> ### Task 2: Create a new report

> You can create a report in the following ways:

> | Start with a blank report design.

> | Use a predefined report template.

> For each template, BIRT Report Designer provides a cheat sheet, which contains step-by-step instructions, to help you create the report.

> For this tutorial, you start with a blank report design.

> 1 | Choose File→New→Report. New Report appears. Figure 1-5 shows the window that appears in BIRT Report Designer. New Report is slightly different in BIRT RCP Report Designer.

> Figure 1-5 New Report in BIRT Report Designer

> 2 | In BIRT Report Designer, in the tree view of the available folders, select the project that you created. This step applies only to BIRT Report Designer users.

> 3 | Type the following text as the file name:

> Customers.rptdesign

> 4 | Choose Next. New Report provides options for starting with a blank report and several report templates, as shown in Figure 1-6.

> Figure 1-6 Report templates in New Report

> 5 | Select Blank Report, then choose Finish. Your new report appears in the main window. This window displays the layout editor, as shown in Figure 1-7. The layout editor shows an empty report page.

> The remainder of this tutorial provides the detailed steps for creating the customer report.

> Figure 1-7 Blank report design

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