Begin using Crystal Reports and create winning reports and documents with precision and ease. This self-paced learning resource covers all the basics clearly and accurately and is ideal for new Crystal Reports users. You'll learn how to develop and design reports, use maps and charts, organize and analyze report data, and much more. Plenty of hands-on exercises and projects are included throughout to help illustrate concepts along the way. Learn how to use the leading report-writing and analysis tool the right way with help from this step-by-step guide.
This Beginner's Guide is Designed for Easy Learning:
| Acknowledgments | xix | |
| Introduction | xxi | |
| 1 | Getting Started | 1 |
| Report Design Overview | 2 | |
| Project 1-1 | Developing a Report Prototype | 6 |
| Report Design Experts Overview | 10 | |
| Mastery Check | 17 | |
| 2 | Creating a Simple Report | 19 |
| Using the Report Design Experts | 20 | |
| Saving Your Report | 36 | |
| Project 2-1 | Creating a Report Using the Standard Report Expert | 38 |
| Mastery Check | 42 | |
| 3 | Working with the Report Design Environment | 43 |
| Report Design Environment | 44 | |
| Customizing the Design Environment | 50 | |
| Project 3-1 | Customizing the Report Design Environment | 55 |
| Understanding Field Objects | 57 | |
| Inserting Field Objects | 59 | |
| Working with Field Objects | 61 | |
| Project 3-2 | Working with Fields | 73 |
| Text Objects | 74 | |
| Project 3-3 | Working with Text Objects | 77 |
| Mastery Check | 80 | |
| 4 | Organizing Your Report | 81 |
| Inserting Groups into Your Report | 82 | |
| Grouping Options | 84 | |
| Changing Groups | 92 | |
| Project 4-1 | Inserting a Group | 94 |
| Group Formatting Options | 98 | |
| Record-Level Sorting | 102 | |
| Drill-Down and Summary Reports | 104 | |
| Project 4-2 | Creating a Drill-Down Report | 106 |
| Mastery Check | 109 | |
| 5 | Analyzing Report Data | 111 |
| Using Record Selection to Filter Your Report | 112 | |
| Writing Record Selection Formulas | 118 | |
| Project 5-1 | Using Record Selection | 118 |
| Summaries Versus Formulas | 120 | |
| Adding Summary Fields to Your Report | 121 | |
| Project 5-2 | Using Summary Fields | 128 |
| Analysis Options | 130 | |
| Using TopN/BottomN Analysis | 130 | |
| Running Totals | 132 | |
| Highlighting Expert | 137 | |
| Conditional Formatting | 138 | |
| Project 5-3 | Using the Highlighting Expert | 142 |
| Mastery Check | 144 | |
| 6 | Using Parameter Fields | 145 |
| Parameter Field Overview | 146 | |
| Project 6-1 | Inserting a Parameter Field | 151 |
| Working with Special Parameter Types | 154 | |
| Setting Default Values for a Parameter Field | 158 | |
| Parameter Fields and Record Selection | 164 | |
| Parameter Field Limitations | 168 | |
| Project 6-2 | Using Parameter Fields with Record Selection | 168 |
| Mastery Check | 170 | |
| 7 | Distributing the Results | 171 |
| Report Distribution Overview | 172 | |
| Exporting to WYSIWYG Formats | 173 | |
| Exporting to Text File Formats | 175 | |
| Exporting to Office File Formats | 178 | |
| Exporting to Other Formats | 184 | |
| Exporting to Web Formats | 187 | |
| Distributing Your Report | 190 | |
| Export Limitations | 197 | |
| Project 7-1 | Exporting Your Report | 197 |
| Mastery Check | 200 | |
| 8 | Formulas and Functions | 201 |
| Formula Overview | 202 | |
| Using the Formula Editor | 204 | |
| Formula Syntax Overview | 205 | |
| Working with Formulas | 206 | |
| Creating Simple Arithmetic Formulas | 210 | |
| Project 8-1 | Creating an Arithmetic Formula | 213 |
| Using Crystal Reports Functions | 216 | |
| Order of Operations | 226 | |
| Debugging Formulas | 227 | |
| Project 8-2 | Using a Formula Function | 229 |
| Mastery Check | 231 | |
| 9 | Advanced Record Selection | 233 |
| Advanced Report Selection Overview | 234 | |
| Editing the Record Selection Formula Using the Select Expert | 236 | |
| Project 9-1 | Selecting Records Based on a List of Values | 244 |
| Editing the Record Selection Formula Using the Formula Editor | 247 | |
| Performance Considerations | 255 | |
| Mastery Check | 256 | |
| 10 | Working with Sections | 257 |
| Sections Overview | 258 | |
| Working with Sections | 259 | |
| Formatting Sections | 265 | |
| Creating a Multicolumn Report | 273 | |
| Project 10-1 | Creating a Form Letter Using Multiple Sections | 275 |
| Mastery Check | 278 | |
| 11 | Using Subreports | 279 |
| Working with Subreports | 282 | |
| Project 11-1 | Inserting an Unlinked Subreport | 286 |
| Formatting Subreports | 288 | |
| Changing Subreport Links | 290 | |
| Creating an On-demand Subreport | 291 | |
| Saving and Reimporting Subreports | 294 | |
| Project 11-2 | Inserting a Linked Subreport | 296 |
| Mastery Check | 300 | |
| 12 | Cross-Tab Analysis | 301 |
| Cross-Tab Overview | 302 | |
| Inserting a Cross-Tab | 303 | |
| Working with Cross-Tabs | 308 | |
| Project 12-1 | Inserting a Cross-Tab into Your Report | 315 |
| Formatting Cross-Tabs | 319 | |
| Cross-Tab Uses and Limitations | 325 | |
| Project 12-2 | Formatting Cross-Tabs | 326 |
| Mastery Check | 328 | |
| 13 | Charting and Graphing | 329 |
| Graphing Overview | 330 | |
| Graph Layouts | 330 | |
| Graph Types | 332 | |
| Inserting a Group Graph | 339 | |
| Project 13-1 | Inserting a Graph Based on a Group | 342 |
| Creating an Advanced Graph | 345 | |
| Inserting a Cross-Tab Graph | 350 | |
| Formatting Graphs and Charts | 351 | |
| Project 13-2 | Formatting Your Graph or Chart | 356 |
| Creating Custom Graphs Using the Chart Analyzer | 358 | |
| Project 13-3 | Creating an Advanced (X, Y) Chart | 362 |
| Mastery Check | 366 | |
| 14 | Geographic Mapping | 367 |
| Geographic Mapping Overview | 368 | |
| Map Layouts | 368 | |
| Map Types | 370 | |
| Inserting a Group Map | 374 | |
| Creating an Advanced Map | 376 | |
| Inserting a Map Based on a Cross-Tab | 379 | |
| Formatting Maps | 381 | |
| Creating Custom Maps Using the Map Analyzer | 383 | |
| Mapping Limitations | 388 | |
| Project 14-1 | Inserting an Advanced Map Based on Geographic Field Values | 389 |
| Mastery Check | 392 | |
| 15 | Working with Data Sources | 393 |
| Crystal Reports Data Access Overview | 394 | |
| Report Data Sources | 395 | |
| Setting Database Options | 401 | |
| Working with Databases and Tables | 405 | |
| Working with the Visual Linking Expert | 412 | |
| Project 15-1 | Setting Up an ODBC Data Source | 415 |
| Mastery Check | 418 | |
| A | Mastery Check Answers | 419 |
| B | Crystal Reports Dictionaries | 429 |
| Installing the Crystal Dictionaries Tool | 430 | |
| Creating Crystal Reports Dictionaries | 433 | |
| Working with Dictionaries | 441 | |
| Creating Reports from Dictionaries | 443 | |
| Distributing Crystal Reports and Dictionaries | 450 | |
| C | Crystal SQL Designer | 451 |
| Installing the Crystal SQL Designer Tool | 452 | |
| Creating SQL Queries | 455 | |
| Working with SQL Queries | 464 | |
| Creating Reports from SQL Queries | 465 | |
| Distributing Crystal Reports and Queries | 471 | |
| D | Troubleshooting (FAQ) | 473 |
| Index | 477 |
Anonymous
Posted Thu Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2003
I believe this is the author's first attempt at writing a book and he has made a decent go of it. I liked the size of the graphics used. I however found the flow of the chapters a bit incongruent. I was also disappointed in finding that the book was quickly dated as version 9 of Crystal Reports is already available.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Nov 24 00:00:00 EST 2002
The format of the book was excellent that why I gave it two star, but with regards to the illustrations and modules, the author fails to follow his own work. You would think, when someone takes the time to write a book they would get it right. Not following your own illustrations and practice modules make me wonder if the author truly knows what he's doing. ¿ don¿t buy it, if he teaches the way he wrote the book, I wouldn't bother with the class as well. That's just my opinion.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
Begin using Crystal Reports and create winning reports and documents with precision and ease. This self-paced learning resource covers all the basics clearly and accurately and is ideal for new Crystal Reports users. You'll learn how to develop and design reports, use maps and charts, organize and analyze report data, and much more. Plenty of hands-on exercises and projects are included throughout to help illustrate concepts along the way. Learn how to use the leading report-writing and analysis tool the right ...