Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports X in 24 Hours will guide the Crystal Reports users through conceptual topics, such as understanding data sources, to creating simple reports using the provided report wizards to custom reporting creation, modification and design techniques. This book will cover the latest version of Crystal Reports. The newest release includes unprecedented technological advances and user interface design improvements - making for the most significant release enhancement to date. Developed by Crystal Decisions, Crystal Reports can access data from the most widely used databases and can integrate data from multiple databases within one report. Crystal Reports has been endorsed as the standard program for reporting with over 250 third party vendors. These vendors include Microsoft, SAP, PeopleSoft, Baan, IBM's Lotus, and many others. [ Team LiB ] • Table of Contents • Index Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports ® 9 in 24 Hours By Joe Estes , Neil FitzGerald , Kathryn Hunt , Steve Lucas , Ryan Marples Publisher : Sams Publishing Date Published : September 03, 2002 ISBN : 0-67-232090 -8 Pages : 528 [ Team LiB ] Page 1 of 1 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh2BBE.htm [ Team LiB ] • Table of Contents • Index Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports ® 9 in 24 Hours By Joe Estes , Neil FitzGerald , Kathryn Hunt , Steve Lucas , Ryan Marples Publisher : Sams Publishing Date Published : September 03, 2002 ISBN : 0-67-232090 -8 Pages : 528 Copyright Foreword Information Drives the Internet About the Lead Author About the Contributing Authors About the Technical Editor Acknowledgments We Want to Hear from You! Introduction What's in This Book? Equipment Used for This Book Part I. Introduction to Crystal Reports 9.0 Hour 1. The Value of Crystal Reports 9 Transforming Data into Information with Crystal Reports Key Benefits of Crystal Reports Crystal Reports as a Content Creation Application New Features in Crystal Reports 9 Summary Workshop Hour 2. Getting Started with Crystal Reports 9 Preparing for the Installation Installation and Configuration of Crystal Reports Page 1 of 6 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh7C85.htm Introduction to the Crystal Reports Designer Summary Workshop Hour 3. Accessing Your Data Understanding the Different Types of Data Sources Introduction to the Data Explorer Adding Database Objects to Your Report Joining Database Objects Together Using the Database Expert Summary Workshop Hour 4. Using the Default Report Wizards Understanding the Crystal Reports Gallery Using the Standard Report Creation Wizard Working with the Report Design Explorers Summary Workshop Part II. Fundamentals of the Crystal Reports Design Environment Hour 5. Creating and Designing Basic Reports Planning a Report Creating a Report Storyboard Designing a Crystal Report Creating a Report Summary Workshop Hour 6. Selecting and Grouping Data Understanding Field Objects Working with Groups Understanding Drill-down Reports Summary Q&A Workshop Hour 7. Filtering, Sorting, and Summarizing Data Filtering the Data in Your Report Learning to Sort Records Creating Effective Summaries Summary Workshop Part III. Formatting Reports Hour 8. Fundamentals of Report Formatting Positioning and Sizing Report Objects Modifying Object Properties for Formatting Purposes Combining and Layering Report Objects Page 2 of 6 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh7C85.htm Configuring Report Page and Margin Properties Summary Workshop Hour 9. Working with Report Sections Formatting Report Sections Modifying Report Section Properties Using Multiple Report Sections Summary Workshop Hour 10. Understanding and Implementing Formulas Using the Formula Workshop Workshop Formula Editor Formula Expert Formula Extractor Summary Q&A Workshop Hour 11. Visualizing Your Data with Charts and Maps Using the Chart Expert Using the Map Expert Modifying Chart and Map Properties Summary Q&A Workshop Hour 12. Implementing Parameters for Dynamic Reporting Understanding the Value of Parameters Creating and Implementing Parameters Fields Using Parameters with Record Selections Summary Workshop Part IV. Enhancing Crystal Reports Hour 13. Custom Formatting Techniques Making Presentation-Quality Reports Common Formatting Features Conditional Formatting—Using Data to Drive the Look of a Report Summary Workshop Hour 14. Using Cross-Tabs for Summarized Reporting What Is a Cross-Tab? Benefits of Using Cross-Tabs Using the Cross-Tab Wizard Using Top N with Cross-Tabs Reports Using Advanced Cross-Tab Features Summary Page 3 of 6 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh7C85.htm Workshop Hour 15. Using Record Selections and Alerts for Interactive Reporting Creating Advanced Record Selection Formulas Adding Alerting to Your Reports Summary Workshop Hour 16. Using Subreports Understanding Subreports Understanding Linked Versus Unlinked Subreports Considering Subreport Execution Time and Performance Using Variables to Pass Data Between Reports Emulating Nested Subreports Summary Q&A Workshop Hour 17. Using Formulas and Custom Functions to Implement Complex Business Logic Becoming More Productive with Formulas Choosing a Formula Language: Crystal Versus Basic Syntax Brackets Have Meaning Characters Also Have Meaning! New in Crystal Reports Version 9 Summary Workshop Hour 18. Working with the Report Component Repository Sharing Report Design Components Understanding the Repository Sharing of Report Objects Understanding the Repository Explorer Understanding How the Repository Works Adding Objects to the Repository Editing Repository Objects Understanding Deletions in the Repository Sharing Report Objects with Others Summary Workshop Hour 19. Designing Effective Report Templates Reuse in Reporting Understanding Report Templates Using Existing Crystal Reports as Templates Creating Useful Report Templates Using Template Field Objects Using Report Templates to Reduce Report Creation Effort Summary Workshop Page 4 of 6 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh7C85.htm Part V. Advanced Report Design Concepts Hour 20. Multidimensional Reporting Against OLAP Data Introduction to OLAP Concepts and OLAP Reporting New OLAP Features in Crystal Reports 9 OLAP Report Creation Wizard and OLAP Expert Advanced OLAP Reporting Introduction to Crystal Analysis Summary Q&A Workshop Hour 21. Additional Data Sources for Crystal Reports COM-based Data Sources Java-based Data Sources XML as a Data Source Solution Kits Summary Workshop Hour 22. Optimizing SQL Queries in Crystal Reports Review of SQL Commands An Introduction to the SQL Language Summary Workshop Part VI. Sharing and Distributing Crystal Reports Hour 23. Distributing Crystal Reports Reviewing Report Distribution Options Summary Q&A Workshop Hour 24. Crystal Reports in Applications—a Developer's Perspective Overview of Developer Tools Desktop Applications Creating Simple Web Applications Building Advanced Web Applications Summary Workshop Part VII. Supplemental Crystal Reports Technologies Appendix A. Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET Who Should Read This Appendix? Overview of Microsoft .NET and Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET Feature Set Feature Set Comparison—Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET and Crystal Reports 9 Creating Reports in Visual Studio .NET Additional Resources on Crystal Reports for Visual Studio for .NET Page 5 of 6 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh7C85.htm Appendix B. Common Crystal Reports FAQs and Tips Report Design FAQs and Resources Common Report Distribution Questions Resources for Additional Support Index [ Team LiB ] Page 6 of 6 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh7C85.htm [ Team LiB ] Copyright Copyright © 2003 by Sams Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-109102 Printed in the United States of America First Printing: September 2002 05 04 03 02 4 3 2 1 Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Sams Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an "as is" basis. The author and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book. Credits Associate Publisher Michael Stephens Acquisitions Editor Michelle Newcomb Development Editor Mark Renfrow Page 1 of 3 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hhCFEC.htm Managing Editor Charlotte Clapp Project Editor Andy Beaster Copy Editor Rhonda Tinch-Mize Indexer Kelly Castell Proofreader Abby VanHuss Technical Editor Marc Borbas Team Coordinator Lynne Williams Interior Designer Gary Adair Cover Designer Aren Howell Page Layout Ayanna Lacey Graphics Oliver Jackson Tammy Graham Dedications To the single most important person in my life: my beautiful wife Aimee. You are my daily inspiration, my guiding light, and the foundation of all I do. Page 2 of 3 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hhCFEC.htm –Joe Estes To Arlene, Mom, Dad, and the entire Family FitzGerald (Katherine, Deirdre, Bernie, Nora, Terry, Linsey, Connor, Matthew, and Christopher). –Neil FitzGerald To my mother Patricia. Always believing in me and helping me be the best I can, makes you not just my mom, but my inspiration. Love you lots. –Kathryn Hunt To the most important people in my life: my wife Shelley and my two kids, Lynnie and Kenny. –Steve Lucas To every person at Crystal Decisions: Your hard work and passion for our company over the years has not only helped make this book possible, but has also provided me with a lifetime of learning, experiences, and friendships. –Ryan Marples [ Team LiB ] Page 3 of 3 6/9/2003 file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hhCFEC.htm [...]... we do online, which has resulted in a massive increase in the amount of data available to the average organization Accessing this data, and more importantly, turning it in to meaningful information is what Crystal Reports does best Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports 9 in 24 Hours was written to help you get the most out of Crystal Reports in the shortest amount of time This book contains 24 lessons,... Reports 9. 0 Hour 1 The Value of Crystal Reports 9 2 Getting Started with Crystal Reports 9 3 Accessing Your Data 4 Using the Default Report Wizards [ Team LiB ] [ Team LiB ] Hour 1 The Value of Crystal Reports 9 Crystal Reports is a design application for creating powerful and compelling reports that transform data, from virtually any data source, into meaningful information Hundreds of thousands of business... following topics are covered: l Transforming data into information with Crystal Reports l Key benefits of the Crystal Reports application l Crystal Reports as a Content Creation application l New features and enhancements in Crystal Reports 9 [ Team LiB ] [ Team LiB ] Transforming Data into Information with Crystal Reports Businesses in every industry now collect and maintain data relevant to their operation... created using Crystal Reports Figure 1. 1 A sample Balance Sheet report created using Crystal Reports file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh9455.htm 6 /9/ 2003 Page 2 of 69 The proliferation of Crystal Reports as the most common reporting application in the world is in large part because of its intuitive design environment that enables beginners to create simple reports, as... provided with Crystal Reports 9 [ Team LiB ] [ Team LiB ] Hour 2 Getting Started with Crystal Reports 9 Building on the discussion of Crystal Reports as a content creation application for designing interactive, actionable reports, it's now time to install and explore the Crystal Reports designer application The installation of Crystal Reports is a very straightforward process, making installation simple... underlying data, transform the data into meaningful information, and present the contents in a professional manner to the information consumers via any device For more details with application integration, see Hour 24, "Integrating Crystal Reports in Applications." Connecting to Corporate Data file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh9455.htm 6 /9/ 2003 Page 8 of 69 One of Crystal. .. begin using the product Even if you think you know what Crystal Reports is all about, you'll want to read this section because version 9 of Crystal Reports is a major update Part I includes l l l l Hour 1, "The Value of Crystal Reports 9" — This is where you'll find out what Crystal Reports is all about and what features you can expect to find in version 9 Even if you haven't decided that Crystal Reports. .. file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Owner\Local%20Settings\Temp\~hh5577.htm 6 /9/ 2003 Page 6 of 8 developer tools available to you in Crystal Reports 9 and how to get started developing applications that incorporate Crystal Reports Part VII: "Supplemental Crystal Reports Technologies" Part VII introduces some technologies that might be useful to you in your reporting efforts Part VII includes l l Appendix A, "Crystal Reports for Visual Studio NET" — Crystal Reports for... creating reports for yourself or supporting an entire organization's information demands, Crystal Reports can service your report design requirements We will now move into how you can get started using the Crystal Reports application in the next hour, "Getting Started with Crystal Reports 9 " [ Team LiB ] [ Team LiB ] Workshop Here's a brief quiz to help you review this hour's terminology Quiz 1: A1:... selections and alerting Hour 16 , "Using Subreports" — Subreports allow existing reports to be embedded inside other reports This opens up a wide variety of solutions using Crystal Reports, such as aggregating data from multiple sources into one "container" report Hour 16 introduces the concept of subreports, how they can benefit you as a report developer, and how to use them Hour 17 , "Using Formulas and Custom . list of top selling books—the list is limited only by your imagination. Since its first release in 19 9 2 and its bundle as the reporting engine in Visual Basic in 19 9 3, Crystal Reports has been. Crystal Reports does best. Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports 9 in 24 Hours was written to help you get the most out of Crystal Reports in the shortest amount of time. This book contains 24. Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports X in 24 Hours will guide the Crystal Reports users through conceptual topics, such as understanding data sources, to creating simple reports using the