How to Create Summary Reports in LibreOffice Base

Generating printable summary reports in LibreOffice Base allows you to aggregate, group, and calculate data from your database tables into a clean, document-ready format. This guide walks you through using the built-in Report Builder and Report Wizard to select specific data fields, set up groupings, calculate summary values like totals and averages, and format the output for physical printing or PDF export.

1. Launch the Report Wizard

  1. Open your database file (.odb) in LibreOffice Base.
  2. In the left-hand Database pane, click on Reports.
  3. Under the Tasks section, click Use Wizard to Create Report… to launch the step-by-step creation tool.

2. Select Fields and Tables

  1. In the Tables or queries dropdown menu, select the table containing the data you want to summarize.
  2. Move the fields you want to include in the report from the Available fields list to the Fields in report list using the > button.
  3. Include both the descriptive fields (e.g., Department, Category) and numeric fields you intend to calculate (e.g., Sales, Quantity).
  4. Click Next.

3. Label and Group the Data

  1. Labeling Fields: Change any field column labels if you want clearer names displayed on the printed page, then click Next.
  2. Grouping: Select the field you want to summarize your data by (for example, Category or Region) and click the > button to define it as a grouping level. Grouping is essential for creating sub-totals and summary sections.
  3. Click Next.

4. Apply Summary Calculations

  1. Choose Summary options to define calculations for your numeric fields.
  2. Select the calculation type for each field:
    • Sum: Totals the values in a group.
    • Average: Calculates the mean value.
    • Min / Max: Displays the lowest or highest value.
    • Count: Counts the number of records.
  3. Choose whether to display Summary only or Summary and details depending on whether you want individual line items listed under each group header.
  4. Click Next.

5. Define Layout and Orientation

  1. Choose a layout style for the data and headers (e.g., Tabular, Columnar).
  2. Set the Orientation to Portrait or Landscape depending on the number of columns to ensure the content fits onto a standard printed page.
  3. Click Next.

6. Generate and Print the Report

  1. Enter a title for the report.
  2. Select Create report now to immediately generate the document, or select Modify report layout if you need to adjust margins, fonts, or page numbers in the design view.
  3. Click Finish.
  4. Once the report opens in LibreOffice Writer view, go to File > Print to send it to a printer, or choose File > Export As > Export as PDF for digital distribution.