A: Smart Form Maker (SFM) is a powerful yet easy-to-use PHP Form Builder that generates professional, dynamic forms for existing MySQL and MariaDB databases without writing any code. Using a step-by-step wizard inspired by the familiar Microsoft Access form-building experience, you can quickly create a wide variety of form types, including single-record forms, multi-record forms, editable grids, and advanced master-detail forms with one or more related detail sections. The wizard automatically maps your database columns to appropriate form controls, while still giving you full control to customize fields, layouts, and input options to match your application’s needs. Explore Form Types Supported in SFM 4.0.
You can explore all of these features yourself by trying the fully functional online demo: https://sfmtrial.mysqlreports.com/SFM/login.php
A: Yes. Smart Form Maker supports a wide variety of form types, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your specific use case. All form types are included—you simply select the layout that matches how your data should be displayed and edited. For example:
Explore Form Types Supported in SFM 4.0 to see what each layout looks like and the use cases it suits best.
You can see the different form types in action in the online demo: https://sfmtrial.mysqlreports.com/SFM/login.php
A: Smart Form Maker 4.0 has been released with many new features, improvements, and enhancements. To explore the key highlights and see what’s new in SFM 4.0, click here.
A: Yes. Open the SFM home page, find the form in the list, and click the Edit (pencil) button. The wizard reopens with all of that form’s settings already filled in, so you can choose a different form type and save.
A: Mapping is the decision of how each database column is presented to the user. A VARCHAR column could be a plain text box, an email field, a URL, a phone number, a dropdown list, or a file uploader. A TINYINT(1) could be a checkbox or a toggle. A DATE could be a date picker. The wizard proposes a sensible default for every column based on its database type, and you can change it.
A: Smart Form Maker automatically maps your database columns to appropriate form controls based on their data types, allowing you to generate a fully functional form in seconds. Each data type has a default mapping that is selected automatically, but many types also support multiple alternative mappings so you can choose the one that best matches your application’s requirements and user experience.
Below are the supported mapping options by data type:
Textual data types (VARCHAR, CHAR, etc.)
ENUM and SET data types
Numeric data types (INT, DECIMAL, FLOAT, etc.)
Date and Time data types
File and BLOB data types
Boolean and BIT data types
Select the style that best fits your application’s interface.
A: Yes. Smart Form Maker supports master-detail forms with multiple related detail sections in the same form. Using the Tabbed Master–Detail and Tabbed Master–Detail with Image Right form types, each related table is displayed in its own tab beneath the master record. For example, a Customer form can display the customer’s Orders, Returns, and Invoices together in a single form, with each detail section having its own title, selected columns, and field mappings. This provides a complete view of all related information without leaving the form.
A: Yes. Mapping is per form. You can have a read-only tabular report of a table and a full editing form on the same table, each with its own mappings.
A: Yes. Smart Form Maker supports a wide variety of list and lookup controls, allowing you to choose the most appropriate source for each field:
This flexibility allows every field to use the most appropriate list type, resulting in forms that are easier to use and better suited to your application’s data.
A: Changing a mapping changes how a column is displayed and validated, not what is stored. That said, some changes have practical consequences. For example, switching a file column from “file on disk” to “file in database” changes what new values mean, and tightening allowed file types or validation rules can make existing values fail validation the next time that record is saved. Review existing data after a change like that.
A: Duplicating a form lets you reuse work you have already done instead of building a similar form from scratch. Common reasons include:
How to do it: On the SFM home page, each row in the form list has a Duplicate button (the stacked-files icon). Click it and the wizard opens preloaded with that form’s settings, but with the form name cleared so you must supply a new one. When you finish, a brand new folder is created under forms/ and the original form is left untouched.
A: No. The wizard only writes form code and configuration. Your database tables and their rows are never dropped or rewritten by generating, editing, duplicating, or deleting a form.
A: The Image Right form types (Columnar Image Right, Master–Detail with Image Right, Tabbed Master–Detail with Image Right) reserve a panel on the right side of the form for one prominent image per record—a product photo, a staff portrait, a scanned document. The column that fills that panel is the main image column.
A: Yes. Smart Form Maker is a pure PHP application. You simply upload it to your server and start using it immediately. No command-line usage, no complex setup, and no server configuration are required.
A: Yes, your license is valid for life for the specific version you purchased. To keep you updated, we provide:
A: No. Smart Form Maker is designed for both technical and non-technical users. You can build PHP Forms through a wizard-based interface without writing PHP, SQL, or JavaScript code.
A: Yes. Smart Form Maker is a PHP MySQL Form Builder that supports both MySQL and MariaDB, allowing you to generate dynamic MySQL Forms from your existing databases.
A: Yes. Smart Form Maker supports master-detail forms, allowing you to manage data from two related tables on the same page. For example, you can create a single form to manage customers and their orders, where the master record and its related detail records are handled together. You can also follow this step-by-step tutorial to learn how to build master-detail (sub-form) forms in Smart Form Maker
A: Smart Form Maker allows you to generate multiple form types—including columnar forms, editable grids, mobile forms, justified forms, and master-detail forms. All generated forms use AJAX-based technology, enabling data submission without refreshing the page for a smooth user experience. Explore Form Types Supported in SFM 4.0.
A: Yes. There are usually cross-product promotions between Smart Report Maker (SRM), Smart Form Maker (SFM), and Smart Report Engine (SRE). Currently, the discount is typically around 25%, but it may change over time. When purchasing any product, check the “We Also Recommend” section on the checkout page to see the latest discounts available on the other products.
A: Smart Report Maker is a powerful no-code tool designed to help you build and manage business intelligence directly from your MySQL or MariaDB databases.
With Smart Report Maker, you can:
A: Absolutely. Smart Report Maker is designed for maximum compatibility and ease of use. It supports a “Direct Upload” installation, which eliminates the need for complex server configurations or technical expertise—you simply upload Smart Report Maker to your website, open a web-based installer in your browser, and complete the setup in just a few clicks.
The Direct Upload method works perfectly with:
Why it’s hassle-free:
Transparent & Open: The application uses open-source PHP code, making it easy to inspect and reliably integrate into your existing web environment.
No Technical Barriers: No terminal, shell access, or command-line knowledge is required.
Zero DevOps Needed: You don’t need server administration skills; if your hosting supports PHP, it works out of the box.
A: Smart Report Maker is a powerful PHP reporting tool trusted by thousands of businesses in the united states and worldwide. It allows you to create professional reports, charts, pivot tables, KPIs, and PHP dashboards from any MySQL or MariaDB database without writing code. The tool is easy to install using a web-based installer that runs directly from your browser, works smoothly on shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers, and runs entirely on your own server for full data privacy. Smart Report Maker is available with a one-time payment model—no subscriptions and no hidden fees—and generated reports and PHP dashboards can be easily and securely embedded into PHP applications and WordPress websites. For more details on why to choose Smart Report Maker, please click here.
A: Yes, Smart Report Maker is designed for both technical and non-technical users. Its intuitive, wizard-based interface allows business users, analysts, and managers to build reports, PHP dashboards, charts, pivot tables, and KPIs without writing SQL or PHP code. Additionally, unlike many similar tools that require command-line access or complex server configuration, Smart Report Maker uses a web-based installer that runs directly from your browser, making both installation and daily usage simple, fast, and accessible for everyone.
A: There are several easy ways to explore Smart Report Maker and see what it can do before installing it:
A: Smart Report Maker works with any hosting control panel when using the Direct Upload of a Pre-installed Version (the default installation method).
You can use SRM with hosting control panels such as: cPanel, Plesk, CWP (Control Web Panel), DirectAdmin, Webmin, Virtualmin, ISPConfig, CyberPanel, HestiaCP, VestaCP, aaPanel, Ajenti, Froxlor, SolidCP, CloudPanel, RunCloud, ServerPilot, Laravel Forge. As long as your hosting supports PHP, Smart Report Maker can be installed regardless of the control panel you use.
A: When using the Direct Upload of a Pre-installed Version, Smart Report Maker requires:
A: The latest version of Smart Report Maker introduces powerful new capabilities designed to help you build, share, and analyze data more efficiently. It expands both reporting flexibility and embedding options, making it easier than ever to integrate analytics into your applications and workflows. Learn more about this new version.
Key benefits you get with the new version:
A: Yes. Starting from SRM 11.0, you can securely embed reports, dashboards, and other analytics into any PHP application using the built-in Embed Manager.
The Embed Manager generates a secure embed code that you can place directly inside your application. When embedded:
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker (SRM) allows you to transform raw data into rich, visual report cells without custom coding. You can display and format many data types directly inside your reports, including:
All of these options can be configured visually inside SRM, allowing you to create professional, interactive, and presentation-ready reports directly from your database.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker (SRM) includes powerful scheduled reporting that automates both report generation and delivery—so your end users receive the right reports at the right time without any manual effort.
With SRM, you can:
Scheduled reporting works with any MySQL or MariaDB database, helping you eliminate repetitive manual tasks while ensuring reliable and timely data delivery.
A: Yes. You can link a single Customers Report to multiple related reports. For example, the customer report can be linked to an Accounts Report to view each customer’s balance, and also to an Invoices Report to display all invoices for that customer. From there, users can drill down further into invoice details or any other relevant reports you choose. Learn more about report linking here.
A: A Parent Report sends parameters when users click a value, while a Linked Report receives those parameters and filters its data accordingly. The Parent controls navigation, and the Linked Report displays the related details.
A: An Intermediate Report is useful in multi-level report chains. It receives a parameter from one report and passes another parameter to the next report, allowing you to build complex drill-down paths across several reports.
A: Yes, Linked reports can receive parameters directly through the URL, which makes them ideal for embedding reports in websites, dashboards, or external applications while still filtering data correctly.
A: Yes, Drill-down navigation continues to work even when reports are embedded in platforms like WordPress or custom applications, without requiring users to manually reapply filters.
A: Yes. Report linking is especially useful for large datasets because it breaks data into logical steps, improves performance, and helps users focus only on the data relevant to their current selection.
A: No. Smart Report Maker allows you to create and manage unlimited PHP dashboards. You can design dashboards for different departments, projects, reporting periods, or business needs—all within the same system.
A: You can build PHP dashboards using a wide range of widgets, including reports, interactive charts, KPIs, and pivot tables. Each widget is fully customizable, allowing you to highlight and visualize the data that matters most.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker dashboards are fully interactive. You can drill down from charts, KPIs, pivot tables, and report data to view detailed information for any selected data point, enabling deeper analysis and exploration.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker supports multiple database connections, allowing you to combine widgets in a single dashboard that pull data from different MySQL and MariaDB databases. This makes it easy to create unified dashboards that consolidate data from multiple systems.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker allows you to create professional PHP charts directly from your existing MySQL or MariaDB databases, without moving or duplicating your data. You can visualize key metrics and trends using your live database data with just a few clicks.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker supports powerful time-series charts that help you track performance over time (such as daily sales, user signups, or order volume). You can also use flexible time scales like hours, days, weeks, months, or quarters to analyze trends and seasonality.
A: Yes. You can apply advanced data filters to focus your charts on the most relevant information, such as filtering by department, region, date range, product, or performance metrics. This ensures your charts remain targeted, clear, and actionable.
A: Yes. When configuring the chart, you can check only the values you want to include. Any unchecked values will be hidden from the chart, allowing you to focus on specific data points without changing your database or query.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker charts support drill-down and interactive exploration. For example, if you have an Orders chart, you can click a specific data point on the graph to open a focused view or detailed report showing only the orders for that selected date, helping you move from high-level trends to detailed records instantly.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker allows you to build powerful MySQL and MariaDB pivot tables using a drag-and-drop editor, without writing a single line of SQL. You simply select fields and assign them to rows, columns, and values to generate insights instantly.
A: The pivot table builder uses an intuitive drag-and-drop interface where you move database fields into Rows, Columns, and Values areas. Smart Report Maker automatically handles grouping, aggregation, and calculations, making it easy to create complex pivot tables visually.
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker allows you to group Date and DateTime fields into years, quarters, months, weekdays, days, or hours. This makes it easy to create summary reports such as sales per month, quarterly performance, weekday trends, or hourly breakdowns.
A: Yes. You can define interactive parameters that allow end users to filter pivot table data dynamically using dropdowns, date pickers, sliders, or other input controls, enabling flexible, real-time analysis.
A: You can try the Pivot Table Builder directly in the online demo version of Smart Report Maker. You can also watch this video tutorial to see the feature in action.
A: Smart Report Maker supports two types of filters when building pivot tables. Static filters are defined by you at design time and apply fixed conditions to the data. Dynamic filters (parameters) are defined by end users at runtime, allowing them to filter data interactively. Parameters can appear as text boxes, date pickers, time sliders, multi-select dropdowns, and other input controls. Both filter types are created using the same drag-and-drop editor, with many supported filter options and display styles.
A: You can use a single Smart Report Maker installation to serve multiple applications or clients by creating a separate access key for each client or application.
Smart Report Maker also supports multiple database connections, allowing you to connect to and report on data from multiple sources within the same installation. For more details, check this tutorial
A: Yes. Smart Report Maker allows you to create and manage multiple connections to MySQL and MariaDB databases. This enables you to generate reports from different databases within the same system and streamline reporting across multiple data sources easily.
A: Embedded dashboards and reports are fully interactive. Users can use filtering, linked reports, drill-down, search, paging, and sorting, just as they would inside Smart Report Maker.
A: No. Only the embedded resources (reports, charts, dashboards, pivot tables, and KPIs) are displayed. SRM menus and panels are not shown, and you can brand the embedded content with your own logo.
A: Yes. You can restrict embedding by configuring the origin settings:
Additionally, it is strongly recommended to use access keys with permissions limited only to the specific resources you want to embed, for enhanced security.
A: Yes. The embed script is a native PHP file and can be customized as needed. Clear comments in the file indicate where custom code can be safely added. If you have shared code that should apply to all embedded resources, you can define it once in “Embed Preferences” under the “Embed Manager”, and it will be applied globally.
A: No. SRM runs on your own server, and you do not pay for traffic, number of views, API calls, or embedded report requests. Once licensed, all embedding usage is unlimited with no extra fees per traffic or user.
A: All of our products, including Smart Report Maker, are self-hosted solutions. You can install them on your own servers to maintain full control and security over your data.
A: Yes, you can easily add your business logo and business details to Smart Report Maker. Additionally, since it is hosted on your own server, you have full control over the branding and customization.
A: Yes, you can! Smart Report Maker allows you to create a KPI that tracks the 30-day sales (or any other metric) and displays it in a clear, green Info Box. The KPI dynamically updates by comparing the current 30-day period with the preceding one, giving you actionable insights. You can follow this tutorial to learn how to create a KPI with the Comparison Option. Additionally, you can find KPI documentation in our Smart Report Maker Docs here.
A: The difference between Smart Report Maker and Smart Report Engine is that Smart Report Maker is a complete product for creating professional reports, charts, dashboards, drill-down charts, and KPIs using an easy-to-use interface, while Smart Report Engine is a reporting engine that PHP developers can integrate into their projects to generate reports by calling its API within their code.
A: Yes. Smart Report Engine was designed specifically for developers who want to add powerful reporting capabilities to their existing applications. Since most applications already have their own authentication and user management, Smart Report Engine can be easily integrated with your existing login system, allowing users to access reports seamlessly after signing in to your application.
To see a complete step-by-step example of integrating Smart Report Engine with a session-based login system, visit:
Example: https://mysqlreports.com/examples/integrating-smart-report-engine-with-a-session-based-login-system/
A: Yes. By using the filter_is_current_active_user method, Smart Report Engine can automatically filter report data based on the currently logged-in user. This ensures that when multiple users access the same report, each user only sees the records that belong to them, making it easy to build secure multi-user applications without creating separate reports for each user.
For implementation details and a working example, see:
Example: https://mysqlreports.com/examples/filter-with-current-logged-in/
A: Smart Report Engine is designed to integrate easily into existing PHP applications. It is provided as native PHP files that you simply copy into your project and start using.
There are no command-line tools, no Composer dependencies, no Docker containers, no Node.js, and no complex installation or configuration steps required. This makes it straightforward to add powerful reporting capabilities to both new and existing PHP applications with minimal effort.
A: Yes. There are usually cross-product promotions between Smart Report Maker (SRM), Smart Form Maker (SFM), and Smart Report Engine (SRE). Currently, the discount is typically around 25%, but it may change over time. When purchasing any product, check the “We Also Recommend” section on the checkout page to see the latest discounts available on the other products.
A: Yes, your license is valid for life for the specific version you purchased. To keep you updated, we provide:
A: Yes. There are usually cross-product promotions between Smart Report Maker (SRM), Smart Form Maker (SFM), and Smart Report Engine (SRE). Currently, the discount is typically around 25%, but it may change over time. When purchasing any product, check the “We Also Recommend” section on the checkout page to see the latest discounts available on the other products.
A: You pay once for unlimited access, with no hidden fees.
A: Yes, our products are compatible with both Linux and Windows servers.
A: The payment process is securely handled by FastSpring, a highly trusted global e-commerce provider with a strong reputation, advanced security standards, and excellent customer satisfaction. Your payment information is processed securely and never stored on our servers.
A: After clicking the “Purchase” button on the “Purchase” page, you will be redirected to FastSpring to complete your purchase. The whole process usually takes only a few minutes.
A: Once your purchase is complete, you will receive an email containing a link to our download area along with your login credentials, which you can use to access and download the product.
A: Please contact us. After reviewing your order, we will reset the expiration date for your download link.
A: Yes, our support service is free. However, users who have purchased a product receive higher priority. Support is provided through our support ticketing system. To open a support ticket, please click here.