ACC: How to Create a Top 10 Report

• Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article describes a method for creating a Top 10 report, which is a report that lists the first 10 records, based on the report's sort order.

NOTE: In Microsoft Access 2.0, 7.0 and 97, you can base a report on a top values query.

For more information about TopValues, search for "TopValues Property" using the Microsoft Access Help Index.

NOTE: This article explains a technique demonstrated in the sample files, RptSampl.exe (for Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0) and RptSmp97.exe (for Microsoft Access 97). For information about how to obtain these sample files, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q145777
   TITLE     : ACC95: Microsoft Access Sample Reports Available on MSL

   ARTICLE-ID: Q175072
   TITLE     : ACC97: Microsoft Access 97 Sample Reports Available on MSL

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates how to create a Top 10 report using a calculated control's RunningSum property to provide a dynamic counter for each record. A macro called from the report's OnFormat property then cancels the formatting of records whose counter falls outside the range you want to print:

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb (or NWIND.MDB in versions 1.x and 2.0).

2. Create the following new report, and then save it as Top 10 Report:

         Report: Top 10 Report
         -------------------------------
         RecordSource: Sales By Category
   

         Detail Section
         ----------------------
         OnFormat: Top 10 Macro
   

         Text Box
         ---------------------------
         Name: ProductSales
         ControlSource: ProductSales
   

         NOTE: In Microsoft Access 1.x and 2.0, there is a space in
         Product Sales.
   

         NOTE: In Microsoft Access 1.x, the Name property is called the
         ControlName property.
   

         Text Box
         ---------------------------
         Name: CategoryName
         ControlSource: CategoryName
   

         NOTE: In versions 1.x and 2.0, there is a space in Category Name.
   

         Text Box
         --------------------------
         Name: ProductName
         ControlSource: ProductName
   

         NOTE: In versions 1.x and 2.0, there is a space in Product Name.
   

         Text Box
         --------------------
         ControlName: Counter
         ControlSource: =1
         Visible: No
         RunningSum: Over All
   

3. On the View menu, click Sorting And Grouping. Enter the following in the Sorting And Grouping window and then close it:

         Field/Expression: ProductSales
         Sort Order: Descending
   

4. Create the following new macro, and then save it as Top 10 Macro:

         Macro: Top 10 Macro
         -----------------------
         Condition: [Counter]>10
         Action: CancelEvent
   

5. Preview the report. The counter control will number each record, and the macro will prevent any record whose counter is greater than 10 from being printed. Because the report is sorted on ProductSales, the 10 largest sales will be printed.

Notes

• If you use this method with a Grouping/Totals report, the totals will include the records that are not printed, so the totals may not appear to be correct. To avoid this discrepancy, you can create a dynamic counter in the query. For additional information about this method, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

        ARTICLE-ID: Q94397
        TITLE     : ACC: Adding a Dynamic Counter to a Query to Count Records
                    (2.0)
  
  

• You can use this method with a Grouping/Totals report to show the top 10 records per group. To do this, change the counter control's RunningSum property from Over All to Over Group.
• You can use this method with a Grouping/Totals report to show the top 10 groups. To do this, add the counter control to the report's group header instead of to the detail section, and add the macro to the OnFormat property of the group header, the detail section, and the group footer.

REFERENCES

For more information about sorting data in reports, search for "sorting data," and then "Sort records in a report" using the Microsoft Access 97 Help Index.