Crystal Reports Archives

Using Specified-Order Grouping in Crystal Reports

As we get into some of the more subtle ways to use grouping in Crystal Reports, we sometimes find that either groups of groups, or arranging them in a hierarchy, can improve the usefulness of the report. One key to a good report is to …

Conditionally Formatting Multiple Sections in Crystal Reports

Alright, I admit it—this item on conditionally formatting sections has a little nostalgia for me, but it’s useful nostalgia. If you run a web search for “greenbar paper” you’ll see where this is going. The reason is a sound one, though. The horizontal stripes, sometimes …

Creating Report Alerts in Crystal Reports

In Crystal Reports, a feature called Report Alerts has become more important the last few years. It has to do with the fact that there are at least occasional exceptions to many kinds of report data. “Problems or conditions outside the norm” is a good …

Creating and Using Parameter Fields in Crystal Reports

When setting up layouts in Crystal Reports, the parameter field can be a tremendously helpful feature. As with a parameter query in Microsoft Access, it gives the report a significant degree of flexibility. The report’s basic structure and purpose are the same, but the ability …

Using Multiple Sections in Crystal Reports

When “laying out” data in Crystal Reports, we usually think of written information. Graphics such as charts do enter into reports, but we don’t always use photographs or other non-data images, especially in the Details section where the data will go. If, for example, we …

How to Filter Data in Crystal Reports

When you run a report in Crystal Reports, you have a lot of latitude as to what goes in, how to format and organize, and so on. But one consideration that doesn’t always come up is how to filter, or leave data out. Turns out, …

Crystal Reports – Add True Bullets to a List in a Text Object with the CHRW Function

Suppose you want to display a list of items in a text object and you want that list to appear as a bulleted list. If your list is hard coded (i.e. USA, Canada, Mexico), then you could simply type the character that represents a bullet, like an asterisk, and have your list in no time flat.

Our example will have a bit of static text at the beginning followed by the bullet list. The static text will read as follows:

“Last Year’s Sales and Suppliers for”

We will follow up the text with a carriage return to ensure the bullet list begins on a fresh row in the text object. This is where you could type something like the following:

* USA

* Canada

* Mexico

The finished product would look like:

Bullet01

Suppose your list if items is the result of selections made within a parameter and you want to display that user-defined list with bullets. The first thing you have to realize is that you can’t just place the parameter in the text box and get the list.

Crystal Reports – Missing Template Preview

When applying a template to a report, it’s often preferred to “peek” inside the template to see what it has to offer prior to applying it to your report; to “take it for a test drive”, as it were.

If you have a vast template library, and many templates are similarly named, it can be of great benefit to see a preview of what you will receive if applied. The Template Expert provides just such a preview.

Preview01

For those who prefer to create their own templates, and possibly add them to the library, the preview feature may not display if certain prerequisites have not been satisfied.

Crystal Reports – Importing Values and Descriptions into Parameters

If you are creating a list of choices for a parameter drop-down list, you can acquire the choices from several sources:

Manually enter the choices in the list (static and least exciting of all of the options)
Append a unique list of choices derived from a field in the database (static)
Point to a database field for available existing choices (dynamic)
Import items from a text file (static)

Each of the options has their pros and cons. If you are trying to generate a list that is unlikely to change (like a list of states in the USA) and you need to ensure all options are made available from Day 1, the first option of manually entering all of the choices is the typical approach.

But what if all of those choices exist in another report or file? In this case, the ability to import list selections has great appeal.

Crystal Reports Multi-Pass Processing Engine

Crystal Reports uses a three-pass reporting method to generate reports. A pass is a process that Crystal Reports uses each time the data is read and manipulated. Depending on the complexity of the report Crystal Reports may make 1, 2, or 3 passes over the data. This feature allows for complex reporting and formula manipulation.