Working with list views and reports

Use this guide to find records, build a useful report, and export results that you can check and share. The examples use Sales Invoices and the Profit and Loss Statement, but the same approach applies to many NexWave lists and reports.

Before you start

Know which question you need to answer, such as which invoices are overdue or what expenses were posted last month.
Confirm the company, date range, record status and currency that the result must cover.
Check whether you need one row per document or one row per item. This changes which view and columns you should use.
You need access to the records and report. Report, Export and Print are separate permissions. Being able to open a record does not guarantee that you can export or print it.
Agree who may receive the output. An exported file can contain information that the recipient cannot normally see in NexWave.

You do not need to change a record to filter, read or export it. Keep record changes separate from report preparation.

1. Choose the right view

View	Use it for	Where to start
List View	Find and open individual records, review their status, or select records for an authorised action.	Search for the record type, such as Sales Invoice.
Report View	Choose columns from a record type, filter the rows and prepare a record-based spreadsheet. This is also called Report Builder.	Open the view selector beside the list title and select Report View.
A named report	Answer a defined business question, such as aged debt, stock balances or financial results. Its calculations and available filters depend on the report.	Search for the report name, such as Profit and Loss Statement.

Report View is not the same as every named report. For example, Pick Columns belongs to Report Builder, while many named reports offer Add Column. Instructions for one do not always apply to the other.

For supplier balances due in a particular period, use an Accounts Payable report and its due-date or ageing controls. A Purchase Invoice list filtered by posting date answers a different question.

2. Find and check records in List View

Open the required record list.
Review existing filters before adding new ones. A previous company, status or personal filter can hide records.
Set the visible fields, such as Company, Customer and Status.
Select Filter to add conditions that are not in the visible filter fields. Select the field, comparison and value, then apply the filter.
Use the sort control beside the filters to choose the sort field. Use its direction button to switch between ascending and descending order.
Check the matching-record count. Use the page-size buttons or Load More when available to see additional records.
Open a sample record. Confirm that the company, date, status and amount match your intended selection.

Ordinary filters narrow the selection together. A record must meet all of them. If you need a more complex selection, check the grouping controls in Report View rather than assuming that several ordinary filters mean “either condition”.

To remove an unwanted condition, remove that filter or use Clear all filters. Reapply the company and date conditions that you still need.

List sidebar with the Save Filter and Filter Name controls

The list sidebar contains the controls for saving a repeatable selection. This capture shows controls only.

Save a repeatable filter

Apply and check the required list filters.
In the sidebar, find Save Filter and enter a clear Filter Name.
Press Enter to save it.
Use Show Saved to display saved filters, then select the required name.
Check the resulting selection before using it.

Saved list filters store filter conditions. They do not create a separate copy of the records or a complete report layout. If Is Global is available, leave it clear for a personal filter. Select it only when an administrator intends to make the filter available to other users.

A saved fixed date range does not become a new month automatically. Review the dates each time you use it.

3. Build a record-based report

Open the record list and select Report View from the view selector.
Confirm the filters again. Check the company, date range and status before changing the layout.
Open Menu, the three-dot button, and select Pick Columns.
Search for the fields you need. Keep an identifier such as ID, together with the date, party, status and amount needed for the review.
Select the required columns and select Submit to apply the column selection.
Review the rows and open a sample document through its link.
If you need totals, use Menu > Show Totals where available. Confirm that each amount column can meaningfully be added.

Applying Pick Columns changes the report layout. It does not submit the business documents shown in the report.

Choose document or item detail deliberately

The column picker groups fields by their source. For example, Description under Items (Sales Invoice Item) comes from an invoice item, not from the main invoice record.

Column picker showing Description under different detail tables

The same field label can appear in several tables. Choose it from the table that answers your question.

Adding item or other detail-table columns can produce several rows for one document. Do not sum a repeated document Grand Total as though each row were a different invoice. For an invoice-level total, remove the item-detail columns or use the appropriate summary report. For item analysis, use item amounts and check how the report handles taxes, discounts and returns.

Do not add amounts in different currencies without converting them to a common currency. Where available, use Grand Total (Company Currency) for a company-currency comparison and retain Currency when reviewing transaction amounts.

Save the report layout

If you have permission to create reports, use Menu > Save As and enter a clear New Report name. The saved report can retain its columns, filters, sort order and other report settings. Reopen it through Select Report or search.

Use a new name for a different purpose. Do not overwrite a shared report without checking who uses it. Report creation and access permissions still apply.

4. Run and review a named report

Search for the required report and open it.
Set Company when the report has this field.
Set the reporting period. Some reports use From Date and To Date. Others use Start Year, End Year and Periodicity.
Review other filters that affect the answer, such as account, warehouse, party, currency or finance book.
Select Refresh after changing the filters if the report has not refreshed automatically. Resolve any missing required filters.
Expand grouped rows when you need their detail. Use document links to check the underlying records where the report provides them.
Compare a sample amount and the report total with the source records or the related financial or stock report.

Profit and Loss Statement with company and period filters, summary values and chart

Named reports have their own filters, calculations and presentation. This example shows the NexWave company.

A chart is a summary of the report data. Use the rows and source records when you need to explain a difference. Not every report has a chart, expandable rows or a link on every value.

Add a field to a named report

Where available, select Menu > Add Column. Review From Document Type, Field and Insert After, then apply the selection.

This option offers fields from records linked by the report. It does not make every field from every related item table available. If the field you need is missing, first check whether Report View or an item-level report already provides it. Ask your administrator about a custom report when the standard reports cannot answer the question.

Some authorised users can save a named report configuration through Menu > Save and Report Name. This is different from the personal Save Filter control on lists. Do not assume that every user or every report has the same save options.

5. Export and check the file

Use the export route for the view you are in.

Export from Report View

Check the filters, columns, sort order and matching-record count.
Clear selected row checkboxes unless you intend to export only those selected records.
Select Menu > Export.
Set File Format to Excel or CSV.
If an option such as Export all matching rows? or Export all 156 rows? appears, select it when you need the complete filtered result. The number in this label changes with your result.
Review Export in Background if the result is large.
Select Download.

Without the all-rows option, the export can be limited to the loaded rows. A selected set of records can also restrict the export. The number of rows visible on the current page is not always the total matching the filters.

Export from a named report

Confirm that the report has finished running with the correct filters.
Select Menu > Export.
Set File Format to Excel or CSV.
Select Include filters when available so the file records the reporting scope.
For a tree report, review Include indentation. Expand or collapse the on-screen groups to the detail you need, then check the exported rows.
If Include hidden columns is available, select it only when those columns are required and safe to share.
Use Export in Background for a large result when appropriate, then select Download.

Named report export dialog with format, background, indentation and filter options

Export options depend on the report. Check the available options before downloading.

Excel supports a formatted spreadsheet. CSV contains data without spreadsheet formatting. Neither guarantees an identical copy of every on-screen chart, expanded group or hidden column. Check the resulting file.

Check before sharing

Open the downloaded file and confirm its company and period.
Check the row count and whether the result includes all matching rows or only a selection.
Check identifiers, dates, currencies, totals and any negative return amounts.
Check that document totals have not been repeated because item-detail columns were included.
Confirm that the required columns are present and that no unnecessary private columns are included.
Keep the original downloaded file. Make spreadsheet adjustments in a separate working copy so you can trace the source totals.

If the filename is too long for your spreadsheet application, rename the downloaded file to a shorter meaningful name before opening it. Keep a record of its reporting scope.

6. Print or create a PDF

For a named report, select Menu > Print or Menu > PDF when available. Review Orientation, Print Format and Include filters. Select Pick Columns when available, then select the required columns under Select Columns before you select Submit. A wide report may need landscape orientation or fewer columns.

Print settings with orientation and a separate column checklist

Print settings have a separate column checklist. Check it even when the Excel export already has the correct columns.

Report Builder has Menu > Print. Use the available print or browser PDF option where appropriate.

Check the preview. Confirm that party names, dates, totals and the right-hand columns are visible. Print and spreadsheet output can use different column selections, so a correct Excel export does not prove that the PDF is complete.

Other list views and actions

The view selector may also offer Kanban View, Calendar View, Gantt View, Tree View, Image View or Dashboard View, depending on the record type and your access. These are alternative ways to inspect records. Changing to another view can change which controls are available, so check the selection again.

Selecting list rows can expose Actions such as Edit, Assign, Print, Export, Submit, Cancel or Delete. The available actions depend on the record type, permissions and workflow.

Use Edit only for permitted field changes. To cancel a submitted document, use its Cancel action and the required checks. Do not try to cancel it by changing a status field through bulk editing.

List Settings, where available to an administrator, controls the list layout. Use Report View > Menu > Pick Columns for a reporting layout instead of changing shared list settings just to prepare one export.

Review checklist

The view answers the intended question.
Company, dates, status and currency are correct.
Each row represents the expected document or detail line.
Totals use suitable amount columns and do not count repeated document values.
A sample result agrees with its source record.
The file or print preview contains the required rows and columns.
The recipient is authorised to receive the output.
Saved filters and reports have been checked for the current reporting period.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
A record is missing	Review visible and saved filters, company, status and date range. Confirm that you have access to that record.
The report is empty	Complete required filters, check the date range and refresh. Confirm that the selected status and company contain matching records.
Pick Columns is missing	Confirm that you are in Report View. A named report may use Add Column instead.
A description or item field is unavailable	Check its source table. Use an item-level report or Report Builder when the named report only links to the main document.
A document appears several times	Check whether detail-table columns created one row per item or other detail line. Review totals before adding them.
Export, Print or PDF is missing or denied	Ask your administrator to check the relevant record and report permissions. Do not request broad administrator access just to export one report.
The spreadsheet has fewer records than expected	Check row selection, loaded rows and the all-matching-rows export option. For named reports, check filters and collapsed groups.
A PDF is missing names or columns	Review the selected print columns, page width and orientation. Check the preview separately from the Excel export.
The export is slow	Narrow the date range or filters, or use Export in Background where available. Wait for completion before retrying.
A saved report shows an old period	Update the saved date or year filters, refresh and check the result before exporting.