Report Design Versus Report Creation

Report design is the process of building reports from basic report components in MicroStrategy Developer and Web. While report design is the most generic method for defining a report, it also requires the most in-depth knowledge of the project. In general, this method should be available only to the select group of advanced users and report designers who will design reports for others to use.

You can also design, edit, or delete multiple reports at the same time by using a Command Manager script. Command Manager is a MicroStrategy tool designed to automate certain tasks and processes. For example, you can design a number of empty reports based on the same template. For more information about Command Manager, including steps to use scripts, see the Command Manager chapter of the System Administration Help.

Report creation is the process of building reports from existing, predesigned reports either in MicroStrategy Developer or Web. Given the wealth of reporting functionality that you can make available to your users, you have the ability to design reports that provide a wide range of options for users to create their own reports, based on the reports you design.

Report creation is different from report design in that it provides a more guided experience and does not require your users to have a thorough understanding of the project. This allows your users to create their own reports in a controlled, user-friendly environment.