- Identifying the content of the report
- Determining how the report will be viewed
- Considering international reporting requirements
- Deciding the layout and format of the report
- Drawing a mock-up
- Considering reuse of report components
- Managing report design resources
- Deciding how the report will be deployed
Drawing a mock-up
After you make the decisions that are described in the previous sections, you are ready to create a mock-up of the report. Use any tool with which you are comfortable, such as a word processor, graphics program, or pen and paper.
A mock-up should show approximately what the finished report will look like, including the report title, page header and footer information, and all the fields in the body of the report. Using a mock-up to get feedback and approval from your primary users can save you time. With this approval, you do not waste time creating a polished report that contains the wrong information or layout.
A mock-up is especially useful when you are first learning BIRT Report Designer. With a blueprint in hand, you can focus on learning and using the tool, rather than trying to design and learn at the same time.