Reports are created by performing computations (see also Properties, Strength, Member Check, Web Crippling, Torsion Properties, and Diagrams Report). All computations are displayed in a temporary window that allows you to browse the output. If you want to hold this output in a report window for subsequent saving or printing, select the OK button (or press Enter). Otherwise select the Cancel button (or press Esc).
Outputs from different sections or analyses will automatically result in separate report windows. However, report windows may contain output from several different computations for the same section or analysis. As long as the inputs for the section or analysis have not changed between computations, selecting OK will append the original report with the current output. If changes were made, a new report window will be created, even if a previous report window exists for the same section or analysis.
The contents of a report cannot be edited. However, you may select portions of the report and copy it to the clipboard using the Copy command on the Edit menu, or pressing Ctrl-C. Once on the clipboard, you may paste it into another application such as WordPad.
Once a report is created, it may be printed by selecting Print from the File menu. If you print the inputs for the associated section or analysis at the same time as the report, these printouts may combine to conserve paper. They share the same heading information.
A report may be saved with its associated section or analysis. When you save a section or analysis and there is an associated report window, they are saved together. When you open that file later, the report window will be redisplayed.
If you change any inputs to the section or analysis after creating a report, that report loses its association with the section or analysis, and cannot be saved. Also, a report cannot be saved by itself, separate from a section or analysis.