Crystal Reports 8 For Dummies®

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

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

Conventions Used in This Book

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: What You Need to Know to Survive

Chapter 1: Setting the Table

In the Beginning, There Was a Table

Form Follows Function

Table for . . . One or More?

Planning the Report

What makes a report?

Report distribution

Chapter 2: Creating a Simple Report

Starting Crystal Reports

Creating a Report with the Report Expert

Saving a Report

Viewing a Report in the Report Design Tab

Creating a Report from Scratch

Previewing a Report

Inserting an Additional Field

Browsing Data

Type

Length

Changing Field Length in the Design Tab

Changing Field Length in the Preview Tab

Moving a Field

Using a Guideline to Position Objects

Aligning Fields without Using Guidelines

Using a Grid to Place Objects

Working More with the Report Expert
Chapter 3: Crystal Reports: Basic Skills

Opening a Saved Report

Inserting Text Objects

Adding a text object

Editing a text object

Adding a border and a drop shadow to the title

Adding other fields

Formatting the Numbers

Using the Highlighting Expert

Moving from Page to Page in a Report

Magnifying the Page

Part II: Manipulating Records

Chapter 4: Selecting Records

What Is Selecting Records?

Using Select Expert

Using saved or refreshed data

Refreshing the report on demand

Specifying Select Expert options

Selecting records on more than one field

Removing Record Selection

Using a Parameter Field

Parameter field details

Adding a parameter field to a report

Chapter 5: Sorting and Grouping Records

Sorting versus Grouping

Sorting Records

Breaking Ties

Inserting Groups

Setting a Group Name

Using Group Tree Options

Viewing Groups on the Design Tab

Undoing versus Deleting a Group

Inserting a Total

Inserting a grand total

Inserting a grand total for text

Defining other calculations

Changing a Group

Doing a Top N Sort

Part III: Formatting and Formulas for Success

Chapter 6: Charting and Mapping Data

Creating a Chart from a Report

Creating and Inserting a Chart

Creating a Group Chart

Modifying a Chart

Moving the chart to the footer

Moving the chart

Resizing a chart

Resizing the chart another way

Adding a border

Customizing your chart

Undoing changes

Deleting a chart

Drilling down on a chart

Underlaying a chart on a report

Analyzing a chart

Mapping a Report

Inserting a map

Changing the type of map

Analyzing a map

Underlaying a map on a report

Chapter 7: Using the Crystal Formula Language

What Is a Formula?

Getting to Know the Formula Editor

The Report Fields window

The Functions window

The Operators window

The Formula text window

Buttons available in Formula Editor

Syntax 101

Creating a Formula

Check, please!

Saving the formula and placing it on the report

Editing an existing formula

Adding a Formula that Totals by Group

Inserting a Summary as a Percentage

Entering a Running 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

Adding a Summary without a Field

Record Selection Formulas

Creating a Record Selection Formula

Trying More Formulas
Chapter 8: Using Conditional Formatting

Absolute versus Conditional Formatting

Using Attribute Properties

Another conditional format

Deleting a conditional format

Chapter 9: Creating a Subreport

Deciding When to Add a Subreport

Creating a Scenario

Adding the Subreport

Viewing the Linked Subreport

Options for Subreports

Part IV: Putting On Some Finishing Touches

Chapter 10: 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

Using the Color tab

Chapter 11: Creating Presentation-Quality Reports

Quickly Formatting a Report

Zooming In on the Report

Working with Special Fields

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

Drawing a line

Formatting a line

Drawing a box around an object

Inserting a Picture or Logo into the Report

Inserting an OLE Object

Adding a Hyperlink

Using Auto Arrange to Format Reports

Part V: Creating Specific Types of Reports

Chapter 12: 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

Reformatting the layout

Removing the grid

Pivoting the Cross-Tab object

Customizing the Cross-Tab Object
Chapter 13: Creating a Summary Report

Looking at a Summary Report

To Drill or Not to Drill, That Is the Question
Chapter 14: Linking to Other Databases

Linking Concepts

Normalizing a database

Keying primarily

Working with Links

Browsing through fields

Looking at links

Exploring the Visual Linking Expert buttons

Using link options

Creating links

Deleting a table from the report

Using the Visual Linking Expert dialog box to add tables

Creating a report after you select tables

Using SQL Joins

Adding tables via ODBC or non-ODBC

Using SQL join types

Creating SQL Expression Fields

Integration with Microsoft Office Products

Part VI: Disseminating Reports without a Hitch

Chapter 15: Distributing Reports

What Is an Export File?

Exporting Reports

Choosing a file format

Choosing the report destination

Exporting to Excel format

Exporting to Microsoft Word format

Exporting the Report Definition

Exporting to an ODBC data source

What's an ODBC data source?

Saving a report with/without saved data

Mailing a Report

Faxing a Report

Web Reporting

Exporting to HTML

Checking your Web page

Chapter 16: Setting Your Options

The Layout Tab

The New Report Tab

The Database Tab

Show

List tables and fields by

Sorting

Advanced

The Editors Tab

Data Source Defaults Tab

The Reporting Tab

The Fields Tab

The Fonts Tab

Part VII: The Part of Tens

Chapter 17: Ten or So Questions to Ask Before You Create a Report

How sensitive is the information in 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 report header, page header, page footer, report footer, or other text?

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?

Finally, a test

Chapter 18: Ten (Okay, Eleven) 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 charts and/or maps to make your reports more descriptive

Add graphics to make your report visually interesting

Add hyperlinks to enhance your report or to direct readers to more information

Index

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