Comprehensive Crystal Reports Private Training

Outline

Creating a Report

• Starting the Crystal Reports Program
• Starting a New Report
• Choosing a Data Source
• The Main Components of the Design Window
• Exploring the Toolbars
• Managing Resources with Explorers
• Placing Fields on the Report
• Selecting and Sizing Objects
• Browsing Field Data
• Moving and Aligning Objects
• Using Guides and Guidelines to Move and Align Objects
• Creating Text Objects
• Saving the Report
• Auto-saving the Report
• Previewing the Report
• Refreshing the Data
• Using the Status Bar
• Getting Help
• Challenge Exercise – Creating a Basic Report

Formatting Features

• Quick Formatting with the Template Expert
• Using the Format Painter
• Formatting Objects
• Inserting Lines and Boxes
• Inserting Graphics
• Working with the Page Commands
• Changing Page Orientation
• Changing Margins
• Working with Text Objects
• Adding Fields into a Text Object
• Formatting Part or All of an Object
• Inserting Special Fields
• Challenge Exercise – Formatting Features

Database Filters

• Filtering Data with the Select Expert
• Selecting Records with Multiple Criteria
• Viewing and Editing the Select Formula
• Case Sensitive vs. Case Insensitive
• Record Selection Formula Templates
• Challenge Exercise – Selecting Specific Records
• Challenge Exercise – Selecting a Range of Values

Report Grouping

• When and Why to Group Records
• Creating a Group
• Group and Sort Direction
• Customize Group Name Field
• Modifying Groups
• Creating Multiple Groups in a Report
• Using the Group Tree to Navigate the Report
• Reordering Groups
• Using the Sort Control
• Summarizing Groups
• Additional Summary Options
• Grouping Data in Date/Time Intervals
• Calculating Percentages
• Ordering Groups Based on Their Subtotals Using the Group Sort Expert
• Challenge Exercise – Grouping, Sorting, Summarizing
• Challenge Exercise – Calculating Percentages

Multiple Table Joins

• Understanding Tables, Records, and Fields
• Learning About Linking
• Adding Multiple Tables to a Report
• Challenge Exercise – Using the Database Expert to Link Tables

Creating Formulas

• Understanding Crystal Formula Syntax without Being a Programmer
• About the Formula Workshop
• Using the Formula Workshop
• Using the Formula Editor
• The Formula Editor Toolbar
• Performing Simple Number Calculations
• Manipulating Dates with Formulas
• Creating Boolean (True/False) Formulas
• Creating String Formulas
• Using Bookmarks to Navigate Through Formulas
• Challenge Exercise – Creating String Formulas Challenge
• Exercise – Creating String Formulas
• Challenge Exercise – Doing Calculations
• Challenge Exercise – Subtracting Dates
• Challenge Exercise – Using Nested If Statements

Conditional Formatting

• Formatting Sections
• Formatting Sections Conditionally
• Conditionally Formatting Fields
• Challenge Exercise – Section Formatting and Conditional Formatting
• Summary Reports and Charts

Creating a Summary Report

• Applying the Drill Down Feature
• Applying the DrillDownGroupLevel
• Producing Charts
• Editing Charts
• Formatting Charts
• Using the Chart Options
• Modifying Individual Objects in the Chart
• Applying Chart Templates
• Challenge Exercise – Creating a Summary Report
• Challenge Exercise – Charting

Exporting Reports

• Understanding Export Formats and Destinations
• Using a PDF Format for Crystal Reports
• Exporting to Windows Applications
• Exporting to a Report Definition Format

Report Wizards

• What are the Report Wizards?
• Create a Report Using the Standard Report Creation Wizard
• The Data Dialog Box
• The Fields Dialog Box
• The Grouping Dialog Box
• The Summaries Dialog Box
• The Group Sorting Dialog Box
• The Chart Dialog Box
• The Record Selection Dialog Box The Template Dialog Box
• Challenge Exercise – Create a Report Using a Report Wizard

Refresher Exercise

• Review of Planning a Report
• Creating the Report
• Placing Fields on the Report
• Creating the Formulas
• Advanced Grouping
• Selecting Certain Records
• Helpful Hints for Formatting the Report
• Adding and Working with Text Objects
• Hiding and Suppressing Sections
• Guidelines

Power Formatting with Multiple Sections

• Using Multiple Sections in Reports
• Using the Section Expert to Work with Sections
• Conditionally Formatting Multiple Sections
• Challenge Exercise – Formatting with Multiple Sections
• Challenge Exercise – Conditionally Formatting Using DrillDownGroupLevel

Using the Running Totals Feature

• Understanding Running Totals
• Creating Running Totals for a List of Numbers
• Conditional Running Totals
• Challenge Exercise – Creating a Conditional Running Total

Prompting with Parameters

• Parameter Field Considerations
• Creating a Parameter Field
• Using a Parameter to Select Records
• Using a Parameter Field
• Using the Parameter Panel
• Creating a Dynamic Value List for Parameter Values
• Importing a Pick List
• Adding Parameter Values to Text Objects
• Allowing Multiple Values in Parameters
• Using Multiple Parameter Fields in Reports
• Specifying and Limiting a Range
• Using Parameters in Conditional Formatting

• Using an Edit Mask to Limit String Parameters
• Sorting with a Parameter
• Using a parameter to set N in a Top N Report
• Cascading Parameters
• Challenge Exercise – Using and Displaying Parameters

Using Advanced Formula Features

• Understanding How Crystal Reports Processes the Data
• What Is a Pass?
• Using Evaluation Time Functions
• Working with Variables
• Declaring a Variable
• Assigning a Value to a Variable
• Using a Variable in a Formula
• Variable Scope
• Separating Statements in Complex Formulas
• Working with Arrays
• Understanding the Evaluation Time Debugger
• Challenge Exercise – Understand and Set Up the YTD Comparison Report

Using Sub reporting as a Workaround Solution

• Understanding Sub reports
• Unlinked versus Linked Subreports
• Creating an Unlinked Sub report
• Linking a Subreport
• Database Links versus Subreports in One-to-Many Situations
• Formatting the Subreport
• Passing Data from the Main Report into a Subreport
• Creating On-Demand Subreports
• Creating Hyperlinks
• Using Subreports to Link "Unlinkable" Data
• Challenge Exercise – Creating Reports with Linked Subreports

Creating Powerful Groups

• Creating Custom Groups
• Customizing Group Sort Order
• Using Group Selection to Filter the Records in the Report
• Grouping on a Formula Field
• Grouping Hierarchically
• Challenge Exercise – Create Customized Grouping
• Challenge Exercise – Using Group Selection
• Challenge Exercise – Creating a Group

Working with Cross-Tab Reports

• Understanding How Cross-Tabs Affect Your Data
• Creating a Cross-Tab Report
• Creating a Cross- Tab with Multiple Rows or Columns
• Applying a Formatting Style to the Cross-Tab
• Customizing the Cross-Tab Format
• Changing Background Colors
• Formatting Individual Cells
• Changing the Summary Operation
• Suppressing Rows, Columns or Totals
• Repeating Row Heading for Multi-Page Cross-Tabs
• Using Alias Names for Column and Row Headings
• Charting Cross-Tabs
• Customizing Cross-Tab Group Names
• Using the CurrentFieldValue Function
• Challenge Exercise – Cross-Tab Reports

Report Alerts

• What are Report Alerts
• Creating Report Alerts
• Basing Report Formulas or Conditional Formatting on Report Alerts
• Creative Usage for Report Alerts
• Challenge Exercise – Using Report Alerts with Parameter