Adding Grid/Graph placeholders to documents

A Grid/Graph placeholder is an empty Grid/Graph, without a dataset report to populate the Grid/Graph with data. The Grid/Graph placeholder is not displayed in PDF view until you add a dataset report to it. For instructions to add dataset reports to Grid/Graph placeholders, see Adding datasets to Grid/Graph placeholders.

A Grid/Graph can be displayed as either:

• A grid (a standard MicroStrategy grid report with rows and columns of attributes and metrics)

• A graph (which shows the data visually as in a standard MicroStrategy graph report)

When you add a Grid/Graph placeholder, you can choose whether to display it as a grid or as a graph.

Grid/Graph placeholders can save time by allowing you to create a document template containing Grid/Graph placeholders but no dataset reports. You can then use the template to create several different documents, each with specific dataset reports and Grid/Graphs populated by those dataset reports.

Formatting Grid/Graph placeholders

The formatting of the Grid/Graph placeholder can be retained when you add a dataset report to the placeholder. To continue with the template scenario above, all the Grid/Graphs could be formatted identically in the documents, regardless of the formatting on the reports.

To format a Grid/Graph placeholder, populate it with data, format it, and then remove the data. The formatting is retained on the placeholder. To format the rows and columns of the placeholder, you edit the Grid/Graph placeholder and then format it. For more detailed instructions, see Editing Grid/Graphs in Grid view and Editing Grid/Graphs in Graph view.

You can also choose to copy the formatting from the report. In the template scenario, each Grid/Graph could be formatted differently, depending on the formatting in the original reports.

To add a Grid/Graph placeholder

1. Open a document in the Document Editor. How?

2. Do one of the following:

   • To add a placeholder that displays as a grid, select Grid from the Insert menu.

   • To add a placeholder that displays as a graph, point to Graph on the Insert menu, and select the graph style. For descriptions of the various graph styles, see Description of available graph styles.

3. Click and drag in the section where you want the Grid/Graph placeholder.

   You can place a Grid/Graph placeholder anywhere in a document except in the Detail section. Since controls in the Detail section are repeated once per row of the dataset, the Grid/Graph would be repeated on each row.

4. A new Grid/Graph placeholder is displayed as an empty Grid/Graph in the document. Now you can:

   • Add a dataset to it

   • Display a title bar

   • Enable quick switch

   • Edit it, to change settings such as graph style and Autostyle

   • Format it to change settings such as name, position, size, and borders

     To format a Grid/Graph placeholder, populate it with data, format it, and then remove the data. The formatting is retained on the placeholder.

   • Resize it