>Is there a way that a user can create their own query through an interface and then generate a report from that query?
Yep, SFReports from
www.stonefield.com does it. It also has Save capabilites and is really like with sorting and filtering because SFQuery is included with it.
If you want the users to be able to create and modify they're own report formats, suggest that they actually purchase VFP, or you do the Crystal Reports method. (I've never acutally used Crystal, but I think thats what it does).