan( Every print format is associated with table and tab is associated with the table i.e. the link between print format and tab ).
5. Then it opens a new report window, which displays the data is default format which is generated automatically.
6. Click on customize report button in toolbar , which will open a new window “Print format” for modification
7. In this “Print format” window we have different tabs to change the display info and sort items to and to format the individual items. Change the format the way you like and save it.
8. Close the window and open it again
9. When you click on “Report” toolbar for same tab it will display the report in new format you changed, I mean new print format is persisted.
10. But the limitation with this approach is we can not a add report element which is not in this tab i.e. columns of table associated to this tab
Second type is to define the print format which can show lot more information in single report i.e. not confining to single tab.
1. For this first step is to identify the different data elements that you want to display in the report
2. Let us say, that report is getting data from different tables, so prepare a view by joining all those tables
3. Create that view database
4. Then log-in as System administrator, go to “Table & Column” window, create a table instance for this view.
5. Then open a “Print Format” window, create a new print format, when you create a print format it asks for a table name, give the new table that was created as input this
6. Then click on copy/create button
Then again select the table which recently created from view and click on OK
7. Then it creates basic print format, we can go and modify the print format as per our need.
8. Now we have print format that needs to be associated with tab or window? But how?
9. Go to “Report & Process” window, create the new a report, give the name and mark that as report
10. There you see the print format widget, select the new print format that was created, we don’t need to populate the remaining feilds
11.Now the “Report/process” is ready, now we will go and associate that with the tab.
12.Go to the “ Window,Tab &Field” window select the window where we want to see this print format.
13. Now Logout and login and normal user, go to the window where you added new print format, click on print button which is tool bar. Now PDF report comes up with new print format.
