Conditionally Hide Bands

This tutorial explains how to conditionally hide bands in a report using formatting rules.
We’ll demonstrate this feature using a grouped report.

The layout we are using in this demonstration

Steps to Conditionally Hide Bands

1. Access Formatting Rules for the Group Header

Select the Group Header band.
Click its Smart Tag.
In the invoked actions list, click the ellipsis (...) button next to Formatting Rules.

2. Create a New Formatting Rule

In the Formatting Rules Editor, click Edit Rule Sheet….
In the Rule Sheet Editor, click the Add (+) button to create a new rule.
Set the rule’s Visible property to No.
Click the ellipsis next to the Condition property.

3. Define the Condition

Enter a logical expression that determines when the band should be hidden.
Example:
[CategoryID] < 2
Click OK, then Close the Rule Sheet Editor.

4. Apply the Rule

Back in the Formatting Rules Editor, move the rule to the Applied Rules list to activate it.
Repeat this process for the Detail Band:
- Click the ellipsis for its Formatting Rules property.
- Apply the same rule to this band.

Preview the Result

Switch to the Preview Tab to view the output.
In this example, all groups with CategoryID < 2 are hidden, confirming that the conditional visibility logic is functioning correctly.