This guide is intended to provide you with a basic overview of DevExpress within Version 12 of Compose. The Video Tutorial to accompany this guide is located on Compose University > v12 Documentation and Admin Job Aids > v12 Basic Devexpress Tutorial.

DevExpress is accessed from whatever statement you wish to work on in the reporting section in Compose:

1.        Access the Admin Side of Compose.

2.       Access your desired report/statement by going to Configuration > Reports > select the report to be modified.

3.       Select “Open Designer” to open DevExpress for the selected report/statement.

4.      Designer Opens in a new browser tab.

You can edit fields and/or expressions by clicking on the cell where the field/expression exists and using the properties of the field. Fields can be as simple as a text field (what you type is what you see) or as complicated as format strings (logic built in so we don’t need to edit certain fields year after year). Below are some examples of types of fields and how to edit them.

1.        Text Fields

·         Text fields are as simple as clicking the field and using the text box on the right to change the text.

·         You can also double-click the text and edit it right on the report.

·         Once the field is selected you can edit the text. In the example below, I changed the lettering to bold. You can see more options on the right-hand side under the Properties pane such as (font, size, coloring, alignment, etc.).

2.       Expressions/Mapped Fields

·         Fields surrounded by brackets [FieldName] are fields that are being looked up from within compose. These are 1 to 1 mapping based on the name of the field.

·         Click on the function icon  to open the expression editor and search for the field you wish to map.

·         With the expression editor open search for the field you wish to map, making sure that you have the Fields option highlighted. Select the field, click apply, and then OK.

·         Additionally, you can create expressions with format strings that are calculation based. The Example shown below delivers the field FY and the year of the cycle selected based on the formula (FY 2023).

Adding and editing rows/columns is also an easy way to expand the report/statement. Additionally, visibility criteria can be set for fields, columns, or rows. This allows them to be hidden or displayed only when certain criteria are met.

1.        Adding/Removing Rows & Columns

·         To add rows/columns select the row or column you would like to insert next to and use the options under Properties to insert to above, below, left, right, or delete.

·         To add or remove a column, click on a cell of the column that you wish to insert next to and then use the Properties icon to add a column to the left, or right, or to delete the column.

2.       Visibility Criteria

·         To add/edit visibility criteria select the current field, row, or column and then click the Expression/Functions Icon from the right-side menu. The current expression is displayed in the ‘Visible’ field on the right-side menu.

·         You can edit the format string expression either by clicking the  icon next to the field or by clicking the  icon to the right of the format string displayed in the ‘Visible’ field. Once the expression editor opens you can make changes if necessary.

Finally, do not forget to periodically save your report! I would recommend saving the report every 5-10 minutes you spend in DevExpress to avoid any chance of your environment timing out (resulting in having to re-do any updates/changes). A save message will display at the bottom of the DevExpress screen.