This method is ideal for displaying the same data in multiple report elements, and for using the same sorting, groups, filters, and aggregations in every element. One report element is the primary element that determines how data is processed, and other elements use the data in the primary element. Typically, the primary element is a table or a cross tab, and charts use the data in those elements.

Another common example is a series of charts showing the same data. For example, to display identical data in a bar chart, a pie chart, and a line chart, one chart can be the primary element, and the other charts share the primary chart’s data. Data sharing among report elements is useful for building dashboard reports, described later in this chapter.