Setting the Source of Your Data

How to:

You can preview your data using sample data, or data directly from the source that you have selected. You can also set the number of rows that should be retrieved from the data source when Live Preview is selected.

Note: In Live Preview, an exclamation point is placed next to fields that are too large to be displayed within the space allotted. The allotted space is determined by the page-level styling. Page-level styling includes page size, orientation, margins, and font size.

Content that fits or is displayed on a page depends on the font used and its size. Margins, gaps, and page elements, such as headers and footers, also determine how much material is displayed on a page.

Procedure: How to Set the Source of Your Data

  1. Create a report, chart, or document using data from an available Master File (.mas).
  2. On the Home tab, in the Design group, click Use Sample Data.

    Your report or chart displays using sample data, which reduces processing time by eliminating the need to access the actual data source.

  3. Click Data from Source to use the data source that you originally selected.

    InfoAssist uses the selected data source to display a live preview of the output on the canvas.

  4. Optionally, enter a number of rows or click the drop-down menu for Records, where you can set the number of rows to be retrieved from the data source when Live Preview is selected. The default is 500, but other preset choices include: All rows, 1, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000.

    Note: If you are working with a large amount of data, this feature is useful in reducing response time.