Report Columns, Available Fields, Totals, and What Exports

Hiding a column does not always change what exports, the list of fields you can pick from is built per lot, a new report adds its own dollar totals, and the drag-to-group bar is switched off in some display modes. These four behaviours all make a report look like it is ignoring your setup. This article explains each one.

Questions this answers

• "I hid two columns on a canned report before exporting to Excel, but they're still in the file. Why doesn't the export match what's on my screen?"
• "When I build the same type of report at our other lot, the list of fields I can pick from is different. Why isn't it the same everywhere?"
• "I saved a new custom report without adding any totals, and now every dollar column has a sum at the bottom that I didn't ask for. Where did those come from?"
• "The drag-to-group bar isn't available on one of my reports even though I use it on others. What makes it turn off?"

This article is about columns, fields and totals on a report. If rows are missing from an export, that is the row limit — see the article on report freshness and the 5,000-row limit.

Hidden columns still appear in the export

The two kinds of report behave in opposite ways here, and this is the single most common surprise on the Reports page.

• Built-in reports export a fixed set of columns. The columns control changes what you see on screen and nothing else. Hide two columns, export to Excel, and both are still in the file — the export list is defined by the report, not by your screen.
• Reports you build yourself export what is on screen. Hide a column and it leaves the export as well.

So if you need an export from a built-in report with certain columns removed, either delete them in the spreadsheet afterwards, or build your own version of the report where the export follows your layout.

The field list is different at another lot

Part of the Available Fields list is fixed and part is generated for the lot you are working in, so the same report type genuinely offers different fields at different lots. Three groups are built from the lot:

• Fees and taxes, which come from the state the lot operates in.
• Vehicle custom fields, which come from that lot's own configuration.
• Vehicle expense categories, which include any categories your dealership added.

This is expected, not a fault. If a field you rely on is missing at one lot, the thing to change is that lot's setup — add the custom field or the expense category there — rather than the report. Two lots in different states will never offer an identical fees and taxes list.

Totals you didn't ask for

When you save a report you built and no totals have been set on any field, every dollar-value column is given a sum automatically, so that a new report opens showing totals instead of a bare grid. Built-in templates are left alone.

If you do not want those totals, set the totalling you do want on the fields you care about — as soon as any field has a total configured, the automatic behaviour stops and only your choices apply.

The drag-to-group bar is missing

Row grouping is only available on a report that shows a flat list of records. The display modes that already expand rows into a parent-and-detail arrangement cannot also group, because the two ways of nesting rows conflict — so on those reports the grouping bar is not offered.

To group, switch the report to the plain list display mode. One thing to expect when you do: grouping is performed in your browser across the rows the report returned, so on a large report it takes a moment and you will see a notice while it works.