I'm creating a basic custom report using constituent details. I'm hoping to find a way to reorder the columns in the report. For instance, I have a custom field that I'd like to go first, and then put the address second - to match a previous report format we used.
Is there a non coding option for doing this? If I have to code, where can I go to learn how to build it?
welcome to the community!
First up, I would not recommend learning to code by editing CiviCRM Reports.
The thing to exhaust before reaching for your Dial-a-Coder is the CiviCRM Profile option for an Advanced Search. You can get the information that you need from Civi 99% of the time using cleverly created Profiles, and then using them as a "Search View" on an Advanced Search.
If (and Only If!) you've exhausted that, then it may be best to ask a CiviCRM Partner organisation to help you. They can be found here: https://civicrm.org/partners-contributors.
Good luck!
JohnFF
This is now possible with the Extended Reports extension, which you can install from the in-app extension explorer. You'll need to rebuild your report in the corresponding Extended Report template. Click the Advanced Report Configuration link to reorder columns.
It's also possible with the ReportPlus extension, which I haven't used yet.
One option is to run the report and export to CSV (there is a button at the top of the report results). You can then open it in Excel and order the columns as you wish.
This is the quick way with no coding necessary.
You've certainly stumbled on to a weak point of CiviCRM. In addition to both of the answers already submitted, if you need better reporting you can also hook a reporting/business intelligence tool directly into CiviCRM. I know CiviCRM folks using JasperReports, Pentaho BI, and Tableau. I've also experimented with Google Data Studio. They're all a bit tricky to set up, but you have a LOT more reporting power.
