Using a Favorite Report

If you find that you are running the same report multiple times – especially if you want to change the layout or add calculated fields or conditional formatting – a favorite is exactly what you need.

Favorites allow you to save parameter values and layout changes (rearrangements, calculated fields, conditional formatting, etc.), so you can easily re-run a report at any time, just the way you want it.

Each report can have its own set of favorites. If you don’t know how to create one yet, check out our other tutorial on creating a favorite.

Running a favorite report

Select the report from the list on the left side of the main Mercury window. If the report has at least one favorite defined, a fly-out menu appears to the right of the report’s entry, showing all the favorites available.

If you want to run the favorite exactly as it was saved – including parameter values – simply click its associated Run button in the favorites list.

If you’re unsure about the parameter values or want to run with different parameters, click the favorite to select it (click on the name of the favorite, not its Run button). That will populate the “Enter Parameters” area below the report list, so you can see the parameters that were saved with the favorite.

If you want the favorite layout but with different parameter values, simply change the displayed values in the “Enter Parameters” area and then click the Run button below the Enter Parameters area. You’ll get your favorite layout but with the parameter values as you changed them. However, the favorite itself is not updated.

Once you have run a favorite, Mercury keeps that favorite in use for the report until you change it, and shows you a reminder. To run a different favorite, follow the steps above. To clear the favorite so you can re-run the original report layout, right-click the favorite reminder and choose “Reset”.

Finding a favorite report

You can search your list of favorite reports. Both the name and description are used to search.

How to search for a favorite report:

1. Type a portion of the favorite’s name into the Search text box.
2. Select a recent search from the Search box’s drop-down list.
3. Using the icons at the bottom of the Favorites menu, filter to show only “private” favorites or those favorites that you have shared with others.
   1. Private favorites are shown in the list in normal type; shared favorites are in italics. In the favorites list above, the first and last items are shared; the middle two are shared.

When a category is active, it is highlighted.

Updating an existing favorite report

You can update a previously created favorite at any time. You can adjust the settings used by the favorite, the saved report layout, or both. To update an existing favorite you need to:

1. Run a report with the desired parameter values – this can be based on an existing favorite, or a report from scratch.
2. (optional) Make layout changes as desired.
3. In the report’s Ribbon menu, click the Save Favorite button.
4. If your report is based on a favorite, the Name box should be pre-populated with the current favorite. Regardless, you can click the down-triangle on the far right of the Name box to choose any existing favorite you wish.
5. (optional) Adjust the favorite’s description and any other settings.
6. Click Save. A message appears, confirming that you want to update (replace) the favorite.
7. Click Yes. The selected favorite is updated.

Deleting a favorite report

You can delete a favorite at any time, permanently removing it from a report’s Favorites menu. To delete a favorite you need to:

1. Click the report in the reports list that uses the favorite you want to delete.
2. On the Favorites menu that appears, right-click the favorite and choose Delete.

This immediately removes the favorite. If you deleted it by mistake you will have to re-create it.