Crystal Reports 9.0 Power User Workshop

Overview

This 2-day workshop is designed for experienced Crystal Report users. The intent of the course is to increase the design skills and expand into the expert features and powerful functionality of Crystal Reports. This workshop delves into the most complex techniques used for creating reports and solving reporting problems, as well as hands-on practice time with formula solutions.

Prerequisites

Working knowledge of Windows 9X-2000 environment, and a thorough understanding of relational database (tables, fields and records) and reporting concepts are required. Successful completion of the Quick Start Workshop.

Audience

Administrators, developers and end-users who need to create dynamic reports from varying data sources.

Course duration

2 Days

Course outline

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

Advanced Drill Down Group Level

Challenge Exercise - Formatting with Multiple Sections

Challenge Exercise - Conditionally Formatting Multiple Sections

Using the Running Totals Feature

Understanding Running Totals

Creating Running Totals for a List of Numbers

Conditional Running Totals

Callenge Exercise - Creating 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

Creating a Pick 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 for a Parameter

Limiting the Range for a Parameter

Using Parameters in Conditional Formatting

Using an Edit Mask to Limit String Parameters

Sorting with a Parameter

Challenge Exercise - Using 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

Challenge Exercise - Understand and Set Up the YTD Comparison Report

Challenge Exercise - Declare Variables and Conditionally Assign Values to Them

Using Subreporting as a Workaround Solution

Understanding Subreports

Unlinked versus Linked Subreports

Creating an Unlinked Subreport

Linking a Subreport

Database Links versus Subreports in One-to-Many Situations

Creating On-Demand Subreports

Creating Hyperlinks

Using Subreports to Link "Unlinkable" Data

Challenge Exercise - Creating Reports with Linked Subreports

Creating Powerful Groups

Using the Group Expert

Using a Field Name to Customize the Group Name

Using a Formula to Customize the Group Name Field

Creating Custom Groups

Grouping on a Formula Field

Using Group Selection to Filter the Records in the Report

Grouping Hierarchically

Additional Practice Exercise - Create Customized Grouping

Brain Teaser - Using Group Selection

Challenge Exercise - Creating a Group Using a Formula

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 Column

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

Challenge Exercise - Cross-Tab Reports

The Repository

Understanding the Repository

Getting to know the Crystal Repository

Creating your own Repository

Repository and Text Objects/Images

Repository and SQL Commands

Repository and Custom Functions

Challenge Exercise - Creating a Report using the Crystal Repository

Report Templates

Understanding Report Templates

Applying Report Templates

Creating your own Report Template

Rules for Report Templates

Challenge Exercise - Creating a Report Template and Applying it.

Introduction to Custom Functions

Understanding Custom Functions

Using a Custom Function

Basic modification of a Custom Function

Sharing a Custom Function

Advanced Formula Syntax

Select Case Statement

For Loop

While Do loop

Join and Split

Challenge Exercise - Using the above syntax in a report

Crystal Reports, Data Access and SQL

What is SQL

Direct Database Driver

ODBC

OLE DB

Viewing the SQL

SQL Commands

Creating a SQL Command

Adding a Parameter to the Command

Creating a Report from a SQL Command

SQL Expressions

Creating a SQL Expression

Advanced Database Concepts

Using the Database Expert

Adding and Removing Databases from the Report

Remapping Database Fields

Set Database Location

Using the Map Fields Dialog Box to Remap Fields

Adding Tables to a Report Multiple Times

Changing the Join Type for a Link

Appendix A - Creating Report Alerts

What are Report Alerts

Creating Report Alerts

Challenge Exercise - Using Report Alerts with Parameter

Appendix B - Running Reports Efficiently

Understanding What Crystal Can Pass to the Database and How That Affects Report Performance

Strategies for Efficient Report Performance

Interpreting the SQL Query

Using an SQL Statement to Make a Report More Efficient

Using the Switch Function to Pass a Conditional Statement to the Database

Challenge Exercise - Using a Switch Function to Push Conditional Selection to the Database

Appendix C - Using the Excel and Access Add-Ins

Understanding the Crystal Reports Add-Ins

Installing the Microsoft Excel Add-In

Installing the Microsoft Access Add-In

Creating a Report in Excel

Creating a Report in Access

Appendix D - Custom Functions in the Crystal Repository

Date Custom Functions

Finance Custom Funtions

Format Functions

Geographic

Math

Appendix E - The Xtreme Sample Database 9

Appendix F - Function and Operator Locations