After you have designed a report, you must save and compile it before it can be run. Normally, you do this after you finish designing the report. However, you may want to save a report that is not yet finished and therefore cannot be compiled, for example, if the report contains C/AL code that is incomplete. You can also test compiling a report without closing or saving it.
Working with reports that will display in the RoleTailored client is different. For more information, see Designing Reports for the RoleTailored Client.
Saving and Compiling a Report
A report is closed when the Report Designer window is closed. When you close a report, you are prompted to decide whether or not the report should be saved. If it is a new report, you must give it an ID and a name. The ID must be unique and follow the rules for numbering objects - your local Microsoft Certified Business Solutions Partner can provide you with this information.
If you enter ID and Name as report properties, these values are used, and you are not prompted for an ID and a name when you close the report.
The Compiled option field is set to TRUE by default. If your report is not yet ready to be compiled, clear the check mark, and click OK to save the report.
You can save a report without closing it by clicking File, and then Save or Save As. By using Save As, you can rename an existing report. Like all the other objects in C/SIDE, reports must be compiled before they can be run. When you are designing a report, you might want to test compiling it to find any errors that it may contain (this is more important when the report contains C/AL code in triggers). To test compiling a report when you are designing it, click Tools, and then Compile.
Running a Report
In the application, your reports can be incorporated into menus, or they can be called from, for example, a command button on a form. However, when you are designing reports, you will often want to run them before they are integrated into the application. When you are designing a report, you can test running the report by clicking File, and then Run. The report is compiled and run in its current stage of development. It is not saved, which means that you can use this function to verify that the changes you are making work as intended before you save them. You can run a report from the list of reports in the Object Designer window by selecting a report, and then clicking the Run button.