platform-custom-report-type-generate

The platform-custom-report-type-generate skill provides authoritative knowledge for creating and validating Salesforce Custom Report Type (CRT) metadata — the .reportType-meta.xml files that define the data framework for Salesforce reports. A CRT specifies a primary (base) object, up to three related objects, the join relationships between them, and which fields are exposed to the report builder. The skill solves the problem of hand-authoring these XML files correctly so they deploy cleanly and surface the intended fields.

It documents the full element structure — top-level ReportType children (fullName, label, description, baseObject, category, deployed, join, sections) and the nested sections and columns sub-elements — with a table of which are required, recommended, or conditional. It codifies critical rules: fullName must exactly match the file name when present, and outerJoin controls whether primary records without related records are included (with a prohibition on inner-after-outer join ordering). A troubleshooting reference maps common deployment errors (invalid object/relationship/field names, invalid category values, join-ordering conflicts, base-object-change attempts, and fullName mismatches) to their causes and fixes, and explains workarounds for conflicting join requirements. Worked example .reportType-meta.xml files and a category-values reference support the guidance. The skill targets API version 51.0 and up.

It targets Salesforce admins and platform developers who build cross-object reporting frameworks, especially over custom objects and relationships not covered by standard report types. Typical uses include authoring a new CRT, curating report-builder fields via lookup traversal, choosing inner versus outer joins, and diagnosing why a generated CRT was rejected on deployment. Deployment itself is out of scope — the skill focuses on authoring and validating the XML.