Crystal Reports 6 for dummies

• Compile, mail, and export your reports
• Integrate data fields from multiple tables into one, comprehensive report
• Build formulas into a report to calculate totals and perform all kinds of other functions.
• Format, sort, and group records meaningfully.
• Display and print cross-tabulation and summary reports.
• Jazz up your reports with pictures, logos, and OLE objects.
• Link database tables and distribute your reports.

Table of contents :
Introduction

How to Use This Book

If You Have Used Crystal Reports Before

What Is in This Book

Part I: What You Need to Know to Survive

Part II: Manipulating Records

Part III: Formatting and Formulas for Success

Part IV: Putting On Some Finishing Touches

Part V: Creating Specific Types of Reports

Part VI: Disseminating Reports without a Hitch

Part VII: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Off You Go!

Chapter 1: Setting the Table

In the Beginning, a Table

Form Follows Function

Table for . . . One or More?

Plan the Report

What makes a report?

Report distribution

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Report

Starting Crystal Reports

The Report Design Tab

Inserting Data Fields

Taking a Preview

Inserting a Second Field

Browsing Data

Type

Length

Changing the field length in the Design Tab

Changing field length in the Preview Tab

Moving a Field in the Preview Window

Using a Guideline to Position Objects

Aligning a Field Name with a Field

Using Guidelines in Preview

Other guidelines using grids

Grids

Turning on the grid

Using the Report Gallery Experts

Stepping out with an Expert: A Standard Report

Data

Links

Fields

Sort

Total

TopN

Graph

Select

Style

Why you should use an Expert

Chapter 3: Crystal Reports: Basic Skills

Opening a Saved Report

Inserting Text Objects

Adding a text object

Previewing the text object

Editing a text object

Adding a border and drop shadow to the title

Adding other fields

Moving a field in a report

Adding a Number Field

Aligning Columns and Headers

Getting the Numbers Formatted

Moving from Page to Page in a Report

Magnifying the Page

Chapter 4: Selecting Records

What Is Selecting Records?

The Select Expert

Saved or refreshed data

Refreshing the report on demand

Select Expert options

Selecting records on more than one field

Removing Record Selection

Chapter 5: Sorting and Grouping Records

Sorting Records

Breaking Ties

Inserting Groups

Viewing Groups in the Design Window

Deleting or undoing a group

Deleting a group

Inserting a Total

Inserting a numeric grand total

Inserting a grand total for text

Defining other calculations

Changing a Group

Doing a TopN Sort

Chapter 6: Graphing Data

Creating and Inserting a Graph

Creating a Group Graph

Modifying a Graph

Moving the graph to the header (no change)

Moving the graph

Resizing a graph

Adding a border

Customizing your graph with PGEditor

Using the PGEditor (Crystal Chart)

Changing graph colors

Changing a font size

Detaching a slice of pie

Undoing changes

Saving the pie chart

Deleting a graph

Drilling Down on a Graph

Adding a special effect

Changing the Graph Type

Applying the graph gallery

Looking at graph examples

Using a Graph Template

Saving a graph as a template

Applying the template

Applying Graph Templates Stored in PGEditor

Chapter 7: Using the Crystal Formula Language

What Is a Formula?

Acquainting Yourself with the Parts of a Formula

Opening the Formula Editor

The Fields box

The Functions box

The Operators box

The Formula text box

The Select button

The Check button

The Accept button

The Browse Field Data button -- for accuracy

Syntax 101

Going Down the Road to Creating a Formula

Eliminating Blank Records

Creating a Formula

Check please!

Accepting the formula

Editing a Formula

Adding a Formula That Totals by Group

Adding a Formula That Calculates a Percentage of Total

Working with Text Strings

Changing Numbers to Words

Going on a Date

Using If-Then-Else Formulas

Modifying an if-then-else formula

Nested if-then-else formulas

Understanding Boolean Formulas

Creating a Record Selection Formula

Chapter 8: Using Conditional Formatting

Absolute versus Conditional Formatting

Using On or Off Properties

Using Attribute Properties

Another conditional format

Still another conditional format

Deleting a conditional format

Chapter 9: Formatting Sections of a Report

Changing the Size of a Section

Automatically sizing a section

Looking at the shortcut menu

Formatting Sections with the Section Expert

Using the Common tab

Free-Form Placement

Hide (Drill-Down Okay)

Suppress (No Drill-Down)

Print at Bottom of Page

New Page Before

New Page After

Reset Page Number After

Keep Together

Suppress Blank Section

Underlay Following Sections

Format Groups with multiple column

Using the Color tab

An example of a conditional format formula

A conditional formula to color group results

Chapter 10: Creating Presentation-Quality Reports

Quickly Formatting a Report

Zooming In on the Report

Working with Special Fields

Undo command

Special fields defined

Inserting a Special Field

Adding a Record Number field

Adding information to the Report Footer

Formatting Special fields

Formatting a Date field

Combining a text object with a Special field

Inserting Lines and Boxes

Formatting a line

Boxing records in a group

Adding a drop shadow to the title

Drawing a Box around an Object

Text Objects Extra

Adding the Can Grow option

Editing text within a text object

Inserting a Picture or Logo into the Report

Inserting an OLE Object

Using Auto Arrange to Format Reports

Chapter 11: Creating a Cross-Tab Report

Identifying the "By" Word

Creating a Cross-Tab Object in a New Report

Inserting a Cross-Tab into an Existing Report

Removing the grid

Adding a second summary field to the example Cross-Tab

Creating a Cross-Tab using the Cross-Tab Expert

Chapter 12: Creating a Summary Report

Creating a Summary Report

To Drill or Not to Drill, That Is the Question

Chapter 13: Linking to Other Databases

Linking Concepts

Normalizing a database

Keying primarily

Working with Links

Moving a table

Looking at field properties

Browsing through the fields

Closing the Table Description dialog box

Looking at the links

Exploring the Visual Linking Expert buttons

Using link options

Creating a new report

Creating links

Deleting a linked table

Adding tables in the Visual Linking Expert dialog box

Creating the report

Using SQL Joins

Adding tables via ODBC

Using SQL join types

Using the equal join

Using a left outer join

Using a right outer join

Using a greater join or greater or equal join

Using a less join or a less or equal join

Using a not equal join

Chapter 14: Distributing Reports

Understanding an Export File

Exporting Reports

Choosing a file format

Choosing the report destination

Exporting a report with saved data

Opening a saved report

Exporting to a Lotus Notes Database

Exporting to an Exchange Folder

Exporting to Excel format

Exporting to Microsoft Word

Canceling an export

Comparing the Word Document with Crystal Reports

Exporting to an ODBC data source

Setting up an ODBC Data Source

Mailing Your Report

Faxing Your Report

Compiling a Crystal Report

Using the Report Distribution Expert

Printing a Compiled Report

Web Reporting

Exporting to HTML

Checking your Web page

Chapter 15: Setting Your File Options

Environment Settings: The File Options Dialog Box

The Layout Tab

View Options

Grid Options

Preview Pages

Field Options

Free-Form Placement

The New Report Tab

The Fields Tab

The Fonts Tab

The Reporting Tab

The Database Tab

The SQL Tab

Chapter 16: Ten Questions to Ask before You Create a Report

What is the purpose of the report?

From what databases, views, or tables do you need to include information in this report, and what fields do you want to include in the report?

Do you want all the records in the report or a subset?

How do you want the data grouped?

How do you want the data sorted?

What summary calculations do you want in the report?

What text do you want to appear in the:

Do you want certain data to stand out?

How should the report be distributed and to whom?

When do you need to see this report, and when should it be distributed?

Is this how the report should look?

Chapter 17: Ten Tricks to Enhance Reports

Use a predictable format

Allow generous white space

Position report headings and page numbers in the same place for every report

Make data easy to understand

Place and align columns appropriately

Keep columns consistent

Use column headers strategically

Visually group data

Add graphs to make your reports more descriptive

Add graphics to your report to make it visually interesting

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