Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies

Allen G. Taylor

John Wiley & Sons, Feb 8, 2011 - Computers - 408 pages

A report is only useful if those who receive it understand what it means. Knowing how to use Crystal Reports gives you the edge in producing reports from your database that really are crystal clear.

Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies is a quick and easy guide to get you going with the latest version of this bestselling report-writing software. In fact, it’s so popular that previous editions have made it a bestseller too. Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies gives you just what you should know to produce the reports you’ll need most often, including how to:

• Pull specific information from your database, sort and group it, and find the details you need
• Use dynamic or cascading prompts
• Troubleshoot and print reports and save time with templates
• View reports on your LAN
• Write formulas to retrieve specific information
• Create and update OLAP reports
• Format reports, control page breaks, and even add graphics or Flash files
• Enhance your reports with charts and maps
• Use Crystal Reports in the enterprise

There’s also a companion Web site with sample reports from the book and links to sites with more related information. With Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies by your side, you’ll soon be able to create reports from simple to spectacular, whenever the need arises.

What people are saying

crystal reports 11 - NOT

User Review  - killraven - Overstock.com

the description of the book states it is Crystal Reports xi for dummies, but the book shipped is Crystal Reports 2008 for Dummies. Wiley Publishing dosn't have a Crystal Reports xi for Dummies. 2008 is two version old. the book isn't bad, just the wrong item advertised. had to send back. ...

Review: Crystal Reports 2008 for Dummies

User Review  - Said A - Goodreads

I needed to learn Crystal Reports for my latest project. I am absolutely new to CR and that's why I picked for Dummies series. The book is for beginners indeed. All tasks are step by step and so ...

Contents

• Creating a Report with the Blank Report Option: 2-1
• Allocating more space to the layout: 2-6
• Introducing your report: 2-7
• Choosing the fields that appear in your report: 2-9
• Improving the readability of page headers: 2-12
• Previewing the report: 2-13
• Page footers carry useful information: 2-16
• Wrapping things up with a report footer: 2-17
• Recording helpful information about your report: 2-18
• Printing a Report: 2-19
• Chapter 3: 2-21
• Defining Your Audience: 2-22
• Choosing Content for Your Report: 2-23
• Making a good first impression: 2-24
• Choosing graphic elements for your report: 2-25
• Making sure your report conveys your message: 2-26
• Chapter 4: 2-27
• Creating a report with the Standard Report Creation Wizard: 2-28
• Using other reportcreation wizards: 2-33
• Accessing database files directly: 2-34
• Connecting to ODBC data sources: 2-35
• Reporting on data in OLE DB data sources: 2-36
• Part II: 2-38
• Chapter 5: 2-41
• Using Formulas to Retrieve Data: 2-47
• Using Parameter Fields to Retrieve Data at Runtime: 2-49
• Creating a report that shows everything: 2-50
• Giving the user the power to decide what to show: 2-52
• Speed retrievals with indexes: 2-54
• Changing parameter values to change the report: 2-55
• Chapter 6: 6-2
• Sorting based on multiple fields: 6-4
• Sorting and performance: 6-8
• Grouping Related Items: 6-11
• Calculating Percentages: 6-17
• Drilling Down for Detail: 6-19
• Keeping Track of Things with Running Totals: 6-22
• Troubleshooting Sorting Grouping and Totaling Problems: 6-26
• Getting the right totals: 6-27
• Chapter 7: 6-28
• Formatting with the Section Formatting Menu: 6-30
• Using Section Expert for Easy Section Formatting: 6-31
• Common tab Section Expert: 6-32
• Paging tab Section Expert: 6-33
• Color tab Section Expert: 6-34
• Placing Groups Where You Want Them: 6-37
• Printing totals at the bottom of a page: 6-39
• Hiding Details with Summary and DrillDown Reports: 6-40
• Creating Mailing Labels: 6-42
• Saving Money on Postage with a ZIP Sort: 6-46
• Chapter 8: 6-47
• Absolute Formatting: 6-48
• Adding graphical elements for emphasis: 8-3
• Conditional Formatting Using the Format Editor: 8-6
• Creating Emphasis with Highlighting Expert: 8-8
• Adding Pictures to Your Report: 8-10
• Aligning Preprinted Forms: 8-11
• Special Fields Contain Report Metadata: 8-14
• Using Report Templates to Save Time and Effort: 8-18
• Applying a template to an existing report: 8-19
• Applying a template to a report youre creating: 8-21
• Part III: 8-23
• Chapter 9: 8-25
• Starting a Top N Report: 9-1
• Displaying a group total: 9-5
• Hiding the details: 9-6
• Removing page breaks: 9-8
• Going with the Percentages: 9-11
• What if you want the top 17 instead of the top 5?: 9-13
• A Choice of Group Sorts: 9-15
• Troubleshooting Group Sort Problems: 9-17
• Chapter 10: 9-18
• Lessening the Workload with Functions: 9-20
• Formula Editor: 9-24
• Formula Expert: 9-25
• SQL Expression Editor: 9-27
• Selection formulas: 9-28
• Formatting formulas: 9-31
• Changing and Deleting Formulas: 9-32
• Range data types: 9-34
• Variables in Formulas: 9-35
• Control Structures: 9-36
• Select Case: 9-37
• While Do loop: 9-38
• Do While loop: 9-39
• Chapter 11: 9-40
• Underlay formatting for sidebyside location of subreport: 9-44
• Linking a Subreport to a Primary Report: 9-46
• OnDemand Subreports Boost Efficiency: 9-51
• Passing Data between Reports: 9-53
• Chapter 12: 9-55
• Static OLE Objects: 9-56
• Making a static OLE object editable: 9-58
• Embedded OLE Objects: 9-59
• Linked OLE Objects: 9-61
• Embedding or Linking an Object Taken from a File: 9-64
• Integrating Shockwave Flash Objects into Your Reports: 9-65
• Chapter 13: 9-67
• Who uses OLAP?: 9-68
• Connecting to an OLAP data source: 9-69
• Operating on OLAP grid objects: 13-1
• Updating an OLAP Report: 13-13
• Formatting Data in an OLAP Report: 13-14
• Changing a dimensions background color: 13-15
• Creating an alias for a dimension: 13-17
• Labeling dimensions: 13-18
• Changing Data Appearance in an OLAP Report: 13-19
• Showing and hiding dimensions: 13-20
• Adding totals to an OLAP grid: 13-21
• Pivoting an OLAP grid: 13-22
• Sorting data: 13-23
• Filtering data: 13-24
• Chapter 14: 13-25
• Summarizing the Contents of a Group with a CrossTab: 13-29
• Making Calculations within a CrossTab Row or Column: 13-34
• Enhancing the Appearance and Readability of a CrossTab Object: 13-35
• Formatting individual fields: 13-36
• Suppressing selected crosstab data: 13-37
• Chapter 15: 15-1
• Type tab: 15-2
• Axes tab: 15-3
• Options tab: 15-4
• Color Highlight tab: 15-5
• Drilling down from a chart: 15-8
• Choosing the Best Chart Type for Your Data: 15-9
• Percent bar chart: 15-10
• Area chart: 15-11
• Pie chart: 15-12
• 3D riser chart: 15-13
• 3D surface chart: 15-14
• XY scatter chart: 15-15
• Bubble chart: 15-16
• Stock chart: 15-17
• Gauge chart: 15-18
• Gantt chart: 15-19
• Histogram: 15-20
• Different Chart Layouts for Different Data Types: 15-21
• Seeing How Chart Placement Affects the Data It Represents: 15-22
• Troubleshooting Chart Problems: 15-23
• The placement of chart elements matters: 15-24
• Chapter 16: 15-26
• Map layouts: 15-27
• Map placement: 15-29
• Creating a Group layout map: 15-31
• Creating a CrossTab layout map: 15-32
• Creating an OLAP layout map: 15-33
• Including maps in subreports: 15-34
• Chapter 17: 15-35
• Adding Xcelsius Capability to a Report: 17-1
• Creating an SWF file with Crystal Xcelsius: 17-2
• Embedding your Crystal Xcelsius model in a Crystal report: 17-5
• Enhancing a Report with the Tasteful Use of Flash: 17-7
• Dynamic interaction with a report using a Parameter panel: 17-8
• Part IV: 17-11
• Chapter 18: 17-13
• Connecting to Data Sources: 17-14
• Formatting Reports with Crystal Reports Developer: 17-15
• Providing security: 17-16
• Useful Management Tools: 17-17
• Viewing and Interacting with Reports: 17-18
• Chapter 19: 17-19
• Adding Folders to Your Repository: 17-20
• Adding text and bitmapped objects to the Repository: 17-21
• Adding SQL commands to the Repository: 17-22
• Adding custom functions: 17-23
• Deciding Whether to Update Reports Automatically: 17-24
• Deleting Objects from the Repository: 17-25
• Chapter 20: 17-26
• Using Report Parts to Navigate a Report: 17-27
• Using the Report Parts Drilldown method: 17-28
• Using the Another Report Object method: 17-33
• Part V: 17-35
• Chapter 21: 17-37
• Faxing a Report: 17-38
• Exporting a Report: 17-39
• Export destinations: 17-42
• Troubleshooting Output Problems: 17-51
• Chapter 22: 17-52
• Exporting to a Static HTML Page: 17-53
• Adding a Hyperlink to a Report: 22-2
• Distributing Reports via crystalreportscom: 22-5
• Integrating with salesforcecom: 22-7
• Interactive Report Viewing with Crystal Reports Viewer: 22-11
• Opening a report in Crystal Reports Viewer: 22-14
• Printing a report: 22-19
• Emailing reports to your friends and coworkers: 22-20
• Searching a haystack for that elusive needle: 22-21
• Chapter 23: 22-23
• Modifying an SQL Statement: 22-27
• Part VI: 22-29
• Chapter 24: 22-31
• Interview the Users: 22-32
• Nail Down the Project Schedule: 22-33
• Determine the Best Report Type for the Users Needs: 22-34
• Chapter 25: 22-35
• Use Color Tastefully: 22-36
• Produce a Consistent Appearance with Templates: 22-37
• Combine Two Objects with an Underlay: 22-38

About the author

Allen G. Taylor teaches database development as well as electrical engineering, and also operates a Web development company. He is a national database management speaker and consultant.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies
• Author: Allen G. Taylor
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2011
• ISBN: 1118052560, 9781118052563
• Length: 408 pages
• Subjects: Computers / Database Management / General