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Field names in report when Using Metadata API
I Use the Metadata API to read, analyze, edit and create/update reports.
I noticed that the field names (when specifying columns, filters, and groupings) which are returned when reading are not always the same names, and seem to depend upon Report Type.
Suppose I create a simple report on accounts, and I only return two columns, Account owner and Account Name.
1. If I chose standard system-generated "Accounts" report types when creating this report, then upon reading it in the metadata API the column names are
ACCOUNT.NAME, USERS.NAME
2. If I chose custom report type which I created manually, then the column names are (These seem to be the API names)
Account.Name, Account.Owner.Name
3. If I choose a system-generated report type where account is not the main object, for example "Activities with Account" I get the following column names:
ACCOUNT.NAME, ACCOUNT_OWNER_NAME
This happens with other (not custom) columns as well. Maybe there are even more possible column names for the same column in different report types, I don't know...
How to know when to use which names? Also, Is there a way I read the other (besides API, option 2) column names programmatically? Can't find these names in the describe when using Partner or REST API.
I noticed that the field names (when specifying columns, filters, and groupings) which are returned when reading are not always the same names, and seem to depend upon Report Type.
Suppose I create a simple report on accounts, and I only return two columns, Account owner and Account Name.
1. If I chose standard system-generated "Accounts" report types when creating this report, then upon reading it in the metadata API the column names are
ACCOUNT.NAME, USERS.NAME
2. If I chose custom report type which I created manually, then the column names are (These seem to be the API names)
Account.Name, Account.Owner.Name
3. If I choose a system-generated report type where account is not the main object, for example "Activities with Account" I get the following column names:
ACCOUNT.NAME, ACCOUNT_OWNER_NAME
This happens with other (not custom) columns as well. Maybe there are even more possible column names for the same column in different report types, I don't know...
How to know when to use which names? Also, Is there a way I read the other (besides API, option 2) column names programmatically? Can't find these names in the describe when using Partner or REST API.

Did you ever get an answer to this? I just ran into the same issue.