With/Without Report Matrix - excluding nulls

Question

I have a custom report type, it is a with/without report to do a vaguely exclusion scenario.

We have:

Account Custom Object - involves a date and a numerical count

Made a matrix on a with/without basis running from Account to Custom Object.

In the matrix - if I put Account as Row, Date as column and a sum of numerical as the meat - I get columns for the dates fine, but I also get a column of - that sits at the front of the Matrix.

Date NOT EQUAL TO [blank] doesn't get rid of this, any suggestions on what might?

Thanks!

Answer 1

You don't need separate Record Types for "with" and "with or without" scenarios, "with or without" is enough. This was needed couple years ago until "cross filters" were introduced(*).

Here's "Accounts with or without Contacts" in my Developer Edition, grouped by Contact's created date. You can see the null column where Account doesn't have any Contacts:

A cross filter (use the dropdown next to "Filters: Add" button) can be used to select only Accounts with Contacts:

And finally if you want to say see only Contacts from 2007 you can use the filter on the cross filter, not the main date selector.

(*) There still might be some performance considerations depending on what type of JOIN will SF have to make so it's not like the choice is totally meaningless.

Answer 2

The only way I know to get rid of the column is to change the report type to be accounts with custom object records. If you use with or without you get the column.