Overview of Crystal Reports

• Formatting and summarising data
• Filtering, sorting and grouping data
• Customising reports with business logic
• Connecting to SQL Server, Oracle and Access databases
• Adding charts and sub reports to a report

The Crystal Report Writer

Writing a basic report

• Selecting a format
• Adding text and fields
• Connecting to remote data sources
• Configuring the reporting environment

Formatting and styling

• Tailoring sections within a report
• Annotating header and footer fields
• Designing fields for quality presentations
• Adding colour, borders and pictures
• Highlighting data with Highlight Expert

Linking Crystal Reports to Data

Connecting to popular data sources

• SQL Server
• Oracle
• Access
• Web logs
• XML
• Reporting from stored procedures and views

Establishing data connections

• Creating a connectivity checklist
• Configuring ODBC and OLE DB
• Integrating SQL commands in a report

Interpreting Structures and Retrieving Data

Navigating complex data

• Deciphering data structures
• Identifying data relationships

Gathering the right data

• Merging data from multiple tables
• Building business queries
• Optimising data retrieval

Combining Powerful Report Techniques

Organising and summarising reports

• Sorting user sort control and grouping
• Grouping with formulas
• Summary and Rolling Total fields
• Using Report Alerts

Building advanced reports

• Embedding linked and unlinked subreports into reports
• Creating crosstab and drill-down reports
• Designing dynamic and cascading prompts
• Multipass reporting, Hyperlinking Reports and Multilingual Reports
• Achieving reusability with templates

Visualising complex data

• Simplifying data with charts and graphs
• Organising fields into sections
• Adding, merging, suppressing sections

Programming Data Functionality

Coding in formula language

• Working with variables and operators
• Deciphering formula syntax
• Adding and modifying formulas with the Formula Workshop
• Calling and working with functions
• Sharing formulas with the Repository

Writing effective formulas

• Building if/then/else statements
• Converting and comparing data
• Debugging the code
• Employing the Formula Workshop

Converting to Basic Syntax

• Writing formulas with Basic Syntax
• Laying a foundation for complex reporting logic

Deploying Reports to the Internet, Intranets, Visual Basic and .NET

Deploying Crystal Reports

• Deciding among Push, Pull, Static and Dynamic reports
• Migrating to production by switching databases
• Determining when to use the Crystal Reports Server

Publishing reports to a Web site

• Exporting reports to HTML
• Publishing to CrystalReports.com

Integrating into custom applications

• Adding Crystal Reports to Visual Basic and .NET
• Exploring application development options with Crystal Reports