Crystal Reports: The Complete Reference Series

Crystal Reports 9: The Complete Reference

Table of Contents

Part I Crystal Reports 9 Introduced				1: Getting the Feel of Crystal Reports 9 Introducing Crystal Reports 9 Crystal Reports Screen Elements Starting Out: Opening or Creating a Report Using the Report Wizards Using the Blank Report Option The Database Expert The Design Tab and Field Explorer Report Sections Previewing the Report Moving and Sizing Objects Formatting Objects Customizing Crystal Reports Behavior The Report Explorer 2: Enhancing Appearance with Text Objects The Field Heading Text Object Combining Database Fields Combining Special Fields The Can Grow Formatting Option Formatting Individual Parts of Text Objects Importing Text from a File 3: Sorting and Grouping Sorting Your Report Grouping Records Manipulating Existing Groups The Group Expert Adding Summaries Multiple Groups Specified Order Grouping Drilling Down on Data Grouping on Date Fields Customizing Group Name Fields Grouping on Formula Fields Top N Reporting Hierarchical Groups 4: Creating Geographic Maps Different Map Types Adding a Map The Data Tab The Type Tab The Text Tab Drilling Down on Maps Changing the Map View The Map Navigator Resolving Data Mismatches Map Layers 5: Using Formulas The Formula Workshop The Formula Expert The Formula Editor Data Types Creating a New Formula Editing, Renaming or Deleting an Existing Formula Number Formulas Order of Precedence String Formulas The ToText Function Picking Apart Strings Date/Time Formulas Number of Days Between Dates Number of Hours and Minutes Between Times Month, Day, Year, Hour, Minute and Seconds Functions DateValue Function If-Then-Else Formulas Data Types in If-Then-Else Formulas Multiple Actions with One If-Then-Else Statement Helpful Built-In Functions for If-Then-Else Formulas Other Crystal Reports Logic Constructs Select Case Statement For Loop While Do Loop Boolean Formulas Variables in Formulas and Evaluation Times Declaring a Variable Variable Scope Assigning a Value to a Variable Displaying a Variable’s Contents Evaluation Times and Report Passes When Not to Use Variables User Function Libraries Running Total Fields 6: Creating Custom Functions Custom Functions Defined Creating Your Own Custom Functions Extracting Custom Functions from Existing Formulas Creating Custom Functions from Scratch Modifying Existing Custom Functions Sharing Custom Functions with Other Users Using Custom Functions in Your Formulas 7: The Repository The Repository Defined Creating a Shared Repository Controlling Repository Permissions Adding To/Updating the Repository Creating Folders Adding and Deleting Items Adding Repository Items to Reports Text Objects or Bitmap Graphics Custom Functions SQL Commands Changing Repository Items on Your Report Updating Repository Versions of Objects 8: Analyzing with Advanced Selection Criteria The Select Expert Refreshing the Report Versus Using Saved Data Record Selection with Date Fields Manipulating the Record Selection Formula Directly Limiting Data with a Group Selection Formula Performance Considerations with Record Selection 9: Making Your Reports Visually Appealing General Formatting The Format Toolbar The Format Expert The Highlighting Expert Conditional Formatting Formulas Absolute Versus Conditional Formatting Creative Use of the Suppress Property Special Fonts, Graphics, and Line Drawing Using Special Fonts Using Bitmap Graphics Line and Box Drawing Text and Paragraph Formatting Format Editor Paragraph Formatting Tab Using HTML and RTF Text Interpretation Report Alerts Basing Report Formulas or Conditional Formatting on Report Alerts New Crystal Reports 9 Templates The Template Expert Creating Your Own Templates 10: Using Sections and Areas Formatting Sections with the Section Expert The Section Expert Creating Summary and Drill-Down Reports Drill-Down Reports Multiple-Column Reports for Labels and Listings Using Multiple Sections Conditionally Suppressing Sections Printing a Bonus Message for Certain Records Printing a Different Page Header on Page 2 and Later Printing Odd and Even Page Headers or Footers Underlaying Sections 11: Analyzing with Cross-Tabs Creating a Cross-Tab Object Editing an Existing Cross-Tab Creative Use of Grouping and Formulas Multiple Rows, Columns, and Summarized Fields Reordering Fields in the Rows, Columns, or Summarized Field Boxes Customizing Cross-Tab Appearance The Style Tab The Customize Style Tab Adding Legends to Cross-Tabs Conditionally Formatting Cross-Tabs 12: Creating Charts Types and Layouts of Charts Chart Type Chart Layout Creating Charts with the Chart Expert The Type Tab The Data Tab The Axes Tab The Options Tab The Text Tab Placing and Sizing Charts Modifying Existing Charts Zooming In and Out on Charts Drilling Down on Charts Finer Points of Chart Formatting New Version 9 Conditional Formatting Customizing Charts with Chart Options 13: Using Subreports Unlinked Subreports Drilling Down on Subreports Linked Subreports Linking Based on Formula Fields Format Editor Common Tab and Subreport Tab On-Demand Versus In-Place Subreports Passing Data Between Main Reports and Subreports Handling Empty Subreports Performance Considerations 14: Viewer Interaction with Parameter Fields Creating a Parameter Field Setting Up a Pick List Responding to Parameter Field Prompts Value Type Considerations Using Parameter Fields in Record Selection Displaying Parameter Fields on the Report Special Parameter Field Features Multiple Values Range Values Controlling Parameter Field Data Entry Conditional Formatting with Parameter Fields Highlighting Data Based on Parameter Fields Conditionally Suppressing Based on Parameter Fields Using Parameter Fields with Formulas Using a Parameter Field for Partial Text Matches Using a Parameter Field to Change Sorting or Grouping Using a Parameter Field to Control Top N Reporting 15: Exporting Reports Exporting Reports to Office Applications Exporting to Different File Formats Exporting and Launching an Application Exporting to an ODBC Data Source Exporting to XML Sending Reports Electronically 16: Reporting from SQL Databases Logging On to SQL Databases Direct Database Drivers ODBC OLE DB Choosing the Database Changing SQL Options Changing to a Different Database Adding Additional Tables to the Report Removing Unused Tables from the Report Linking Tables Database Expert Links Tab Using Multiple Database Types in the Same Report Join and Link Types Viewing the SQL Query Crystal Reports SQL Commands Creating the SQL Command Using a SQL Command in a Report Using SQL Stored Procedures Choosing Stored Procedures Working with Stored Procedure Parameters Using SQL Expression Fields Creating SQL Expressions Grouping on the Database Server Enabling Server-Based Grouping What’s Required to Use Server-Based Grouping Effects of Drill-Down Performance Considerations Let The Server Do the Work Use Indexed Fields 17: Accommodating Database Changes and Field Mapping Recognizing Database Changes Verify Database Using Set Datasource Location Mapping Old Fields to New Names 18: Reporting from OLAP Cubes What is OLAP? Crystal Reports OLAP Capabilities Supported OLAP Systems OLAP Report Creation Methods Using the OLAP Report Creation Wizard Adding an OLAP Grid to an Existing Report Adding an OLAP Grid Object Changing the OLAP Database Location Controlling OLAP Grid Appearance Interacting with the OLAP Grid The New OLAP Analyzer 19: Reporting from Proprietary Data Types Reporting from Microsoft Outlook Reporting from the File System Data Reporting from the Windows NT/2000 Event Log Reporting from Web Server Logs Crystal Reporting with XML New Crystal Reports 9 Active Data Sources
Part II Crystal Reports 9 on the Web				20: Crystal Reports Web Alternatives Crystal Reports Web Alternatives Compared Exporting to Static HTML Hyperlink Capabilities Cascading Style Sheet Support Navigating and Viewing Report Parts Using Navigation Displaying Report Parts 21: Crystal Reports and Microsoft Active Server Pages Active Server Pages and VBScript Overview Web Integration with the Report Designer Component Crystal-Supplied Sample ASPs The RDC Object Model in ASPs RDC Report Viewers Report Viewers Compared Choosing and Customizing Report Viewers What is CleanUp.ASP? Web Integration with the Report Application Server Basic RAS Operation Customizing RAS at Run Time with the RAS SDK Viewing the Report 22: Introduction to Crystal Enterprise Crystal Enterprise Defined The Two-Tier Web Reporting Method Crystal Enterprise Multitier Reporting Method Standard Edition 8 Versus Professional Edition 8.5 Crystal Enterprise Architecture End-User Components for Reporting Server and Maintenance Components for Administrators 23: Using the Crystal Launchpad and ePortfolio Navigating the Crystal Enterprise Launchpad Using the Crystal Enterprise ePortfolio ePortfolio Elements Searching for Reports Viewing and Running Instances and Reports Guest Versus User Account Publishing Crystal Reports to Crystal Enterprise Publishing with Crystal Reports 8.5 The Crystal Publishing Wizard Publishing with the Crystal Management Console 24: Customizing Crystal Enterprise ePortfolio Customizing Overview Simple Customization Complete Customization Simple Modifications Adding Your Own Company Logo Changing Colors and Fonts Changing Defaults for the Guest Account Customizing the DHTML Viewer Toolbar Complete Customization with Crystal Server Pages CSP Overview Creating Crystal Server Pages
Part III Developing Custom Window Applications				25: Integrating Crystal Reports 9 with Visual Basic Development-Language Options Which Development Language Should I Use? Different VB Reporting Options Crystal Reports Versus the Microsoft Data Report Designer Visual Basic Developer Interfaces The Report Designer Component RDC Object Model Architecture Different RDC Pieces The ActiveX Designer The Run-time Library The Report Viewer The Embeddable Report Designer Adding the RDC to Your Project Importing an Existing Report Creating a New Report The RDC Object Model Using the ActiveX Designer Report Object Using an External .RPT File An Introduction to the RDC Object Model Providing Database Login Credentials Controlling Record Selection Record Selection Formula Tips Setting Formulas Changing Text Objects at Run Time Passing Parameter-Field Values Manipulating Report Groups Conditional Formatting and Formatting Sections The Format Event Choosing Output Destinations Changing the Data Source at Run Time Unbound Fields Customizing the Report Viewer Trapping Report Viewer Events Error Handling Other RDC Properties and Methods The DiscardSavedData Method SQL Database Control RDC Subreports Creating New Reports at Run Time Creating a New Report With Code The Report Creation Wizard Using the Embeddable Report Designer Distributing RDC Applications Distribution Overview Database Considerations File Export Considerations User Function Libraries 26: Crystal Reports with Visual Studio.NET Crystal Reports for Visual Studio.NET Overview Similarity to RDC Crystal Reports in Windows Applications Crystal Reports in Web Applications Crystal Reports as VS.NET Web Services Creating Crystal Reports Windows Applications Creating or Modifying Reports in the VS.NET Crystal Report Designer Manipulating Reports Inside Code Using the Windows Forms Viewer Creating Crystal Reports Web Applications Using the Crystal Web Forms Viewer Crystal Reports and Web Services Creating a Web Service Consuming a Web Service
Appendix				Installing and Configuring Crystal Reports Components Installing the Crystal Reports Designer Installing the Report Designer Component on Your Web Server The Crystal License Manager Installing Report Application Server
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