Follow these best practices to create secure, maintainable, and high-performing reports in Apex 2.0 Reporting.
These recommendations help ensure consistent report design, improve dashboard usability, and simplify long-term maintenance.
Configure user permissions before creating reports
Verify that users have the appropriate reporting roles and Report Screen permissions before creating or accessing reports. Proper role and data access configuration ensures users can view only the data they are authorized to access.
For more information, refer Report Builder.
Build reusable datasets
Design datasets with reusable fields, calculated columns, and metrics that can support multiple charts and dashboards. Reusing datasets reduces duplication, simplifies maintenance, and ensures consistent reporting across the application.
Follow dataset naming conventions
Use the recommended naming convention for custom datasets to make them easier to identify and manage.
Example:
mart_<module_code>_custom_<functional_name>Use descriptive functional names that clearly indicate the purpose of the dataset.
Include mandatory Row-Level Security columns
When creating virtual datasets, include the required security columns to ensure that reports honor user permissions.
Required columns:
tenant_id
assigned_workgroup_id
location_id
customer_id
Configure date and time fields correctly
Apply the recommended time zone conversion for date-time fields in virtual datasets and configure temporal columns appropriately. This ensures that reports display data based on each user's configured time zone.
For more information, refer Configure Time Zone Handling.
Keep datasets synchronized
Synchronize datasets whenever source tables are modified, such as when columns are added, removed, or renamed. After synchronization, verify any charts or dashboards that use the updated dataset.
Choose the appropriate visualization
Select the chart type that best represents the data. Simple visualizations improve readability and help users interpret information more effectively.
Design dashboards for readability
Organize related charts by using layout elements such as Rows, Columns, Headers, and Tabs. Grouping related information makes dashboards easier to navigate and interpret.
Configure filters carefully
Use meaningful filter names and apply filters only where necessary.
For dashboard date filters:
Configure only one dashboard-level date filter.
Verify that each chart is configured with the appropriate date field before publishing.
Create copies of dashboards before modifying them
Use Save As to create a copy of an existing dashboard before making changes.
Do not add default charts directly to custom dashboards. Future product updates may modify the configuration or logic of default charts, which can affect dashboards that reference them.
Validate reports before publishing
Before publishing a dashboard:
Verify that charts display the expected data.
Confirm that filters work as intended.
Review dashboard permissions.
Validate the dashboard layout and chart readability.
Maintain reporting assets
Review datasets, charts, and dashboards periodically to remove unused reporting assets, update dataset ownership when required, and keep report descriptions current.
Use Virtual Datasets for Reports and Charts
Use a Virtual Dataset to create reports and charts instead of directly using a Physical Dataset.
Virtual datasets allow you to define only the fields required for the report, apply aliases, and perform required calculations or transformations. This helps prevent unnecessary fields from appearing in drill-down views and keeps the report focused and easier to interpret.
Recommendation: Create a virtual dataset with the required fields and conditions before creating the report or chart.