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Query Builder

The Query Builder helps you create the SQL that feeds your report — visually or as editable SQL.

Goal

Build a query against the active connection and preview the results.

Prerequisites

  • A saved database connection
  • The Data tab is active

Steps

  1. Choose Data → Query Builder (or open the Query Builder pane on the Data tab).
  2. Select the connection if prompted.
  3. In visual mode, add tables to FROM, define JOINS, choose SELECT columns, and set FILTERS, GROUP BY, and ORDER BY as needed.

[ Screenshot: Query Builder ]

  1. Optionally switch to Edit SQL to refine the statement, then return to visual mode if desired.
  2. Use parameter-bound filters when the query should respond to report parameters ($P{} / $X{} patterns).
  3. Click Apply, then open Data Preview to inspect rows.

Joins and aggregates

  • Supported join styles include INNER and LEFT joins
  • Foreign-key relationships may show an auto-detect badge when available
  • Aggregates include COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, and MAX

Result

The report dataset is defined. Fields become available for Text Fields, tables, charts, and maps that use the current report dataset.

Tips

Tip

Keep filters in the Query Builder (or parameters) rather than hiding rows only with design-time formatting.

Note

Dialect hints help when working with Oracle, Db2, SQL Server, and Snowflake syntax differences.

See Also