Report Procedures are flowcharts that implement the logic of producing the report - i.e. the procedures govern the process of extraction of data from the database, calculating the values, formatting text strings etc. Report procedures are collections of executable components that are laid out in a Workspace window and define the flow of execution from one component to another.

Report Procedures are created and maintaned by the editor that consists of three windows: Workspace, Palette and Inspector, as shown in the figure below:

(click on the image to enlarge)

The Palette provides a repository of components, such as database retrieval, calculation or condition objects, that the Report Procedure is made of; the Workspace is a canvas on which the Procedure is laid out, and the Inspector is used for fine-tuning the attributes of the Report Procedure components, such as database search criteria, print component field links etc.

The Report Procedure editor performs extensive syntax checking on the flowchart and provides a visual feedback on all errors and inconsistencies. It also provides a testing facility to trace the execution of the report on the step-by-step basis.