> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lerian.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Concepts Map

> Understand how Templates, Reports, Data Sources, and downloads relate in Reporter before using the module in the Lerian Console for regulatory reporting.

The Reporter Module uses a small set of core objects. They connect to each other, but the operator does not always start by creating a Data Source. In some environments, internal Data Sources for Lerian products such as Midaz or CRM are already configured.

## Core flow

***

Reporter has two common entry paths:

* **Internal product data already configured:** `Template → Report → Download`

* **External or missing data connection:** `Data Source → Template → Report → Download`

* The **Template** says *what the report should look like and in which format*.

* The **Data Source** says *where the data comes from*. It may already exist for internal products. For external databases, you add it manually.

* The **Report** is the file that Reporter produces when it runs a Template against the connected data. Filters can narrow the result.

* The **Download** is the operator action that takes the finished file out of the Console.

### What each object means

| Object        | What it represents                                                                                                                                                            | Why it exists first or later                                                                                                            |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Data Source` | A configured data connection. It can be an internal product connection already created for the environment, or an external database connection such as PostgreSQL or MongoDB. | It exists before generation, but the operator only needs to create one manually when the required connection is not already configured. |
| `Template`    | A reusable definition of structure and output format (CSV, XML, HTML, TXT, or PDF), uploaded as a `.tpl` file or built visually with the Template Builder.                    | It describes *what* the report should look like. It does not execute anything by itself.                                                |
| `Filter`      | An optional rule applied at generation time (Database + Table + Field + Operator + Value).                                                                                    | It narrows the data used for a single Report run, without changing the Template.                                                        |
| `Report`      | The output produced when a Template is run against the data. Has a status (`Processing`, `Finished`, `Partial`, `Error`).                                                     | It is the actual artifact the operator delivers.                                                                                        |
| `Preview`     | The in-Console view of a `Finished` report, adapted to its output format.                                                                                                     | It lets the operator validate the result before sending it out.                                                                         |
| `Download`    | The action that takes the finished report file out of the Console in its configured format.                                                                                   | It is the operational endpoint of the whole flow.                                                                                       |
| `Reminder`    | An optional delivery deadline tracked from the Overview page (Once, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Semiannual, Annual).                                                              | Used when a Report has a recurring delivery cadence to manage operationally.                                                            |

## When a Template becomes a Report

***

A Template by itself is just a definition. It becomes a Report when you click **Generate Report** in the 4-step wizard on the **Reports** page.

At that point:

1. Reporter takes the selected Template.
2. It applies any filters you configured.
3. It reads from the Data Sources referenced by the Template.
4. It produces a file in the Template's output format and adds it to the Reports list with `Processing` status.
5. When generation finishes, the status moves to `Finished` and the file becomes downloadable.

## Which fields actually matter

***

When operators get stuck, it is usually around the same handful of fields.

### When checking or adding a Data Source

* **Connection Name**: How the connection shows up everywhere else (in templates, in report filters). For external Data Sources, pick something that identifies the environment, not just the engine (e.g., `production-db`, not just `postgres`).
* **Database Type**: Select PostgreSQL or MongoDB. It determines the default port and connection driver.
* **Host / Port / Database Name / Username / Password**: The minimum required to reach the database.
* **Schemas** (PostgreSQL): Limits which schemas Reporter can browse. Leave empty to use the default (`public`).
* **SSL Configuration**: Optional, but use it whenever you do not fully trust the network path.

### When adding a Template

* **`.tpl` file** (upload mode): The actual template definition. Required.
* **Template Name**: How the Template appears in lists and pickers.
* **Output Format**: Locks the final file type (CSV, XML, HTML, TXT, or PDF). When you select PDF in the Template Builder, the generated code is HTML, rendered as PDF at generation time.

### When generating a Report

* **Template**: The Template you want to run.
* **Filters** (optional): Each row is `Database + Table + Field + Operator + Value(s)`. Use filters to produce a narrower slice without editing the Template.

## Practical reading of the UI

***

Use this interpretation when guiding users:

* `Templates` defines *what the output should look like*.
* `Reports` is where the structure and the data come together and produce a file.
* `Data Sources` defines *what Reporter is allowed to read*. Use it to inspect existing connections, test connectivity, or add external databases.
* `Overview` is the operational dashboard: KPIs, the delivery calendar, and reminders for upcoming or overdue deliveries.

## When users usually get lost

***

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Template vs Report">
    A Template is a definition. A Report is a generated file. You can generate many Reports from the same Template over time (each with its own filters, run date, and status).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Data Source vs Filter">
    The Data Source is the connection Reporter uses to read data. A Filter is a per-run narrowing that does not change the Template or the Data Source, only what data the current Report includes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Template Builder vs uploading a `.tpl`">
    The Template Builder generates `.tpl` code from blocks you assemble in the Console. Uploading a `.tpl` skips the builder and uses a file prepared externally. Both end up as the same kind of Template, but only builder-created templates can be re-edited in the visual editor.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why a finished Report is not the same as a delivered Report">
    When a Report reaches `Finished`, Reporter has produced the file and you can download it. Reminders on the Overview page separately track delivery, such as sending the file to a regulator or archiving it.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Tip>
  Pair this page with [Setup path](/en/products/reporter/console/reporter-setup-path) when onboarding new users. One page explains the model. The other explains the order.
</Tip>