Introduction Objectives
About Crystal Reports
Training Philosophy
Pre-Qualification Exercise for the Power User Workshop
Power User Workshop Class Objectives
About This Manual
Tips, Notes, and Warnings
Lesson 1 - Refresher Exercise
Lesson Objectives
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
Lesson 2 - Power Formatting with Multiple Sections
Lesson Objectives
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
Lesson 3- Prompting with Parameters
Lesson Objectives
Parameter Fields Overview
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
Lesson 4- Subreports
Lesson Objectives
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
Lesson 5- Creating Powerful Groups
Lesson Objectives
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
Lesson 6 - Using Advanced Formula Features
Lesson Objectives
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
Lesson 7- Running Totals
Lesson Objectives
Understanding Running Totals
Creating Running Totals for a List of Numbers
Conditional Running Totals
Challenge Exercise - Creating Running Totals
Challenge Exercise - Creating a Conditional Running Total
Lesson 8 - Working with Cross-Tab Reports
Lesson Objectives
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
Lesson 9 - The Repository
Lesson Objectives
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
Lesson 10 - Report Templates
Lesson Objectives
Understanding Report Templates
Applying Report Templates
Creating your own Report Template
Rules for Report Templates
Challenge Exercise - Creating a Report Template and
Applying it.
Lesson 11 - Introduction to Custom Functions
Lesson Objectives
Understanding Custom Functions
Using a Custom Function
Basic modification of a Custom Function
Sharing a Custom Function
Lesson 12 - Advanced Formula Syntax
Lesson Objectives
Select Case Statement
For Loop
While Do loop
Join and Split
Challenge Exercise - Using the above syntax in a report
Lesson 13 - SQL Commands
Lesson Objectives
Understanding SQL and ODBC
Why Use a Command?
Writing a Report Against the Command
Lesson 14 Advanced Linking
Lesson Objectives
Using the Database Expert
Adding and Removing Databases from the Report
Remapping Database Fields
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
Lesson Objectives
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 - Creating an ODBC Data Source to Attach
to a Database
Creating an ODBC Connection to Any Database
Appendix D- Using the Excel and Access Add-Ins
Lesson Objectives
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 E - The Xtreme Sample Database 9
Appendix F- Function and Operator Locations
Appendix G - Glossary