Variants and variant groups let you execute and save or print reports in the background at pre-specified times. This is particularly advantageous if a report processes large quantities of data and requires longer processing times. You can also use variants to store regularly used combinations of characteristic for data selection, and so be able to call them up easily.

Selection variants let you save entries for variables along with other settings for a report. You can group several reports along with their variants into a so-called "variant group". You can then execute the entire variant group in the background.

To save or print reports in the background using variants, you use the following functions:

In the variant, define the selection criteria as you would for the report. Then specify how the report should be processed in the background, and save these settings as a variant for the report.

The variants which have been defined for a report are displayed as subnodes of the report in the report overview list. To execute a report with the settings which are stored in the variant, select the variant and choose Run Report with Variant in the variant context menu.

If you want to schedule more than one report together with their variants, you can group these reports and variants together in a variant group. Create a variant group. To do so, enter a name, a short text, and a description.

Here you enter all the desired variants and reports in your variant group.

A variant group lets you:

• process more than one variant of one report together

• process variants from different reports together

Enter the reports and variants in the table which you want to summarize under this variant group. Save you variant group.

Here you can schedule the entire variant group for processing in the background, or select and schedule only specific reports in the variant group.

This function lets you delete any variant groups that you no longer need.

Where you can find the functions for defining variants and variant groups differs from application to application. For details, see the corresponding documentation for your application.