Report Formatting


Maintaining a consistent user interface helps improve usability and user acceptance, and this rule applies to reports too. When you create custom reports, format your reports so that they have a look and feel that is consistent with your other reports. You saw earlier in this chapter that just accepting the default formatting of a Reporting Services report can turn out a visually unappealing report.

Fortunately Microsoft provides detailed style and formatting specifications in a Report Style Guide document if you want your custom reports to match the default reports in Microsoft CRM. We have included a few sample specifications from that document in Table 7-5 and Table 7-6, but you can get the entire style guide by downloading the Microsoft CRM SDK.

Table 7-5: Report and Page Header Formats

Attribute

Report and page header

Report header summary text

Background color (RGB/Hex)

222,221,207 / #DEDDCF

222,221,207 / #DEDDCF

Foreground color (RGB/Hex)

Black

102,102,102 / #666666

Font

Tahoma 14-point bold

Verdana 8-point bold italic

Border

None

None

Height

.5 inches

Varies

Table 7-6: Page Footer Format

Attribute

Page footer

Background color (RGB/Hex)

222,221,207 / #DEDDCF

Foreground color (RGB/Hex)

102,102,102 / #666666

Font

Tahoma 8-point bold

Border

None

Height

.28125 inches

You don't have to spend a lot of time guessing about which fonts and colors Microsoft CRM uses in the default reports. You can find all of the information and specifications you need for consistent report formatting in the Report Style Guide.




Working with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0
Working with Microsoft Dynamics(TM) CRM 3.0
ISBN: 0735622590
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 120

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