15 Things Sunset Reports can do with Microsoft Office

If you are a Microsoft Office user, you will be interested to know that Sunset Reports can:

1. connect to Microsoft Access databases
2. replace the query designer in Access
3. replace the report designer in Access
4. import report designs from Access
5. connect to Microsoft Excel worksheet ranges as a data source for reports
6. import Excel worksheet ranges as report designs
7. export reports to Excel
8. import Microsoft Word documents as RTF files into a report design
9. export reports to RTF files that can be loaded into Microsoft Word
10. distribute any Microsoft Office file as part of a report definition utilizing the queue and delivery service.  This includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio, Project, etc.
11. create reports from Outlook data.   If you have synchronized your Outlook with iCloud, you can create reports from iCloud data.
12. using OneNote, link to a report file
13. using OneNote, attach a report file
14. using OneNote, insert a report printout
15. integrate with InfoPath to create a custom application

So if you are working with Microsoft Office, Sunset Reports is a great add-on.

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Compare Toolbars with MS Access

In the following figure we have compared the report designer toolbars between Access 2010 and Sunset Reports.

MS Access vs Sunset Reports Toolbar

The red arrows show a match with the toolbar items between the two software programs.   The dotted red line shows an approximate match.  Access provides only a rectangle as a shape while Sunset Reports provides 23 shapes.  (Ever try to put a circle or an arrow on an Access report?).  Those items on the Access toolbar with a question mark are for items that really do not belong on a report.  (Why would you put tab controls, buttons, drop down lists, etc. on a report?)

The items on the bottom of the figure with a blue callout show items that Sunset Reports has and Access does not have.  Although one might argue that the “Unbound Object Frame” (2) or the “Bound Object Frame” (4) can provide this missing functionality.  If you can accomplish something similar, it is far more difficult and more restrictive than the native Sunset Reports controls.   The “Hyperlink” control on the Access Toolbar is actually available on all the controls in Sunset Reports.  And finally, Access has a control called “Attachment” (3).  This is an attempt to provide a link to an external file or an database object.  If the object is an image, use the Sunset Reports picture box.  If the object is text, use the Sunset Reports Rich Text control.

Alternative to Microsoft Access – Part 2

To follow up on the first blog post about Microsoft Access, here is some more information.  Access has a limitations regarding the following that Sunset Reports does not:

1. Page size (Access is limited to 22.5″ width, no limit with Sunset Reports)
2. Export password protected PDF’s (Access does not, Sunset Reports does)
3. Chart types (Sunset Reports has more types than Access)
4. Style Sheets (Access does not have style sheets, Sunset Reports does)

So if you want to use Sunset Reports as an alternative to Access, we have made it even easier for you to convert since you can import your report designs from Access (with some limitations).

Even if your data is still in Access, Sunset Reports connects to that data very easily.

Alternative to Microsoft Access – Part 1

Recently we were asked if Sunset Reports can work as an alternative to Microsoft Access.   The answer is yes or no, depending on what Access is used for.   In many situations, Access is used to query a database and create reports or export data.   There are no tables or forms designed, just queries or reports.   In this case, yes Sunset Reports can replace Microsoft Access.   In fact it is a great replacement because the query builder and report designer in Sunset Reports is actually more powerful than Access.   Exporting from Sunset Reports is also better handled than Access with more options and better formatting.   Sunset Reports also has a great distribution system with multiple channels including email and FTP.

If you need a way to store data and don’t want to use Microsoft Access, then SQLite, MySQL, and FireBird are free database back ends that you can use and in conjunction with Sunset Reports, you should have all you need.

Chart Types

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Here is a visual catalog of the chart types available.   Many options are available with these.

Access 2010 only has 20 chart types, and Crystal Reports 9 only has 40. Even Excel 2010 does not have some of the chart types in Sunset Reports. Plus the wizard gives you so many customization options.

Page Size

What are the limitations of page size in Sunset Reports? Microsoft Access reports has a limit of 22.5″ for both width and length.

If you look at the Property “Paper Kind” in the report designer, you will find over 120 different paper sizes to choose from. One of the bigger sizes is called an “E Sheet” which is 34 inches wide and 44 inches in height in portrait mode. You can create a custom page size 120″ (10 feet) by 120″ (10 feet) which would pretty much mean there is no limit to the page size in Sunset Reports.

Report Templates from Office

If you use Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel, you have access to many templates.   These templates can be imported into Sunset Reports as a starting point for reports.

For Word, create a document from a template, and save the document as an RTF file.   Then import the RTF file into the RTF control in the report designer.

For Excel, use the import report design from Microsoft Excel menu item when in the Report Designer.